English 2311 Fall 2010 Professor Charlene Green Page 1 of 5 English 2311 Technical Writing Fall 2010 Instructor: Charlene Green Office: University Hall - 113 E-mail: cmgreen@collin.edu Phone: 972-377-1558 Course Number and Section: ENG 2311-P01 Meeting Days and Times: Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 am - 10:45 am Room: L-212 Office Hours: Mon Wed: 10:00 am-1:00 pm Tues Thurs: 8:30-10:00 am Course Description: An introduction to technical writing and communications including preparation of reports, proposals, technical papers, abstracts, and summaries of specific technical interest to the student. Course Credit Hours: 3 Lecture Hours: 3 Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 College Repeat Policy: A student may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including W. Textbook: John M. Lannon, Technical Communication, 10 th edition (required) Other Required Materials/Supplies: An active Collin email account A flash drive or other electronic storage device Important: The last day to withdraw from classes for the fall semester is Friday, October 15, 2010. Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Students will be able to communicate complicated, technical information in a simplified manner. 2. Students will have an improved or reinforced understanding of the fundamentals of good writing (usage, grammar, mechanics, tone, clarity, organization and editing). 3. Students will be familiar with the basic formats and types of writing they will likely encounter in the business world (letters, memos, and reports). 4. Students will be able to compose these types of technical communication with confidence, grace, and polish. 5. Students will be aware and appreciative of various ethical concerns such as the "you-attitude" approach, audience awareness, sincerity, extent of politeness or abruptness. 6. Students will be able to apply these newly acquired skills to "real life" situations in the professional world.
English 2311 Fall 2010 Professor Charlene Green Page 2 of 5 Attendance Policy: Attendance is very important in this class, as all assignments and major concepts will be explained in class. In addition, we will be working on drafts of papers in workshops and conferences, for which attendance is necessary. If you must be absent, let me know by going through the proper channels. You will be responsible for all deadlines and for all of the assignments and announcements you missed. Religious Holy Days: In accordance with Section 51.911 of the Texas Education Code, Collin will allow a student who is absent from class for the observance of a religious holy day to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time. Students are required to file a written request with each professor within the first 15 days of the semester to qualify for an excused absence. A copy of the state rules and procedures regarding holy days, and the form of notification of absence from each class under this provision, are available from the Admissions and Records Office. Students who plan to observe religious holidays which will require absences from class should consult the current Collin Student Handbook. ADA Statement: It is the policy of Collin County Community College to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals who are students with disabilities. This College will adhere to all applicable Federal, State and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodation as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G200 or 972. 881.5898 (V/TTD: 972.881.5950) in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations. Academic Ethics: The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one s own work material that is not one s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher s editions, and/or falsifying academic records. Plagiarism is the use of an author s words or ideas as if they were one s own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation. Plagiarism is a serious moral offense. Many cases of plagiarism, however, are the result of careless documentation or faulty note-taking. Unfortunately, the reader who finds the error, not knowing the writer's intent, can only assume the plagiarism is intentional. Intentional or not, plagiarism in any assignment will receive: an automatic grade of zero, notation on the student s permanent record, and a mandatory visit to the Dean of Students. Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer or Internet files, using someone else s work for assignments as if it were one s own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course. Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate during an examination; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy answers.
English 2311 Fall 2010 Professor Charlene Green Page 3 of 5 Late Work Policy: As a rule I do not accept late work, and all work is due at the beginning of class on the assigned dates. Please do not offer me a disk or email version of your work in lieu of a paper copy. The best way to ensure I receive your paper is to put it in my hands. Exceptions to this policy will only be granted in cases of genuinely extenuating circumstances. Contacting me beforehand is an excellent way to improve the chances that I will consider your circumstances to be truly extenuating. If you must be absent on a day that an assignment is due, please arrange to turn it in early. Due to printing costs and virus risks, I do not accept assignments via email. It is your responsibility to print your work and turn it in to me, face-to-face. Graded daily activities and quizzes may not be made up and earn zero points. Email Policy: Please use Cougar Web or the course room email function to contact me. I will not respond to email that is sent from any other email servers as they are not secure and sending information through other email servers could violate privacy regulations. Remember: due to printing costs and virus risks, I do not accept assignments via email. NOTE: If you do email me with a question, I will generally respond within 24 hours. If you do not receive a response from me within 48 hours, then I likely did not receive your email and you should re-send your question. Class Discussion: In this class, we will be discussing a variety of topics, some of which you may feel strongly about. Please demonstrate a civil regard for all present in class each day by acknowledging respectfully their opinions and values: listen attentively when others are speaking; avoid undue distraction such as tardy arrivals, early departures, etc. Please respect the differences of others (as well as mine), and we will respect yours. Please turn all cell phones off before entering the classroom. All cell phones must be off and out of sight during tests. No phone calls, text messaging, filming, or picture taking is allowed in class at any time. Important Dates for Fall 2010 August 23 September 30 October 8 October 12 October 15 November 10 November 16 November 22 November 24-28 November 29 November 30 December 2 December 6 12 Fall Semester Begins Due: Service Learning Proposal/Decision Mid-Term Exam Due: Research Topic Last Day to Withdraw from Class Due: Research Presentation Outline & Bibliography Due: Service Learning Project Due: Research Presentations (Begin) Thanksgiving Holiday All Campuses Closed Classes Resume Due: Research Portfolios; Continue Presentations Continue Presentations Final Exam (Note: Our class will meet only once during final exam week)
English 2311 Fall 2010 Professor Charlene Green Page 4 of 5 Grading: Your grade for this course will be based on the following: Writing Exercises = 15% Various exercises as detailed in text book; completed in class and as homework; each exercise will be graded on a 100-point scale; the average of grades on these exercises will factor 30% in your overall course grade Mid-Term Exam = 15% Short answer, identification, skills demonstration Service Learning Project = 15% - Preparation and submission of a professional, technical document for a non-profit organization; you may select the organization and type document (i.e. proposal, instruction manual, directions, etc.) on your own, or you may complete a project for an identified, approved Service Learning partner (i.e. Veteran s History Project, Sci-Tech Discovery Center, or others provided in class) Research Project & Presentation = 30% For this project, you will select a topic of immediate practical importance that affects you, your workplace, or your community to research. This project comprises multiple elements and assignments which will be completed throughout the semester and culminate in the submission of a polished portfolio. In Class Work, Attendance, & Participation = 10% This includes preparation for class, i.e. having read assigned materials; in-class discussion; in-class writing activities and discussion board postings; quizzes; and other work completed in class (Excludes Writing Exercises) Final Exam = 15% Short answer, identification, skills demonstration Late work will not be accepted unless arrangements have been made in advance with the instructor. Reading List, Assignments & Course Calendar Students are responsible for changes in dates or assignments announced in class. Week 1 August 24 & 26: Discuss: Course and class introductions: What is technical writing? Read & Discuss: Chapter 1 Bring: Examples of technical documents (for class discussion Thursday) Week 2 August 31 & September 2: Concepts: Key Tasks; Audience Analysis; Levels of Technicality Read & Discuss: Chapters 2 & 3 Exercises: 3.1 (page 46) (Bring to class Thursday) Week 3 September 7 & 9: Concepts: Persuasive Reasoning; Audience Resistance; Persuasive Appeals; Constraints; Evidence Read & Discuss: Chapter 4 Exercises: 4.3 & 4.4 (page 73) Week 4 September 14 & 18: Concepts: Ethics; Ethical Concerns; Communication Abuse; Teamwork; Collaboration; Active Listening Read & Discuss: Chapters 5 & 6 Exercise: 5.2 (page 94 work in groups, in class)
English 2311 Fall 2010 Professor Charlene Green Page 5 of 5 Week 5 September 21 & 23: Concepts: Research Process; Evaluating Sources; Electronic Sources; Databases Read & Discuss: Chapters 7 & 8 Library Tour: Thursday September 23 Week 6 September 28 & 30: Concepts: Primary Sources; Logical Fallacies (Limits in Reasoning) Read & Discuss: Chapters 9 & 10 Exercise: 10.4 (page 171) Week 7 October 5 & 7: Review: In-class review for mid-term exam (Tuesday, October 5) Mid-Term Exam (Thursday, October 7) Week 8 October 12 & 14: Concepts: Summaries & Abstracts Read & Discuss: Chapter 11 Exercise: 11.1 (page 189) Week 9 October 19 & 21: Concepts: Organizing for Users (Designing Usable Information) Read & Discuss: Chapter 12 Exercise: 12.2 (page 214 work in groups, in class) Week 10 October 26 & 28: Concepts: Clarity; Conciseness; Fluency; Tone; Editing for Readability Read & Discuss: Chapter 13 Exercise: 13.2 (page 250) Week 11 November 2 & 4: Concepts: Page Design; Visual Information; Creating a Usable Design Read & Discuss: Chapters 14 & 15 Exercises: 14.2, 14.3, & 14.4 (page 294); 15.5 (page 323) Week 12 November 9 & 11: Concepts: Technical Definitions; Technical Descriptions; Specifications Read & Discuss: Chapters 20 & 21 Week 13 November 16 & 18: Concepts: Instructions & Procedures Read & Discuss: Chapter 22 Due: Service Learning Project (Thursday) Week 14 November 22: Due: In-Class Writers Workshop November 24-28 Thanksgiving Holiday All Campus Closed Week 15 November 30 & December 2: Due: In-Class Presentations of Research Projects Due: Polished Research Portfolio (Tuesday) Week 16 December 6-12: Final Exam Week Class will meet once for exam