ENGLISH 160: TECHNICAL WRITING
SPRING 2002
DR.
SWENSON
H-SS 220
kswenson@umr.edu
#341-4684
class listserv: eng60e-l@umr.edu
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
A
450
B
400
C
350
D
300
Grading Template for Writing Assignments
Unit 1: Correspondence Unit (60 pts. total)
Unit 2: Job Application Unit (85 pts. total)
Unit 3: Usability Study (90 pts. total)
Unit 4: Proposal Unit (115 pts. total)
Unit 5: Oral Presentation (50 pts. total)
Participation, including quality of peer evaluations and group work (100 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 two-pocket folder. Each paper must be submitted in the portfolio, along with earlier drafts and peer and self-evaluations. Everything should be clearly labeled with appropriate titles and dates. Multiple-page documents MUST have headers with page numbers. I will not grade any paper that is not submitted as part of a complete portfolio. All assignments (except for prewriting and in-class work) must be word-processed and you should retain SAFE copies of everything that you turn in. I will not accept late assignments.
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.
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.
14 Introduction to course. In-class writing .
16 Read Markel, chapter 5
Audience analysis and audience accommodation. Bring a revised copy of the in-class writing to share with your group (revise after reading Markel).
21 NO CLASS for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
23 Begin Correspondence Unit (1).
Read Markel, chapter 15
28 Bring 1A: Claim Letter to share with your group.
30 Bring 1B: Response to Inquiry Letter (describing your degree program at UMR)
FEBRUARY
4 Draft of Correspondence Package due, including 1C: Analysis Memo.
Peer evaluations due (in class)
6
Begin Job Application Unit (2)
Read Markel, chapter 16
Bring two quite different job notices to class to share with your group.
11 Correspondence Unit due. Peer evaluations due (in class).
13 Bring 2A: a resume and cover letter for the first job.
18 Bring both job ads for discussion .
20 Bring 2B: a resume and cover letter for the second job.
25 Job Application Unit due, including 2C: Analysis Memo.
Peer evaluations due (in class).
27 Begin Usability Study Unit (3 ).
Read Markel, chapter 20 (Instructions and Manuals)
MARCH
4 Bring in a set of appropriate instructions and an Audience Profile Sheet (see Markel 106; modify to fit your needs).
6 Bring in 3A: Analysis of Audience and Context of Use
11 Bring in 3B: Analysis of Document Features (2 pages)
13 Read Markel, chapter 19 (Formal Reports)
18 Bring in 3C: Usability Study (3-4 pages)
20 Usability Study (Unit 3) due. Peer evaluation due (in class)
25 NO CLASS for Spring Break
27 NO CLASS for Spring Break
APRIL
1
Begin Proposal Unit (4)
Read Markel, chapter 17 (Proposals)
Read Markel pp. 200-203 (Problem-Method-Solution) and Handout
In-class discussion of Problem Definition
3 Bring in 4A: One-page Analysis of a Business or Organization
8 Bring in 4B: Two-page Report on a Problem in your business or organization
15 Bring in 4C: Proposal for fixing the problem
17 continue with 4C
22 Unit (4) due
24 Begin Unit 5: Oral Presentation
Read Markel, chapter 22
29 Oral Presentations
MAY
1 Oral Presentations
6 Oral Presentations
8 Oral Presentations
FINALS WEEK: We’ll be using the regularly scheduled exam period for the run-over oral presentations (Unit 5).
[KS1]Audience focus. Ads from magazine aimed at selling IMAGE or other abstract concepts, rather than products; write letters to borrow $200 from three different people; some sort of set of letters that require one to a technical person, one to an administrator, one to general public.
[KS2]Bring in sample letters for large group discussion. For 1A, bring in a claim letter; for 1B, bring in a response to inquiry letter.
[KS3]Large group discussion of various resumes and cover letters.
[KS4]Lego Day. Bring in set of instructions.