Syllabus

ENGL 202C, Technical Writing, serves students who are studying and preparing for careers in the sciences and applied sciences, including engineering. This advanced course in writing familiarizes students with the discourse practices prized in their disciplinary and institutional communities-- and helps them to manage those practices effectively in their own written work. In this way the course teaches those writing strategies and tactics that scientists, engineers, and others will need in order to write successfully on the job. (pdf version of this page with schedule)

Navigation
Course Objectives
Required Texts
iPad Study
Conferences
Attendance
Assignment Policies
Expectations
Grades
Plagiarism (Academic Dishonesty)
Accommodations and Accessibility
Email Policy
Civility and Discrimination


Objectives
Students in the course can expect to:

• Discover and understand the discourse features that distinguish their disciplinary and institutional communities from others.
• Discover and specify the purpose(s) of their writing.
• Develop a range of writing processes appropriate to various writing tasks.
• Identify their readers and describe the characteristics of their readers in a way that forms a sound basis for deciding how to write to them.
• Invent the contents of their communications through research and reflection.
• Arrange material to raise and satisfy readers' expectations, using both conventional and rhetorical patterns of organization.
• Reveal the organization of their communications by using forecasting and transitional statements, headings, and effective page/document design.
• Observe appropriate generic conventions and formats for technical documents.
• Design and use tables, graphs, and technical illustrations.
• Compose effective sentences.
• Evaluate their documents to be sure that the documents fulfill their purpose and to ensure that they can be revised if necessary.
• Collaborate effectively with their peers in a community of writers who provide feedback on each others' work and occasionally write together.
• Write several specific kinds of documents that recur in technical, scientific, and other communities.
• Employ computer technology effectively in the solution of communication problems.
• Communicate in an ethically responsible manner.
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Required Texts
Technical Communication by Mike Markel. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Ninth edition. E-book.
    (will be available on the Apple iBook app for free for this course) (top)

iPad Study
An important (and often under-studied) aspect of technical writing is the work environments we choose to (or sometimes have to) work in. This course is connected to a collaborative research initiative that involves the English Department and Educational Technology Services. The purpose of this project is to explore issues integrating new work environments, technologies, and platforms, such as the Apple iPad, into higher education and student writing processes.

Students in this course will be assigned an iPad (starting week 2) to use for course materials and procedures (including reading, note-taking, researching, and document production and delivery) throughout the term. In the spirit of this study, we ask that you try to perform as much of the coursework on your iPad as possible. Of course, technological and work environment impasses will occur, and we will individually and collaboratively work through these problems; but for the purposes of this course, we ask that the iPad serve as your primary work environment. Throughout the term, we will reflect on our experiences using the iPad for technical writing instruction and processes. You are responsible for bringing your iPad and keyboard, charged and ready to use, to class each day. Four times throughout the course, we will set aside course time for taped interviews about your experiences with the iPad.

Because this is a new work environment, we have arranged with the publisher to have Mike Markel's e-book available to us from Apple's iBook store (for no charge). Additionally, we have arranged with Apple to receive gift cards to buy apps through Apple's App Store at no cost to you. We will be using the following apps for our document creation, management, and delivery throughout the term: Mail, Pages, SugarSync, iBooks, iAnnotate PDF, BlogPress, and Photos. Other apps may be necessary as we experiment throughout the term. An iTunes account will be necessary in order to download apps on your iPad and keep your software updated and backed up. (top)

Conferences
See me when you have questions about an assignment, when you would like to try out some ideas before a document is due, or when you have questions about a comment. You should also see me to get help with particular writing problems, to resolve differences about grades, or to suggest ways to improve the course. (top)

Attendance
You are expected to attend class every day and to have your work with you. Regular attendance is required, because course instruction depends on your active participation. Two or three absences will probably not affect your performance too much (unless you miss a rough draft session--a major problem); but try to limit it to that. Indeed, why not attend every meeting? Excused absences are appropriate, of course, but beyond that, let me repeat English department policy: A student whose absences are excessive "may run the risk of receiving a lower grade or a failing grade," whether some of those absences are considered "excused" or not. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get assignments, complete any work, and submit any due papers.

It is particularly important for you to attend--and be prepared to participate in--in-class workshops on drafts of your documents. The more you have written before peer-review sessions, the more you will benefit from them. Although your drafts need not be "polished," in general they should be complete enough for you to receive substantial help from your peers. Under no circumstances will I accept a "final" version of a document unless I have seen rough drafts. In addition, you must hand in all assignments in order to pass the course. (top)

Assignments
In this course, I will try to hold you to the professional standards that prevail in your field. For example, of the requirements listed below, your employer will take some completely for granted, such as promptness, neat appearance, and correct mechanics.
 

Promptness. In this course, as in the working world, you must turn in your work on time. All projects are due at the beginning of class on the dates indicated on the syllabus. Assignments turned in late will be penalized one letter grade for each day late unless you have made other arrangements with me in advance.

Appearance. All work should be neatly prepared on a computer, using margins and spacing and design techniques that are conventional for the genre. Whether it is a resume, memo, or report, your communication should exhibit complete and appropriate format. All writing for the course should be printed clearly, including draft work.

Grammar, Spelling, Proofreading. At work, even a single error in spelling, grammar, or proofreading can jeopardize the effectiveness of some communications (depending on the rhetorical situation). Grading will reflect the great seriousness with which these matters are frequently viewed in the working world. If you would like special assistance with any of these skills, I can recommend sources for extra help.

Back-up Copies. Always back-up your electronic files. For this particular course, since we will be working with the iPad, I encourage you email drafts of your papers to yourself, store drafts on your SugarSync account, and/or use FileSharing on iTunes. Best practices is to store digital files in at least two locations. Sometimes I will request a copy of one of your documents so that I can use it as a sample, to illustrate effective and problematic responses to assignments. Unless I completely obliterate any marks that might identify it as yours, I will never use your work in class without your permission.

Revisions. You will receive feedback on your writing at various stages of the writing process. You should try to apply the comments to improve not only the particular assignment you are working on at the time but also your strategies for writing in general. (top)

Expectations
In addition to the requirements outlined above, you are expected to work until the class period has ended; to complete all reading assignments on time; to help your classmates learn by your responses to their writing; to choose projects that require significant research and analysis; to spend at least six hours per week out of class for writing and class preparation; and to be courteous and considerate. (top)

Grades
When grading each of your assignments, I will ask one overriding question: "Does this document do its job successfully?" That is, would your communication have the intended effect on the reader you are addressing. I will, of course, recognize the difference between a competent performance (a "C") and good and excellent performances ("B" and "A"). A competent performance is one that stands a chance of succeeding; an excellent performance is one that seems assured not only of success but also of winning praise:

A     superior; the work is of near professional quality. The document meets or exceeds all the objectives of the assignment. The content is mature, thorough, and well-suited for the audience; the style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is well-organized and designed so that it is accessible and attractive; the mechanics and grammar are correct.
B    good; the document meets the objectives of the assignment, but it needs improvement in style, or it contains easily correctable errors in grammar, format, or content, or its content is superficial.
C    competent; the document needs significant improvement in concept, details, development, organization, grammar, or format. It may be formally correct but superficial in content.
D    marginally acceptable; the document meets some of the objectives but ignores others; the content is inadequately developed; or it contains numerous or major errors.
F    unacceptable; the document does not have enough information, does something other than the assignment required, or it contains major errors or excessive errors.

Your final grade will be determined by the grades you receive on written and in-class assignments, according to the following weighting:

• Basic Rhetorical Analysis 05%
• Internet Resource Guide 15%
• Job Application Package 15%
• Instruction Set 15%
• iPad Report 15%
  
• E-Portfolio 20%
• Reading Quizzes 5%
• Class Participation 10%

More information on major assignments can be found here. (top)

Plagiarism (Academic Dishonesty)
Penn State defines academic integrity as the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts (Faculty Senate Policy 49-20).

Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Students who are found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and will be reported to the University's Judicial Affairs office for possible further disciplinary sanction.

Talking over your ideas and getting comments on your writing from friends are NOT plagiarism. Taking someone else's published or unpublished words and calling them your own IS plagiarism: a synonym is academic dishonesty. When plagiarism amounts to an attempt to deceive, it has dire consequences, as spelled out in the English department regulations. (top)

Accommodations and Accessibility
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell me as soon as possible. (top)

Email Policy
Email is probably the easiest way to contact me. However, etiquette and courtesy in correspondence is important--that is, be rhetorical and think about your audience. Because email is quick and easy, people often do not take the time to formulate emails that will effectively communicate what is desired. When emailing me, please include a subject header with helpful information, an opening, and a closing (i.e., your name). This will help me know who has written me and what it is about. It is also helpful to email me from the same email address all term (either your PSU email address or from another service as long as it is from a stable system like Gmail and you have a professional username). Please expect a reasonable turnaround time for replies. In turn, I will expect you to check your email daily (during the week). (top)

Civility and Discrimination
Students will act professionally in class. Behaviors that are disruptive to learning will not be tolerated and will be referred to Student Conduct for disciplinary action. Additionally, it is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. (top)