ENGLISH 308-TECHNICAL WRITING
Prerequisites:
Technical Writing may be taken by upper-division students in good standing who have successfully completed English 101,102, and the mid-career writing assessment, or have taken supplemental writing instruction beyond first year composition to be ready for writing in a science or engineering major. Students may not have credit for English 307 or be concurrently enrolled in 307.

Course Materials:

Course Description:
English 308 is a workshop and discussion course in which students will prepare a variety of technical and professional texts. Students will learn how to analyze specific rhetorical situations and will create documents representative of the kinds of communication they might be expected to produce for the workplace: résumés, letters, memoranda, reports, oral presentations and web pages. Students will be asked to complete a significant group project at the end of the semester, geared toward the student's own specific academic and professional interests and created in response to a problem or need identified in those areas by the student. Since this course attempts to reflect the kinds of communications produced in the workplace, revision and collaboration will be significant components of class projects. Students will be expected to share work with and critique work from peers in the class. Other work will include additional exercises and writing assignments prepared individually. 

Course Policies:

Attendance: regular attendance is important to a student's success in this course. The Composition Program requires that instructors notify those students who have missed more than two class sessions that they may be dropped from the class. Attendance will be taken by sign -in sheet, and it will be each student's responsibility to sign in during each class. 

Conduct and Integrity: this class strictly follows the University Codes of Conduct and Academic Integrity, available online at:

http://w3.arizona.edu/~studpubs/policies/studcofc.htmfor the Student Code of Conduct http://w3.arizona.edu/~studpubs/policies/cacaint.htmfor theCode of Academic Integrity.

Grades: in the business world, employees are expected to meet their deadlines without excuse and to produce documents that communicate the high qualities of a competitive business. Every assignment in class will be graded as though it were an important business communication. To receive full credit, all written assignments must be submitted on time (at the beginning of class unless otherwise indicated), in the proper format (typed at the minimum), and with the required supporting materials. Late papers will lose one letter grade for each late day. A student cannot receive a passing grade ("C" or better) unless he or she has submitted all major assignments.


 
 

Assignments:
Projects will reflect the kinds of writing a professional (i.e., college graduate) may do in a business setting, including memos, letters of various kinds, proposals, presentations (written and oral), and résumés. Written assignments and other communications projects should exhibit not only carefully crafted content and style but also show deliberate attention to visual presentation. Students may use word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheet, graphics, and presentation programs to produce assignments for this class.All written assignments (except in-class quizzes) must be computer-generated and submitted on good quality paper stock. In the business world, neatness counts. Students will be expected wherever necessary to have materials reproduced by high quality printing methods. Students should keep backup file copies of all submitted assignments. The relative value of assignments is as follows: Resume/Cover Letter (10%), Web Site (20%), Group Project Proposal, Report, and Presentation (50%), exercises, quizzes, and miscellaneous assignments (20%). 

Extra Help:The University provides a variety of resources for the writing student, including the Writing Center (http://w3.arizona.edu/~uawc/),the Writing Skills Improvement Program (http://w3.arizona.edu/~wsip/), and the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Program (http://www.salt.arizona.edu/). Students are expected to utilize these resources for individual help with their writing.

English 308 Schedule

subject to change with notice



 
 
 
date Technical Communication reading: assignments due for class: (to do in class):
1 W.1/10

CCIT319

 all readings in this column from Mike Markel - email addresses

information sheets
X
 
 
 
 

2

 M.1/15

ML402
 

W.1/17

CCIT319

 MLK - no class

Chap.1 "Introduction to Technical Communication"
 

Chap.16 "Writing Job-Application Materials"

 -
 
 
 
 

- 

 -
 
 
 
 
 

lab work: web research on résumés and templates 
3
 
 

4

 M.1/22

ML402
 

W.1/24 CCIT319

 Chap.13 "Designing the Document"
 
 
 

Chap.21 "Creating Web Sites"

 Ex.1 or 2, p.480, Chap.16
 
 

RÉSUMÉ AND COVER LETTER

 discuss design
 
 

lab work: Ex.1, 2, or 3, p. 632, Chap. 21
5
 
 
 
 
 

6

 M.1/29

ML402
 

W.1/31 CCIT319

 Chap.5 "Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose"
 
 
 

Chap.2 "Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations"

 Ex.1, p.113, Chap 5 (include the original article)
 
 
 

Ex.5, p. 37, Chap.2

 web site creation
 
 
 

lab work: web site creation and 

Ex.4, p. 114, Chap. 5
7
 
 
 
 
 

8

 M.2/5

ML402
 

W.2/7 CCIT319

 Chap.3 "Understanding the Writing Process"
 
 
 

Chap.9 "Drafting and Revising Definitions and Descriptions"

 Ex.2, p.64, Chap.3
 
 
 
 
 

Ex.2, p.246, Chap.9

 - 
 
 
 
 
 

lab work: Ex. 6, p. 65, Chap.3
9 
 
 
 
 

10

 M.2/12

ML402
 

W.2/14

CCIT319

 Chap.10 "Drafting and Revising Coherent Documents"
 
 
 
 
 

Chap.7 "Researching Your Subject"

 Ex.3, p.267, Chap.10
 
 
 
 

- 

 - 
 
 
 
 

lab work: home page and Ex.6, p.180, Chap.7
11
 
 

12

 M.2/19

ML402
 

W.2/21

CCIT319

 Chap.14 "Creating Graphics"

- 

 Ex. 2 or 3, p. 404, Chap.14
 
 

WEB SITE- FIRST DESIGN (HOME PAGE AND RÉSUMÉ)

 -
 
 

lab work: post web site first design (home page and résumé)
13
 
 

14

 M.2/26

ML402
 

W.2/28 CCIT319

 Chap.15 "Letters, Memos, and Emails"

- 

 Ex. 3 or 5, p.442, Chap.15
 
 

- 

 chose groups for Wed.
 
 

lab work: memo/letter templates and Ex.12, p.444, Chap. 15
15
 
 
 

16

 M.3/5

ML402
 
 

W.3/7 CCIT319

 Chap.11 "Drafting and Revising Effective Sentences"
 

Chap.20 "Writing Instructions and Manuals"

 Ex.7, 10, AND 11, p.302, Chap. 11
 
 

- 

 - 
 
 
 

lab work: Ex.4, p.606, Chap.20
17
 
 

18

 M.3/19

ML402
 

W.3/21

CCIT319

 Chap.4 "Writing Collaboratively"
 
 
 

Chap.12 "Drafting and Revising Front and Back Matter"

 - 
 
 

WEB SITE-FINAL DESIGN

 set up groups for final project
 
 
 

post final WEB SITE
19
 
 

20

 M.3/26

ML402
 

W.3/28

CCIT319

 Chap.17 "Writing Proposals"

- 

 - 
 
 

- 

 group meetings
 
 

Ex. 2, p.515, Chap.17

PowerPoint demonstration

21
 
 

22

 M.4/2

ML402
 

W.4/4

CCIT319

 Chap.18 "Writing Informal Reports"

- 

 

NO CLASS

PROJECT PROPOSAL

 

 

NO CLASS

- 

 

 

NO CLASS
23
 
 

24

 M.4/9

ML402

W.4/11

CCIT319

 Chap.19 "Writing Formal Reports"
 
 
 

 

Ex.1 or 2, p.580, Chap.19
 
 

Group Conferences--review Project Proposal 

sign up for presentation times
 
 
 

group lab work
25
 
 
 

26

 M.4/16

ML402

W.4/18 CCIT319

 Chap.22 "Making Oral Presentations"

- 

 PROGRESS REPORT (informal report)

- 

 -
 
 
 

group lab work 
27
 
 

28

 M.4/23

ML402

W.4/25

CCIT319

 - 
 
 

- 

 - 
 
 

PRESENTATIONS/ SLIDE SHOWS

 course evaluation
 
 

presentations
29
 
 

30

 M.4/30

ML402

W.5/2 CCIT319

 - 
 
 

- 

 FORMAL REPORT--FINAL PROJECT
 
 
 

PRESENTATIONS/ SLIDE SHOWS, continued

 - 
 
 

presentations
5/4-5/11 FINALS


 
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE %age OF SEMESTER GRADE
Exercises from Text 1/17,1/24,1/29,1/31,2/5,2/7,2/12,2/14,2/21,2/28,3/7,3/26,4/11 20%
Resume and Cover Letter 1/31 10%
Web Site-First Design 2/21 10%
Web Site-Final Design 3/21 10%
Project Proposal 4/2 10%
Progress Report 4/16 10%
Presentation 4/25 & 5/2 10%
Formal Report 4/30 20%


 
 
 
 
 

UA308.792.SPRING2001.WPD