Advance Composition full course

Syllabus

College of Information Science & Technology University of Nebraska at Omaha

Advanced Composition for IS&T

CIST 3000 Online

Summer 2014

CIST 3000 Advanced Composition for IS&T

Course Information

The Class Course Section and Title: CIST 3000, Advanced Composition for IS&T Prerequisite: ENGL 1160, English Composition, or placement Location of Class: Online Required Text: Lannon, J. M., & Gurak, L. J. (2014) Technical communication.

New York, NY. Pearson Longman. Text Availability: UNO Bookstore, Milo Bail Student Center, 6001 Dodge,

www.unobookstore.com PDF Capability Assignments must be submitted in PDF format

Important Dates Class Begins: May 19, 2014 Class Ends: August 15, 2014 Last Day to Drop Class: July 25, 2014

The Instructor Name: Sheri Hronek Methods of Contacting: Phone: 402-455-6192. Any day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., CT; other times

by appointment Email address: [email protected]; [email protected]

Notes: •Long-distance toll calls will be returned by email.

Note: Various page layouts are used in the syllabus to illustrate points that will be discussed in the design discussion.

University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Information Science and Technology, Summer 2014 2

CIST 3000 Advanced Composition for IS&T

Table of Contents Class Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Important Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Instructor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Course Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Student Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Methods of Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Services for Students with Disabiities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Assignments and Class Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Writing Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Assignment Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Research and Plagiarism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Grading Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Final Course Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Late Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Confidentiality of Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Student Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Responses to Drafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Planner for Summer 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

List of Figures 1. Grading Point Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2. UNO’s Grade Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

List of Tables I. Projected Schedule of Assignments and Topics . . . . . . . 12

University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Information Science and Technology, Summer 2014 3

Course Overview

Objectives Methods of Instruction

Student Responsibilities

Services for Students with Disabilities

4 ENGL 3980, Technical Writing Across the Disciplines, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Division of Continuing Studies, Summer 2014

The course provides students with instruction and practice in academic and professional writing for the technical sciences. The course focuses on principles of rhetoric and composition, advanced library-based research techniques, academic and professional modes of writing suited to the technical sciences, style, grammar, and punctuation, all with attention to adapting writing to suit the needs of various academic and professional audiences.

The objectives of this course are asfollows: • an understanding of various writing

strategies and genres • an ability to apply field-related, advanced

research skills • an understanding of grammar and

language issues • a developed proficiency in appropriate

language for audiences • an understanding of the writing process • an understanding of writing functions • an awareness of audience

You are expected to act in a professionalmanner and meet your obligations for the course. These obligations include the following:

• Complete assignments when due. • Complete assignments according to the

requirements. • Participate in group reviews, blogs and

wikis. • Read chapter assignments and other

assignments. • Participate in Discussion Board. • Be polite and respectful of others in the

class, including postings.

Instructional methods include groupdiscussion, individual writing and presentation.

Assignments will be reviewed to learn from others’ approaches to their projects during the development stages.

You will review and critique copies of other students’ assignments, including the proposal, draft, design and presentations.

Reasonable accommodations areprovided for students who are registered with Disability Services and make their requests sufficiently in advance. For more information, contact Disability Services (EAB 117, Phone: 554-2872, TTY: 554-3799) or go to the web site: www.unomaha.edu/disability.

Some important information in this course will be shared via audio recordings, which may not be accessible to people with certain types of disabilities. Please notify the instructor immediately if you will need disability-related accommodations.

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The projected schedule for assignments and weekly topics is listed in Table I on page 12.

Be sure to check Blackboard regularly for any announcements.

Requirements

For each assignment, a specification sheet and an explanation of the assignment will be posted. The assignment sheet will include the requirements for that assignment. Failure to meet the requirements (e.g., ignoring them) will result in a decrease in points. You should read each assignment thoroughly and carefully. Each has its own requirements. Class presentations also include requirements. All are binding requirements. Highlighting assignments and creating checklists are good techniques for ensuring the assignments are complete.

All written assignments and the final report must be submitted in PDF format and through Blackboard. The instructor has posted sources of software that can be used to convert files to PDF format. No emailed assignments are accepted.

Writing Process

The assignments are designed to follow the development process in writing. Class presentations focus on each of these stages and the types of writing represented by the assignment. Assignments lead to the final report.

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Assignments and Class Topics

CIST 3000 • Advanced Composition for IS&T •

University of Nebraska at Omaha •

College of Information Science and Technology •

Summer 2014

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The Bachelor of Science Information Systems (BIS) and Bachelor of Science Computer Science (BCS) Programs are accredited by ABET, the accrediting body for engineering and technology disciplines. This organization requires that we keep samples of student work. Unless you specify otherwise, I may retain the electronic copy of your assignments (with your name removed) for accreditation purposes.

Your proposal, which is due by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, June 22, is your commitment for the scope of your report; that is, you need to do what you say you will do.

You cannot change the report subject after 11:59 p.m., Sunday, June 1.

CIST 3000 Advanced Composition for IS&T University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Information Science & Technology Summer 2014

If you withdrew from a previous course or are retaking the course, you cannot reuse your assignments from the previous course. You cannot repeat subjects from the previous course. A “recycled” assignment from a previous course will receive zero points.

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Assignment Descriptions

Assignments 1 through 4 relate to the final report. The final report must be on a topic you know about and related to information science and technology.

Assignment 1, Report Subject and Research Strategy: 1. An informal proposal (in memo form) for the report subject 2. A research strategy with preliminary research summary 3. Review by class

Assignment 2, Report Proposal and Detailed Outline: 1. A covering letter 2. A stand-alone formal proposal discussing the report and including a cost/budget for the semester’s work and a Gantt chart for the semester’s work 3. A detailed outline of the final report 4. Review by student small group

Assignment 3, Report Draft: 1. Letter discussing required items 2. Draft of the final report 3. Review of draft by student small group

Assignment 4, Report Design: 1. Letter discussing required items 2. Specified design and graphic samples and a style sheet 3. Review of design by class

Final Report: an objective, formal report with a minimum of 15 pages, single spaced, for a professional-style report or 30 pages, double spaced, for an APA-style academic report (not counting front and end matter, dividers and full-page graphics). It has no maximum number of pages.

The final report serves as a cumulative final exam and is expected to show improvement from weekly assignments; instructor comments for those assignments will be used in evaluation of the final report.

Narrated PowerPoint Presentation with Outline: 1. Narrated PowerPoint presentation and outline 2. Review by class

Other discussions and postings: Blogs and wki are for issues related to technical writing.

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CIST 3000, Advanced Composition for IS&T 7 University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Information Science and Technology, Summer 2014

Research and Plagiarism

All students at UNO are expected to conduct their academic affairs in an honest and responsiblemanner. Any student found guilty of dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism) in academic work shall be subject to disciplinary actions, which include receiving zero points for the assignment or report. SafeAssign, a plagiarism detection service, will be used for assignment submittals.

Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarizing, violating copyrights, cheating, assisting fellow students in committing an act of cheating, and submitting work as one’s own when such work has been prepared by another person or copied from another person (by placing his/her own name on a paper, the student is certifying that it is his/her own work). The latter example includes taking portions of articles or reports and using them in your work without acknowledging the source. Copying another student’s assignment or a portion of an assignment is plagiarism. You are expected to do your own work.

You may not use copied or downloaded copyrighted images or other visuals unless you have written permission from the copyright owner; the written permission must be submitted with the assignment. You will create your own graphics and tables.

Warning: You must provide attribution to sources for ideas, data, information, graphics, pictures and actual words in your assignments and reports. Failure to provide attribution (citations) in the text AND in the list of references will result in zero points for an assignment or report. “According to Jones,...” is not a complete in‐text citation.

You will use APA documentation format for in‐text and reference list citations. Citations of electronic sources, including the library data bases, have specific formats you must follow. Do not rely on online websites to create the correct version for you.

You are required to use UNO’s data bases for research for Assignment 1. Wikipedia and encyclopedias are not acceptable sources.

You will be reviewing other students’ work. You are expected to respect the ownership (copyright) of other students’ work.

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The materials in this course are subject to copyright protection. You may make copies only for course‐related tasks. The materials are not to be shared with others or used for other purposes. Those materials from other sources are protected the source’s copyright; these materials include posted student work.

90% and above = A (Outstanding) 80% to 89% = B (Proficient) 70% to 79% = C (Satisfactory) 60% to 69% = D (Below standard) 59% and below = F (Failing)

Figure 2 - UNO Grade Types

Figure 1 - Grading Point Distribution

A s s e s s m e n t

You will be given points on written assignments, which include the formal report; on the presentation, and attendance and participation, as follows. Figure 1 represents the percentages of these items.

• Subject/Research Strategy, 60 possible points

• Proposal/Detailed Outline, 120 possible points

• Draft, 150 possible points

• Design, 60 possible points

• Final report, 300 possible points

• Presentation, 100 possible points

• Presentation Reviews, 20 possible points

• Discussions/Reviews, estimated +/-100

possible points

Grading Criteria The assignments are graded on the following criteria: 1) idea and content development, 2) completeness, 3) thoroughness, 4) clarity, 5) style and 6) grammar, spelling and punctuation. Similar criteria are used for the final report and presentation. You will be given a copy of the grading matrices for these assignments.

Final Course Grade The final grade is determined by a total of the points earned divided by the total possible points. Use the list above for possible points and do not rely on the total possible points reflected in Blackboard’s MyGrade.

The University’s grade types are shown in Figure 2. Minus grades are the percentages below n3; plus grades are the percentages n7 and above. All work must be turned in by August 15.

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8 CIST 3000, Advanced Composition for IS&T, University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Information Science and Technology, Summer 2014

Back up! Keep a copy of anything handed in and back up often while you are working. Back up on the hard drive AND USB drive, CD or the cloud. Discussion Board has some student suggestions for back ups.

Use your UNO myFile folder. Computers do crash or become infected with viruses; storage media do become corrupted or are lost. Do not depend on them for the only copy. Loss of a computer or storage media is

A s s e s s m e n t

Late Assignments

Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. on the indicated day and are late if handed in after that time. Pointsfor an assignment will be reduced 25 percent each day the assignment is past due; i.e., 25 percent Monday, 50 percent Tuesday, 75 percent Wednesday, and 100 percent Thursday.

Discussion Board Forums, group reviews, blogs or other online discussions close at 11:59 p.m. of the designated day. All postings must be made by the deadline. Any posting after the deadline will receive zero points. In other words, late discussions and late reviews are not accepted.

You are responsible for ensuring that I have received any assignment, late or on time. Double check My Grades after you have submitted an assignment to be sure it is reflected as being submitted. If you submit a late assignment, let me know. I don’t keep checking to see if you have handed something in after I download the assignment on Monday after it is due.

Use Blackboard’s Assignments for submitting assignments. Do not use email. If I cannot open the file or the file is not in the correct format, the assignment has not been received. If you do not submit an assignment (except the PowerPoint presentation) as a PDF, you must resubmit it in the correct format, and it will be late.

Use my email address, [email protected], for questions and other communication other than discussions about grades. Use my UNO email address for grade discussions.

Piecemeal assignments are not accepted. The assignment is graded as a total assignment when it is handed in the first (and only) time. All pieces must be submitted through Blackboard at the same time, so you must attach all files before you click on Submit. Once Submit has been selected, the assignment closes. Clicking on Submit is like hitting the send button for email. Once it is gone, it is gone.

No do-overs are allowed.

No extra credit assignments are given.

Confidentiality of Grades

Grades and assignments are available throughBlackboard. Nothing will be returned by email. Any discussion of grades should be through UNO’s email system, not my gmail account.

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CIST 3000, Advanced Composition for IS&T University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Information Science and Technology, Summer 2014 9

A s s e s s m e n t

Feedback of Assignments Feedback during the semester includes evaluations by other students and by the instructor.

Student Feedback Student feedback include the following:

• Feedback during discussion of subjects • Peer review of your proposal/outline • Peer review of your report draft • Peer review of your report design • Peer review of your presentation • Postings in the Discussion Board and Review Groups

Instructor Feedback I try to return Assignments 1 through 4 to you one week after they are turned in; however, unforeseen circumstances may change that timetable, and more advanced assignments require more review time. I will return the assignments when they are done, so you have comments for the next assignment, and I will follow up with the grade sheet. Late assignments may be delayed. Comments include written and audio comments on the assignment; you need Adobe Reader 9, X or XI to review your returned assignments.

The grade sheet has three parts: • the grade matrix of possible points and earned points for each of the six criteria

listed on page 8 • a listing of common errors with a “x” placed in front of errors that are marked on

the assignment • a comment section used for selected comments from the assignment

Assignments 1 and 2 are edited, proofread and marked on the assignment to highlight a writing problem, and ways to correct it. Assignment 3 is not edited but does a punctuation mark in the margin of a line to indicate a need. You are expected to learn and to correct your writing errors. Written and audio comments are provided on assignments.

The final report with comments on it will be returned after the end of the course.

E-mail comments or marked-up text is also provided to specific questions. You are encouraged to call or e-mail when you have questions. Use the e-mail address and phone number listed on page 2. However, I will not review an assignment before it is handed in.

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CIST 3000, Advanced Composition for IS&T 10 University of Nebraska at Omaha

College of Information Science and Technology, Summer 2014

Schedule Planner 2014 I have included two types of schedules for your use. The first below is a listing of the assignments in a tabular format. The second is a simple Gantt timeline; you will be doing a detailed Gantt timeline for your proposal (and not a listing). The Gantt chart below is not detailed.

Deadlines for Written Assignments Assignment 1, Report Subject and Research Strategy June 1, 11:59 p.m.

Assignment 2, Proposal and Detailed Outline June 22, 11:59 p.m.

Assignment 3, Report Draft July 7, 11:59 p.m.

Assignment 4, Report Design July 13, 11:59 p.m.

Final Report August 3, 11:59 p.m.

Presentation and Outline August 10, 11:59 p.m.

Note: Assignments cannot be handed in piecemeal. If you hand in a partial assignment, it will be graded as an incomplete assignment.

Assignments cannot be emailed. They can only be submitted through Blackboard.

Assignment Week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1. Report Subject X

1. Research Strategy X

2. Proposal X

2. Outline X

3. Draft X* 4. Design X

Final Report X

Presentation X

Presentation Reviews X

Key: X = Due date: end of the week with the X, except for the draft in Week 8. * The draft is due the beginning of the week (Monday, July 7).

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Table I: Schedule of Assignments and Topics (as of May 18, 2014)

Written Assignments Due Week starting Monday

Discussion Subject/Reading Assignment Due Date Assignment

Each week begins on Monday. I will post new assignments and other materials by 12:05 a.m. Monday. My presentations are posted. They, the discussion groups and the review groups are our “class meetings.”

May 19 #1 Introduction to Class Chapt 1, Introduction to Technical Communications Chapt 6, Overview of the Technical Writing Process Chapt 14, Memos Chapt 7, Thinking Critically about the Research Process

Appendix B grammar review Sunday, May 25

1. Submit Questionnaire

May 26 #2 Writing Styles Chapt 14, Memos Chapt 2, Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences Chapt 8, Evaluating and Interpreting Information Primary Research

2. Post Introduction

Sunday, June 1

1. Submit #1 Subject/ Research Strategy

June 2 #3 Chapt 4, Weighing the Ethical Issues Appendix A, Documentation Interviewing Writing Primary Research

2. Post to Discussion Board

Sunday, June 8

1. Comment on Discussion Board Postings

June 9 #4 Chapt 9, Summarizing Research Findings and... Chapt 22, Formal Analytical Reports Chapt 26, Social Media Chapt 10, Organizing for Readers

Sunday, June 15

1. Complete Blog #1 June 16 #5 Chapt 2, Proposals Chapt 23, Persuading Your Audience Chapt 16, Workplace Letters

Sunday, June 22

1. Submit #2 Proposal with Outline

June 23 #6 Chapt 18, Technical Definitions Chapt 19, Technical Descriptions, Specifications,...

Sunday, June 29

1. Complete Proposal Review Group

June 30 #7 Chapt 13, Designing Pages and Documents Chapt 5, Teamwork and Global Considerations (p. 98-101)

2. Wiki opens Monday, July 7

1. Submit #3 Draft July 7 #8 Chapt 12, Designing Visual Information

Sunday, July 13

1. Complete Draft Review Group

July 14 #9 Chapt 11, Editing for a Professional Style and Tone

2. Submit #4 Design 2. Post Design to Discussion Board

Sunday, July 20

1. Post Design Reviews in Discussion Board

July 21 #10 Executive Summaries Chapt 22, Formal Analytical Reports

Sunday, July 27

1.Complete Blog 2 July 28 #11 Chapt 21, Informal Reports Transmittal Letters2. Wiki ends

Sunday, August 3

1. Submit Final Report August 4 #12 Chapt 25, Oral Presentations and Webinars

Sunday, August 10

1. Submit Presentation and Outline

August 11 #13 Writing for international audiences Chapt 5, Teamwork and Global Considerations Chapt 15, Email and Instant Messaging Chapt 25, Web Pages

2. Post Presentation to Discussion Board

Friday, August 15

1. Post reviews of all presentations Course Ends

The course ends at 11:59 p.m. CDT, Friday, August 15.

Check Blackboard regularly for announcements.

Student work is due by 11:59 p.m. CDT of the designated day. No emails will be accepted.

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CIST3000, Advanced Composition for IS&T, Summer 2014 University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Information Science and Technology