English 273: Technical Writing Sections: ENG 273-093 (MWF 11:00-11:50am) Ferguson 476 - Red Fall 2010 Ms. Amanda D. Franks *Policies subject to change at instructor s discretion* How to find me: Phone: 468-2425 Email: franksad1@sfasu.edu **Have English 131 as your subject in e-mails** Office: Liberal Arts 328 Office Hours: MW 1:30pm-3:30pm T 12:00pm-2:00pm R 1:00pm-3:00pm Appointments can be made if these times do not work for individual students. You must e-mail me a time you can meet, and I will see if I can arrange to be at my office for that time. Department: English Please feel free to e-mail me any time. Generally, you will receive an e-mail response from me within 24 hours. The e-mails for this class must have a subject of ENG 131. I do not read e-mails from people I do not know and did not solicit, and I will not respond to e-mails without the proper subject. We will also be using Blackboard to communicate throughout the semester. You will be responsible for checking both areas regularly for class updates. In English 273 you will learn and practice the forms of written and oral communication used in science, business, engineering, and the workplace in general. You will analyze typical rhetorical situations, recognize conventional styles of presentation, and learn how to tailor your writing to a variety of audiences. You will study and practice the processes of written composition and the general principles of good communication, with the aim of becoming an efficient and effective writer and editor. The business world is plagued by inefficient, incorrect, and sometimes unethical writing. By the time you finish this course, you ll be part of the solution, not part of the problem. You ll be able to write things that do what you need them to do without causing undue confusion, conflict, or offense. Course description The SFA catalogue describes our course as: ENG 273. Technical and Scientific Writing Study of the rhetorical principles involved in technical and scientific workplace writing. Emphasis on the production of professional documents, such as analytical reports, in both traditional and online formats. Will not satisfy literature requirement; will not count toward an English major or minor (except for a minor in technical writing). Prerequisite: six hours of freshman English.
2 Course goals / student learning outcomes By the end of this course, you should be able to understand the recursive writing process and be able to write a variety of technical documents in an acceptable level of Standard American English. write a variety of technical documents, demonstrating their awareness of audience and facility in addressing different audiences. write technical and workplace documents by applying the appropriate categorical modes of rhetorical composition (descriptive, expositive, scientific, etc.), integrating visuals with text, and presenting information in an oral format. work in groups to produce and critically evaluate documents. use critical-thinking skills and exhibit technical proficiency in the invention and composing processes. adequately research a topic and use documented evidence to support a paper written in the style applicable to their individual field of study. Texas exemplary educational outcomes The State of Texas evaluates courses according to how well they fulfill certain goals. The following EEOs are what we are expected to fulfill: Communication EEO 1: To understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation. Communication EEO 2: To understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communication choices. Communication EEO 3: To understand and appropriately apply modes of expression, i.e., descriptive, expositive, narrative, scientific, and self-expressive, in written, visual, and oral communication. Communication EEO 4: To participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding. Communication EEO 5: To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency in the development of exposition and argument. Communication EEO 6: To develop the ability to research and write a documented paper and/or give an oral presentation. Required texts and materials: Johnson-Sheehan. Technical Communication Today. 3 rd edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010. A reliable way to store and transfer files (preferably a USB/Flash drive). Regular access to and ability to use WebCT. Enough money to print and bind your instruction manual particularly important if you want to present it in color.
3 Strongly recommended Any writing handbook, such as the one you may have been required to buy in English 131 and 132. If you no longer have your 131 or 132 handbook, I strongly encourage you to pick up The Technical Communication Handbook. Assignments: All writing assignments prepared outside of class must be typed. The format will vary for each writing assignment, depending on its purpose and audience. Ideally, the topics for your major assignments will relate to your major field and/or future professional interests. All assignments will be graded for proper format, soundness of content, attention to rhetorical context, resourcefulness, grammar, and mechanics. Grade determination: Homework, daily work, quizzes, and drafts... 15% Letter of complaint or petition and answer... 5% Job portfolio (job ad, resume, cover letter, references sheet, follow-up letter)... 20% Decision-making report (including project proposal, annotated bibliography)... 25% Instruction manual (including project proposal)..... 20% Group presentation on selected instruction manual... 5% Final exam (comprehensive / editing exercise)... 10% Every major assignment except the final exam will include intermediate drafts and other materials. All major assignments will be graded according to rubrics that help to define the various aspects of each assignment (i.e. style, content, grammar, etc.) and you will be familiarized with the rubrics before each assignment is due. Major Assignments (70%): Throughout this course we will work together to complete four major assignments. These essays include a Letter of complaint, Job portfolio, Decision-making report, and Instruction manual. You will be asked to turn in a paper copy on the due date as well as posting the essay on Blackboard to Turn-It-In. All papers must be submitted in both formats to receive a grade. Homework/Daily Work/Quizzes/Drafts (15%): Throughout this course, you will have various writing assignments that lead up to the final essays. Due dates for homework will be given in class and/or on the calendar. Work done during class time is considered Daily Work, and will count toward this portion of your final grade for the term. Drafts of major assignments will be brought into class for peer review. Final Exam (10%): There will be a final exam for this course. The exam will consist of one document that will require major revision. You will be allowed to bring in resources (dictionary, textbook, handbook) to help you revise the document. You will have the full two hours to work on correcting the document. I will have you working at a computer, so you will also have some on-line resources as well. Group Presentation: Groups of about 5 students each will select one student s instruction manual to pitch for publication. Each group will prepare a PowerPoint and deliver a sales pitch for the client.
4 Groups will determine who the potential audience would be for the pitch. We will discuss this project in much more detail as the due date approaches. Percentage Grade 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 69-60 D 0-59 F Attendance: Although college attendance policies are nothing like high school (no one s going to call your parents if you don t go to class), it does not mean attendance is not important. When you miss class, you miss something important that will help you in critical thinking and essay writing. You are responsible for any handouts or assignments given on the day you are absent. Remember that quizzes cannot be made up. Come see me during my office hours, or speak with a classmate. I will not give a minilesson or rehash the lesson for you. You should not miss more than 6 class meetings during the semester. Attendance does not count for a grade; however, it will cost you points on missed assignments and may result in the failure of the class if more than 6 days are missed. You will be counted absent if I determine that you are sleeping in class, you leave early for any reason, you are using any electronic device, or you are more that 15 minutes late to class. I also reserve the right to ask any student to leave the classroom for the day if rude or disruptive behavior takes place. Any time you are asked to leave, you will be counted absent for that day. I understand that emergencies happen and sometimes you have no control. If you must miss class, please be careful and use your absences wisely. There is no such thing as an excused absence in my class, so you do not need to provide any form of documentation when you miss this class. Note: If a major issue does arise such as death in immediate family, major illness to yourself or immediate family member, or University activity causes you to miss class, you must contact me (and keep me informed) as soon as possible. You will need to provide documentation; however, there may be excused absences in extreme cases. I must be contacted (and provided with proof) within 1 week of the first absence due to the event. Revision: Revisions are an important part of the writing process. You will be given the opportunity to revise one essay (excluding the last) of your choosing in this class. In order to revise the essay of your choosing, you must meet certain requirements: 1. You must have an essay to revise (no skipping an essay and then revising it). 2. You must contact me about wanting to revise and get the revision back to me one week after I ve passed out the initial grade. 3. To get full credit, you must return to me a well-developed revision, not the same paper with grammar corrections and word changes. We will go into the idea of revision when you come in to discuss your rewrite with me. 4. You must visit the AARC for assistance at least once and provide documentation as proof with your final draft.
5 The revision will be due one week after the graded essay has been returned. The choice to revise is up to the student; however, I strongly recommend students take this opportunity. Library and the Academic Assistance and Resource Center (AARC): SFA provides an excellent place for students to receive extra help on their course work: the AARC. The writing center has many specially trained tutors available to assist you in your writing process. Remember, they will assist, not proofread or guarantee your grade. For more information, please see the website: http://libweb.sfasu.edu/aarc/writing/index.htm Late Work: Homework/Daily Work/Quizzes/Drafts: I will not accept late homework for any reason other than in the case of an excusable absence (see section about attendance), and work done in class cannot be made up due to the nature of assignments. Major Essays: I will accept major essays up to one class period late; however, grades for late essays will have a 10% grade reduction. Papers that are posted late to Blackboard will have a 10% grade reduction as well. Papers are considered late when turned in any time after the fifteen minute grace period. If you must turn in your paper late, remember that you will receive you grade after other students papers are returned. Remember that papers not turned in both as a hard copy in class and as an electronic copy on Blackboard will receive a ZERO. Final Exam: I will not give make-up finals for any reason. Students with Disabilities: To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/. Plagiarism: Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism. Definition of Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit. Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academic_integrity.asp
6 Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54) Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average. Electronic devices: Do not bring electronic devices into my classroom. You will be counted absent and asked to leave for the day if you are caught listening to music, texting, or if your phone goes off at any time during this class. You will have no reason to bring a laptop to class. Also, any other electronic devices (i.e. calculators, noisy watches, or recording devices) should not be brought to this class. If you are unsure if a device would be considered disruptive, DO NOT BRING IT TO CLASS! Acceptable Student Behavior Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (see the Student Conduct Code, policy D-34.1). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students who disrupt the learning environment may be asked to leave class and may be subject to judicial, academic or other penalties. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The instructor shall have full discretion over what behavior is appropriate/inappropriate in the classroom. Students who do not attend class regularly or who perform poorly on class projects/exams may be referred to the Early Alert Program. This program provides students with recommendations for resources or other assistance that is available to help SFA students succeed. Difficulties: If you do not understand an instruction, or if you have questions or are having difficulties with the reading or writing assignments, the right time to ask about it is before it s due. Feel free to come into my office hours, make an appointment, or write a concise and easy-to-answer inquiring email after you ve reread the prompts for the assignment. Eating, Drinking, Sleeping and So On: This is a computer classroom please leave food or drink somewhere safe and away from your computer. If you sleep in class, you will be woken up. At least feigning attention and interest is very important: please don't read the newspaper, listen to an ipod, or send instant messages during class. Don t check your Facebook in class, or open any programs not needed for the assignments we re doing. Do not use the classroom printer except when directed to do so as part of an in-class writing activity. Bringing Your Book: Bring the course text to class every day. I will occasionally assign in-class quizzes or work that won t be possible without it.
7 First Day of Class: August 30 Calendar of Assignments Labor Day September 6 (no classes) Letter of Complaint: September 13 Job Portfolio: October 6 Mid-Term: October 20 Last Day to Drop: October 27 Decision-Making Report: November 3 Thanksgiving Break: November 24-28 Group Presentations: December 1-6 Instruction manual: December 8 Finals: December 13 (10:30-12:30pm) The dates are subject to change at instructor s discretion.