Use of Comment for Submitting Writing Assignments in COMM 393

For Fall 05, all writing courses at UMUC will be using Comment, an online program for submitting and commenting on writing. To use Comment, you must purchase  A Writer's Reference , 5th ed. with an Access Code to Comment or go online to the Comment Web site and purchase access to Comment and the electronic A Writer's Reference, 5th ed., without purchasing a hard copy of the book. If you go online and purchase access to Comment and the electronic handbook, you can decide later if you want to purchase a hardcopy of the handbook from a bookstore or an online source. One factor to consider is that the online access is available only for the duration of the course so you may want to purchase a hard copy of the textbook for future reference. Of course, if you already have a hard copy, you should go online and purchase access to Comment and the electronic version of the handbook.

In this class, Comment will be used in two ways:

1. Feedback on Rough Drafts. For feedback on  errors in grammar, usage, and punctuation, as well as use of APA or MLA style for documentation, you may submit the rough draft of an assignment in Comment. Please send me an email that you have submitted the assignment, and I will get back to you with my comments within 48 hours. (You must save the document as an HTML document to submit it in Comment. If you want feedback on the content or the design of the document, please send the document to me as an email attachment that has not been saved as an HTML file since saving a document as an HTML file often results in a loss of formatting.)

2. Feedback on Final Drafts. When you submit a major writing assignment for a grade, you must submit the assignment in both WebTycho and in Comment. I will base my grade on the content and appearance of the document as submitted in WebTycho. I will send you by email a copy of the grading criteria with your grade and my comments. Also, I will use Comment when necessary to make suggestions for improving your writing to eliminate errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, as well as use of APA or MLA style for documentation.

To begin using Comment, go to the Comment Web site and select the version of Comment with A Writer's Reference . Select the User's Guide , Student Quick Start for instructions for registering as a user of Comment.

IMPORTANT: The Class Code for this course is fall05.

To submit your writing in Comment for review by the instructor,

1. Save your writing as an HTML file in Word or whatever word processing program you are using.
2. In Comment, select the top tab for Documents and Comments view.
3. In the Filter Assignment box, use the drop down menu to choose the correct assignment.
4. Select Upload a New Assignment to upload your document in Comment.
5. After the document has been uploaded, you can hide the document and comments from other  members of the class. To hide the document and comments
   • Select the document by checking the box before the document name.
   • Then go the Manage Documents box and from the drop down menu, select Edit Document Properties.
   • On the Edit Document Properties page, select Hide document so that the document can be seen by only the student submitting the document and the teacher.
   • Select Class members can view only their own comments to hide comments from the teacher on your document from other members of the class.
6. If you are submitting a rough draft for review, send the instructor an email that you have submitted the draft.
7. All final drafts should be submitted in both WebTycho and Comment. There is no need to send the teacher an email.