Matthew Gilbert Presents “Doctorious: My Adventures in Academia”

Below are the descriptions for the various courses I teach and the schools at which I teach them:

Axia College of University of Phoenix

COM/120 (Effective Persuasive Writing): Focuses on developing the writing skills of entry-level college students. This 9-week course emphasizes the use of Standard English grammar and mechanics, correct spelling, and basic documentation skills as well as coherence and correctness in written communication. Students will examine the characteristics of the persuasive essay and utilize the steps in the writing process to create a Persuasive Essay.

COM/125 (Utilizing Information in College Writing): This nine-week course focuses on developing the research, writing, and evaluation skills of entry-level college students. Topical areas include information utilization, critical reading, organization, and documentation as they relate to a major research paper. Students will continue to build their writing skills as they incorporate outside feedback and explore various strategies to improve their arguments. Activities include preparing a research plan, creating an annotated bibliography, and completing a research paper.

COM/140 (Contemporary Business Communication): In this course, students apply the basic writing process—transitioning from fluency to clarity to correctness—as they create a variety of effective business communication for both internal and external audiences. Selected readings provide the foundation for discussions of the purpose, audience, structure, tone, and content of business writing. Grammar exercises focus on sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and bias-free language.

COM/150 (Effective Essay Writing): In this course, students develop academic writing skills. Students use the writing process to construct an expository essay with an emphasis on coherence and correctness in written communication. Students also conduct basic research for the expository essay. Selected readings provide the basis for discussion regarding the difference between fact and opinion. Grammar exercises focus on verb tense and form, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement, and pronoun case. Students also complete exercises covering topic sentences, paragraph development, citations, and formatting guidelines.

COM/215 (Written Communication): This course focuses on effective internal and external business communication using written methods. Students will write a variety of job-related communiqués including letters, resumes, memos, reports, and presentations.

COM/220 (Research Writing): This course focuses on effective internal and external business communication using written methods. Students will write a variety of job-related communiqués including letters, resumes, memos, reports, and presentations.

ENG/101 (Effective Essay Writing): Students develop academic writing skills. The emphasis is on coherence and correctness in written communication as students use the writing process to craft an expository essay. Students also conduct basic research for the expository essay. Selected readings provide a basis for discussion regarding the difference between fact and opinion. Grammar exercises focus on verb tense, subject- verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement, and pronoun case.

DeVry University

BIS-155 (Data Analysis with Spreadsheets with Lab): This course focuses on analyzing business situations using current spreadsheet software. Using data derived from real-world business situations, students learn to use appropriate spreadsheet software features to organize, analyze and present data, as well as to make business decisions. Through personal database technology such as Access, the course also introduces basic database concepts. Prerequisite: COMP-100.

BUSN-115 (Introduction to Business and Technology): This course introduces business and the environments in which businesses operate. Students examine the roles of major functional areas of business and interrelationships among them. Organizational theories and techniques are examined, and economic, cultural, political and technological factors affecting business organizations are evaluated.

COMP-100 (Computer Applications for Business with Lab): This course introduces basic concepts and principles underlying personal productivity tools widely used in business such as word processors (Microsoft Word 2007), spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel 2007), presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint 2007)email and web browsers. Students also learn basic computer terminology and concepts. Hands-on exercises provide students with experience in use of PCs and current personal productivity tools.

COMP-129 (PC Hardware and Software with Lab): This course explores the PC system from software, hardware and operating system points of view. Hardware topics include system boards, processors, memory, power supplies, input/output (I/O) ports, internal adapters, printers and basic networking devices. Software topics include client/server operating systems and installation, as well as licensing software applications.

ENGL-032 (Developmental Writing and Reading): Using an integrated approach, this basic skills course helps students develop skills to meet prerequisite writing and reading requirements of college-level work. Coursework focuses on process-based activities designed to develop pre-writing, writing and revising skills, and relates writing to such skills as pre-reading, reading and analysis in order to strengthen critical thinking. As part of the writing process, fundamental aspects of grammar, usage and style are addressed as necessary. The minimum requirement to pass this course is 70 percent, and grades of D are not assigned. Eligibility to enroll in the course is based on placement results.

ENGL-092 (Intermediate English): This prerequisite skills course helps develop the reading and writing skills of students who have mastered foundational and basic levels of English, but who need to strengthen their facility with reading and composition prior to entering the writing sequence and enrolling in other mainstream DeVry courses. An integrated approach is used to link writing with reading, and to address more basic matters as they arise from assignments. The minimum requirement to pass this course is 70 percent, and grades of D are not assigned. Eligibility to enroll in the course is based on placement results or successful completion of ENGL-032.

ENGL-112 (Composition): This course develops writing skills through analysis of essays, articles and other written works that are used as models for writing practice and development. Writing assignments stress process approaches, development, organization, revision and audience awareness. Students use word processing and web-based tools to develop written work. Eligibility to enroll in the course is based on placement results, or successful completion of ENGL-092.

ENGL-135 (Advanced Composition): This course builds on the conventions and techniques of composition through critical reading requirements and longer, more sophisticated reports, including a documented library research paper. Assignments require revising and editing for an intended audience. Students are also taught search strategies for accessing a variety of print and electronic resources.

ENGL-227 (Professional Writing): This course extends composition principles to writing in a career context. Through a process-oriented approach, students learn to create effective reports and correspondence. Major emphasis is given to the principles of professional writing in common applications. Studies include electronic communication and oral reporting. Students may also learn to create web pages for communication purposes.

MGMT-303 (Principles of Management): This course examines fundamental management theories and traditional managerial responsibilities in formal and informal organizational structures. Planning, organizing, directing, controlling and staffing are explored.

MGMT-404 (Project Management): This course enhances students’ ability to function in a project leadership role. While exploring the project life cycle, they gain experience in budget and timeline management. Project management software is used to design project schedules using methods such as bar charts, program evaluation review technique (PERT) and critical path method (CPM) to produce project plans to apply to the solution of case studies.

National University

COM-103 (Oral Communication): Introduction to the principles and practices of spoken communication, with special emphasis on the skills needed to communicate effectively in the workplace. Topics include platform techniques, interpersonal communication strategies, cross-cultural approaches and small group methods. (Formerly COM-200)

Strayer University

BUS-100 (Introduction to Business): Provides a foundation in business operations through a survey of major business functions (management, production, marketing, finance and accounting, human resource management, and various support functions). Offers an overview of business organizations and the business environment, strategic planning, international business, and quality assurance.

BUS-107 (Fundamentals of E-Business): Examines the development of electronic commerce, the basic technologies used to conduct e-business, and the various forms of electronic business. Presents marketing models used in e-business strategy. Examines the processes for business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. Reviews the electronic commerce infrastructure, designing and managing online storefronts, payment options, security, privacy, and the legal and ethical challenges of electronic business.

University of California, Santa Barbara (Extension)

BUSAD X409.47 (Buying Behavior): Buying behavior is the study of why consumers purchase goods and services, and the multiple factors that influence their decisions. In today’s volatile marketplace, gaining a better understanding of consumer buying behavior offers distinct advantages when selecting target markets and designing market strategy. With a particular focus on the impact of the Internet on marketing, this class explains what buying behavior is and explores how to successfully reach consumers and inspire them to take action. Integrating in-class activities, hands-on exercises, relevant readings and topical videos this course will explore topics including:

• The basics of consumer and business buying behavior: who, what and how.
• Cultural, social, individual, and psychological influences on buying behavior.
• The delicate art of persuasion and its impact on the purchase decision process.
• The importance of branding: crafting brand positioning and creating brand equity.
• Blogs, message boards, podcasts, viral videos, websites and other interactive media.

BUSAD X409.25 (Marketing Research and Strategic Applications): One of the most important keys to success in business is knowing how to gather important marketing information that identifies customer preferences and brings those preferences to bear on consumer communications. In this course, students learn how to gather information about the marketplace that refines marketing campaigns and avoids wasteful spending on unlikely buyers. Students also explore aspects vital to identifying and understanding sales and marketing opportunities, customer prospects, product and service requirements, buying and usage patterns, product awareness, and customer satisfaction. Important topics include:

• Overview of intelligence gathering.
• Research methodology and techniques
• Data mining, evaluation, and application
• Use of internal vs. external studies
• Effective questionnaires.