The purpose of this course is to help you:
Assignments and Grading: *All five projects must be completed in order to pass the course.
500 points total
Grading Template for Writing Assignments
Unit 1: Correspondence Unit (50 pts. total)
Unit 2: Job Application Unit (75 pts. total)
Unit 3: Problem/Solution Unit (100 pts. total)
Unit 4: Usability Study (75 pts. total)
Unit 5: Review of the Literature (125 pts. total)
Participation, including quality of peer evaluations and group work (75 pts.)
Attendance:This is designed as a laboratory or workshop course and, for that reason, regular attendance is crucial. Since most of your class time will be spent discussing documents and working on projects, often in groups, it will usually be impossible for you to make up missed classes. Absences will affect borderline grades and missing more than four classes for any reason will lower your final grade at least one full letter (from A to B, etc.). I reserve the right to drop you or fail you for excessive absences.
Unit Format: I expect you to keep your papers in a portfolio--that is, in a bound folder. Each paper must be submitted in the portfolio, along with earlier drafts and peer and self-evaluations. I will not grade any paper that is not submitted as part of a complete portfolio.
All assignments are due on the due date, at the very beginning of class. Papers brought to class after that are late. Normally you should expect to submit multiple copies of each draft (enough for your editing group). I will give further directions for specific assignments.
Revision: The final assignments in Projects 1, 2, and 3 may be revised for a higher grade. Revisions are due within 2 weeks of receiving my written comments on the assignment and must be accompanied by the complete original portfolio of the assignment.
Short Assignments: Nearly every day you'll have a short writing assignment to turn in to me. These must be word-processed and you should retain SAFE copies of everything that you turn in. I will not accept late assignments.
Peer Evaluations: You will critique and evaluate your classmates' papers at both the draft and rewrite stages. Generally, peer evaluations will be written during class time. They will be included in the writer's portfolio and handed in to me that way.
AUGUST
20 Introduction to course. In-class writing.
22 Audience analysis and audience accommodation. Bring a revised copy of the in-class writing to share with your group.
27 Read Pfeiffer, Chapter 1, and Holloway, Chapter 1. In-class writing workshop on STYLE and EDITING.
29 Begin Correspondence Unit (1).
Bring Complaint Letter (1A) to share with your group.
SEPTEMBER
3 LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
5 Read Holloway, Chapter 2
Bring 1B: Letter describing your degree program at UMR and at least the first page of 1C: Analysis Memo for workshop.
10 Read Holloway, Chapter 3.
Draft of Correspondence Package due. Peer evaluations due (in class)
12 Continue workshop.
Begin Job Application Unit (2).
Bring two quite different job notices to class to share with your group.
17 Rewrite of Correspondence Unit due. Peer evaluations due (in class).
19 Read Holloway, Chapter 8.
Bring (the same) two job notices again for discussion.
24 Bring 2A: two different versions of your resume and two cover letters (in answer to the job notices) for workshop
26 Draft of Job Application Unit due. Bring 2A and at least the first page of 2B: Analysis Memo for workshop. Peer evaluations due (in class);
OCTOBER
1 Rewrite of Job Application Unit due. Peer evaluations due (in class).
3 Begin Problem/Solution Unit (3):
Reread Holloway, Chapter 2.
Bring 3A: a one-page analysis of a business or organization to class.
8 In-class workshop on defining problems.
Bring completed exercise on problem definition.
10 Read Holloway, Chapter 6.
Bring 3B: a two-page report on a problem in your business or organization to class for workshop.
15 Re-read Holloway chapter 6 section on proposals (112-21); Pfeiffer (97-98). Bring 3C: proposal for fixing the problem to class for workshop.
17 Draft of Problem/Solution Package due, including at least first page of 3D: Analysis Memo. Peer evaluations due (in class)
22 Continue workshop.
24 Begin Usability Study Unit (4).
Read Holloway chapter 5. (See also Pfeiffer 75-76).
29 Read handout on usability studies. Discuss aspects of effective usability studies.
Bring: 4A: 1 page Analysis of Audience and Context of Use
4B: 2 page Analysis of Document Features
31 Rewrite of Problem/Solution Package due; Peer evaluations due (in class)
NOVEMBER
5 Drafts of Usability Study (4C) due. (No analysis memo for units 4 and 5). Peer evaluations due in class.
7 Continue Workshop.
Introduction of Review of the Literature Unit (5).
12 Rewrite of Usability Study due. Peer evaluations.
14 Mini-Review (5A) due. Hand in 5B: complete list of sources in correct APA format.
19 NO CLASS (Do 5C: Peer Check of Review of Literature sources—including APA format—outside of class)
26 Hand in Peer Check of Sources (5C). Talk about documentation and writing from sources.
28 Draft of Review of the Literature (5D) due. Peer evaluations due (in class).
Included in the portfolio for #5 is a copy of the Peer Check you did for someone else.
DECEMBER
3 Individual conferences.
5 Rewrite of Review of the Literature due.