ENGL 2311 402 - TECHNICAL & BUSINESS WRITING

Introduction

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Name & Number

ENGL 2311

Technical Writing

Semester & Year

 Fall 2016

 

Catalog Description

Intensive study of and practice in professional settings.  Focus on the types of documents necessary to make decisions and take action on the job, such as proposals, reports, instructions, policies, procedures, e-mail messages, letters, and descriptions of products and services.  Practice individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and efficient documents.

 

 

Prerequisite:  Satisfactory placement test score or passing grade in ENGL 0305.

Instructor’s Name

Ira L. Sherrill

Office Phone #

(940)665-4054

Instructor’s Office #

N/A

Office Fax #

 

E-mail Address

isherrill@nctc.edu

Office Hours

TBA

 

Textbooks &  Materials

Required / Recommended

Tebeaux, Elizabeth, and Sam Dragga.  The Essentials of

         Technical Communication.  3nd ed.  New York:  Oxford

         University Press, 2015. 

 

Lunsford, Andrea A.  The Everyday Writer with Exercises.  6th

         ed.  Boston:  Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2016. 

 

A recent standard college dictionary.

 

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete English 2311 will meet the following learning outcomes:

  1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
  2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
  3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
  4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
  5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
  6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
  7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.

 

 

 

 

Core Objectives

 

Foundational Component Area:  Communication

Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.  Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

 

*Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

*Communication Skills (COM)- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication

*Teamwork (TW)- to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal

*Personal Responsibility (PR)- to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making    

 

 

Grading Policy & Procedures

Measurement will be made according to the Learning Outcomes and Core Objectives listed above and the department standards.  Tests, quizzes, and oral or written assignments are graded according to the departmental standards and the criteria published by the instructor.  No more than twenty-five percent of the final grade will be the value of the final exam.  Actual weighting of these grades is left to the discretion of the instructor.

 

Grade scale:  90-100%=A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; 60-

                    69%=D; Below 60%=F

 

*Policies, procedures, and calendars may vary with and must

  reflect the specific practices of the individual instructor.

 

Scholastic Integrity

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.  See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.

Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and of the planned action to his Department Chair.  The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action.  This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”

 

Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:

 

  1. Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
  2. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
  3. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
  4. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
  5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
  6. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.

 

 

 

Attendance Policy

Class participation is of the utmost importance.  The instructor will drop a student from the course after a third absence.

 

Daily attendance and punctuality are expected.  Roll will be taken at each meeting.  If you arrive after roll has been taken, it is your responsibility to ask me to mark you present.  Please do this after class.  If you must leave class before it is completed, you will be counted absent for the day.  I will not accept an assignment if you are not staying for class.  If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out the assignment. Since I cannot repeat a lecture or recreate a class discussion, you should consult me for basic information regarding any missed classes and consult a reliable student for class notes or other information you need to know. Missed work may not automatically be made up.  Please request the permission of the instructor prior to making up any missed work.

 

ADA Statement

North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs.  The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department.  Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance.  Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing or visual impairment, learning, and/or psychological disorders are eligible for services. 

 

Disability Accommodations

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.

On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).

http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices/DisabilitiesFacultyResources.aspx

 

 

 

 

EEOC Statement

North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.

 

 

 

COURSE OUTLINE

 

General Description of Subject Matter for Each Lecture/Discussion

 

 

 

UNITS OF STUDY

 

      Part I:  Principles

               

                 Ch. 1: Writing Characteristics [LO: 1,4] [CO: CT,

                           COM, TW, PR]

                 Ch. 2: Audience [LO: 1,3,4] [CO: CT, COM, TW,

                           PR]

                 Ch. 3: Ethics [LO: 3] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

                 Ch. 4: Writing Styles [LO: 1,3] [CO: CT, COM,

                           TW, PR]

                 Ch. 5: Document Design [LO: 1,3,4] [CO: CT,

                           COM, TW, PR]

                 Ch. 6: Illustrations [LO: 5] [CO: CT, COM, TW,

                           PR]

 

 

      Part II:  Applications

 

                   Ch. 7: E-mails, Texts, Memos, and Letters

                             [LO: 2,4,6,7] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

                   Ch. 8: Technical Reports [LO: 2,4,6,7]

                             [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

                   Ch. 9: Proposals and Progress Reports

                             [LO: 2,4,6,7] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

                   Ch. 10: Instructions, Procedures, and Policies

                               [LO: 2,4,6,7] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

                   Ch. 11: Oral Reports

                               [LO: 1,2,3,4,5] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR] 

                   Ch. 12: Cover Letters/Resumes/Job Applications

                               [LO: 2,4,6,7] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

 

 

      Grammar/Usage:  Appendix A

 

                   Capitalization, Punctuation, Subject-Verb

                   Agreement, Pronoun Usage, Fragments/

                   Run-on’s, Misused Words, and Lists [LO:

                   2,6,7] [CO: CT, COM, TW, PR]

                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course

Requirements, Evaluation Methods, and Grading Criteria

 NUMBER              COURSE ELEMENTS              Percent Value

 

   30-35          A variety of technical discourses        50%

 

     5-8           Grammar/Usage quizzes/tests            25%

 

                     Final Exam/Semester Project              25%

                    

                 

 

 

 

Tobacco-Free Campus

 

NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240

 

 

 

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments should be turned in on time.  Make-up work is permitted only by special agreement between the student and instructor.  Late work will not be accepted.

 

CLASSROOM COURTESY:

Treat your classmates and instructor with respect. This is one measure of your commitment to success in the course.  Your attention should be directed toward the instructor or the class members presenting information.  Avoid discussing topics other than what is at hand in the class.

 

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES:

Cell phones, pagers, personal digital assistants, or any other electronic communications device must be turned off and placed out of your, other students’, and the instructor’s sight before entering the classroom and throughout the session.  These devices must also remain out of sight until you have left the classroom for the day.  Otherwise, the device[s] will be confiscated by the instructor for the duration of the class.  If an electronic device goes off during class, the class members will immediately have a pop quiz.    

 

GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS:

 

  1. Prepare for each class. Complete any assignments due, read over notes from the prior class meeting, and refresh your memory about topics under discussion.
  2. Direct your full attention to each discussion or other classroom activity.
  3. Bring all required materials to class: textbooks, paper, blue or black pen, homework when assigned, etc.
  4. If the instructor writes material on the board, consider it important information you should add to your notes.
  5. If the instructor makes a point or refers to an idea or piece of information, add it to your lecture notes.
  6. Always treat you classmates and instructor with courtesy and respect.
  7. Studies indicate that the most successful college students sit near the front of the classroom, prepare for each class session, participate in discussion, and work with the instructor on assignments, when needed.

 

*Policies, procedures, and calendars may vary with and must reflect the specific practices of the individual instructor.

 

Measurements must be made according to the Learning Outcomes and Core Objectives listed above and the departmental standards, which are attached. Essays, tests, oral or written assignments are graded according to departmental standards and the criteria publicized by the instructor.

 

The instructor will decide upon and publicize the method of arriving at the final grade, allowing no more than twenty-five percent of the final grade to be the value of the final exam.  Actual weighting of these grades is left to the discretion of the instructor.

 

 

Syllabus File(s)

There are no Handouts for this set.