SCENARIO: Imagine that your workplace has experienced significant change recently, and your department is expected to respond to change with innovation. Your immediate manager has asked you to determine one specific innovation for your department; you will be responsible for the implementation of this innovation.
Your manager has asked you to first create an informative report in which you explore how this innovation might be implemented. Once they approve or provide feedback on this, they would like you to create a recommendation report for the department manager.
ASSIGNMENT: You must create an informative report in which you identify the innovation that you would like to implement, and then compare and contrast two possible methods of implementation for the innovation. For example, if the innovation is implementing a new inventory database, your essay might compare and contrast two inventory management software products. This report should not include a recommendation, but instead should be strictly informative, offering a detailed comparison.
Sample Touchstone 2.2
The purpose of informative writing is to convey information. Informative writing is unbiased, and the goal is to present concepts and research objectively. Specifically, you will research several methods for implementing your chosen innovation, ultimately focusing on two of them. In your report, you will compare and contrast two of these methods based on two or three factors that you choose (e.g., cost, technology requirements, accessibility, etc.). Your audience for this assignment is your supervisor.
Remember that for this report, you are not trying to persuade or convince the audience that one method is better or worse than the other; you are instead informing the reader about the similarities or differences between the two methods in an objective manner.
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Draft double-spaced, 3-4-page (750-1000 words) informative comparison/contract report in which you:
Include an introduction that informs readers of the problem to be solved and the innovation that you have proposed.
The introduction should end with a thesis statement that conveys the two methods of implementation you will be comparing and contrasting, as well as the 2-3 factors of comparison/contrast that you will be discussing.
For example, if the innovation you’d like to implement is more rapid communication between teams, you could discuss two different instant messaging tools that the company could implement and compare/contrast them through the lenses of cost, usability, and efficiency.
Include 4-6 body paragraphs organized according to either the point-by-point or block method for comparison/contrast writing, which you learned about in this unit.
Using APA format, cite and reference 2-4 credible primary or secondary sources that you used to learn about these methods of implementation and the points of comparison/contrast you chose.
End with a concluding paragraph that restates your thesis in different words and provides a closing thought.
Write in the informative mode throughout the composition, using objective language.
Minimize mechanical and stylistic errors.
Answer the reflection questions listed below.
B. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
Did you use the point-by-point or block method to organize your body paragraphs? What made you decide to organize your essay in this way? (3-4 sentences)
Consider the experience of writing in the informative mode. How was this different from other writing assignments you have done? Did you find it difficult to refrain from providing your opinion on the different methods you explored? (2-3 sentences)
How did you use technology throughout this process, both in writing your report and finding sources? (2-3 sentences)
Remember that the writing process is a recursive process, and your first draft of an essay is rarely your last. Which part of the draft did you struggle with the most, and why? Since you will be revising this Touchstone in the next unit, think about how you can improve the draft once you continue the writing process with revision and editing. (3-4 sentences)
