Department of Business Administration ITCC231 Introduction to Information Technology Writing 8 Week Session 3 Credit Hours Prerequisite(s): None

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1 Department of Business Administration ITCC231 Introduction to Information Technology Writing 8 Week Session 3 Credit Hours Prerequisite(s): None Instructor Information Course Description Course Scope Course Objectives Course Delivery Method Course Materials Evaluation Procedures Grading Scale Course Outline Policies Academic Services Selected Bibliography Appendix A: APA Citation Style Appendix B: Grading Rubric Instructor Information Instructor: Course Description (Catalog) This course provides a writing foundation necessary for an IT professional to identify and respond to communication needs within the IT environment, so that the professional can produce clear, concise, and appropriate IT documentation for peers and supervisors, with the ultimate goal of increasing organizational standardization and efficiency. Course Scope This course will focus on documents written in an IT environment intended for a readership within that same environment, rather than a general readership. For instance, software developers write project status reports intended for their supervisor's eyes only, supervisors write project descriptions intended for developers and supervisors, and consultants write analyses of practices intended for management. The course will focus on acquiring competence in identifying formats, and later synthesizing and applying this knowledge to the composition of a major IT document. Clarity and simplicity in composition will be stressed throughout the course.

2 Course Objectives A successful student will fulfill the following learning objectives: 1. Identify the key formats/purpose of IT documents on first reading of document. 2. Appraise the appropriateness of a document to particular writing/research goals. 3. Identify the scope of IT documents upon first reading.. Interpret requirements and identify appropriate project documentation needs. 5. Audit and organize supporting documentation before composing an IT document. 6. Identify readership requirements and assumptions that can reasonably be made of that readership. 7. Propose and explain planned IT document scope to others, justifying scope or compromising scope to supervisor feedback. 8. Prioritize and schedule approved IT document composition. 9. Compose clear, concise, well-structured sentences and paragraphs in unambiguous, precise language. 10. Compose a first draft of an IT document. 11. Analyze, respond to, and apply peer feedback to an IT document, reconstructing the document if it is concluded that re-organization is necessary. 12. Compose a final draft of a significant, clear, concise, and useful IT document. 13. Evaluate, criticize, and communicate concerns with the IT writing of peers. Course Delivery Method This is an 8 week course that will be delivered primarily online in the APUS e-classroom. Course Materials Pringle, Alan S., O Keef, Sarah S. (2008). Technical Writing 101, A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Content. 3 rd Edition, Scriptorium Publishing Services, Inc. Evaluation Procedures Discussion Board Activities: Every week you will participate in a discussion board activity. Each discussion board activity will consist of one or more threads/topics. The assignments may involve discussion or debate. The questions are designed to allow you to apply what you have learned in the chapter to real-world scenarios or hypothetical, but realistic, situations. All discussion board postings must be based upon readings and research and supported with in text citations. Citations must be formatted in proper APA format for in text citations. Post your answers to the questions in each thread prior to midnight ET on Wednesday. Please do not be late with this post because your classmates will be relying on you to post on time to give them a post to

3 respond to later in the week. A discussion period will then ensue from Thursday through Sunday. Read your classmates' posts and post at least two follow-up messages to your classmates posts in each thread prior to midnight ET on Sunday. Some threads may require you to post more than two replies, so make sure you read the directions carefully. Of course, you may always post more than the required number of replies and you are encouraged to continue participating in the discussion even after you have met the minimum number of posts required. Your discussion board participation will be considered at the end of the semester if your grade is on the borderline. Borderline grades will only be rounded up if you have exceeded the minimum requirements on the discussion board and shown insight and critical thinking in all of your posts and replies. Your follow-up posts must contain substance and should add additional insight to your classmates opinions or challenge their opinions. It is never sufficient to simply say, I agree with what you wrote or I really liked your post. You must use your follow-up posts as a way to continue the discussion at a high level of discourse. Be sure to read the follow-up posts to your own posts and reply to any questions or requests for clarification, including questions posted by your professor. You will be expected to log into the classroom several times each week to participate in the class discussion. Discussion board postings are a large part of your grade and I will be looking for quality and depth in your postings. I will also expect you to list your references at the end of each post. References should be in APA citation format. Technical Paper: You will be required to write a technical paper this semester. The specifications are as follows: 1) 8-10 pages (double-spaced). 2) Choose any technical topic to write your report about. 3) Identify the purpose and audience of your report. ) Use at least seven references outside of your textbook (you may use your textbook too, but are not required to). 5) In addition to the required number of pages for the assignment, you must also include a reference page (bibliography), written in APA style (see Appendix B), and a title page. Be sure to give all of your papers a descriptive title! 6) You must get your topic, purpose, and audience approved by the end of Week 2. 7) You must provide a 1-page outline of your paper by the end of Week 3. 8) You must submit an annotated bibliography by the end of Week 3. The annotated bibliography must include citations to five references (other than your textbook), in APA citation style, and a brief summary (2-3 sentences per reference) of at least five references that you will use in your paper. 9) You must submit a rough draft at the end of Week 5. This is to be a complete paper, meeting the page requirements not a partially completed paper. Points will be deducted for short or incomplete papers. Your rough draft will not be graded by the rubric, but helpful feedback will be provided to indicate where you are falling short. You may correct any deficiencies before resubmitting your final draft at the end of Week 7. 10) Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted inside the electronic classroom (unless classroom access is not possible and other arrangements have been approved by the professor). 11) Arial 12-point font or Times New Roman 12-point font styles. 12) Page margins Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch, with reasonable accommodation being made for special situations

4 13) Your paper must be in your own words, representing original work. Paraphrases of others work must include attributions to the authors. Limit quotations to an average of no more than 3-5 lines, and use quotations sparingly! Midterm and Final Exams (non-proctored, open-notes) The midterm and final exams will be open notes, non-proctored, and untimed. The midterm will consist of essay questions covering topics from the first four weeks of the course. The final will consist of essay questions covering topics from the last four weeks. You may access the exams more than once, but only submit each one once. I suggest printing out the questions, writing your answers in Microsoft Word, and then logging into the exam and copying and pasting your answers into the exam when you are ready to submit it. Grading Scale Please see the student handbook to reference the University s grading scale Course Outline Wk Turn In Wt % Readings 1 Week 1 Discussion The technical writer and the technical writing Ch. 1-2 process Personal Introductions 2 Week 2 Discussion Very necessary evils, doc plans and outlines; The Technical Writer Toolbox Technical Paper Topic Must be Approved 1 Ch. 3-3 Week 3 Discussion - Getting Information; Finally it s time to start writing 1-Page Technical Paper Outline Due Week Discussion Writing task-oriented information; Visual communication Midterm Exam! 5 Week 5 Discussion - The Importance of being edited; Indexing; Final preparation, production editing Rough Draft of Technical Paper Due 6 Week 6 Discussion Avoiding International Irritation Annotated Bibliography 7 Week 7 Discussion Structured authoring with XML; Web 2.0 and technical communication Ch. 5-6 Ch. 7 Ch Ch Ch Week 8 Discussion Write your Resume FINAL Paper Due! Ch

5 Polices Please see the student handbook to reference all University policies. Quick links to frequently asked question about policies are listed below. Drop/Withdrawal Policy Plagiarism Policy Extension Process and Policy WRITING EXPECTATIONS All written submissions should be submitted in a font and page set-up that is readable and neat. It is recommended that students try to adhere to a consistent format, which is described below. Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted inside the electronic classroom (unless classroom access is not possible and other arrangements have been approved by the professor). Arial 11 or 12-point font or Times New Roman styles. Page margins Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch, with reasonable accommodation being made for special situations and online submission variances. CITATION AND REFERENCE STYLE Assignments completed in a narrative essay or composition format must follow APA guidelines. This course will require students to use the citation and reference style established by the American Psychological Association (APA), in which case students should follow the guidelines set forth in Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5 th ed.). (2001). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. COURSE EXTENSIONS Students must determine the need for their first Course Extension and submit their "Request Course Extension" form (located inside the student Campus in the FORMS MENU) before the end of the course. Students must include a realistic plan for completion of the course with their request. Coursework must be completed within the time limit of the extension. Students must notify instructor by any time they upload assignments to the classroom while on an extension. Any subsequent extension requests must be submitted online prior to the expiration of the current extension. With instructor approval, courses may be extended in 30-day intervals for a maximum of 60 days. Students who will be prevented from participating in a course due to extenuating circumstances may be eligible for a Deployment and/or Special Circumstances extension. Students wishing to discuss this option may contact the Registrar's Office at registrar@apus.edu or , ext Please note that I DO NOT grant extensions for anything less than a documented extenuating circumstance. A documented extenuating circumstance would be if you had completed 90% of the work of the course on time, but were prevented from completing the final exam due to a documented extenuating circumstance during the final week of the course, such as being hospitalized yourself or the death of an immediate family member. Students who do not keep up with deadlines during the course, or who have personal reasons less than a documented extenuating circumstance occurring during the last week of the semester will not be eligible for an extension.

6 LATE ASSIGNMENTS Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to complete the course according to the published class schedule. As adults, students, and working professionals I understand you must manage competing demands on your time. Should you need additional time to complete an assignment please contact me before the due date so we can discuss the situation and determine an acceptable resolution. Routine submission of late assignments is unacceptable and may result in points deducted from your final course grade. Assignments submitted late without a prearranged extension will be subject to a 10% late penalty. No late assignments will be accepted after the last day of the course. DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS This institution complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 50 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local requirements regarding students with disabilities. In compliance with federal and state regulations, reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified students with disabilities. A request for accommodation is deemed reasonable if the request: is based on documented individual needs. does not compromise essential requirements of a course or program. is not of a personal nature (ex. paying for special software, eyeglasses, etc.). does not impose an undue financial or administrative burden upon APUS. A qualified student can, with or without reasonable accommodations, perform the essential functions of program or course requirements. The essential requirements of an academic course or program need not be modified to accommodate an individual with a disability. Final responsibility for selection of the most appropriate accommodation rests with the University's Director of Registration and Enrollment Management and is determined on an individual case-by-case basis, based on the nature of the student's disability. Students are encouraged registrar@apus.edu to discuss potential academic accommodations and begin the review process. It is the student's responsibility to: follow the accommodation procedure outlined in this section identify the disability to the staff and/or faculty of the university provide (and incur expense for) current appropriate documentation of disability and accommodation needed from a qualified medical or other licensed professional. request specific accommodations or services NETIQUETTE Online universities promote the advance of knowledge through positive and constructive debate--both inside and outside the classroom. Discussions on the Internet, however, can occasionally degenerate into needless insults and flaming. Such activity and the loss of good manners are not acceptable in a university setting--basic academic rules of good behavior and proper Netiquette must persist. Remember that you are in a place for the fun and excitement of learning that does not include descent to personal attacks, or student attempts to stifle the discussion of others. Technology Limitations: While you should feel free to explore the full-range of creative composition in your formal papers, keep layouts simple. The Educator classroom may not fully support MIME or HTML encoded messages, which means that bold face, italics, underlining, and a variety of color-coding or other visual effects will not translate in your messages. Humor Note: Despite the best of intentions, jokes and--especially--satire can easily get lost or taken seriously. If you feel the need for humor, you may wish to add emoticons to help alert your readers: ;-), : ),

7 DISCLAIMER STATEMENT Course content may vary from the outline to meet the needs of this particular group. Academic Services ONLINE LIBRARY RESEARCH CENTER & LEARNING RESOURCES The Online Library Resource Center is available to enrolled students and faculty from inside the electronic campus. This is your starting point for access to online books, subscription periodicals, and Web resources that are designed to support your classes and generally not available through search engines on the open Web. In addition, the Center provides access to special learning resources, which the University has contracted to assist with your studies. Questions can be directed to Charles Town Library and Inter Library Loan: The University maintains a special library with a limited number of supporting volumes, collection of our professors publication, and services to search and borrow research books and articles from other libraries. Electronic Books: You can use the online library to uncover and download over 50,000 titles, which have been scanned and made available in electronic format. Electronic Journals: The University provides access to over 12,000 journals, which are available in electronic form and only through limited subscription services. Turnitin.com: Turnitin.com is a tool to improve student research skills that also detect plagiarism. Turnitin.com provides resources on developing topics and assignments that encourage and guide students in producing papers that are intellectually honest, original in thought, and clear in expression. This tool helps ensure a culture of adherence to the University's standards for intellectual honesty. Turnitin.com also reviews students' papers for matches with Internet materials and with thousands of student papers in its database, and returns an Originality Report to instructors and/or students. Smarthinking: Students have access to 10 free hours of tutoring service per year through Smarthinking. Tutoring is available in the following subjects: math (basic math through advanced calculus), science (biology, chemistry, and physics), accounting, statistics, economics, Spanish, writing, grammar, and more. Additional information is located in the Online Research Center. From the ORC home page, click on either the Writing Center or Tutoring Center and then click Smarthinking. All login information is available. Selected Bibliography Resources for Technical Writers: Society for Technical Communication: Writing Resources on the World Wide Web:

8 Appendix A APA Citation Style APA Citations Always use citations in the text to document any ideas taken from a source. Under current copyright law everything anyone writes, including student essays, is copyrighted that is, protected by law from being used by anyone else without written permission. However, proper documentation will substitute for written permission to use copyrighted material for scholarship. Please review the APUS Plagiarism Policy in your Student Handbook. American Psychological Association (APA) format is used for most social and natural sciences. After you insert another author s work into your essay, enclose in parenthesis the author s last name, year of publication and a p. or pp. before the page number(s). For example, the citation is the blue colored parenthesis is that follows this quote: Charismatic leaders have the ability to inspire and motivate people to do more that they would normally do, despite obstacles and personal sacrifices (Daft, 2002, p. 11). If more than one page, cite the author s work as (Daft, 2002, pp. 8-9). At the end of your paper create a separate page with the word References centered at the top. Instructions for Reference (APA Format) 1. Only initials are used for first names 2. Capitalize only the first letter of all titles of articles and books. 3. The date appears immediately after the author s name.. The year always appears first in any dates used. 5. Italicize book titles and magazines. Book Reference Example: Abbey, E. (1975). The monkey wrench gang. New York: Avon. Magazine Reference Example: Jervis, N. (1990, March 13). Waste not, want not. Natural History, Internet Sources: For instructions and examples of citing Internet sources please refer to: APA Tutorials: The following tutorial provides basic information about proper APA style for in-text citations and for the reference page. There are many other references and tutorials available online to help you learn APA citation style. You are expected to search for them and find the resources that you need, if you are not already familiar with APA citation style.

9 Appendix B Grading Rubric All written assignments will be assessed according to this rubric. Note that a score of 0 may be assigned in any category where your work does not meet the criteria for the beginning level. APUS Assignment Rubric Lower Level U/G Courses Purpose/Audienc e Thesis and Support Organization Style EXEMPLARY LEVEL engages the reader with an original approach to the subject. It may encompass conflicting ideas and inspires the reader to contemplate the relationship of complex ideas. has a clearly articulated original thesis and subordinate ideas supported by reliable and relevant evidence based on original research. flows smoothly and logically from a well-defined thesis. It contains an appropriate introduction, conclusion, and smooth transitions. engages the reader through an ACCOMPLISHED LEVEL 3 clearly goes beyond the minimum requirements of the assignment. It attempts to engage the reader through originality and presentation of complex ideas. has a clearly articulated thesis supported by appropriate evidence and sound logic. Minor gaps in logic and argument may appear. is organized logically and flows well. An introduction and conclusion are evident, but transitions may be smoother. keeps the reader s attention through a DEVELOPING LEVEL 2 meets the minimum requirements of the assignment. It offers insight into the subject through basic logic and the presentation of ideas based on some evidence. has a clear thesis and related subordinate ideas supported by clear thinking and appropriate evidence. Logical arguments may be one-sided or incomplete. demonstrates rudimentary organization and logical structure, but ideas may be more fully developed and supported by more appropriate evidence. is clear but could be expressed in BEGINNING LEVEL 1 fails to meet the minimum requirements of the assignment. It offers little insight into the subject and has serious flaws in logic and omissions in evidence. may need a more clearly articulated thesis and/or appropriate related subordinate ideas. Fuzzy logic may be evident and adequate supporting evidence is lacking. is noticeably lacking in organization. There is no clear introduction nor conclusion and ideas are neither carefully nor fully developed. Supporting evidence is clearly lacking. lacks clarity and is sometimes TOTAL POINTS

10 Mechanics Syntax/Grammar original prose style appropriate to the subject. Language is precise. Sentences are varied but not noticeably so. Active voice is apparent. is free of grammatical, proofreading, and stylistic errors. All quoted material is properly documented and cited. contains sentences that are always complete and grammatically correct, and free of confusion and ambiguity. Main ideas are not lost in surrounding supporting evidence. carefully crafted prose style. Language chosen is appropriate to the subject, but may call attention to itself in minor ways. may exhibit a few minor errors in grammar or style, but do impair the flow of the reading. Most quoted material is properly documented and cited. contains sentences that are complete or which imply unstated connections and/or conclusions. Main ideas can be distinguished from supporting evidence with some effort. a style more appropriate to the subject. It is jargon-free but may require a more complete explanation of some terms used. could benefit from additional proofreading, as some errors impede the flow of the reading. Sources are documented and cited but need to show greater consistency. contains some grammatical errors easily corrected by adherence to a uniform style throughout. Additional proofreading would help eliminate errors. confusing. The language chosen is not appropriate to the subject nor the assignment. exhibits substantial errors in grammar and style so that the basic ideas are lost. Sources are overly quoted and not adequately documented nor cited. is confusing and ambiguous owing to substantial errors of grammar and syntax. There is no evidence of proofreading, editing, or rewriting. TOTAL POINTS