recommendation report

2018FA-ENGL-2311-2140014.docx

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Catalogue Course Description and Course Overview

Intensive study of and practice in professional writing. Focus on the types of documents necessary to make decisions and take action on the job, such as proposals, reports, instructions, policies and procedures, e-mail messages, letters/memorandums, and descriptions of products and services. Practice of individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and effective documents. Prerequisite: ENGL 1301, ENGL 1302 and have met Texas Success Initiative (TSI) standards in Reading and Writing.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:

1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.

2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.

3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.

4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information from reliable and ethical sources.

5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.

6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.

7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.

Course Textbooks and Materials

Lannon, John M. and Gurak, Laura J. Technical Communication, 14e. Boston: Pearson, 2017.The book can be obtained at the following locations:

1. The Brookhaven College Bookstore (ISBN: 0134118499) Bound Option (get a used version)

2. Ebook, can be purchased through www.vitalsource.com with this ISBN: 0134118588. There are two options here: 180 day access or non-expiring.

3. The BHC Library Book Loan Program—best option because it is free.

4. Any other resource as long as you have the text by the end of the first week of classes.

Letter to Students:

Welcome to English 2311, Technical and Business Writing. I am Rhonda Bitner, your professor and guide through this technical writing course. I am pleased to be able to offer the course to help you fulfill one of your prerequisites and more importantly to help you communicate more clearly in your career and with your world.

We have a lot of material to cover in order to accomplish our goals. For this reason, you must know how to reach into the course materials, draw out the essential information, and apply it to your assignments. I have provided a brief explanation on How to Get the Most out of Your Textbook located in the Announcements section of the Black Board course.

I hope you find the course well organized, informative, and most importantly--useful.

Assignment Formats MAY Include:

Note: The instructor reserves the right to alter (add, delete from, or revise) this syllabus/course materials. Students will be notified of any such changes in announcements and/or the Coffee Shop forum.

· discussions

· written assignments

· chapter quizzes or tests

· web-based projects

· videos/presentations

· others

Projects and Grading:Your grade will be determined as follows.

UNIT 0: COURSE ORIENTATION
Upload a photo to e-Campus	25 pts
Complete Introduction Forum	25 pts
E-Mail Notice of Understanding to Professor	50 pts
TOTAL POINTS THIS UNIT		100 POINTS
UNIT 1:
Unit Test	50 pts
Discussion Forum Agenda Questions	25 pts
Professional Email	100 pts
TOTAL POINTS THIS UNIT		175 POINTS
UNIT 2:
Unit Test	50 pts
Discussion Forum Agenda Questions	25 pts
Definitions & Description	100 pts
TOTAL POINTS THIS UNIT		175 POINTS
PROGRESS REPORT		100 pts
UNIT 3:
Unit Test	50 pts
Discussion Forum Agenda Questions	25 pts
Instruction Set	100 pts
TOTAL POINTS THIS UNIT		175 POINTS
UNIT 4:
Unit Test	50 pts
Discussion Forum Agenda Questions	25 pts
Resume and Letter of Application (50 pts each)	100 pts
TOTAL POINTS THIS UNIT		175 POINTS
FINAL REPORT		100 pts
TOTAL POINTS THIS COURSE		1000 POINTS

	G	RADING SCALE
Letter Grade	Point Range	Grade Explanations
A	900-1000	Demonstrates superior work
B	800-899	Demonstrates above average work
C	700-799	Demonstrates average work
D	600-699	Demonstrates below average work
F	0-599	Demonstrates a non-effort

Technical Communication

Unit

Unit Dates

Unit Topics

(Topics in Bold relate directly to the deliverable and should be applied)

Readings& Assignments

First Day of Class

ORIENTATION

Due:

· photo upload

· introduction forum

· email

8/27-9/23

(1) Intro to Tech Comm

(2) Meeting Audience’s Needs

(4) Weighing Ethical Issues

(6) Tech Writing Process

(14) Emails & Text Messages

Review:

· Chapters 1, 2, 4, 6

Read:

· Chapter 14

Due:

· Agenda Questions

Due:

· Professional Email

9/24-10/21

(7) Research Process

(10) Organizing for Readers

(13) Document & Page Design

(17) Technical Definitions

(18) Technical Description

Review:

· Chapters 7, 10, 13

Read:

· Chapters 17 & 18

Due:

· Agenda Questions

Due:

· Definitions &Description

Any time between

10/20-10/23

PROGRESS REPORT

(ABOUT YOUR PROGRESS IN THIS CLASS)

Read:

· Chapter 23

Due:

· Progress Report

10/22-11/18

(8) Evaluating & Interpreting Info

(9) Summarizing Information

(11) Editing for Professional

Style/Tone

(12) Designing Visual Info

(19) Instructions & Procedures

Review:

· Chapters 8, 9, 11, 12

Read:

· Chapter 19

Due:

· AgendaQuestions

Due:

· Instruction Set

11/19-12/9

(16) Resumes & Job-search Mats

(24) Blogs, Wikis, Web Pages

Review:

· Chapter 24

Read:

· Chapter 16

Due:

· AgendaQuestions

Due:

· Resume&Letter

12/11

RECOMMENDATION REPORT

(PROFESSIONAL REPORT, NOT A COMPLAINT VENUE)

Read:

· Chapter 23

Due:

· Final Report

No unit assignments are accepted after the last date for each unit. The RecommendationReport will not be accepted after Midnight on its due date. This is for grading purposes and my own sanity.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS BY UNIT
Unit 1: Email Assignment	You will be required to write a PROFESSIONAL email.
Unit 2: Technical Definitions & Description	You will choose three terms related to your field of study or to a topic that interests you and write a (one-sentence) definition for each of these 3 terms--IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
Midterm Progress Report	In this report, you will report and reflect on your progress in this course.
Unit 3: Instructions Set	This is a set of instructions that you create for a specific audience (determined by you). You can instruct users on how to build something, use something, or how to complete a task.
Unit 4: Employment Materials	This assignment consists of a one-page resume highlighting your knowledge and skills and an application letter (you may already have a resume that you revise for this assignment, or you can build one from scratch).
Recommendation Report	This is your final deliverable for this course. You will reflect back on this course and write a recommendation for the course.
For specific instructions in completing these assignments, see the unit instructions in your eCampus course.

AGENDA QUESTIONS BY UNIT

Unit 1:

How is technical writing different from essay writing?

What forms does technical writing take?

Who writes technical content?

Unit 2:

Why is locating quality research materials important to you (the engineer/nurse/detective/etc), your employer, and your audience? Begin your response with, “as a

(nurse, radiologist, engineer, policeman, etc).”

Why is document design important to your audience? What are the different types of definitions and how are each used?

What are the two different types of descriptions and what are the main components of a description?

Unit 3:

Instructions

What is the importance of instructional documents in the workplace (in your field of study)? How are they used?

What are the basic features of instructional documents?

How do graphics support the written text?

What is the purpose of conducting a usability test?

Unit 4:

Employment Materials

What types of jobs are available in my field of study? What types of skills do professionals in my field need to have at an entry-level position?

What are some of your favorite job-search websites, resume building tips, and/or good places or companies to work for when you graduate? Start with your area.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME AS YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Feedback/Assessment:

· Feedback is provided within 2 weeks of an assignment’s due date for major assignments and 1 week for minor assignments.

· Assessment of major documents:

1. Part of what I look for when assessing your work is that you take the new knowledge gained from the textbook and other materials presented in this course and apply it to your assignments. If you do not apply that knowledge, your grades will suffer.

2. I read everything you submit, often twice. Do Not Submit Blank Files or Corrupt Files that I cannot open. It is your responsibility to check your submissions after posting them.

3. I comment heavily making notes and suggestions on how to improve your technical writing abilities.

4. I comment more heavily than any other professor I have ever met. You are encouraged to take those comments and apply them as “fixes” to your later documents in an effort to improve yourself.

5. If I find that you are not reading and using my suggestions, I will stop commenting on your documents and merely assign a grade to them because it would be a waste of my time and extreme effort to try to help you improve as a writer if you are not also working to improve (believe it or not, some students do not try to improve).

· Emails are answered within 24-48 hours during the week and by Tuesdaysfor those submitted on weekends. Your emails should be PROFESSIONAL and include the following:

1. a telling subject line

2. an explanation as to why you are contacting me

3. be specific and precise in content and purpose

4. be proofread for grammatical and structural errors (use Grammarly, at the least)

5. I will not answer emails that are not professionally written using the 4 bullet-points above

6. I do not accept assignments through email

7. Never send an attachment in a blank email

· Coffee Shop posts are usually answered within 12 hours.You are requiredto subscribe to this forum.

· Announcements: I will post unit announcements about unit materials, policy/syllabus/assignment changes, grading updates, and the like. You are required to read the announcements each time you sign in to the course. It would be best if you received these announcements through your regular email.

· Twitter Feed: Also in the announcement’s section, is a Twitter feed where I post professional information related to the technical writing field. You are not required to follow the feed, but you are encouraged to peruse the material for information of importance to you.

· Zoom: I use zoom for virtual office hours. I will send out a link via email during the hours that I do not have an on-campus student in my office. This is also the only way to get extra credit for this course.

WHAT I EXPECT FROM MY STUDENTS

Minimum Technology Skills: You should know how to . . .

· use a computer and have regular access to a computer

· use the Internet and haveregular access to the internet

· send and receive emails and know

· attach and open documents, files, graphics and how to save files in different formats

· use Microsoft Word including knowledge of inserting graphics and textboxes and howto use Word’s paragraph spacing and columns

· use Power Point

· access & use Library Databasescritically

· access the course in eCampus/Black Board

Plagiarism/Collusion:

These are grave infractions in situations where your audience trusts you and depends on you for the best quality information for both themselves and their families. They will not tolerate plagiarism, or inferior information, and neither will I. I suggest you use the Safe Assign plagiarism checker to avoid infractions and assess every source that you intend to use for credibility.

· If you plagiarize any assignment, intentional or not, the first time I will put a zero on your paper, and ask that you explain in a professional email how the plagiarism occurred and how you intend to correct it. The second time, you will simply be given a zero. The third time, I will refer you to the dean.

· Use BlackBoard’s Turnitin feature to check for plagiarism. You may have missed a source. If so, Turnitin will let you know which source or sources you used. Then, cite them in the APA Reference page.

Grammar:

Grammar is not taught in this class. This is a sophomore-level English course, and it is your responsibility to proofread and edit all materials before submitting them for assessment. There are numerous on-campus, online, and self-help resources for your use. I have posted numerous grammar guides in the Self-Help module in eCampus and asked that you use Grammarly. You may also visit the Writer’s Corner for assistance (see the resource below). A few hours of dedicated study will often clear up grammar problems in your writing.

· If I cannot read or make sense of your work, I will return the assignment, unedited, with a zero and ask that it be resubmitted—but only once and must be returned within a week. After that, it will simply be returned to you.

Late Work:

I do not close assignments, I close entire units. I allow an entire block of time to complete a unit at the students’ discretion. Students should use that time wisely.

Extra Credit:

I have never offered extra credit for online classes. However, at the suggestion of one of my former students, in their recommendation report, I now offer extra credit for students who use Zoom to meet with me virtually. You can get 5 extra points added to your lowest major assignment grade by meeting with me to discuss that assignment.

Attendance/Participation:

Participation in an online course requires participating in a substantive manner. It is your responsibility to participate fully as it may be taken into consideration at the end of the course:



Posting to discussion forums Responding to other student posts Subscribing to The Coffee Shop

Using The Coffee Shop thoughtfully



Reading and staying up-to-date with announcements

Being helpful and thoughtful to your peers and professor

Professionalism/Etiquette:

Technical writing is for professionals. I expect you to behave as a professional online and in the classroom (for face-to-face courses) at all times in both manner and words and to be respectful of the ideas of others.

PROFESSIONAL Email Requirements:

Quick Tips on Writing a Professional mail. Please follow these when sending me an email:

1. Always fill in the subject line with a topic that means something and that relates to the subject of the email.

2. Put your main point in the opening sentence. Tell the recipient why you are in their inbox.

3. Never begin a message with a vague "This." ("This needs to be done by 5:00.") Always specify what exactly you are writing about.

4. Do not use ALL CAPITALS (no shouting!), or all lower-case letters either (unless you're e. e. cummings).

5. Do capitalize the personal pronoun "I."

6. As a general rule, PLZavoidtextspeak: you may be ROFLOL (rolling on the floor laughing out loud), but your reader will not be as they are trying to figure out what you are saying.

7. Be brief and polite. If your message runs longer than two or three short paragraphs, consider (a) reducing the message, or (b) providing an attachment. But in any case, don't snap, growl, bark, or use phrases that may be construed as rude (I am writing to inform you. . . .).

8. Remember tosay "please" and "thank you." And mean it.

9. Add a signature block with appropriate contact information (in most cases, your name, business address, and phone number, along with a legal disclaimer if required by your company).

10. Edit and proofread before hitting "send." You may think you're too busy to sweat the small stuff, but your reader may just think you are careless.

11. Never send an attachment in a blank email. Explain why you are sending an attachment.

12. Finally, reply promptly to serious messages. If you need more than 24 hours to collect information or make a decision, send a brief response explaining the delay.

-Adapted from Richard Nordquist, Ph.D. in English

Memorandum of Understanding between Student and Instructor

A Memorandum of Assignment is an agreement between two or more parties, in this case between student and instructor. As part of the Orientation Unit for this course, students are required to complete the assignment of memorandum and email it to the instructor in a professionally crafted email (see the email sections above). Also, see the instructions for this assignment in the Orientation Unit.

Student Resources

Summer tutoring schedules vary greatly. It is best to contact the tutoring facility before making a trip to campus. General tutoring is available in J122. I recommend that you take advantage of this free resource. Tutoring for writers will be available in L351. Drop-in tutoring is available, or you can make an appointment. These are other resources you may be interested in:

· Career Development Center S065

· Scholarships and Financial Aid S018

· Health Center S072  Library in L200

· Multi-Cultural Center S136

· Student Life S201: get student ID & email account

Other Important Resources:

· https://www.grammarly.com/1 (Grammar Resource)

· http://libguides.gwumc.edu/ (Specific APA Resource)

· http://www.plagiarism.org/ (Plagiarism Resource)

· http://brookhaventechwriters.blogspot.com/ (Professor’s Blog)

DISTRICT POLICIES: BROOKHAVEN COLLEGE COMMUNICATION DIVISION SYLLABUS ADDENDUM LINK