Microsoft Outlook Traditional Assessment

SLO 1: Compose and send e-mail messages

Multiple Choice
1. What part of the e-mail message states its purpose or main topic? a. Signature line b. Greeting line c. Subject line d. Closing line Feedback: a. Incorrect. The signature line identifies the sender and may contain additional information, such as a job title and phone number (review page 8 of the textbook). b. Incorrect. The greeting line or salutation sets the tone of the message and can be formal or informal, depending on the nature of the message (review page 8 of the textbook). c. Correct! The subject line states the reason for the email. d. Incorrect. The closing line signals an end to the message using courtesy words such as Thank you or Regards (review page 8 of the textbook). 2. What is an indication that the text may contain a contextual spelling error? a. Red wavy underline b. Blue wavy underline c. Green wavy underline d. Purple wavy underline Feedback: a. Incorrect. A red wavy underline means the flagged text is not in Outlooks main dictionary because it is a proper name or misspelled (review page 24 of the textbook). b. Correct! A blue wavy underline indicates the text may contain a contextual spelling error such as the misuse of homonyms. c. Incorrect. A green wavy underline indicates the text may be incorrect grammatically (review page 24 of the textbook). d. Incorrect. Outlook does not have a purple wavy underline function (review page 24 of the textbook). 3. Which of the following attachments is safe to send, has an ideal file extension and appropriate file size? a. A decrypted file with a .key extension and 35 KB in size b. A virus-free file with a .pdf extension and 20 MB in size c. A malware-free file with a .csv extension and 99 KB in size d. An encrypted file with a .docx extension and 85 KB in size Feedback: a. Incorrect. Although the file is small in size and decrypted, it may contain malware and requires a program (Keynote) that is not available in many computers (review page 35 of the textbook). b. Incorrect. Although the file is virus-free and most computers have Adobe Reader that can view the file, the size exceeds the 10MB attachment size limit associated with most e-mail accounts (review page 35 of the textbook).

Rica Young Designing Effective Online Assessments Traditional Assessment Assignment April 16, 2013

c. Correct! A malware-free file is safe to send, a .csv extension is a common format that can be viewed using notepad and 99KB does not exceed the 10MB attachment size limit associated with most e-mail accounts. d. Incorrect. Although the file is small in size, it may contain malware and requires a program (Microsoft Word) that is not available in some computers (review page 35 of the textbook).

True or False
4. A professional e-mail should have an elaborate, creative and expressive message that will charm your readers. Feedback: True: Incorrect. The message text should be clear and concise. Use as few words as possible to make a point (review page 4 of the textbook). False: Correct! Brief or short message text is more likely to be read than lengthy text. 5. A valid e-mail address consists of just two parts: a user name and a domain name. Feedback: True: Incorrect. An e-mail address consists of three parts: a user name which is a unique combination of characters, a domain name which is the unique name associated with a specific Internet address and an @ symbol that separates the username from the domain name (review page 35 of the textbook). False: Correct! An e-mail address consists of three parts: a user name which is a unique combination of characters, a domain name which is the unique name associated with a specific Internet address and an @ symbol that separates the username from the domain name.

Fill-in the blank

6. If you have concerns about whether the recipient's server is set up to block messages formatted as HTML, use ____________ as the message format. Feedback: Plain Text: Correct! Plain Text is recognized by all e-mail programs and is the most likely format to be allowed through a companys virus-filtering program. However, unlike HTML, it does not support basic text formatting (bold, color, alignment) and pictures. Blank or Other Answers: Incorrect. Plain Text is recognized by all e-mail programs and is the most likely format to be allowed through a companys virus-filtering program. However, unlike HTML, it does not support basic text formatting (bold, color, alignment) and pictures (review page 21 of the textbook). 7. When sending an e-mail message to multiple recipients, it is best to use ___________ to separate multiple e-mail addresses. Feedback: Semicolon: Correct! Semicolon is used in Outlook to separate multiple e-mail addresses. First names and last names in the address book are separated by commas and run into problems if e-mail addresses are separated by commas too. Blank or Other Answers: Incorrect! Semicolon is used in Outlook to separate multiple e-mail addresses. First names and last names in the address book are separated by commas and run into problems if e-mail addresses are separated by commas too (review page 37 of the textbook).
Rica Young Designing Effective Online Assessments Traditional Assessment Assignment April 16, 2013

Matching Type
8. Match the order of steps for sending an email with attachment according to textbook guidelines. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Step Step Step Step Step Step Step 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. Click the Option tab Type a clear and concise message Click the BCC button Click Send Insert Attachment Enter the recipients email address Type a brief subject Click the New Mail button Proofread Click the File tab

Feedback: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click the New Mail button Insert Attachment Enter the recipients email address Type a brief subject Type a clear and concise message Proofread Click Send

Correct! Many people forget to attach the file before sending an email so it is important to insert the attachment first before typing the details in the message header and message body. Proofreading is also an essential step before sending so that your messages are free from spelling, grammar and typographical errors. Incorrect. Sending email messages with attachment is a common practice and an important business tool in todays workplace. Make sure that you know the steps so that you can fulfill your duties effectively and efficiently. Review the guidelines on page 21 of the textbook.

Content Analysis
9. When creating a professional e-mail message, the actions you perform and decisions you make will affect the appearance and characteristics of the finished message. Read the e-mail message in the next page and identify areas that need correction and improvement. Write a revised version and explain the rationale of your modifications.

Rica Young Designing Effective Online Assessments Traditional Assessment Assignment April 16, 2013

Feedback: Answers should point out and correct the following errors: 1. blank subject line 2. missing greeting line, closing and signature line 3. incorrect spelling 4. use of "texting" language 5. use of all capital letters 6. unethical, offensive and disrespectful tone The sample answer in the next page will be provided as a guide for what is expected.

Rica Young Designing Effective Online Assessments Traditional Assessment Assignment April 16, 2013

Rica Young Designing Effective Online Assessments Traditional Assessment Assignment April 16, 2013