Syllabus
Instructor
Julie Angarone · angarone@tcnj.edu · Office Hours by Appointment ·
I am always available by email and will answer within 24 hours. You should feel free to contact me via email for any question or concern you may have. In addition you can send me drafts of your assignments for input before they are due.
Course Overview
This course teaches students the writing, scripting, and document design skills needed to create training materials, technical reports, and technical or business proposals in print, online, or interactive formats. We will examine: technical writing and the writing process, using computers in technical writing, and research and ethics in technical writing. The central theme to this course will be how the computer has become the most important tool for technical writers today. Core rhetorical principals will serve as the foundation for our studies. In addition, we will frequently be exchanging papers with classmates in order to become accustomed to asking others to proofread our work as well as to learn to constructively proofread for others.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, successful students will be able to do the following:
- Define Technical Communication
- Complete an audience analysis
- Define the rhetorical situation
- Formulate a research question
- Conduct a literature review
- Think visually and spatially
- Design a document
- Consider Usability
- Design for the web
- Recognize common grammatical errors
- Give and receive constructive criticism
What to Expect
This is a writing intensive course.
Each class will be comprised of a quiz, a discussion, an activity, a grammar review, and a writing assignment that will be due at the beginning of the next class.
Expect to complete four large writing assignments as outlined below. Expect to work in teams to collaborate on smaller writing assignments.
Each student will give at least one oral presentation during the semester, but may also be asked to speak in front of the class at any time. In addition, the final exam will be a project which will incorporate principles and methods discussed throughout the course.
Textbooks
Required:
Technical Communication Today. (1st Edition). Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. New York: Pearson Longman, 2005. ISBN: 0321117646 
Optional:
While any current MLA handbook will do, the one featured here is the one I own.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition). Joseph Gibaldi.2003.ISBN: 9780873529860
Policies
Attendance is mandatory and your grade depends on it. If extenuating circumstances force you to miss a class, prior notice in the form of an email is expected when possible. It is better to come late than not at all. While I'd prefer that everyone is on time all the time, if you are an hour late, come anyway.
As the objectives note, this course will focus on improving your writing skills; therefore, I will accept multiple drafts of each assignment prior to the due date. All assignments should be proofread by a peer, so even if you have not completed the assignment, send what you have to your peer at least two days before the due date. Peer review must be completed within 24 hours. Ten points will be deducted each day an assignment is late.
All assignments, including the final project, must be posted to the appropriate SOCS dropbox. I encourage you to be creative in the formatting of your assignments. While I do not want curly, silly fonts, you have the freedom to produce professional looking documents suitable for corporate use. However, you must use proper citations based on any current MLA style guide.
Wikipedia is generally not recommended for college level references. However, I do recognize that Wikipedia does have some good information. I encourage you to use Wikipedia as a starting point if you are having trouble researching your topic. Wikipedia entries may give you key words to enable you to search peer-reviewed journals. Wikipedia entries also include links to other sources. I will check citations regularly. Be sure to uphold the honor code of TCNJ.
All online correspondence with me should be in proper English. Typical text message shorthand is unacceptable. While "LOL" is fine, "u r gr8t" is not.
Grades
Quizzes 5%
Class participation 10%
Small weekly assignments 10%
Research Paper 15%
Instructions Assignment 15%
Proposal 15%
Design Assignment 15%
Final 15%
Week 1 · What is Technical Writing?/ Working in Teams
| Date | September 4 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 1 and 13 before coming to the first class. |
| Quiz | What is Technical Communication? |
| Discussion | Introductions, overview of the class and textbook. Please bring your book to class. We will be discussing examples of technical communication. In addition, we are skipping ahead to the chapter on teamwork because a technical writer is not an island. From the very beginning, in this class, we will be collaborating in teams every week. |
| Grammar | Affect vs. Effect |
| Activity | One-on-One Interviews: Interview a classmate in order to create a profile. The profile needs to include occupation, work history, aspirations, family situation, special accomplishments and whatever else he or she wants to share with you. There is no obligation to divulge personal information. |
| Assignment | Write up a profile of your partner based on your interview. Exchange profiles with your partner for proofreading. Hand in your final (taking into account comments from your partner) as well as the document you critiqued, with your editing marks evident. |
Week 2 · The Technical Writing Process and Including Graphics
| Date | September 10 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 2 and Chapter 9 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | The Technical Writing Process - know the writing process as well as how to define the rhetorical situation. |
| Discussion | The role of the computer in today's technical writing process. When and how to use graphics. |
| Grammar | Informal Spelling |
| Activity | Break off into groups of 3 or 4. Together create an idea for a poster advertising an event. The audience should be outside your own comfort level. Define the rhetorical situation (see pages 22-23 in your text). |
| Assignment | Based on the classroom activity, design a poster. Use the rhetorical situation "W" questions to guide you. Exchange posters for proofreading. Submit a pdf of your poster as well as your comments on the poster you commented on. |
Week 3 · Reader Analysis
| Date | September 17 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 3 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Needs, attitudes, and values of readers |
| Discussion | Audience, audience, audience |
| Grammar | Wordiness and idioms |
| Activity | In groups of 3 or 4, pick a website or an advertisement and create a reader analysis chart. |
| Assignment | Based on the classroom activity, find a competitor of the website or advertisement you chose for the in-class activity. Create a reader-analysis chart for the competitor and determine whether there is a different focus than the original in-class choice. Again, exchange your assignment with a peer for proofreading. |
Week 4 · Ethics
| Date | September 24 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 4 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Ethical dilemmas in technical workplaces |
| Discussion | How computers have made ethics easier to overlook |
| Grammar | Subjunctive Verbs |
| Activity | In groups of 3 or 4 discuss a real ethical issue that one of you has come across. Talk about how things could have been done differently, and whether you think the ethical issue was due to how easy technology makes it to steal ideas or images etc. |
| Assignment | Based on the classroom discussion, complete exercise 4 on page 91 of the text. The report should be at least 2 pages. Exchange your paper with a peer for proofreading. Turn in your final copy as well as the report you proofed. |
Week 5 · Research
| Date | October 1 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 5 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Researching and Managing Information |
| Discussion | Research Sources: Electronic, print, and empirical sources; organization of a research paper. |
| Grammar | Starting a sentence with however |
| Activity | Demonstration: How to use Survey Monkey |
| Assignment | Come up with a topic for your research paper and conduct the research. You must use empirical, print, and electronic sources and triangulate your data. Gather your data and share it with me in what amounts to a rough draft of your research paper. You do not need to have your introduction and conclusion perfected for this assignment. Be prepared to share your research results in the October 8th class. You do not have to prepare a formal presentation, but you may be asked to discuss your results with the rest of the class. The point of this assignment is to show you that research should be conducted before you actually write the introduction and conclusion of your paper. See the Assignments page for more detail including the assessment criteria. |
Week 6 · Continue Research Discussion
| Date | October 8 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read chapter 6 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Organizing and Drafting. |
| Discussion | We are going to look at the six opening moves of a research paper, the organization of the body, and the five closing moves. |
| Grammar | Formatting Vertical Lists |
| Activity | As a group we will discuss the results of your data collection and create a Lessons Learned chart that will include what kinds of questions worked the best, as well as which ones gave unexpected results. |
| Assignment | This is one of the 4 major assignments for class and is worth 15% of your grade. Using Chapter 6 as a guide to the layout of a paper, use your data from the Week 5 assignment to write your research paper. Use visuals in the form of tables or charts to depict your analysis of your data. Your paper should be at least 8 pages and it must include a "Works Cited" page. Be sure to exchange papers with a peer for proofreading. The paper is due October 15th. You may email me with any questions as well as drafts. |
Week 7 · Design Principles
| Date | October 15 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 8 and 14 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Know the Five Principles of Design |
| Discussion | Page Layout |
| Grammar | Correcting other people's grammar |
| Activity | Field Trip - Campus Posters |
| Assignment | Review Chapter 8 and 14. This is the second of the four large assignments and will be due on October 29. You will design a website using the five principles of design. Your topic can be real or fictitious. The site should be at least 3, and no more than 5 pages. You will be graded more on layout and design than on content, but you do need to be aware of your audience and write appropriate content. As always, ask a peer to review your work. Be prepared to present your website to the class on October 29. |
Week 8 · Fall Break
| Date | October 22 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Please read chapter 11 |
| Assignment | Continue to work on your website for next week's class. Using chapter 11 as a guide, prepare a presentation about your website for next week. Your presentation should be no more than 10 minutes. You need to include your topic, a reader analysis, and remember to define the rhetorical situation. Email me frequently for input. I am always available to answer questions. |
Week 9 · Persuasion
| Date | October 29 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 7 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | When and how to use persuasion |
| Discussion | Plain and persuasive style and changing the readers pace |
| Grammar | Active voice vs. passive voice |
| Activity | Presentations of website assignment. |
| Assignment | We will examine some online "business letters" in which the "scheister" on the other end of cyber-space is trying to make a buck and is relying on his power of persuasion. These websites are easy to recognize. The authors have apparently read chapter seven because they not only use persuasion, but they also control the pace of the reader. Make up a "too good to be true" product and write a persuasive "business letter" following the format of the examples. Remember to exchange papers with a peer. |
Week 10 · Instructions
| Date | November 5 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 19 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Elements of Instructions |
| Discussion | We will look at instructions: how to write them, and how not to write them. I will be presenting examples of poor instructions. The audience, or reader, is an important element in the design of written instructions. |
| Grammar | Spoonerisms |
| Activity | In groups of 3 or 4 you will build a structure with Lincoln Logs (I will supply the Lincoln Logs). The objective will be to write instructions that another group will eventually use to reconstruct your structure. You will need to be meticulous in documenting the construction of your structure. Be sure to make a detailed parts list. Work together to name the parts. I will have my camera in order to take pictures of your finished structure to allow you to refer to it while you are writing your formal instructions. |
| Assignment | This is another large assignment also worth 15% of your grade. You will create a professional instruction pamphlet which will allow another group in class to recreate your structure, without the benefit of the picture of how it should look. Each member of your group will independently make an instruction pamphlet. As a group you will decide which set of instructions to give to another group. I will be grading each set of instructions individually. Consider your audience when you write your instructions. As always, ask a peer in your group to proof your instructions for typos. In the November 19th class we will be assembling structures based on your instructions. |
Week 11 · Usability
| Date | November 12 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read chapter 10 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Usability |
| Discussion | In our exploration of usability, we will discuss how we can incorporate usability into our instructions documentation. |
| Grammar | Run-on sentences |
| Activity | Get together with your group and discuss your instructions. You may even want to test them. Also see where you may need to add usability to your work. |
| Assignment | Continue to work on your instructions for next week's class. Email me frequently for input. Remember to get a peer to proofread for you. |
Week 12 · Proposals
| Date | November 19 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 20 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | No quiz tonight |
| Discussion | Proposals: Organizing, Drafting, and Designing Proposals. |
| Grammar | No grammar this class |
| Activity | We will be using your instructions to recreate our Lincoln Log structures. |
| Assignment | This is the beginning of our proposal assignment. You will need to start by planning your proposal - what is it you want to do? What change are you trying to affect? Find a source of money or resources to target as your audience. Complete an audience analysis. For next class have your topic and an audience analysis completed. Exchange the audience analysis with a peer for review. |
Week 13 · Proposals Continued
| Date | November 26 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Appendix A before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Grammar and Punctuation |
| Discussion | We will discuss the progress of your proposals. Our main discussion will be concentrated on grammar. |
| Grammar | Be ready to discuss grammar problems that you have the most trouble with. I want to give you the opportunity to ask questions about your own weaknesses. If I do not know how to answer your question, we will find the answer together. |
| Activity | In groups of 3 or 4, tell your group about your proposal. Each group member should brainstorm each topic - give your peers ideas they may not have thought of in order to better write their proposal. Maybe you are having trouble finding a funding source. Maybe you are tackling your problem from one aspect, but a peer may see a different side that will help you explore an easier solution. This exercise is meant to emulate brainstorming sessions in a corporate environment. |
| Assignment | Continue with your proposal. Your final draft will be due December 3. It should contain all the basic features of proposals as listed on page 582 of your text. Again, exchange papers with a peer. |
Week 14 · Activity Reports
| Date | December 3 |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read Chapter 21 before coming to class. |
| Quiz | Basic Features of Activity Reports |
| Discussion | When and why an activity report is needed |
| Grammar | Comma abuse |
| Activity | In groups of 3 or 4, choose one of these recent disasters: the bridge collapse, Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech shootings, or the trapped miners. As a group talk about questions that were raised by the disaster. Together summarize issues that arose from the disaster. |
| Assignment | Write an activity report using your classroom activity as a basis. Include what happened, the specualtions or facts, if available, as to why it happened, and conclude with what steps are being taken, or should be taken, to avoid similar disasters. Your report should be 3 to 5 pages long. This assignment is due December 7. |
FINAL PROJECT
| Due Date | Tentative due date is December 18. |
|---|---|
| Assignment | Your final should be a culmination of ideas found throughout the text and the lectures. We all came here with different aspirations, so I want your final to reflect the direction you intend to take your writing. If you are interested in web design and usability, your final should be a website. If you want to write instructions for a living, your final should be instructions. The choice is yours. As soon as you have chosen the topic and format of your final, have it approved by me (by December 10). You will need to submit a reader analysis and a statement of the rhetorical situation. Your final report should be the equivalent of at least 8 and no more than 12 pages. You must use MLA style for references and works cited. |