Technical Writing

EN306SYLLABUS

Central Methodist UniversityGraduate and Extended Studies

Online Programs

Last Revised July 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MISSION STATEMENTS……………………………………………………………………………..3

YOUR INSTRUCTOR……………………………………………………………………………………4

COURSE INTRODUCTIONCourse Description .............................................................................................................5Course Prerequisites...........................................................................................................5Course Objectives...............................................................................................................5Course Required Textbook and Readings ..........................................................................5Course Special Requirements ............................................................................................5Course Announcements and Communication.....................................................................5

COURSE ASSESSMENTGrading Scale ....................................................................................................................6Grading Criteria .................................................................................................................6Grading Criteria Expectations ............................................................................................6Due Dates and Deliverables ...............................................................................................7Late Work Policy ................................................................................................................7Instructor Academic Conduct Policy ...................................................................................7

COURSE STUDY PLANWeek One ............................................................................................................................8Week Two ............................................................................................................................9Week Three ..........................................................................................................................10Week Four ............................................................................................................................11Week Five ............................................................................................................................12Week Six ..............................................................................................................................13Week Seven .........................................................................................................................14Week Eight ..........................................................................................................................15

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION .........................................................................16

MISSION STATEMENTS:

CMU: Central Methodist University prepares students to make a difference in the world by emphasizing academic and professional excellence, ethical leadership, and social responsibility.

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Creed: The Central Methodist University community believes in seeking knowledge, truth, and wisdom; valuing freedom, honesty, civility, and diversity; living lives of service and leadership; and taking responsibility for ourselves and the communities in which we live.

Dr. Annette Van

Office: CU 431 (Fayette Campus) Phone: 660-248-6332 (Office)Email: avan@centralmethodist.eduFax: 660—248-6392

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I will respond to all emails and questions in the “General Course Questions Area” in the discussion forums within 24 hours.

About the Instructor:Annette Van is an Associate Professor of English at Central Methodist University where she teaches English literature, writing, leadership, and film. She’s in her 5th year as a resident of Missouri and is always interested in suggestions of Missourian things to see and do.

COURSE INTRODUCTIONCOURSEEN306 – Technical Writing

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This advanced course is designed to relate to the specific needs of upper-level students in technical fields with an emphasis on work-related forms. Technical writing is a mode of

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information management designed either to prompt action (persuasive documents such as proposals) or to enable action (instructions and informative reports). EN306 introduces students to different forms of technical writing (and not necessarily business writing) and to critical thinking and communication skills. Students will write memos and business letters as well as lengthy, detailed, and researched documents, proposals, and reports. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to analyze the purpose for and audience for documents produced in technical fields and will be able to manage information in order to produce, clear, effective technical documents. Either EN305 or EN306 is required of all students. Prerequisites: EN120 (or EN110/111) and Junior standing.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of the course, each participant should be able to:1. Create documents that are

Honest Clear Accurate

Comprehensive Accessible Concise

Professional in appearance

Correct2. Produce documents that adhere to the conventions of genre.3. Manage information and manipulate content and design of documents for different

audiences and purposes.4. Find existing sources of information on a topic using print and electronic resources.5. Evaluate the accuracy and validity of information presented in a wide variety of

media.6. Cite sources in the standardized format of their field and in accordance with CMU’s

academic honesty policy.7. Write logically developed, organized documents.8. Write documents that adhere to the conventions of standard grammar, usage,

mechanics, and spelling.

COURSE REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND READINGS

Technical Communication (10th ed.) by Mike Markel. Bedford St. Martin’s. ISBN: 978-1-4576-0029-6

Note: e-book available. ISBN: 978-1-4576-0032-6

COURSE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONGenerally speaking, instructor announcements or instructions are provided in the Announcement Blog section of myCMU. Please subscribe to the Announcement Blog to ensure notification of instructor announcements. That said, all students are responsible for having an email address capable of sending and receiving messages. Students are expected to check their email on a regular basis for course-related communications. It is the responsibility of the student to let the instructor know his or her email address.

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COURSE ASSESSMENT

GRADING SCALE

Grade PercentA 90-100% B 80-89%C 70-79%D 60-69%F <60%

GRADING CRITERIA

Grades will be based upon the following:

GRADING CRITERIA EXPECTATIONS

Online Discussion ExpectationsDiscussion is an integral part of any classroom experience, but it is particularly vital in an online classroom. In addition to completing the regular course assignments, all students are expected to participate in online discussions regularly and actively.

Each week students will be required to produce both primary and secondary posts. Primary posts are worth 10 points apiece and should be legitimate attempts to think through questions that I have posed. Secondary posts are worth 3 points apiece and consist of your responses to your peers’ posts; in other words, secondary posts put the “discussion” in the discussion forums. You will have a choice of which topics you’d like to discuss. The number of posts may vary from week to week, so please remember to check the course study and the discussion forums themselves each week to make sure you are doing the correct work.

Primary Posts

Tip sheet 20Usability Testing Description 50Proposal 100English Common Assessment Essay 100Instruction Manual 100Usability Report 100Project Portfolio 50Discussion Board posts

10 primary posts @ 10 pts = 10015 secondary posts @ 3 pts = 45 pts

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Class Activities 7 @ 10 pts = 70 pts2 @ 5 pts = 10 pts

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Peer/Self Reviews4 @ 20 pts 80

Total 825

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Primary posts must be a minimum of 250 words and should be “semi-formal.”  These are real writing activities, so you should pay attention to things like organizing, supporting, and developing your ideas and using correct grammar and punctuation. At the same time, these posts are conversational in tone, and so they shouldn’t come off as overly stuffy.

Tip: Write your paragraphs in Word (or another word processing program, then paste them onto the discussion forum.  MyCMU times out, and your documents will disappear!  Please try to avoid attaching the journals, though, since it makes it more difficult for me and your peers to read them.

Grades:

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At least 250 words and are thoughtful, serious attempts to provide a written response to the prompt. It is clear that the author has put a time and effort into writing and revising these posts, and has found and cited specific evidence to illustrate and support all assertions.  Likewise, when appropriate, these posts will show clear evidence that the student has completed all appropriate class readings and has taken time to think carefully about them. Few, minor, grammar and usage errors.

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At least 250 words and are solid efforts.  They are legitimate attempts to engage the prompt, but without quite as much follow through as 10s.  These posts are generally less specific than 10s, leave out some potentially useful points or ideas, or show less concern for the quality of writing in the post. Specific evidence is used in these posts to illustrate and support ideas. When appropriate, these posts will show clear evidence that the student has completed all appropriate class readings and has taken time to think about them, although this thinking might not be as careful and complete as possible. Few grammar and usage errors.

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These posts show an attempt to do the assignment, albeit an incomplete one.  Usually these posts are fewer than 250 words, ignore significant elements of the prompt, seem dashed off, and have some significant grammar and usage errors.  When appropriate, these posts reveal some evidence that the student has consulted necessary class readings, but no evidence that shows that the students has read or thought about the readings carefully.

1-5 These posts reveal some effort, but not a lot.  Usually these posts ignore most or all of the prompt, show little engagement, or have several significant grammar and usage errors.  The posts will reveal little or no evidence that the student has completed the course readings.

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Posts will receive a zero if they are not turned in on time OR if they are egregiously underdeveloped.  One or two sentences that ignore the prompt altogether will receive a zero.

Likewise, plagiarized posts will also be given a zero and may be subject to additional disciplinary measures.

     Secondary postsSecondary posts are designed to help you engage the ideas of your peers. Good writing requires the writer to think through a range ideas and information and to respond and adapt as necessary. Good discussions require the same skill set. Thus, this class asks you to use discussion as a way to practice habits that will make you a better writer. Grades:

3At least 100 words. These posts clearly respond to specific ideas from previous posts and offer interesting and useful new ways to think about them. These posts will clearly either agree with previous posts, disagree, or agree with differences.

2Usually less than 100 words. These posts respond to previous posts, but not as specifically as they could. These posts still bring something new and interesting to the conversation.

1 Significantly less than 100 words. These posts offer limited responses to previous

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posts and bring little new to the conversation.

Written Assignment ExpectationsPlease refer to the individual assignment sheets (posted under “Handouts” on the Resources and Materials page for the course) for information about and expectations for each major writing assignment.

Below is a general rubric that we can apply to all of our major assignments in this course:

Grading:

Your textbook (in Chapter 1) outlines six characteristics of any technical document. It 1. addresses particular readers, 2 helps readers solve problems, 3. reflects and organization’s goals and culture, 4. is produced collaboratively, 5. uses design to increase usability, 6. consists of words or graphics or both. Based on these characteristics, your text outlines eight measures of excellence in technical communication:

Honesty Comprehensiveness Professional appearance

Clarity Accessibility Correctness Accuracy Conciseness

The grading policy below reflects these concepts.

A = an A document is unquestionably effective and actively helps solve problems and facilitate action. This document is clearly tailored to a specific, well-defined audience and shows a clear understanding of its purpose. These types of documents will transmit all the proper information completely, honestly, and accurately. An A document anticipates and accounts for all reader needs. Not only is it free of spelling and grammar errors, but the writing is also clear, concise, and efficient. Its design doesn’t just fit all appropriate conventions, but also contributes to its purpose by organizing information in a way that makes the information easy to read and find. The visual layout of an A paper is clean, compelling, un-intimidating, and professional; it actively contributes to the management of the document’s information. Likewise, when necessary and appropriate, an A paper will clearly, accurately, and honestly cite all outside sources. In short, and A document goes above and beyond.

B = A B-range document is one that is likely to get the job done, but is less effective or makes the reader work harder than does an A document. A B document does nothing to get in the way of user action, but doesn’t work very hard to actively aid that action, either. A B-range document transmits all of the most pertinent information, but is less clear, efficient, complete, or accurate while doing so. The organization and design of a B document is usable and approachable, but is not as immediately compelling, intuitive, or efficient. The style of a B document is mostly clear, but might be marred by small grammar and proofreading errors or less clean and efficient sentences. When necessary and appropriate, a B paper will clearly, accurately, and honestly cite all outside sources. A B-range document is one that could be used by most readers, but would likely be rejected by skeptical, fastidious or needy readers.

C = A C-range document is usable on a basic level, but it is not nearly as effective as it could be and makes readers work hard to understand and use the document and its information. C-range documents meet the most basic assignment guidelines, and only basic (not advanced and nuanced) reader needs. C documents will provide most of the most

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essential information, but little else. These documents will not facilitate easy retrieval or use of this information, and may even work to hinder use and retrieval. C documents suffer from grammar and proofreading errors and are formatted poorly or inefficiently. C work may or may not possess properly formatted citations of outside sources. A C document might be used by an eager or particularly forgiving reader, but would not be readily embraced by neutral or uninterested readers.

D = A D-range document is an ineffective document. Usually documents falling in the D range show limited understanding of the assignment and/or the conventions of technical writing, suffer from glaring omissions, and have little to no sense of the document’s purpose or audience. D work has several grammar and proofreading errors, has key pieces of information missing, and is inefficiently organized. D documents are formatted incorrectly. Improperly documented sources are also a hallmark of a D document.

F = A document that receives an F is aggressively ineffective. Such documents are usually unrelated (or only tangentially related) to the assignment, and make no effort at thinking through purpose and audience. Sloppily documented sources indicate an F.

ZeroA plagiarized document (see course syllabus and the CMU Handbook pg. 38-39) will receive a zero and will not be revisable. This is in addition to any penalties that might be imposed by the CMU administration.

***Keep in mind that every document is different and has its own strengths and weaknesses, and so grades are based on a preponderance of qualities that fall within each grade level. Individual strengths and weakness that fall outside the core description of your work are accounted for by adjusting the base grade up or down. Thus plusses and minuses are possible.***

DUE DATES AND DELIVERABLESAll due dates and deliverable requirements will be posted on the course website and are considered “firm.” Also note that any due dates and times are in central standard time so please adjust accordingly. Any deviation in content or form should be discussed with the instructor prior to the due date. Late and/or incomplete work will result in a significant grade reduction. The only exceptions related to late work are covered under the Late Work Policy below. Typically, graded assignments will be returned in 3 days.

LATE WORK POLICYLate assignments will only be permitted in cases involving extreme hardship (e.g., unplanned change of employment, transfer, severe illness, accident, or death in the immediate family). It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor prior to the due date of such circumstances and to provide acceptable documentation. Late assignments will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Due to the nature of the program and course you are encouraged to work ahead as possible to avoid missing deadlines. The course should be completed as scheduled, incomplete (“I”) grades will only be considered as a last resort (See University Catalog Regarding Incomplete (“I”) Grades).

INSTRUCTOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT POLICYPlagiarism or any violation of CMU’s Academic Conduct Policy is unacceptable and will result in a zero on the assignment. Any second violation of the policy by an individual will result in a failure of the course.

Plagiarism includes but is not limited to [1] representing as your own work a paper, speech, or report written in whole or in part by someone else (from the un-credited use of significant phrases to the un-credited use of larger portions

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of material), including material found on the internet, [2] failing to provide appropriate recognition of the sources of borrowed material through the proper use of quotation marks, proper attribution of paraphrases, and proper reference citations. (CMU Course Catalog)

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK ONE

Week 1To Do Due Dates

Readings Ch. 1 (Introduction to Technical Communication)*

Ch. 3 (Writing Technical Documents) Ch. 5 (Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose) Read through all assignment sheets

Please have all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Complete both Introductory posts:1. After reading the guide and exploring the website, in

the General Course Questions area either ask a question about the course OR try to answer someone else’s question. Observations about the course, along the lines of “this looks like the best class ever,” are also acceptable.

2. In the Virtual Lounge, post an introduction:In a brief post, please fill us in on some information about yourself. The bulk of the course is collaborative: not only will we be helping each other think through the major ideas related to producing technical documents, but we will be working in teams to on a term-long project. For this reason, we need to get to know each other well. To that end, please finish the following sentences in the Discussion Forum. My name is…My current place (city/state) of

residence is… My major is… I decided to take this course online because… I will be a great person to work with on the team

project because…Complete Plagiarism Quiz and Summarize your Results

1. Read about academic honesty and plagiarism on the Plagiarism Resource Site (http://bit.ly/aw8VM7).

2. Take the Plagiarism Resource Site’s self test: http://bit.ly/cnWRSZ.

3. Take a screenshot of the final page of the quiz (see page 341 in your book for information about creating screenshots). Attach the screenshot to a discussion forum post.

4. Write a post in which you discuss the results of the quiz: what information did you learn or did you find surprising? What aspects of plagiarism and academic honesty are you still confused about after taking this quiz?

Both introductory posts (5 pts. each) are due by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

Please note: failure to complete these 2 assignments by the deadline may result in your removal from the course for non-participation.

Plagiarism post (10 pts) due by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Discussion Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You The primary

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Posts must post at least one primary and two secondary posts Discussion Question 1:Markel lists eight “measures of excellence in technical communication” on pages 12-14. Evaluate either our course’s MyCMU page or one of Markel’s other chapters in terms of these measures. How excellent are they?Discussion Question 2:By this point in your academic career, you’ve doubtless taken other writing classes where you learned about the things that make an essay good. Think about what you’ve learned about technical communication so far. Explain how technical writing might be similar to and different from academic essay writing. Be as specific as possible and refer to your reading as you are formulating your post.

post should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

Tip Sheet—see the handout on the Resources and Materials page of the course for details.

Due to Discussion Forum by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK TWOWeek 2

To Do Due DatesReadings Ch. 6 (Researching Your Subject)

Ch. 7 (Organizing Your Information) Ch. 13 (Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and

Web Sites) Ch. 20 (Definitions, Descriptions, Instructions) Appendices A&B

Please have all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Source Summary and Citation ExerciseAfter you read Appendices A&B, choose one item from the Resource Pathfinder (on the Resources and Materials page of the course) about usability testing found on MyCMU. Next:

1. In either APA or MLA format, write a correct Reference/Works Cited page entry for that item (Note: a summary with an seriously incorrect citation can receive no more than seven points; a summary with no citation can receive no more than five points).

2. Write a one paragraph summary of that item that includes at least one properly cited paraphrase and one properly cited quotation

Final Project Topic Ideas (Required for Everyone)Read Final Project assignment sheet, and post an idea you would like to work on for the project. Your post should explain:

3. What you would like to write instructions for4. What need your document would fill (what real

organization would benefit from your proposed instructions?)

5. Why you think this project is realistic and do-able.6. Why you think your classmates should join you in

working on this project

Summary and Citation Exercise (10 pts) should be posted to the discussion Forum by 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday.

Final Project Topic post (10 pts) due to discussion forum by 11:55 p.m. on Friday

Discussion Posts

Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You must post at least one primary and two secondary posts Discussion Question 1: Take a look at the Interactive Sample Document on page 136 of the textbook. Write a post that answers one of the three questions next to the document. Please indicate which question you are answering in the subject line of your post.Discussion Question 2:In Chapter 3, Markel suggests that one of the problems with using pre-formulated templates is that “they cannot help you

The primary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary posts should be completed by 11:55

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answer the important questions about your document” (47). Likewise, in Chapter 5 Markel suggests that “the key concept in technical communication is that audience and purpose determine everything about how you communicate on the job” (85). Discuss an instance in which a template would not be appropriate for the purpose and audience for a document. Be as specific as possible, and feel free to draw on real-life examples, if you have some.

p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

Usability Testing Description. Instructions for the assignment are in the Final Project Packet on the Resources and Materials page of the course.

Due to Discussion Forum by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK THREEWeek 3

To Do Due DatesReadings Ch. 4 (Writing Collaboratively)

Ch. 16 (Writing Proposals)Please have all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Form groups and create an online workspace(See the Final Project Packet for details on the assignment)

1. Form Groups: communicate with each other and determine who will work together and what project you will be doing. Remember that the ideal group size for this project is 2-4 members. You can use the Final Topic Ideas discussion forum from last week to discuss who should work with whom.

2. Create an online workspace for the group.At the very least, your workspace should provide a forum to a) collaborate--your space should allow your group to communicate with each other and work on the project--and b) store your documents/keep records of the work you've done.This workspace will either take the form of a wiki, a simple website, or an online app designed for collaboration. Here are some options: The default workspace recommended for this

project is PBWorks (http://bit.ly/naFNDq ) .  It is a wiki that is designed to allow teams to collaborate on projects, it is free, and it is pretty easy to use. The big disadvantage is that two people cannot edit the same page on PBWorks at the same time, so it is better for asynchronous collaboration than synchronous. Here is a sample PBWorks site: http://bit.ly/13plZo2. If you've never used a wiki before, here is a short video introduction: http://bit.ly/OoQpiZ. 

Google Drive (http://bit.ly/11OWINd).  Google Drive allows you to create and store documents and to collaborate on documents in real time. There is synchronous editing and chat.  Unlike PBWorks, Google docs doesn't come preloaded with things like work schedules. The word processor in Google drive is a bit limited, too, so it's hard to do really fancy and creative things.  It is pretty easy to use, and has become the go-to program form most people who want to collaborate at a distance. This is what I use when I collaborate.

Weebly (http://www.weebly.com/#home) or Google sites (http://bit.ly/qO7a6W ) . Both allow you to

Form groups by Wednesday

Online workspace (10 pts) should be created by Friday

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create websites easily. Trello (https://trello.com/tour) is a really powerful

and easy-to-use project management app. It doesn not allow real-time collaboration on documents, however; you’ll need to post attachments.

You shouldn't feel limited by these options.  If you have other apps you've worked with in the past, ask your instructor if they will work.

Include an area for each element listed on the Portfolio assignment sheet checklistOn your front page, include a group work agreement that lists: a) who your group members are, b) who your group leader is, c) how often your group plans to “meet,” d) how your group plans to meet (face-to-face, chatroom, over the phone, etc.), e) how you will deal with disputes and grievances.Email instructor with access information

Discussion Posts

Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You must post at least two primary and two secondary posts Discussion Question 1:Briefly summarize a group project that you’ve worked on in the past (either in-school or in the workplace) that didn’t go as smoothly as you would have liked. Next, use the information in Chapter 4 to discuss what steps you might have taken to improve that experience.-OR-List any worries or concerns you might have about our upcoming group project and use the information in Chapter 4 to discuss steps you might take now to proactively deal with these issues.Discussion Question 2: In Chapter 16, Markel asserts that “people who evaluate proposals agree that the most common weakness they see is an inadequate or inaccurate understanding of the problem or opportunity” (445). How do you suppose that you will avoid that problem in your proposal? Make sure you read the Proposal assignment sheet before answering this question. Discussion Question 3: Now that your research has given you a better idea of what usability testing is, think about how you might test the usability of the Tip Sheets you created in Week 1. Choose one testing method you would use and explain very specifically what you would do and why you would do it.

The primary post should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

Draft of Usability Test for Proposal for peer review (See the Final Project Packet for details on the assignment) The peer review will only cover the usability test plans;

Due to Discussion Forum by

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the other elements of the proposals should not be included.

Each team member should submit his/her own usability test plan to the peer review area on the discussion forum.

11:55 p.m. (CST) on Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK FOUR

Week 4To Do Due Dates

Readings Ch. 9 (Writing Coherent Documents) Ch. 11 (Designing Documents and Websites)

Please have all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Complete Peanut Butter and Jelly Exercise You can find the PB&J exercise handout on the Resources and Materials page of the course. Choose any one of the sample audiences, and create a set of instructions for them. Pay attention to what your audience’s expectations, needs, and pre-existing knowledge.

Please look at previous posts and try not to choose an audience that has already been done several times.

Peer review drafts of proposals 1. Download the proposal peer review form from the

Resources and Materials area of the course. 2. Download the proposal (in the Week 3 Discussion

forum) of the person whose name directly follows yours in the alphabet. You can reorder the discussion board alphabetically to make this easier. The person at the end of the alphabet can review the person at the beginning.

3. Fill out the peer review form and post it as a reply to the author’s post (as an attachment).

PB&J exercise (10 pts) should be posted to discussion forum by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on TUESDAY

Peer review (10 pts) should be posted to the discussion forum by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

Discussion Posts

Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You must post at least one primary and two secondary posts. Discussion Question 1: Choose someone else’s PB&J exercise and write a primary post in which you use everything we’ve covered so far this term to evaluate its effectiveness. Pay particular attention to your Tip Sheets, Chapter 5, and Chapter 11. What does this person’s document do well? What could this person work on? Remember that this is an exercise. We’re looking for constructive feedback that will help all of us produce better documents in the future, so don’t just offer up empty praise. Be specific about both the strengths and the weaknesses of the document.Discussion Question 2:Look up any one of the references listed on pages 755-764 of the textbook. Evaluate the document’s coherence. Your response should include the URL for the source so that we can

The primary post should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary post should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

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also look at it. You should also reference specific elements from the page and discuss them in terms of the advice offered in chapter 9.

Documents to Turn in

Proposal. See the Final Project Packet on the Resources and Materials page of the course for details on the assignment.

Due to Assignments area by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK FIVEWeek 5

To Do Due DatesReadings Ch. 8 (Communicating Persuasively)

Ch. 12 (Creating Graphics) Ch. 19 (Recommendation reports)

Please have all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Evaluate a Document’s Visual Design1. Find a page in one of your textbooks for another class

(or perhaps in a non-proprietary document you’ve run across in your job) to evaluate.

2. Insert an image (a scanned image or a photograph) of that page into a document.

3. Evaluate the visual design of the document using drawing tools (like arrows and text boxes) to comment directly on the text. See page 330 for information about using drawing

tools. You may also want to refer to this video about how to use text boxes (http://bit.ly/12F5NIT).

4. Attach your marked up document to the discussion forum.

Visual design evaluation (10 pts) should be posted to the discussion forum by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

Discussion Posts

Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You must post at least two primary and two secondary posts Discussion Question 1:Analyze the audience for the CMU English Common Assessment Essay. What do you know about them? What can you safely assume? How can you use that information to more effectively persuade the audience?Refer to the information in chapter 5 (particularly pages 86-91) and to pages 184-185.Discussion Question 2: After reading Chapter 8, write a primary post in which you try to convince the instructor that Technical Writing either should or should not be a required course for all college students. Those writing secondary posts should evaluate the effectiveness of the argument, using the information in Chapter 8 as a guide.Discussion Question 3:Write a post in which you try to persuade your classmates either that document design is more important than content, or that content is more important than design.

The primary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

Draft of manual for peer review. Instructions for the assignment are in the Final Project Packet on the Resources and Materials page of the course.

Only one copy of the manual per group needs to be

Post to discussion forum by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on

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You can use a textbox to comment on

the document

submitted. Submit as an attachment. Include all group member’s names in the body of the

forum post.

Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK SIXWeek 6

To Do Due DatesReadings Ch. 17 (Informational reports) Please have

all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Use an image to improve a documentIn this exercise, you will practice supplementing your text with effective visuals.

1. Find a technical document that is primarily text-based (this could be a letter, a textbook, an email, a set of instructions, etc.).

2. Insert an image (a scanned image or a photograph) of that page into a document.

3. Attach a scanned copy of that page to the discussion board (a picture would be fine, too).

4. Create a graphic that helps to get the content across more effectively (see Tech Tips on pages 313, 324, and 326)

5. Write a paragraph of at least 200 words explaining why your graphic is effective.

Peer review each group's instructions1. Download the “Instruction Manual peer review

worksheet” from the handouts (download as many copies of the form as there are project groups in the class).

2. Fill out one worksheet for each set of instructions posted on the discussion forum in Week 5 (note: the worksheets should be completed by individuals, not by groups)

3. Post your completed worksheets as replies to the original post.

Image exercise should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Peer review worksheets should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Discussion Posts

Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You must post at least one primary and two secondary posts. Discussion Question 1:Write a post in which you update the class on the status of your final project. Explain what you have accomplished, but also be very specific about what you still need to do. Also, share with us any questions or concerns you have with the project. If there is something confusing you or giving you trouble, likely one of your classmates has already run into the same difficulty and will be able to help you out.

The primary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary posts should

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Discussion Question 2:Choose any of the graphics under question number four on pages 345-346. Write a post in which you evaluate the effectiveness of the graphic and explain what changes you would make if you were to revise it.

be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

Draft of English Common Assessment Essay for peer review. Please see the Handout on the Resources and Materials page of the course for more information on this assignment.

Due to Discussion Forum by 11:59 p.m. (CST) on Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK SEVENWeek 7

To Do Due DatesReadings Ch. 18 (Lab reports)

Ch. 10 (Writing Effective Sentences)Please have all Readings completed by Wednesday

Activities Peer Review your groupmates’ Common Assessment Essays

To complete the peer reviews: Download copies of your group members’ essays

from discussion forum in Week 6. Fill out one English Common Assessment Peer Review

Worksheet (under Resources and Materials) for each member of your final project group.

Save the worksheet with a filename that follows this formula: Author’s last name_Essay number_PR. For example, for if you were responding to Essay 2 by John Smith, your filename would be: Smith_Essay2_PR.

Post the worksheets as replies to the authors’ original posts on the discussion forum.

Peer review worksheets should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

Discussion Posts

Choose any of these discussion questions to respond to. You must post at least ONE primary and two secondary posts. Discussion Question 1: Go back to a document you’ve written for a previous class or for a work assignment. Choose one paragraph from the document, and revise the sentences in it using the advice on pages 232-240.Paste copies of the before and after paragraphs to the discussion forum, then write a post in which you comment on the quality of writing in the revised version. Do you feel as if the second version reads better? Is it easier to understand? Did you improve the clarity of your sentence?Discussion Question 2:Think through a piece of advice in chapter 10. Choose any one piece of advice in the chapter, and then think through a scenario in which that advice might make a significant difference in the quality of your work. Write a post in which you explain your scenario.

The primary post should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

The secondary posts should be completed by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

English Common Assessment Essay. Please see the instructions on the Resources and Materials page of the course.

Due to Assignments area by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Saturday

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COURSE STUDY PLAN – WEEK EIGHTWeek 8

To Do Due DatesReadings No readings due this weekActivities Complete review of your own group’s Usability Report

1. Re-read the Usability Report assignment sheet, as well as the course’s grading rubric

2. Complete first draft of your group’s Usability Report prior to next step.

3. Insert comments into the draft of your own group’s Usability Report (the whole Usability Report, not just your tests). See page 70 for information about inserting

comments. Your comments can offer advice (“I think we

should…”) or they can offer explanation (“I chose to put this here because…”).

Aim for at least 3 comments per page.4. Post your review with comments to the discussion

forum (one per person).

Self-review of first draft of group Usability Report due by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

Discussion Posts

Write ONE primary post and ONE secondary post on the following topic. Discussion Question 1:Reflect on your experience in this course. How might your writing (or the way you think about writing) have changed? What lessons might you have learned or skills developed that you can apply outside of this class?

Primary post due by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday

Secondary post due by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

Documents to Turn in

Usability ReportInstruction ManualProject Portfolio (make sure all required documents are posted to your wiki)Group Evaluation Forms (which should have been developed earlier as part of the online workspace) should be emailed to the instructor (each student will complete 1 for each of their group members).

Final draft of Usability Report, Instruction Manual, and Project Portfolio due by 11:55 p.m. (CST) on Friday

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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATIONAPA Reference GuideYou may be asked to write a paper in “APA style”. If you are not sure what “APA style” means, here are some reference sites

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ http://apastyle.apa.org/  

Depending on the requirements of your course, you should consider buying a style book.

Accessing Library DatabasesCentral Methodist University provides a number of online databases which are available to you for research and reference purposes. Since it is likely that you will not be on the Fayette campus when you access this material, you will need to use your myCMU login and password for access. For more information about how to access these online databases, reference the “Contact Information” section of this document.

Discussion Forum Tips (adapted from (http://community.flexiblelearning.net.au/TeachingTrainingLearners/content/article_4183.htm)

1. Give all postings a clear and relevant title. Avoid using vague or ambiguous titles such as ‘News’, ‘Hi’ ‘Latest work’ etc.

2. Remember the human. When you communicate electronically, all you see is a computer screen. You don't have the opportunity to use facial expression, gestures and tone of voice to communicate your meaning (apart from using emoticons); words - lonely written words - are all you've got. When you're holding a conversation online -it's easy to misinterpret your correspondent's meaning. And it's easy to forget that your correspondent is a person with feelings more or less like your own.

3. Respect other people's time. People seem to have less time than ever before and have a lot of information to absorb. When you send e-mail or post to a discussion group, you're taking up other people’s time (or hoping to). It's your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn't wasted.

4. Know what you're talking about and make sense. Make sure your notes are clear and logical and know what you are talking about. Be pleasant and polite. Don't use offensive language, and don't be confrontation for the sake of confrontation.

5. Help keep flame wars under control. "Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotions. Flames can be lots of fun, both to write and to read. But Netiquette does forbid the perpetuation of flame wars. Series of angry letters, most of them from two or three people directed toward each other that can dominate the tone and destroy the camaraderie of a discussion group. It's unfair to the other members of the group and it also can get boring very quickly to people who aren't involved in them.

6. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes. When someone makes a mistake (even if you feel strongly about it) think twice before reacting. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferable by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know any better.

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