Peru State College
ENGLISH 310, WRITING FOR PUBLICATION/TECHNICAL WRITING
Syllabus--Spring--2012
Course:Writing for Publication, English 310
Time: On-Line Course, Eight Weeks
Professor: Bill Clemente
Office: FA 137
Office Telephone Number: (872)-2233
E-mail:
(I check e-mail frequently and will get back to you as quickly as possible.)
Office Hours: 11:00-1:00 p.m. MW; 12:00-2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 11:00-1:00 p.m. Friday
Teaching Schedule:
8:00-9:15 TH (FA 202): Literature for Children Through Adolescence
9:30-10:45 TH (FA 202): World Literature to 1500
On-line, Science Fiction Literature and Film (Second Eight Weeks)
On-line, Writing for Publication (First Eight Weeks)
E-Mail: bclemente@peru.edu
Homepage: Click here.
Required Text:
Technical Communications (9th Edition) by Mike Markel
Please pay close attention to class announcements, for the information collected here is subject to change over the course of the term, especially as the course presently undergoes a substantial revision to match the latest edition.
Course Description and Objectives:
This course is designed for those students who someday wish to publish works of non-fiction, or who will be required to write technical manuals at work. It also focuses on communication within the job force. Students will learn how to write effective e-mails, and project proposals that are often required in many different professions. Students will also learn how to tackle a special project.
The writing assignments duplicate the composition skills taught in Advanced Composition, from clarity of writing to persuasive use of research materials though in a the more specialized context the class title suggests.
This class focuses on the various kinds of writing commonly asked of people in the world of the working. A hybrid class, combining attributes of both Business English and Technical Writing, Writing for Publication/ Technical Writing prepares students to successfully enter the work force and to master quickly the various kind of written communication expected of those who will excel. As many studies have indicated, employers rate the ability to write well as one of the most important skills needed to enjoy a successful career.
To that end, Writing for Publication/Technical Writing introduces students to the various forms of written communication--from Twitter to Wiggio--they will encounter as they enter the work force, from composing a successful e-mail to organizing an effective letter of refusal; from writing a successful proposal, to using essential graphics in a report.
The class likewise emphasizing the writing and organizational skills necessary to create an effective resume and letter of application.
Because the emphasis falls on completing short assignments, Writing for Publication/Technical Writing provides students an opportunity to appreciate the writer's craft, from verb choice in an introductory sentence to the organization of a paragraph at the conclusion of a progress report. Combined with a focus on the importance of audience and purpose in persuasive writing, this close look at grammar, mechanics, and style gives students the opportunity to become familiar with the common forms of writing in a work environment and to lay a strong foundation for both improvement and innovation in other class work.
In addition, Writing for Publication/Technical Writing addresses how to utilize the internet (for research, technical communication programs, etc.), software (including Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel), and other technical programs and resources available to help create effective documents. The class emphasizes, in this context, effective ways to combine graphics and writing to create persuasive and informative pieces of technical communication.
Students will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively on various small assignments and will have the opportunity for their final projects to work in small groups, a common practice in the work environment.
This class aims in all its various avenues of investigation to make everyone who enrolls a stronger and more effective writer no matter the context, for each writer will leave the class with a clearer understanding of what constitutes effective written communication.
Other Objectives:
One of the primary goals of the English Department is to graduate literate citizens who can communicate clearly and who posses the requisite experience to write effectively. Writing for Publication provides students not only with a greater appreciation for written communication but also with the confidence necessary to master the technical communication--from creating graphics to writing a business letter or proposal--required in most working environments.
Inasmuch as the business world puts significant emphasis on an employee's ability to write well, this course emphasizes the sophistication and the flexibility of language, both grammar and style, and deepens students' appreciation for all forms of technical and business writing.
Upon completion of this course you should be able to:
1. Discuss with some confidence the multiple writing contexts investigated in the text, Technical Communication.2. Appreciate the sophistication of written communication, from the workplace to wikis.
3. Understand the planning, designing, and drafting of documents common to today's workplace.
4. Grasp the complex and significant relationship between graphic and written formats, from an inter-office communications to on-line web pages and presentations.
5. Show improvement in written and analytical skills.
At the beginning of the course, we will discuss how these objectives fit into the College’s and School’s mission and goals.
Expectations & Instructional Approach: This on-line class requires that in addition to taking quizzes and turning in weekly assignments, students pay particular attention to requirements on discussions threads.
Students will also have an opportunity to do some collaborative work.
Assessment Methods and Student Requirements
To promote academic integrity, Peru State College subscribes to an electronic service to review papers for the appropriate citations and originality. Key elements of submitted papers are stored electronically in a limited access database and thus become a permanent part of the material to which future submissions are compared.
Continued enrollment in a course signifies your permission for this use of your written work.
Should you not wish to agree to this procedure, you may drop the course during the add/drop period before any works are completed and submitted.
Assessment Methods and Student Requirements:
Grades:
Your final grade will be based on the following (subject-to-change) percentages:
Discussion: 16%
Quizzes: 16%
Revision of Letter (Week One) 8%
Topic Discussion (Week Two) 9%
Self Evaluation (Week Two) 2%
Definition or Description (Week Three) 9%
Memorandum (Week Four) 9%
Synergy Letter (Week Five) 9%
Claim Letter (Week Six) 6%
Directive (Week Seven) 6%
Short Report (Week Eight) 10%
(These percentages are subject to change; your grades on Blackboard are calculated not by point value but by weight.)
Grading Policy:
A 90-100
B+ 86-89
B 80-85
C+ 76-79
C 70-75
D+ 66-69
D 60-65
F 59 and below
Discussion:
Approach this class prepared to share your ideas and your work, for the combination will help you generate ideas for your projects; therefore, failing to attend to class work on a regular basis will hinder your progress.
Writing for Publication is very much a discussion and collaborative class, so you will take part in weekly discussions on threads during the time allotted each week to respond, from Monday-Sunday of each week. Each of you is required to respond, unless instructed otherwise, at least THREE times each week in paragraph form on EVERY discussion thread; as a rule, you will use one thread to share your work with your fellow writers, using their comments to help you with effective revisions.
You will offer your own opinions and respond to what others in the class have to say, generating discussions about the topics concerned with technical communication in the work world. These discussions also include sharing links of interest and working in groups on Blackboard and at other places on the internet with which we will experiment.
To perform at a higher than average level requires participating in the discussions early in the week and contributing to the discussion by commenting on what fellow writers have to say and on their writing. Do not, in other words, wait until late Saturday to begin your work on the discussion threads, for you will not receive more than an average grade for posting instead of discussing.
Threads will remain open as a general rule until midnight each Sunday, by which time you are required to have responded each week.
The threads will also give you an opportunity to share all your work.
Each week's discussion threads count for 2% of your final grade.
Revisions:
In many respects, Writing for Publication means that you will undertake numerous revisions. And for most assignments, you will have opportunities to revise your work to elevate the grade. The grade you receive on a revision replaces the original--a revision will NEVER lower your grade.
As a general rule, you should complete revisions in approximately a week to ensure that the ideas remain fresh; I do, however, allow you as much time as you need during the term to revise your various projects.
Bear in mind, however, that "revision" does not mean "automatic grade elevation."
Plagiarism:
Do your own work. Read the statement on Academic Dishonesty later in this document.
Plagiarism comes in a number of forms--from using another person's work to cutting and pasting without source acknowledgment from the internet.
Plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment and will if repeated result in failure of the class.
If you have questions about plagiarism, see me.
Quizzes:
Each week, students will take a quiz over the assigned readings. These weekly tests consist of a combination of Multiple-Choice and True-False questions, between fifteen and twenty questions. Each week, the class video will discuss this material. If you read the chapters assigned, take part in the class discussions, look over the brief class notes, and listen to the weekly video, you will do a very good job.
Each quiz equals 2% of your final grade.
Turning In Assignments:
You will turn in all class assignments electronically using the appropriate links on Blackboard; I will comment on this work and return it to you via Blackboard.
Unless otherwise indicated, all work is due by midnight Sunday of the week in which the work is assigned. Assignments will be posted by Monday morning of each week and usually on Sunday.
Turn in all work as if you send your material to people in the real world of business, making the copy as "clean" as possible. To that end, use correct spelling, excellent grammar, and necessary punctuation in all your work: in the real world, these mechanics we will discuss a great deal in class play a very important role.
Late Assignments:
Turn in all work on time. The grade for unexcused late work will be lowered at the rate of 1/4 a letter grade for each day after the original due date.
Meet your deadlines!
Writing for Publication (in the Business World) BLOG :
Writing for Publication is the class Blog--millions of people use them throughout the world, including many businesses. We will use the blog--just click here--for a variety of things, including weekly announcements and other information.As you will notice, the blog maintains an archive of all the posts; so you can return to find links and video discussions any time during the semester and after the course concludes. Take the time to become familiar with this electronic resource.
I will post weekly (or more) posts for quizzes and for discussions each week. We will make use of video material from Spring 2009, and I will add material, especially as Markel put out a new edition.
Written Assignments:
Over the course of the semester, you will complete a variety of written assignments, some of them collaborative. These assignments ask that you put into practice what your read in the class text and in the on-line links provided in each chapter.
You will over the first three weeks complete some short assignments that range from revising a draft of a letter the first week and concludes with turning in your final report. The class emphasizes clear and effective prose, which requires a close attention at all times to audience and purpose. All the class assignments also stress excellent prose, which means correct spelling, grammar, and style, whether writing a letter of application for a position with a company or constructing a list on a Power Point presentation.
All the written assignments are graded on the writer's or writers' (some assignments ask for collaboration and others give writers the opportunity to collaborate) ability to follow instructions and to write with clarity-in the requisite fashion of the business world described in our text.
Video Report: During the final two weeks of the course, each member will post for class viewing a video report over a general topic assigned for this period. This 7-10 video recording will put to use skills addressed in the text for oral reports. This report can take a variety of forms including both film of the report originator(s) or a slide show with voice commentary. More information will follow in a class video about this oral/video assignment.
Incomplete Coursework Policy
To designate a student’s work in a course as incomplete at the end of a term, the instructor records the incomplete grade (I). Students may receive this grade only when serious illness, hardship, death in the immediate family, or military service during the semester in which they are registered prevents them from completing course requirements. In addition, to receive an incomplete, a student must have completed substantially all of the course’s major requirements.
Unless extenuating circumstances dictate otherwise, students must initiate requests for an incomplete by filling out an Incomplete Grade Completion Contract, which requires the signature of the student, instructor, and Dean. The Incomplete Grade Completion contract cites the reason(s) for the incomplete and details the specific obligations the student must meet to change the incomplete to a letter grade. The date by which the student agrees to complete required work must appear in the contract. The Dean, the instructor, and the student receive signed copies of the Incomplete Grade Completion Contract.
Even if the student does not attend Peru State College, all incomplete course work must be finished by the end of the subsequent semester. Unless the appropriate Dean approves an extension and if the student does not fulfill contract obligations in the allotted time, the incomplete grade automatically becomes an F.
Academic Integrity Policy
The College expects all students to conduct themselves in a manner that supports an honest assessment of student learning outcomes and the assignment of grades that appropriately reflect student performance. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and comply with instructions regarding the completion of assignments, exams, and other academic activities. At a minimum, students should assume that at each assessment opportunity they are expected to do their own original academic work and/or clearly acknowledge in an appropriate fashion the intellectual work of others, when such contributions are allowed. Students helping others to circumvent honest assessments of learning outcomes, or who fail to report instances of academic dishonesty, are also subject to the sanctions defined in this policy.
Instances of academic dishonesty may be discovered in a variety of ways. Faculty members who assign written work ordinarily check citations for accuracy, run data base and online checks, and/or may simply recognize familiar passages that are not cited. They may observe students in the act of cheating or may become aware of instances of cheating from the statements of others. All persons who observe or otherwise know about instances of cheating are expected to report such instances to the proper instructor or Dean.
In order to promote academic integrity, the College subscribes to an electronic service to review papers for the appropriate citations and originality. Key elements of submitted papers are stored electronically in a limited access database and thus become a permanent part of the material to which future submissions are compared. Submission of an application and continued enrollment signifies your permission for this use of your written work.
NSCS Board of Trustees Policy 4220 states that each College “. . . will establish a distance learning assessment policy that will include, at a minimum, a substantial culminating experience that is proctored.” Peru State College’s policy is that each course that is offered entirely online will feature a proctored final exam that substantially measures the extent the course’s stated learning objectives are achieved. Online course syllabi will clearly state that, regardless of grades earned previously, the proctored final exam must be passed in order to receive credit for the course. Courses which feature graded site-based activities (e.g., teaching demonstrations) and/or video-taped presentations that occur near the end of the term, and that are designed to substantially assess the achievement of learning objectives, can be considered in compliance with this policy. Project-based capstone and graduate courses utilizing real-time discussions held by web-cam, phone or in person with the faculty member as part of the assessment process can also be considered in compliance with this policy.
Should an occurrence of academic misconduct occur, the faculty member may assign a failing grade for the assignment or a failing grade for the course. Each incident of academic misconduct should be reported to the Dean and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). The VPAA may suspend students for two semesters found to be responsible for multiple instances of academic dishonesty. The reason for the suspension will be noted on the student’s transcript.
A faculty member need present only basic evidence of academic dishonesty. There is no requirement for proof of intent. Students are responsible for understanding these tenets of academic honesty and integrity. Students may appeal penalties for academic dishonesty using the process established for grades appeals.
Title IX Compliance Notice
Peru State College is an equal opportunity institution. PSC does not discriminate against any student, employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or age in employment and education opportunities, including but not limited to admission decisions. The College has designated an individual to coordinate the College’s nondiscrimination efforts to comply with regulations implementing Title VI, VII, IX, and Section 504. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies and practices may be directed to Eulanda Cade, Director of Human Resources, Title VI, VII, IX Compliance Coordinator, Peru State College, PO Box 10, Peru, NE 68421-0010, (402) 872-2230.
Students requesting reasonable accommodation and tutoring services should contact the Center for Achievement and Transition Services (CATS).
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE FOR WRITING FOR PUBLICATION
General Outline (FOR or a more detailed outline, see the Weekly Assignments):
Over the next eight weeks, we will read all Five Parts of our text, and each week will require your completing various written assignments, from a revision to a report, culminating in a proctored examination at the term's conclusion:
Week 1: Chapters 1-3: The Technical-Communication Environment, Part ONE.
Week 2: Chapters 4-7: The Technical-Communication Environment, Part ONE; and Planning the Document, Part TWO.
Week 3: Chapters 8-11: Developing the Textual Elements, Part THREE.
Week 4: Chapters 12-14: Developing the Visual Elements, Part FOUR, Applications, Part FIVE.
Week 5: Chapter 15-16: Applications, Part FIVE.
Week 6: Chapter 16-18: Applications, Part FIVE.
Week 7: Chapters 18-19: Applications, Part FIVE.
Week 8: Chapters 20-22: Applications, Part FIVE.
Write with "vim" and maintain a positive attitude.
And Remember the class motto: WE'RE ALL BOZOS ON THIS BUS!!
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