Technical Writing
EPW 331

 
Dr. Kristi Siegel
Co-Chair and Associate Professor - English Dept.
Mount Mary College
EPW 331 accelerated - Tuesdays: 6:00 - 9:50 pm
 Office: NDH 239
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 4:00 - 5:50 pm and by appointment
(414) 258-4810, #395
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

.
 
 

Materials and Text:

  • Markel, Michael. Technical Communication. 7th Ed., St. Martins Press, 2003
  • 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 [33 pages], the web publishing manual [32 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).

Course Description

Quite simply, technical writing “translates” information for a specific target audience. For example, a technical document might consist of computer instructions written clearly enough so that a lay audience—having no previous computer experience—would be able to follow these directions easily. Technical documents now include a wide array of materials, e.g., brochures, newsletters, manuals, proposals, reports, websites, and so forth. Students in this course will learn how to write clearly and succinctly for a defined target audience. They will also learn how to create documents that are professional in both content and design, how to maintain a high standard of professional ethics, and how to present their material optimally (via oral presentations or in text format). The writing, design, and computer skills taught in technical writing help prepare students to take on leadership roles within their profession.

Grading

    In-Class Assignments 10%
    Instructions, Manual, Progress Report 30%
    Proposal 15%
    Oral Presentation 10%
    Participation 10%
    Final Portfolio 10%
Before Week One
  • Read Chapters 1 and 3; skim Chapters 2 and 4
  • Be prepared to discuss reading for first class (Jan 13)
  • Fundamentals of Document Design - excellent website on design

Assignment:

top

Week One - January 13
  • 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
  • Design principles – in class exercise
  • Layout and Design Principles - website

Assignment:

  • Read Chapters 8 and 13
  • 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 20

  • Visual design and Graphics – in-class work and assignments
  • 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 27

top

Week Three - January 27

  • Lego block presentations and task analysis
  • Principles of technical description and instructions (in-class exercises and assignment)
    • Effective technical descriptions - handout
  • Instructional Chapter/manual assignment explained - in-class work and discussion - handout
  • 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)
  • Recommendation report explained and assigned - handout
  • Types of reports explained and discussed (in-class exercises and assignments).
  • Tips for Writing Short technical reports - website

Assignment:

  1. Read chapters 5, 14, 18, and 20
  2. Complete Recommendation Report - Feb. 3
  3. Instructional Manual/Chapter due Feb 10

top

Week Four - February 3

  • 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
  • Recommendation Report collected
  • Sign up for GeoCities web site

Assignment:

  • Read handout on website design.
  • Manual on using Yahoo! PageBuilder and FrontPage - handout (note: this manual is 32 pages long; make sure you have enough paper in your printer! - please read the manual carefully; it will answer a lot of your web publishing questions)
  • 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)
  • Read Chapter 17 - Writing Proposals

top

Week Five - February 10

  • 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 17
  • Read suggested Internet Links
  • Read Chapter 22 - Making Oral Presentations
  • Read Chapter 21 - Creating Web Sites
  • Read 32-page website manual

top

Week Six - February 17

  • 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:

  • Review Chapters 21 & 22

top

Week Seven - February 24

  • 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 2

top

Week Eight - March 2

  • 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.
  • 1000 Website Tools - tons of links to free clipart and other web graphics - don't get carried away!
Handouts:

.

Homepage

.


.