English 316:
Technical Writing

Eng 316 • Summer 2012 • Sec 001 • JFSB B101 • MWF 8:00 - 9:50

“Ask not what you can do for this class.
Ask what this class can do for you.”

— JFK

Description

English 316 focuses on effective processes of written, oral, and visual technical communication for academic and professional settings. Students study how scientists and engineers communicate to solve problems and answer questions, including conducting library and empirical research and usability testing. Students learn conventions of organization and style appropriate in their majors, including how to incorporate tables and figures and how to use appropriate documentation styles. Students also learn how to adapt their writing for the various audiences, purposes, and contexts that they will encounter in their chosen careers.

Rules

• Everyone must have an email buddy. If you ever miss class, email them, not me.
• When submitting assignments through email, follow the submission instructions on the blog.
• Don’t expect digital feedback on a draft. But please come to my office with questions.
• Stapling papers is required. Also, if it’s out of a spiral notepad, make sure to tear off the perforation.
• No talking to me about a paper grade for at least a week after you received the grade.

Texts

• Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss. Plain ($11.20) or Illustrated ($12.32). (#41 on the top selling books of all time. Others you’d recognize on there are The DaVinci Code, Harry Potter, and Twilight. I hope you realize the significance.)
• The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute. Hardback ($9.60).
• OPTIONAL: The Non-designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams. 3rd Edition ($18.90) or Used 2nd Edition ($0.01).
• OPTIONAL: The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Online.
• OPTIONAL: Technical Communication by John Lannon. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2008. Paperback ($87.49).

Assignments

Students will learn to communicate in various genres typical of the sciences and engineering, including:

1. Memos, both print and email
2. Professional resume
3. Letter of application for employment or letter of intent for graduate school
4. Evaluation of published journal article within the major
5. Proposal for writing a library research paper, analytical report, or other technical document
6. Library research paper, analytical report, or other technical document (at least 10 pages)
7. Written peer evaluation of classmates’ work
8. Oral presentation
9. Set of instructions
10. Technical poster (or multi-modal)

In addition to completing the above written and oral assignments, all students in English 316 are expected to do the following:

1. Attend a library mini-course taught for their major area and complete an assignment that holds them accountable for learning about how to use the library
2. Take the library tour, tutorial, and tests (if not completed as part of the first-year writing requirement)
3. Participate in the collaborative process as part of a team or group project
4. Learn to define technical terms and to describe technical devices and processes
5. Demonstrate understanding of and commitment to the revision process
6. Practice using computer software to create, number, and label tables and figures
7. Provide evidence of competence in grammar and usage
8. Complete a final exam or other culminating experience (typically the final oral presentation and/or a poster presentation session)

Learning Outcomes

Also, students should be able to do the following upon completing English 316:

1. Rhetorical Knowledge. You should demonstrate that you can write clearly, focus on a well-defined purpose, use conventions of format and structure appropriate to your discipline, and adopt a voice or tone suited to varying purposes and audiences, both inside and outside your own discipline.
2. Disciplinary Writing. You should show you understand the roles of writing in your discipline, major, or career as a way of education, demonstration, evaluation, and communication.
3. Writing Processes. You should develop an effective and flexible personal writing process (brainstorming, planning, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading)—you’ll also adapt your personal style to work with a group.
4. Research Processes. You should demonstrate the ability to use research tools and processes within your discipline (including library research), citing sources properly and avoiding plagiarism.
5. Spoken Communication. You should show skills in presentation media and public speaking, including a strong hook, a focused purpose, clear organization, strong visuals, and a tone that matches the personality and understanding of the actual audience.
6. Knowledge of Conventions. You should understand the genres, forms, styles, and documentation conventions of writing in your discipline. You should also prove your expertise in syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Means

1.  Reading and discussion of examples of various academic and professional genres as presented in the textbook, created by former students, or published by scientists and engineers to illustrate various methods and conventions of organization and style typical of those genres.
2. Practice applying this knowledge to their own writing.
3. Practice in reading and evaluating professional discourse in the literature of the students’ chosen field.

Assessment

There are certain elements of style that are attributes of good writing. We’ll discuss them in class and through the reading. It will be based on these criteria that I will assess your assignments:

• I’ll look at ethos, pathos, and logos (is your work personal, interesting, and clear?).
• I’ll look at how you treat the text (Eats, Shoots, and Leaves).
• I’ll look at how you treat your audience (The Anatomy of Peace).
• I’ll look for the lack of abstractions and the proper use of concrete examples.
• Finally, I’ll consider the brevity of it all (is it fluffy or dense?).

Policies

Attendance

The English department mandates that you are allowed to miss 3 class periods (2 for block classes). After that, each additional absence costs a one-third letter-grade reduction of your final grade (e.g., C to C-). If you miss more than a third of any class period, you will be considered absent for the day. Excused absences for student athletes and students participating in other authorized groups count toward the 3 permitted absences; however, these students are not penalized for additional excused absences. All students are personally responsible for what goes on in class, regardless of whether or not they are present (so be nice to your email buddy). Also, you’ll earn a lower grade if you are often tardy.

Late Assignments

All small assignments are due AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS on the specified due dates. After class begins, I won’t accept these assignments. The major papers will be due in my (in)box before class begins on the given due date. For the major papers, each day the paper is late will result in a 20% reduction of your grade for the paper. In case of an emergency, please contact me as soon as possible. I am willing to work with you, but YOU are responsible for your own work. NOTE: Death, natural disasters, and attacks by ninjas all constitute emergencies. Procrastination does not.

Failure Policy

Students are required to complete a number of mandatory assignments (everything but quizzes). If you do not complete any one of these assignments, you automatically fail the course.

Final Exam

The department requires that you attend the final exam. If you don’t come, you automatically fail the course.

Required Format

All papers for this course must be double spaced with 1-inch margins in a 12-point serif font (e.g., Georgia, Garamond, or Times New Roman, if you must). They must also adhere to MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. Please, don’t alter your assignment’s length by changing fonts and margins. I’m grading the content, not the length. Be sure to cover the topic in depth, and the page length will be irrelevant.

Communication

The best way to know what is due for class is to consult the syllabus. Next, you should ask a classmate. After you’ve tried these first two options, you may email me. I will also be emailing the entire class regularly, so please check your email daily.

Honor Code and Plagiarism

Students are expected to uphold the Honor Code. Dishonesty is not tolerated. Students who inadvertently plagiarize will be given an opportunity to correct their mistakes, but may still be penalized. Any paper that is deliberately plagiarized will not be accepted. The student will receive zero points for the assignment, may fail the course, and may be referred to the Honor Code Office.  Please see the full details on plagiarism in the Honor Code at http://campuslife.byu.edu/honorcode.

Sexual Harassment

BYU's policy against sexual harassment protects the university’s employees and students. Students who encounter sexual harassment from other students are protected under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor, contact the campus EEO office (422-5895), or contact the Honor Code Office (422-2847).

Students with Disabilities

The Americans with Disabilities Act (enacted in 1990) prohibits discrimination based on disability and is intended to give the disabled equal opportunity and full participation in life activities. If you have a disability and need accommodation, please contact the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (378-2767). If your disability may affect your academic performance, please speak with me about it now, rather than waiting until later in the semester.