English 333/533 Fundamentals of Technical Writing

Section 001, Fall 2000

Joe Law

Office: 027 Paul Laurence Dunbar Library

Office phone: 775-2155

E-mail: joe.law@wright.edu

Office hours: 8:00-9:20 T, Th and by appointment

Note: Because my responsibilities as Coordinator of Writing Across the Curriculum often require me to be away from the office, it would be wise to call ahead even during my regular office hours. However, I'm usually on campus until 5:00, so it shouldn't be hard to arrange a time to meet.

This syllabus and the policies outlined here are also available through the English department web page: http://www.cola.wright.edu/Dept/ENG/ENG.htm

COURSE PREREQUISITE:

English 102

REQUIRED TEXT:

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. 6th ed. New York: St .Martin's, 2001.

A Web site for this text is located at http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm/

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

English 333 surveys the fundamental principles and skills used in scientific and technical writing.

POLICIES AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Course Grade: Your grade will be determined on the basis of your written work. Writing assignments 1-6 (outlined below) will constitute 60% of your grade; the fourth-hour project will be 15%; exercises done in class will make up the remaining 25% of your grade. Please note that attendance will affect your final grade as well (see below). FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS: Assignments 1-6 will constitute 45% of the grade and the additional assignments another 15%.

Late Work: As a rule, I do not accept late assignments. Late work will be accepted only in the case of a documented illness or if you have made arrangements with me in advance of the absence.

Attendance: Much of the work in the course will be carried out in class. Missing a class means that you cannot benefit from the comments of other students and that other students cannot benefit from yours. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class. Missing more than 15% of the classes (over 3 class meetings) will lower your grade. After the third absence, I will deduct 2.5 percentage points per absence from your final grade.

Tardiness: Class will begin as scheduled. Late arrivals disrupt class, so please be on time. Students who arrive late will not receive additional time to complete any activities already begun, such as a reading quiz. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class; if you are late, it is you responsibility to see that my record is corrected that same class period.

Editing skills: This course presupposes mastery of standard edited American English and will not cover grammar per se; however, grammatical and other errors will affect grades on assignments. It is the responsibility of all students to proofread and edit their work before it is submitted. Students who do not exhibit proficiency in editing throughout the semester should not expect to pass the course.

Academic honesty: All work submitted must be your own, with outside sources properly acknowledged. Academic dishonesty includes copying another's work, turning in someone else's work as your own, allowing a tutor to write part or all of your paper, or allowing someone else to use your work in this same manner. If you are unsure about this matter, talk to me before you submit the paper, not after.

Special accommodations: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please see me as soon as possible. We should make any necessary adjustments at the beginning of the course.

University Writing Center: Writing Consultants in the Writing Center(031 Library) are available to assist you as you work on your papers. Be sure to take a copy of your assignment with you when you go. The Writing Center also has a cluster of networked computers available for student use (computer assistance is also provided). The service is free to all WSU students. To get more information about hours and the services provided, call 775-4186.

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Reading and Assignment Schedule

All readings should be completed by the date they are scheduled for class discussion. Class time will be used to apply the concepts in the chapter, not restate them. The schedule is subject to change according to the needs of the class. If you have to miss a class, you are still responsible for keeping up with any changes made for the following class meeting.

09/14/00 Introduction to course; trial of Novell accounts (and let's hope that trial isn't too apt a word!)

09/19/00 Chapter 1 ("Introduction to Technical Communication")

09/21/00 Chapter 5 ("Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose")

09/26/00 In-class work with effective style and revision strategies

09/28/00 In-class work with effective style and revision strategies--Assignment1 due

10/03/00 Chapter 6 ("Communicating Persuasively")

10/05/00 Chapter 6, continued--Assignment 2 due

10/10/00 Chapter 8 ("Organizing Your Information")--Graduate Project Prospectus due

10/12/00 Chapter 8, continued--Assignment 3 due

10/17/00 Chapter 9 ("Drafting and Revising Definitions and Descriptions")

10/19/00 Chapter 20 ("Writing Instructions and Manuals")--Assignment 4 due

10/24/00 Chapter 13 ("Designing the Document")

10/26/00 Chapter 14 ("Creating Graphics")--Assignment 5 due

10/31/00 In-class work with Assignment 5--Graduate Project Progress Report due

11/02/00 No class meeting; e-mail Assignment 6 to me as an attachment before 5:00 Friday. Use class time to work on the fourth-hour project in your groups

11/07/00 In-class work on fourth-hour projects

11/09/00 In-class work on fourth-hour projects

11/14/00 Class presentations of fourth-hour projects

11/16/00 Class presentations of fourth-hour projects

11/21/00 Fourth-hour project due; final version of graduate project due; course evaluation

Final Exam: Tuesday, November 28, 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Two Other Dates to Note:

Wednesday, October 4--last day to drop a class without a record of W

Tuesday, October 17--last day for all but freshmen to drop a class with a W

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WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Note: Budgeting time is critical in a writing course of this kind. These general descriptions are meant to help you in that respect. In particular, the fourth-hour project calls for group work and should be planned well in advance. All of these assignments will be discussed in more detail in class.

Assignment 1: Locate two articles on the same topic, one intended for a general audience and the other for an expert audience. For example, you might compare an article in The New England Journal of Medicine with the report of that same topic in a popular newsmagazine like Time or Newsweek. What features in each article indicate the sort of audience it is intended to serve? For this assignment, use a print version of the article, not one on the Internet. Summarize your findings in a memo to me and attach photocopies of the articles. Memo format is covered in Chapter 15, pages 430-37.

Assignment 2: Interview a professional in the field you plan to enter and find out what sort of writing--formal and informal--he or she does in connection with that job. Address an informative memo to me summarizing your findings. Before meeting with your subject, look over the section on interviewing in Chapter 7 (pages 171-74). Be prepared to ask follow-up questions that will get you the most useful information; for instance, many professionals use a good deal of e-mail without thinking of it as "writing," so you might mention e-mail in a follow-up question.

Assignment 3: This assignment is less complicated than it may look at first. First, revise the memo you wrote for Assignment 2 in terms of both content and style (including mechanics). Once you're satisfied with that, put it into two different Word memo formats (there are three formats for memos in Style Gallery). Identify the style used as part of the subject line of each. Then, in a new memo to me, tell me which format you think is more effective and explain why. Also, discuss any changes you made or would recommend making to the Word template. You will be turning in three documents altogether; two will be the same except for the format used, and the other will be entirely new.

Assignment 4: Describe a relatively simple object, such as a desk stapler or a coffee maker. You may need to include some definition as part of the description. Remember to review Chapter 9 ("Drafting and Revising Definitions and Descriptions").

Assignment 5: Write a set of instructions for a simple procedure that can be carried out in class. Bring a second copy of those directions and a copy on disk for in-class work.

Assignment 6: Submit a revised version of assignment 5 that takes into account anything you learned from working with directions in class--either your own directions or those of other students. In a short memo, explain what changes you made and why.

Fourth-Hour Project: Before you begin this assignment, take a quick look at Chapter 4 ("Writing Collaboratively"). The assignment itself has two parts. Part 1: For the first part, you will work in small groups to create a brochure for incoming students (new, returning, transfer) explaining the Writing Across the Curriculum program at Wright State and its requirements. There is a real need for such a document, and I hope to use something you produce this term--with your names duly credited on it, of course. Each group will present its proposed brochure to the whole class at the end of the quarter. Be sure you work out individual responsibilities for everyone. You will have some class time for working on this project, but plan ahead so that you can coordinate your efforts outside of class as well. Part 2: For the second part, each of you will submit a memo about your work on the brochure. Specifically, you will need to describe the elements of technical writing that you considered in working out the brochure, referring to chapters in the text as appropriate. In addition, the memo should also summarize your experience working in the group and evaluate that experience.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

General Assignment: Prepare a report that recommends a solution for a specific problem you have identified. Provide at least three alternative solutions and explain your choice in such a way as to persuade your reader of the soundness of your recommendation. Be sure your reader understands the importance of the problem, the relative advantages and disadvantages of the potential solutions, and the reasons for your recommendation. The format you use will depend on the problem and your approach to it. Select a fairly simple problem than can be handled adequately in 7-10 pages. I'll provide examples in class.

Prospectus: In a memo to me, describe the problem you will address in the report described above. Be sure you identify the nature and extent of the problem (including its importance). The memo should also respond to the following questions: What are your qualifications for dealing with this topic? What difficulties can you anticipate? How will you solve them? What is your timeline for completing this project?

Progress Report: In a brief memo to me, describe your progress on the project. How much is completed? What remains to be done? Have unexpected problems arisen? If so, how have you dealt with them?

Updated 9-19-00