| DAY |
ASSIGNMENTS
|
| Week
1: JAN. 15 |
W Jan. 15:
Course introduction.
Homework: Read over syllabus and
course materials. Bring questions to class. Work on a trial definition of
technical writing. Buy a handbook of your choice. Learn where to find online style
help for APA and MLA style citation. Here they are online at:
APA STYLE is found at:
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html
MLA STYLE is found at:
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html
F Jan. 17:
Introduce: key concepts (ethos,
techne).
Compare your definition of technical writing with that of your classmates.
Homework: Read Lannon's Ch. 17 on
definitions.
(Electronic reserve.) Revise your definition and bring to class to share in small
groups.
|
| Week
2: JAN. 21 |
M Jan.
20:
Class cancelled. Martin Luther King Day.
W Jan. 22:
Discuss reading and ideas about
technical communication. Explore aspects of technical writing represented in the
class. Map class as a group in terms of interests within this field. Discuss
issues in each person's own specialty.
Homework: Discuss assignment 1: Defining
technical writing's core terms.
Read about ethos in technical writing:
http://www.nmt.edu/~cpc/ethos.html
Pick one ethical site from those
listed on this page and discuss:
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/technical_writing/
F Jan. 24:
Draw some parallels between issues in
your field and those covered in our readings in small groups.
Homework:Continued exploring the ethos of technical communication.
Read and discuss Katz's "The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and
the Holocaust." (Electronic reserve.) |
| Week
3: JAN. 27 |
M
Jan. 27:
Discuss Katz's definition of
situational ethics. Refine ideas of ethical and technical practices in
your field.
Homework:
Read Wicclair and Farkas'
"Ethical Reasoning in Technical Communication: A Practical Framework" in
Reep text. (Electronic reserve.) Write a rating of the applicability of this
framework to your own field.
W Jan. 29:
In class: Continue discussing
ethics in small groups.
Homework: Write draft 1 of your selection from the key terms of technical
communication. Define and analyze your term. Write one case study applying this term
to your field.
F Jan. 31:
Defining your key term in technical
communications paper due.
Discuss grant proposal as a genre of writing. Project Assessment Memo.
Homework: Read Connors' History of Technical Communications. (Electronic
reserve.) Read McMurrey's Guide to proposal form with checklists: http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/props.html |
Week
4:
FEB. 3 |
M
Feb. 3:
Discuss grant research. Discuss
how to use rhetorical strategies in writing a grant proposal.
Homework: Locate four possible grants to apply for online or in printed
guidelines. Bring your choices to class. Be prepared to explain why these
choices suit you.
W Feb. 5:
Workshop grant possibilities.
Discuss ways to strengthen your grant proposal in pairs.
Homework: Make note of important
points to cover. Read Grant writing short course at and look over checklist:
http://nonprofit.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Ffdncenter.org
%2Flearn%2Fshortcourse%2Fprop1.html
Write a letter requesting donations of
equipment from local companies for a campus computer students' group.
F Feb. 7:
Discuss proposals for Technical
Report. Present Request for Donated Equipment Letter. Project Assessment
Memo.
Homework:
Read McMurrey example of a Technical
Report Proposal.
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/cgi-bin/color0.cgi?frameset=on¬er=../tcm1603/acchtml/
propx6a.html&viewer=../tcm1603/acchtml/propx6b.html
|
| Week
5: FEB. 10 |
M
Feb. 10
Individual conferences.
Homework: Start on grant
proposal draft.
Copy instructions for narrative sections to
small group on WEBCT.
Begin work on Technical Report (Unit 4).
W Feb. 12
Individual conferences.
Homework: REVISE grant proposal
draft posts to WEBCT.
Send your draft 1 of narrative to small group at WEBCT.
Begin work on Technical Report(Unit 4).
F Feb. 14
Individual conferences.
Homework:
WEBCT: Revise your draft and comment
on others' drafts of their
narrative sections of grant proposal draft.
Begin work on Technical Report (Unit 4). |
| Week
6: FEB. 17 |
M
Feb. 17
Discuss Proposal Writing.
Homework:
Read McMurrey's online Proposal
examples at:
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/props.htmlW Feb. 19
Discuss types of Proposals and
rhetorical elements.
Homework: Read Specifics on Foundation
Grants at:
http://www.cfda.gov/public/cat-writing.htm |
RODEO DAYS Feb. 20-23 |
| Week
7: Feb. 24 |
M
Feb. 24
Workshop drafts of Grant Proposals.
Homework: Read overview of Grant
Propoals at Marquette University:
http://www.uvm.edu/~reshmpg/miners~1.htm
W Feb. 26
List possible Grant Proposals in your
fields. Discuss rhetorical strategies
to reach these audiences.
Homework: Read more about Grant
Proposals at:
http://www.celdf.org/gats/ggn/started.htm
F Feb. 28
Grant Proposals DUE. Project Assessment Memo due
in packet.
Include all WEBCT drafts and comments of others' drafts.
HACKS letter due in packet (5% of grade)--Please send copy
to Joe Fico, HACKS' sponsor at fico@fico.com.
Homework:
Read our ProfComm site about the
project Assessment Memo:
http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~profcomm/course/assignments/projmemo.htm |
| Week
8: MAR. 3 |
M
Mar. 3
Discuss Product Oriented Materials.
Homework:
Read Tufte's "Visual and
Statistical Thinking" pages 1-17.
W Mar. 5
Discuss essay. Discuss design.
Homework:
Read Tufte's "Visual and
Statistical Thinking" pages 17-31.
F Mar. 7
Presenting data.
Homework:
TBA
|
| Week
9: MAR. 10 |
M
Mar. 10
Usability Testing, Research
Homework:
Dr. Jerz' Usability Report page
at:
http://www.uwec.edu/jerzdg/orr/handouts/TW/proj/usability.htm
W Mar. 12
Usability workshop.
Homework:
TBA
F Mar. 14
Student-led usability workshop.
Homework:
TBA |
SPRING BREAK Week of MAR. 17-21 |
| Week
10: MAR. 24 |
M
Mar. 24
Workshop: Product-oriented
Materials Project/Usability Report
Homework:
Read: example Progress Report at:
http://english.ttu.edu/spinuzzi/5377/ex-progrpt.asp
Prepare final drafts of Product-oriented Materials Project/Usability Report.
W Mar. 26
Workshop: Product-oriented
Materials Project/Usability Report
Homework:
Prepare final drafts of
Product-oriented Materials Project/Usability Report.
F Mar. 28
Finish Unit 3.
Homework:
Read Tech. Genre handout below.
|
Week
11:
APR. 2 |
M Mar. 31
In class:
1) Research problem to be solved in technical report. Generate short
list of problems to be solved.
2) Research layout and materials for Oral Presentation on Unit 4. Begin
thinking about charts. Pair off with classmate and use Whiteboard to generate
charts and graphs as visual aids for U4 Oral presentation.
W Apr. 2
Final drafts of Product-oriented
Materials Project/Usability
Report DUE. PAMs due in packet.
In class: Introduction to Unit
4. Types of projects and scale.
Homework: Upload best problem
you have generated to WebCT
small group. (U4 problem) Comment your group's problems.
F Apr. 4
In class: work collaboratively
on developing problems in groups.
Homework: Read about proposals for
technical projects.
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/props.html
|
Week
12:
APR. 7 |
M
Apr. 7
Remaining ESL members' U3s are DUE.
In class: Write a proposal for the
problem to be solved by the technical
document.
Homework: Upload proposal to small group and comment each others'.
W Apr. 9
Comment proposals in small groups (U4
Proposal)
Homework:
Read McMurrey's site on the format of
a technical report (general and
in specific examples in special fields). If help is needed,
email
instructor.
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/final.html
IN-class: Outline the technical
report. (U4 Tech. Rpt. Outline)
Upload
to small group.
Homework:
Draft of tech. report uploaded to
WebCT for FRIDAY..
F Apr. 11
Write draft of technical report
(U4 Tech. Rpt.) Upload UNIT 4 rough
draft and comment in WebCT small groups.
Homework:
Draft of tech. report.
|
| Week
13: APR. 14 |
M Apr.
14
Discuss the rhetorical strategies in
technical writing. especially proposals
and technical reports.
Homework:
W Apr. 16
Intercultural communication.
Homework:
Find ISO symbols online and present
about them. See WEBCT for details.
F Apr. 18
Present on ISO symbols.
Homework:
Revise proposals and drafts. Upload to
WEBCT. |
| Week
14: APR. 21 |
M
Apr. 21
Review Technical Report Genre and how
change of audience changes document.
Homework:
Develop an Audeince and use profile.
W Apr. 23
Avoiding statistical fallacies.
Homework:
Exercise from Lannon.
F Apr. 25
Continuing with use and misuse of
statistics.
Discuss Presentations: style and
materials workshop.
Homework:
Work on Oral Reports.
|
| Week
14: APR. 28 |
M
Apr. 28
ORALS: Hernandez, Tiu, Oatis, Poore
Homework:
Orals.
W Apr. 30
ORALS: McCall, Ludeke, Achimugu,
Owen
F May 2
ORALS: Pay, Han, Wilson, Choi |
| Week
15: MAY 5 |
M May
5
ORALS: Messah, Draper, Bailey,
Yong
W
May 7
ORALS: Thompson, Tennyson,
Beatus, Lyons
All U4 Technical Genre Reports DUE.
Video comments
5%
WebCT
10%
Proposal
20%
Tech. Report final draft 35%
Oral Presentation
15%
PAM
15%
-------------------------------------------
TOTAL
100%
Homework:
Be aware of ethics and technical innovation
as you pursue your careers.
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