Assessing the level of improvement of students' writing competency during a semester is becoming increasingly important for business communication instructors. When conducting an assessment, instructors need to be aware of issues that will affect reliability and validity. They need to develop cleargoals at the beginning; for example, good assessment strives to improve instruction and to develop students' communication skills. Because different schools have different missions and operate in different environments, a custom-made instrument will ensure that the assessment fits the local conditions. Before conducting the assessment, the instrument needs to be validated for specific use, and scorers must be trained in holistic scoring to reach an overall assessment.

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This study of textbooks in business communication focused on the number of times men and women were shown in photographs and the professional roles implied by their appearance and demeanor. While the numbers were in bal ance, the physical appearance and role portrayal perpetuated traditional stereotypes of men and women in the workplace.

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One respondent has moved into administration and did not feel qualified to list any readings.) 9.&dquo;For most students, rewriting is a nasty word;' according to Erika Lindemann.' She goes on to explain that students equate revision with failure in writing and that teachers must take much of the blame for this attitude. Students write one draft of a paper to turn in; the teacher puts red marks all over it and records that at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIV on May 30, 2015 bcq.sagepub.com Downloaded from