English : Technical Writing

Transcription

1 English : Technical Writing Course Syllabus: Summer Session I, 2012 Instructor Information Prof. Kristen B. Proehl (best way to reach me) Office: 511 Strode; (864) (phone) Office Mailbox: Strode 815 COURSE DESCRIPTION Welcome to English 314: Technical Writing! This course offers an extensive introduction to the theory and practice of technical communication. In this Summer Session I format, we will focus especially upon practical applications of technical writing in preparation for both the job market and a workplace environment. Through readings from our assigned textbook, Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace, Second Edition, a variety of assignments and applications, and online discussion forums, you will learn to analyze and compose user-friendly technical documents, think critically about audience response and research methods, evaluate primary/secondary sources, and address ethical issues related to the practice of technical communication. In sum, English will not only enhance your critical reasoning skills but will also enable you to become a more articulate, resourceful, and persuasive writer and communicator. Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 1

2 COURSE OBJECTIVES By the end of this course, you will have learned to - Write clear, informative, and effective technical documents in a workplace environment. - Identify, analyze, and interpret the most important elements of technical documents. - Design persuasive job application letters, resumés, s, memos, and other important professional materials. - Understand the theory and practice of technical communication in a digital world. - Use and evaluate research to produce technical documents. - Understand how technical communication responds to global, multi-lingual, and crosscultural audiences. REQUIRED TEXT and SUPPLIES - Textbook: Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace, Second Edition, Laura J. Gurak and John M. Lannon (Pearson, 2013). ISBN: Note: Be sure to order the Second Edition it s important, especially given that this is an online course, for us to all be on the same page. - Reliable computer/internet access from May 16-June 22, 2012 (ideally, every day, but at least Monday-Saturday of every week during this session). If you are using a personal/home computer, you are required to locate a back-up computer option in your local neighborhood (such as a public library, university library, or internet café) in the event of any unexpected computer issues. - You must also maintain an active Clemson University account and access to Blackboard ( ASSIGNMENTS Important Note: In addition to the following graded components, you will have corresponding weekly readings listed on the schedule below. Please note that this is a swift-paced course and you will have regular assignments to complete each week; as such, you ll need to work to manage your time carefully. You will be able to work ahead on some but not all assignments; you should, therefore, plan to complete regular coursework on at least 5-6 days per week throughout this summer session period. A) DISCUSSION FORUM (20%) On many weeks, as noted on the attached schedule, you will be required to post on the online Blackboard Discussion Forum. Your post will respond to a prompt or question related to the readings in our textbook and/or upcoming assignments. The posts are typically due by Fridays at 10pm and will range in length ( words, as directed). You should read the prompt at the start of the week to ensure you have time to complete it; you are also welcome to submit your post a day or two before the deadline, if you d like. The prompt topics and types will vary from week to week. For instance, you may be asked to respond to the readings and/or an application exercise. Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 2

3 To view the weekly prompt and submit your response, login to Blackboard ( and select the appropriate link to ENGL Click on Discussion on the left sidebar and then Discussion Forum. Then, click on the appropriate link for the week (dates will be posted). Read the prompt carefully and craft your response (you may wish to do so in a separate document, and cut/paste into blackboard). Hit Reply, type or cut/paste your original response into the box, then hit Submit. Please see Blackboard for more details. Important Note: You are required to do original work on this assignment and others. Copying work from another source (i.e. other students, the internet, etc.) without crediting the original source on this Discussion Forum or any other assignment counts as plagiarism. Any act of plagiarism will be treated according to the policy listed on the syllabus (see p. 4), will result in a grade of a 0, and most likely an F grade in the course. B) DOCUMENT ANALYSIS (20%) This assignment will ask you to apply some of the techniques of document analysis outlined in Chapter 4. Please refer to Blackboard Course Content for more detailed assignment guidelines. C) RESUMÉ (10%) Drawing upon the advice and tips in Chapter 10, you will develop a professional resumé. Your resumé will be evaluated for its clarity, layout, and application of various strategies of technical communication. You will have the ability to tailor your resume to your personal career goals and interests. Please refer to Blackboard Course Content for more detailed assignment guidelines. D) COVER LETTER/STATEMENT (25%) I will post more specific details on Blackboard under Course Content but in brief: First, you will identify a job advertisement or graduate school program related to your field of study. Drawing upon the tips and instructions in Chapter 10, you will develop a cover letter (for a job application) or personal statement (for a graduate program). Please refer to Blackboard Course Content for more detailed assignment guidelines. E) FINAL: SOCIAL MEDIA ASSIGNMENT/WRAP-UP (25%) Applying some of the techniques outlined in Chapter 20, this final assignment will ask you to develop a social media analysis. Because this final assignment counts as your final exam, you may also be asked to respond to some questions related to our readings over the past six weeks. You will submit this final assignment during the Final Exam period (TH, 6/21, 10pm EST). Please refer to Blackboard Course Content for more detailed assignment guidelines. Policies and Additional Information A. Late Assignment Policy: Late Discussion Posts and/or a late Final assignment will Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 3

4 not be accepted. All other major assignments will be marked down 10% for every late day--for example, if submitted a day late, an 85% would be lowered to a 75%. I will send confirmation to let you know I ve received your assignment, but please also save a back-up copy of your submission (date stamped). Late assignments (other than Discussion Posts or the Final) will only be accepted for up to FOUR days after the due date. Missing assignments will jeopardize your ability to pass the course and will, at the very least, significantly lower your grade (for example, you might drop from a B to a D). B. Late Discussion Posts: Discussion posts and other assignments must be submitted by 10pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) or Clemson Time on the day noted on the schedule (this holds true regardless your current time zone). If you plan to spend the summer in a different time zone, I d encourage you to set a spare clock to Clemson Time to avoid any confusion. Late discussion posts will not be accepted. C. Account: I often send out course updates via , so you ll need to check your Clemson account regularly. You ll also need to submit some assignments via , so it s important that you have a working account. Please save an extra copy of your important s, such as those with your assignment submissions. D. Back up your work: If papers are late due to computer issues, they will be marked down according to the above late policy. Therefore, it is crucial that you back up your work as you write. A good way to do this is via or USB drive. E. Computer Issues: In the first week of class, you should work out a back-up plan in case your computer breaks down (locate a computer terminal at a public library or internet café). Computer and/or wifi/internet failure will not be accepted as an excuse in this course. F. Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability that may require modification in course requirements and policies, please contact me (if needed, we can talk via phone or ) and/or get in touch with Student Disability Services ( during the first week of classes. Students with disabilities who need accommodations should make an appointment with Arlene Stewart, Director of Student Disability Services, to discuss specific needs at the start of Summer Session I. Please submit a Faculty Accommodation Letter from Student Disabilities Services to me at the start of the session (please let me know if you ll be submitting it via or regular mail). Student Disability Services is located in G-20 Redfern (telephone number: ; sdsl@clemson.edu). Please be aware that accommodations are not retroactive and new Faculty Accommodation Letters must be presented each term. G. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is when you present ideas, text, images, information, or phrases as if they re your own without acknowledging the true source. If you are unsure about how (or, whether or not to) credit a source, you might refer to your textbook s appendix and other readings on this topic and/or contact me. You are expected to do original work for this course; you may not submit papers to this course that you have previously written for other courses. Plagiarism will result in a 0 for the assignment and, in most cases, an F grade in the course. Please familiarize yourself with Clemson University s Academic Integrity Statement, as listed at and here: As members of the Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 4

5 Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson s vision of this institution as a high seminary of learning. Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form. Copyright Statement: Some of the materials in this course are possibly copyrighted. They are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in this course and only for instructional activities associated with and for the duration of the course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act. Refer to the Use of Copyrighted Materials and Fair Use Guidelines policy on the Clemson University website for additional information: H. If you have questions: Send me an to kproehl@clemson.edu. READING AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE 1 Week 1, May 16-19: Introductions W, 5/16: Read Chapter 1, Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace TH, 5/17: Read Chapter 2, Strategies F, 5/18: Discussion Post due by 10pm, EST (see Blackboard Discussion Forum for prompt) Week 2, May Important Note: May 21, 2012 is the LAST day you can drop this class or withdraw from the University without a grade on your transcript. M-TH: Begin work on DOCUMENT ANALYSIS assignment (see Course Content for detailed assignment guidelines) M, 5/21: Read Chapter 3, Strategies T, 5/22: Read Chapter 4, Strategies 1 Note: this schedule may be subject to minor changes throughout the session as needed. You will be notified of any changes via and this schedule will be updated on blackboard under Course Content. Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 5

6 W, 5/23: Read Chapter 5, Strategies TH, 5/24: Work Day: Document Analysis F, 5/25: Discussion Post Due by 10pm, EST (see Blackboard for prompt) Week 3, May 27-June 2 M, 5/28: Read Chapters 6, 8, Strategies T, 5/29: Read Chapters 9-10, Strategies W, 5/30: DOCUMENT ANALYSIS due to kproehl@clemson.edu by 10pm, EST to kproehl@clemson.edu (Word Docx File). TH, 5/31: Work Day for Resume assignment. F, 6/1: Discussion Post Due by 10pm, EST (see Blackboard for prompt). Week 4, June 3-9 Note: June 7, 2012 is the last day to withdraw from this class and receive a W grade. M, 6/4: Read Chapter 7, Strategies T, 6/5: Read Chapter 11, Strategies W, 6/6: RESUMÉ assignment due to kproehl@clemson.edu by 10pm, EST to kproehl@clemson.edu (Word Docx File). TH, 6/7: Start working on Cover Letter Assignment (see blackboard for more details) F, 6/8: Discussion Post Due by 10pm, EST (see Blackboard for prompt). Week 5, June M, 6/11: Read Chapters 16-18, Strategies T, 6/12: Read Chapters 19-20, Strategies W, 6/13: Read Chapter 21, Strategies TH, 6/14: COVER LETTER assignment due to kproehl@clemson.edu 10pm, EST to kproehl@clemson.edu (Word Docx File). F, 6/15: Discussion Post Due by 10pm, EST (see Blackboard for prompt). Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 6

7 Week 6, June M-W: Study/Work Period TH, 6/21: Final Assignment, Social Media Assignment, due to (Word Docx File) by 10pm, EST Clemson University, Department of English, Summer Session I, 2012 (Online) 7