DISCUSS; Compare and Contrast Business Writing and Academic Writing

This discussion will follow a slightly different format than the previous. I will post the topic and allow students to join in the discussion at any point without students having to create an original post. The readings from this week will be somewhat helpful in the discussion, but should not be the only resource for conversation. Again, students are expected to join in at least 3 times as stipulated below (without needing to post an initial comment).
This is a discussion in an English class and therefore special attention should be paid to audience (other members of the class and the instructor) and purpose (to engage in academically based discussion of topics pertaining to a technical writing class). Comments should be thoughtful, or even insightful, and class members ought to show courtesy toward other students and the instructor and their academic register. (A register is language style used in a specific social setting. Think of the tone, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and grammar of a news reporter on camera versus a group of friends out having pizza together. Academic discussions warrant a certain amount of attention to these elements.)
For each discussion, students should have an original post and at least two responses to posts or comments. Each of these will be given one point if completed and two points if referring directly to readings, showing an understanding of the issues discussed, displaying critical thinking, using an advanced academic register, incorporation collegiate level vocabulary and addressing all points in the discussion prompt. There are 5 points possible in each discussion, so students who complete the work can expect a score of 3 out of 5 and those who incorporate the above expectations can expect a score between 4 and 6 out of 5.

You’ve done years and years of academic writing at this point. Although we English teachers like to create fictitious audiences (like in the memo we just did in class), we all know the actual truth. The audience is the instructor and sometimes the class. When writing for business, there are many different audiences with very different purposes for reading your piece. Let’s start with audience and let the conversation naturally flow there. What are some of the similarities and differences you’re going to find in your readers for business texts that aren’t the case for the instructors who’ve read your pieces in the past? If these were items you turned in at work, rather than in the class, how does that motivate you differently?