technical style presentation IEEE

1. Write a short compare and contrast paper informing the audience how the authors began to solve the complex problem stated within the NAE Grand Challenge, again focusing on problem identification, proposed solution, methods, data, conclusions, and/or future work.

2. Repeat the process of selecting and researching a Grand Challenge for Memo #2 and the Presentation.

Content of Submissions (both written and oral):

1. Briefly, describe the NAE Grand Challenge, focusing on the need for this research or development.

2. Compare and Contrast the approaches presented in your sources (problem identification, proposed solution, methods, data, conclusions, and/or future work).

3. Identify your sources with properly formatted citations. A minimum of 3 sources are required; 2 must be the journal articles/conference papers. The third reference may be the NAE Grand Challenges website; additional sources (but not Wikipedia) may be used in your brief description of the Grand Challenge. You must use the IEEE citation style.

Technical Communication Project

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Oral Format Requirements: Prepare and practice.

· dress well

· 4 to 5 minutes (no substantial videos)

· must be prepared using PowerPoint

· must be submitted by midnight the night prior (submission link will close)

· graphics are required

Note: You will be selecting 2 Grand Challenges. The first will be used for the presentation.

Paper #1a

Paper #1a will be peer reviewed by your classmates; the grade is dependent upon a complete submission by the deadline. Full credit is earned by submitting an electronic copy on Bb Learn and bringing two hard copies to class on the due date. In class, Paper #1a will be traded with two individuals for peer review.

Paper #1b

Paper #1b is a revision of Paper #1a based on the feedback provided by your peers. In addition to Paper #1b, you will also submit both peer reviewed copies of Paper #1a.

Presentation

For the presentation, a second topic is required. The purpose of researching a second topic is to further develop your abilities to find technical publications and then organize that information for an audience. You should apply the critiques from the paper when preparing and practicing the presentation, specifically those comments regarding: 1) format, 2) grammar and spelling, 3) organization and clarity, and 4) technical accuracy. Lastly, you should practice your presentation several times to make sure you know what you are saying and stay within the 4 to 5 minute range. Practicing alone may be beneficial, but the nervousness, anxiousness, and/or excitement of presenting in front of a group can be a source of many mistakes.

Tips for an excellent paper:

· The 500-600 word limit will require concise writing. In technical writing, the emphasis is on being brief, clear, and concise – not poetic. If you have done your research properly, you should have a very difficult time reducing your writing down to a single page – shorter is harder than longer.

· The paper should be technically accurate – use good sources and good information. Popular media and Wikipedia are often unreliable sources.

· The paper should be presented in your own words – nothing should be quoted from another source or student (if copied text is found, you will receive a 0 on the report).

· Your paper should be free from spelling and grammatical errors.

· Your paper should not be written in the first person (using pronouns such as: I, we, my, our).

· Your paper should be free from slang, colloquialisms, and informal language.

· Use appropriate headers (i.e., Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusion)

· Pictures are worth 1000 words… use graphs, pictures, drawings, etc. to help elaborate the text of your paper.

· Make sure to use appropriate figure/table captions and reference them in the body of the paper.

· If you have a difficult time reading your own paper (out loud), resulting from awkwardly written sentences and unclear statements, it will be near impossible for the audience. Your grade will reflect this.

Tips for an excellent presentation:

· Practice, practice, practice!

· Practice what you want to say by yourself.

· Practice with a video recording device.

· Practice with a small audience.