ENG/221 Technical Writing Fundamentals

SYLLABUS

ENG/221 Technical Writing

Fundamentals

Copyright ©2014 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Course Description

This course covers the fundamentals and best practices of using written communication in business and in the information technologies. Topics include strategies, techniques, and nuances for producing e-mails, memos, reports, proposals, project specifications, and user manuals, as well as other technical documents.

Course Dates

Aug 19, 2014 - Sep 22, 2014

Faculty Information

Policies

Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents (both located on your student website):

• Academic Policies

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.

Academic Resources

• Course Software

SupportingMaterial

•Course Software

•Virtual Organizations

Instructions

•Access the Virtual Organizations link. SupportingMaterial

•Virtual Organizations

•The College of IS&T Website

Instructions

•Access the College of IS&T Website link. SupportingMaterial

•The College of IS&T Website

Get Ready for Class

• Familiarize yourself with the textbooks used in this course.

Instructions

• Dobrin, S. I., Keller, C. J., & Weisser, C. R. (2010). Technical communication in the twenty-first century (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Gerson, S. J., & Gerson, S. M. (2012). Technical communication: Process and product (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. All electronic materials are available on the student website.

• Review the Read Me First.

Instructions

•Review the Read Me First. SupportingMaterial

•Read Me First

Course Materials

All electronic materials are available on your student website.

Tasks

•Learning Team Charter

•Learning Team Instructions: User Manual and Presentation (Preparation)

Objectives/Competencies

1.1Identify how writing methods are used in the corporate environment.

1.2Compare differences between technical and expository writing.

Required Learning Activities

• Ch. 1, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 1, "An Introduction to Technical Communication," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 2, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 2, "The Communication Process: Prewriting, Writing, and Rewriting," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 3, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 3, “Clarity, Conciseness, Accuracy, and Ethics in Technical Communication,” of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 6, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

• Read Ch. 6, “Researching and Evaluating Source Material,” of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week's concepts.

Assignments

Objectives/Competencies

2.1Identify intellectual property issues in the corporate environment.

2.2Design a memo with appropriate formatting for the corporate environment.

Required Learning Activities

• Ch. 4, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 4, "Communicating Effectively to Your Audience in a Multicultural World," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 6, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

• Read Ch. 6, "Routine Correspondence--Memos, Letters, E-mail Messages, Instant Messages, and Text Messages," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

• Ch. 4, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 4, “Ethics and the Workplace Writer,” of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

•Ch. 6, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

• Read Ch. 6, "Researching and Evaluating Source Material," of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week's concepts.

Assignments

Read the following scenario:

Your manager wants to use web conferencing to hold weekly status meetings, but has not decided on a program. You have been assigned to do some basic research on available web conferencing programs.

Research and compare different web conferencing programs using the

Internet.

Write a memo to your manager that describes the web conferencing program you believe is the best choice. Explain why you selected this program.

Include a list of all web conferencing programs you reviewed. Consider using a table to present your references.

Format the memo properly for management review. Use the course texts as a resource.

Include a minimum of two citations from your research.

Option 2: Memo Evaluation

Use a memo you have written, one that one of your peers or your manager has written, or one of the following from the University of Phoenix Virtual Organizations' intranet sites:

•Riordan Manufacturing: China Relocation Memo located under Finance & Accounting > Communications

•Riordan Manufacturing: HR Integration Project Manager Memo located under Human Resources > Communications

•Kudler Fine Foods: Training for New Cash Registers Memo located under Administration > Communications

•McBride Financial Services: Programming Languages E-mail located under Administration > Communications

Evaluate the memo using the following criteria:

•Organization

•Clarity

•Tone

•Writing style

•How you reacted to the memo

Write a300- to 500-word report in which you comment on each of the criteria and make suggestions for improvement.

Objectives/Competencies

3.1Implement effective document design in technical writing.

3.2Develop a request for proposal.

Required Learning Activities

• Ch. 9, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 9, "Document Design," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 10, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 10, “Using Visual Aids in Technical Communication,” of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 16, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 16, "Short, Informal Reports," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 17, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 17, “Long, Formal Reports,” of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 18, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 18, "Proposals," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 20, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

• Read Ch. 20, "Proposals and Requests for Proposals," of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week's concepts.

Assignments

You are a manager or supervisor of a company, and you need to acquire trainers to train your staff on using Microsoft(r) Office(r) programs. You must request proposals from various training companies and trainers to fill this need.

Write a 3- to 5-page request for proposal (RFP) and include the following:

•Introduction to the company

•Description of your company

•Your company's business goals

•Introduction to the project

•Project goals

•Time allocated to complete the project

•Budget for the project

•Description of the needed training

•Administrative information

•Desired qualifications

•Requirements for formatting and submitting proposals

•Confidentiality notice of all proposal submissions

•Employer and organizational reference requirements

•Contact information for clarification or questions

•Deadline for proposal submission

•Timeframe for vendor selection

•Selection criteria

•Other items that may be important for inquiring candidates Format the RFP using examples from your textbooks or additional research and consistent with APA guidelines. The following must be included:

•Cover page

•Page numbers

•Headers and footers

•Headings

Objectives/Competencies

4.1Determine criteria for writing a user manual.

4.2Develop a user manual with appropriate visual elements.

4.3Design effective written communication for user manuals and technical instructions.

Required Learning Activities

• Ch. 12, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 12, "Technical Descriptions and Process Analyses," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 13, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 13, "Instructions, User Manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 18, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 18, "Technical Instructions," of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

•Ch. 19, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

• Read Ch. 19, "Manuals," of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week's concepts.

Assignments

Objectives/Competencies

5.1Implement effective layout and design in presentations.

5.2Develop a professional slideshow presentation.

Required Learning Activities

• Ch. 19, Technical Communication Process and Product.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 19, "Oral Communication," of Technical Communication Process and Product.

•Ch. 5, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

•Read Ch. 5, "Technical Communication in a Transnational World," of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

•Ch. 23, Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

Instructions

• Read Ch. 23, "Presentations," of Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.

See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week's concepts.

Assignments

Include the following items in your manual:

•Table of contents

•Headers and footers that include page numbers, copyright information, and other necessary information

•Headings

•Appropriate font

•Written instructions for accessing, navigating, and using the selected tool

•Visual elements, such as images, flowcharts, tables, and screenshots

•Effective page layout, including the order of information, use of whitespace, and highlighting

•Terminology definitions, a key to define any symbols or diagrams used, and any other necessary information to help the user navigate the manual

Finalize and submit the user manual.

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University of Phoenix® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

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