Technical Writing
EPW 311

 

Dr. Kristi Siegel Associate Professor - English Mount Mary College EPW 331 accelerated - Wednesdays: 6:00 - 9:50 pm NDH 249 Office Hours: Wednesday, 4:00 - 5:50 pm and by appointment (414) 258-4810 preferred contact: siegelkr@mtmary.edu general website: www.kristisiegel.com Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon…But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components…Clear thinking becomes clear writing: one can’t exist without the other. —William Zinsser, On Writing Well   Grading Before Week 1 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Links Homepage   Materials and Text: Burnett, Rebecca. Technical Communication. 5th Ed., Heinle, 2001 Folder to store my (endless) handouts A few blank diskettes Note Regarding Online Syllabus: I've linked to my own Word documents throughout this syllabus; if you miss class (don't!) or lose a handout, they are all available here.Your assignment descriptions are located in the week in which they are assigned. General handouts (e.g., the Word shortcut manual [32 pages], the web publishing manual [37 pages]) are located in the Handouts section below. The Links section provides links to supplementary websites on subjects such as writing mechanics, technical writing, design, and web publishing. Course Objectives: to understand the purpose and process of technical writing; to create clear, accurate, and succinct content; to produce documents reflecting different types of technical communication such as technical descriptions, proposals, reports, web pages, and instructional manuals; to use mechanically and grammatically correct language in written and oral communication; to learn how to adjust technical content to meet the needs of a specific target audience; to appreciate principles of document design and how they enhance meaning; to give a professional oral presentation on the final project (web site). Grading In-Class Assignments 10% Instructions, Manual, Progress Report 30% Proposal 15% Oral Presentation 10% Participation 10% Final Portfolio 10% Before Week One Read (skim) Chapters 1, 2, and 8; focus particularly on definition and types of technical writing, methods for achieving clarity, and determining audience Be prepared to discuss reading for first class (Jan 15) Fundamentals of Document Design - excellent website on design Assignment: Note: Bring in one example of technical writing for first class. Websites: Common Page Design (by David McMurrey) Typography and Page Layout (by Ron F Wolley) top Week One - January 15 Orientation and Introductions Discussion of syllabus and scope of course Definition of technical writing and types of technical writing “Chopping block” of tech writing: clarity and audience Basic word processing shortcuts and techniques Working at Warpspeed with Word - Getting Started Working at Warpspeed with Word - Editing Working at Warpspeed with Word - Formatting Design principles – in class exercise Layout and Design Principles - website Layout and Design - website Assignment: Read Chapters 13 and 15 Bring in example of good technical design and example of poor technical design for next class (be prepared to explain why examples are good or poor). top Week Two - January 22 Visual design and Graphics – in-class work and assignments Summary Design document - Summarydesign.doc Memo re-design document - Wasson.doc Narrative strategies for writing technical content (in-class exercises and assignments) How to Put Your Reader into a Coma without Really Trying - handout Lego Block assignment explained - handout Assignment: Read Chapter 17 Lego Block assignment due on Jan 29 top Week Three - January 29 Lego block presentations and task analysis Principles of technical descriptsion and instructions (in-class exercises and assignment) Structural-Fuctional Technical description assignment Effective technical descriptions - handout Instructional Chapter/manual assignment explained - in-class work and discussion - handout FullShot directions - handout How-To Guide for FullShot - website Writing Effective Instructions Tips for Creating Effective Computer Instructions - website How to Write Instructions for Busy, Grouchy People - Dr. Dennis Jerz website (an excellent resource) Progress/Status report explained and assigned - handout Assignment: Read chapters 7 & 16 Complete Report on Instruction manual - Feb. 5l Instructional Manual/Chapter due Feb 12 top Week Four - February 5 Types of reports explained and discussed (in-class exercises and assignments). Online Technical Writing - Progress reports (make sure to look at the example) - website Tips for Writing Short technical reports - website In-class work on Instruction manuals Principles of proposal writing Online technical writing - Proposals website A Practical Guide to Writing Proposals website - Alice M. Reid, M.Ed. In-class work on Web site Proposal - handout Status Report on Instructions' Manual collected Sign up for GeoCities web site Assignment: Read handout on website design. Manual on using Yahoo! PageBuilder and FrontPage - handout Website - Creating a Basic Website Using FrontPage (Dr. Dennis Jerz) Read Internet links on website design and construction (below) Instruction manual due next class (Feb 12) top Week Five - February 12 WEBSITE ASSIGNMENT - <-- Did that catch your eye? handout Proposals and Grants (cont.) Instruction Manuals collected In-class exercises and assignments In-class work on Website Proposal· In-class work on Web pages – design, techniques, and writing effective web text Oral Presentation assigned Assignment: Web site proposal due Feb 19 Read suggested Internet Links top Week Six - February 19 Website Proposal collected and discussed In-class work on webpages In-class work and discussion on presenting effective oral communication – film on effective oral presentations - handout Explanation of Final Portfolio (handout) Assignment: Read Chapters 9 & 18 top Week Seven - February 26 In-class work on websites In-class work on oral presentations In-class work on final portfolios Assignment: Complete website, oral presentation and final portfolio for Mar 3 top Week Eight - March 3 Oral Presentation on Website Assessments of Oral presentations Task Analysis Final Portfolios collected Course evaluations top   Links: How to Build Lame Websites - Charlie Morris Society for Technical Information - STC Professor Charles Darling's Guide to Grammar and Writing - excellent information and interactive quizzes National Writers Union - job information and articles for freelance writers Webopedia - Online Dictionary of Computer and Internet terms - decode the jargon! Writers Write - comprehensive resource on books, writing, and publishing Hotjobs.com - enter "technical writer" as a search term and get some idea of the high demand for this profession. Web Clip Art - tons of links to free clipart and other web graphics - don't get carried away! Handouts: Working at Warpspeed with Word 97/2000's Shortcuts: Part 1 - Getting Started Part 2 - Editing tips Part 3 - Formatting tips Basic Principles of Document Design handout Elements of Page Design How to Put Your Reader into a Coma without Really Trying - Eliminating Wordiness Effective technical descriptions Instructions for Using FullShot Website design pointers Building a basic website - manual   Homepage . .