Discussion 9
1
Topic: Quality control.
This Discussion is an exercise in better overall communication, and a practice
exercise for your Final Group Project.
Sloppy grammar, confusing writing or distracting formatting might not be as
catastrophic as some of the crises we’ve studied this semester — i.e. a navigation
error by an oil tanker, an engineering miscalculation by bridge designers or an
oversight by food & drug inspectors — but they can similarly lead to failure of the
effort. I’ve commented “please watch grammar” on many discussions this semester
and it is to this point. Random or informal (incorrect) capitalization, punctuation or
inconsistent style (i.e. writing the company name three different ways) distracts from
your message. Often, we continue making such mistakes because we’re unaware
that they are incorrect in the first place. Or maybe you have not followed the
assignment instructions precisely. Your Final Project will be graded with greater
scrutiny on these elements and a higher overall standard, so this assignment is
designed to help you in polish your work and improve your grade.
Discussion Post Assignment
— Read: A Quality Control Checklist for All Your Writing (prnewsonline.com)
Links to an external site.
— Conduct a quality control of your past Discussions and briefly note two examples
of the types of problems mentioned above. There is a reasonable chance you’ll find
a mistake or your own “blind spot” mentioned here: “the most common grammar
mistakes.”
