Getting Started 1: Registering on the Site

To get started with ENGL 420, you'll need to complete a few steps, which include

• Registering for the course website (here).
• Logging in for the first time.
• Editing your account for the first time.

Registering for the course website

1. Go to the course website.
2. Click on "create new account" under "User Login" in the navigation menu on the left.

   

3. Create a username that will identify you in the system and that you will use for logging in. Because this site is public on the Internet, your username should not include your last name. You are welcome to use any username (e.g., your IM screenname) that would not be offensive to others or otherwise inappropriate for a course website. Capitalize your username as you intend to use it; usernames are case sensitive.

   

4. Enter your email address. You may use your Purdue email address. If you have an alternate one, use the one that you check most regularly.
5. Provide your real name and home page URL (web address, if you have one). Note that your real name will not be visible publicly but only to students registered at the site.
6. Click on "Create new account." Registration information will be sent to the email address you listed, so check your email soon after you register. You will need the password that it sends you.

Getting Started 2: Logging in for the First Time

To get started with ENGL 420, you'll also need to complete this second step:

Logging in for the first time

1. You should have received an email from the system that includes your new password. With that email handy, return to the course website.
2. Enter your username and password in the "User login" box. Your initial password can be retyped or cut-and-pasted into the password box. If you cut-and-paste it, make sure you don't include any extra spaces before or after the password characters. The password and user name are case sensitive.

   

3. Click on Log in. When you've successfully logged in, you will see a block of links in the left sidebar with your username above it as a title. This is a navigation menu that provides you with links to many services and content on the site. If you are unable to log in successfully, try re-entering your password. Remember that usernames and passwords are case-sensitve, so make sure you don't have Caps Lock turned on by accident and that (if pasting in your password) that you don't include extra spaces. You may also request a new password if you ever forget yours.

Getting Started 3: Editing Your Account for the First Time

To get started with ENGL 420, you'll also need to complete this third step, which will take a bit more time than the previous two.

Editing your account for the first time

Once you've logged in successfully, you need to edit your account and provide some additional information about yourself.

1. Click on my account link in the navigation menu on the left.

   

2. On the next screen, click on the edit tab.

   

3. On the account settings screen, scroll to the Account information area.
   
4. Change your password by entering a new one into the password boxes. Choose a password that you can remember but that is secure. Remember that passwords are case sensitive.
5. Scroll to the Picture area.
   
6. Upload a picture of yourself or avatar (an image that represents you well) that you would use in a public context. You may have to find one and edit in an image editor, so you just try to have this step completed by the end of Week 2. If you need help editing an image, send a copy to your instructor for help. See Creating Avatars and Images for Your Profile for more information.
7. Scroll to Contact settings.
   
8. Check the Personal contact form box.
9. When you have made your changes, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the page.

The following steps ask you to complete information for your profile. This will enable the instructor and fellow students to learn a little more about you and help the instructor tailor this class to your background and goals, as well as arrange collaborative projects, if any.

1. Click on the edit tab again, then on the Personal Information link at the top of the next page.
   
2. Enter the required information in the boxes. If you don't have a home page, leave that box blank.
3. Click on Submit to save.

That's it! You have completed all the steps of the Getting Started process. If you ever need to change any of the information, you can always edit these pages again.

If you have any trouble along the way, please be sure to let your instructor know.

Creating Avatars and Images for Your Profile

Some of you may be in search of an avatar or image to use in the profile that you created for yourself when you registered. If so, here are some suggestions:

An avatar is just an image that "stands-in" for your picture and can be an object, artwork, a photo, or something else that might convey some aspect of your identity, personality, or interests. So, for example, someone interested in biking might use an image of a bike as an avatar rather than a personal picture. The image works best if it's in jpg, gif, or png format, and the dimensions should be (about) 85x85 so that it displays correctly (and doesn't get squished when displayed, for example).

To find an existing avatar to use for free, you could look at a site like these. If you have a Yahoo! ID (free to get, if not), you can get some nice ones:

http://avatars.yahoo.com/

or try

http://www.avatarity.com/

You could also take an existing image of yourself and then create a picture by cropping out the part you don't want. If you haven't used an image editing program before, that can be a bit tricky. But if you have, just use the crop tool to draw a box around the part of the image you want to use, crop it, and then resize it so that it's about 85x85 pixels.

If you have a larger photo and would like help to make it into an avatar, send it to your instructor as an email attachment. Your instructor can help you from there.

Creating Hyperlinks

For this class, you'll have to learn at least one HTML tag, the one for making hyperlinks.

It's easy to learn. Check it out:

1. Make sure that your rich-text editor is enabled. Click on enable rich-text below the Body box.
2. Highlight the text you want to turn into a link.
3. In the buttons below the Body box, click on the chain link button.
4. This box should appear.
   
   
5. In the Link URL box, cut and paste your full URL there. Then click on insert.

Your link will now show up in your test.

Here is how you make links in traditional HTML coding. Still easy, but it doesn't show up with our rich-text settings and input format.

<a href=""></a>

is the tag itself without any information in it. Within the quotes, you'll put the url, or web address, for the site which you want to link to. In between the ><, you'll put the text you want displayed on the screen.

For example, the url for slashdot is http://slashdot.org/. And if you want to make the word Slashdot a link in a sentence to the website in a blog post, type in,

<a href="http://slashdot.org/">Slashdot</a> is a well known community blog site.

To get

Slashdot is a well known community blog site.

HTML is picky and it's easy to make a careless mistake. Don't include any extra spaces in the HTML tag. Make sure that you include "http://" as a part of your web address. In fact, one of the easiest ways to make sure that you get the URL correct is to copy and paste it from the address bar of a browser window currently displaying the page.

See? Not too difficult. But there's one more thing . . . .

Avoid merely posting the URL as a link:

http://slashdot.org

Notice how this doesn't convey much information. Better to have put the page title (often found either on the page or in the window bar at the top) or link to part of your text (think of the examples in this site). At the same time, really long URL's won't word wrap at the end of a line. They may cause problems with the way that text is displayed on web pages.

Creating PDF Files

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format created by Adobe Acrobat and useful for sharing printer ready versions of documents. Unlike when files are shared between different productivity applications (i.e., word processing, spreadsheet) or different versions of the same productivity software, the same layout and typographic styles are maintained regardless of the computer environment. What the author sees when creating a PDF is exactly what the receiver of the file sees and can print out on their computer. Consequently, PDFs are particularly useful for sending resumes, cover letters, and other business documents where layout and presentation is critica. Writers want all of the effort they put into formatting professional-looking documents to be maintained.

PDFs are typically viewed using Adobe Reader (which is free to download). However, Adobe Reader will not produce PDFs. As you will soon be submitting drafts of cover letters, resumes, and other documents in PDF format, make sure that you can successfully generate a PDF using one of the following means:

• Adobe Acrobat Professional, Standard, or Elements are three versions of Adobe's productivity program for producing PDF files. These programs are not free and do not generally come installed when purchasing a computer. However, some public computer labs (i.e., most of Purdue University's main campus labs) may have Acrobat Professional installed. When Acrobat Professional is available, from your word processor or browser (or any screen that can be printed), select File -> Print. On a PC, you will be able to select, under Printer Name, "Adobe PDF" instead of sending your file to a printer. (See the figure below.) On a Mac, you will see a button "Save as PDF" on the print dialog box. In both cases, you will be asked where you want the created PDF to be stored.

  

• Adobe offers a free PDF trial service online. However, you may need to produce PDF's more than allowed by the free trial.
• CutePDF is a free application which you can download and install on your home computer.
• Google Docs: You can use these free applications (word processor, spreadsheet, and more) for collaboration and, conveniently, to export a document file to PDF format. (Upload your Word document, for example, then export it as PDF later.)
• OpenOffice is a free, full-featured, open source office productivity suite comparable to Microsoft Office that has PDF generation built in. From within OpenOffice, choose File->Export as pdf

E-mail Guidelines

Though you are all probably aware of these general e-mail guidelines, it is always a good professional practice to review the standards of a particular professional community or culture. To ensure your understanding of these principles, e-mails that do not follow these guidelines will now be returned unanswered. If your e-mail is returned unanswered, it means I have not acknowledged the content of your e-mail.  Reformat your e-mail and send it to me again.

• Give an e-mail a subject heading that is concise and direct: I should know right away what it is about and what its purpose is (for example, "Project Two Revision" or "Question about Cover Letter").
• Keep subject headings consistent on extended exchanges (maintain the conversation thread).
• Include an appropriate (as defined by the nature of your relationship with the receiver) greeting and conclusion in the email (please include your first and last name).
• Describe any attachments and how they should be used.
• Use formal but casual language (complete sentences, capitalization and punctuation, correct spelling - especially names and companies.)
• Watch pronoun usage. Make sure objects referred to by pronouns are clear (avoid saying something like "That thing we talked about in class the other day").
• Be respectful and cooperative.

In line with the principles and practices of the course, these guidelines, and their enforcement, are not designed to be a punitive measure; they are designed to introduce (and induce) good professional habits.

Here's a good PowerPoint on E-mail Ethics.

Eliciting Good Response

Imagine the following scenario:

You have a great idea for a project for your department at work. Because it will require significant resources and funding, the senior manager in your department has asked you to prepare a ten-page proposal.

After working on the proposal for a while, the senior manager sends you an email requesting to see your draft in progress. The proposal is far from complete, but you fire off a reply saying "Here is my working draft," and attach it. The next day, you receive another email from the senior manager full of feedback which you are obligated to take. However, the feedback asks you to revise your proposal in new directions, quite contrary to what you had planned, effectively taking over the direction of the proposal. You now have to discard many good ideas you had for development. Those sections where you knew you needed the most help--they were not addressed at all.

This happens all the time in getting response to our writing. We get proofreading corrections when we need ideas; we get heavy revision suggestions when the draft needs to be proofread to meet a deadline.

To elicit useful and focused responses from readers (during peer review, for example), we must solicit good response. In the above scenario, if the writer had explained to the senior manager where she needed help in the draft and what her plans were for further development, it's quite possible that the feedback would have been more focused and helpful. So when asking for feedback on a document, explain to the responder

• your concerns about the current state of the draft (i.e., where, specifically, you need help)
• where you are in the process of drafting (i.e., ready to polish to meet a deadline, planning to do more revision)
• your target audience
• any plans you might have for further development of the text

Once you've defined your needs, your reviewer is more likely to shape their feedback effectively for you. As a reviewer, it's much easier to address the writer's concerns than to try to guess what might or might not be useful to the writer.

Ethical Guidelines for Conducting an Interview with a Client

1. Request an interview in advance. Explain why you want the interview, how long it will take, and what you hope to accomplish. Be professional with this request and formal with all subsequent interaction so that the client knows you are conducting research and not just “chatting.”
2. Come prepared with a list of written questions. It’s usually a good idea to give clients some questions in advance so that they can be prepared.
3. If you wish to tape the interview, you must ask permission first.
4. Take notes during the interview, even if you use a tape recorder. Your notes will help refresh your memory when you don't have tune to review the entire tape; they can also help you identify the most important points of discussion. Because give-and-take is important, it’s often a good idea to have two people on the interviewing team present; one to take notes, one to conduct the interview.
5. Be flexible. Don't try to make the person you are interviewing answer all your prepared questions if he or she doesn't find some of them appropriate or interesting. If your interviewee shows more interest in a question than you had anticipated or wants to discuss a related issue, just accept this change in plans and return to your list of questions when appropriate.
6. Try a variety of questioning techniques. People are sometimes unable or unwilling to answer direct questions. So try rephrasing questions. Be more general or specific, depending upon what you think your client will respond to well.
7. If you transcribe the interview and use it for any other purpose, you should give the client the option to review a transcript and the option to revise where necessary. Under no circumstances should you publish (to the Web or elsewhere) an interview with the client without the client’s consent. (In journalist interviews, that permission is normally granted implicitly; good journalists, though, will often take the time to confirm quotations.)

Adapted from Lisa Ede’s Work in Progress, 4 th Edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998.

Evalutation Form for Collaborative Projects

The form attached to this message (in Word, fill-in format) is used for every collaborative project in this class. You should complete the form and submit it to the instructor privately, when you turn in your project or by email, on or before the project is due.

The information is used to help the instructor determine individual grades for a team project.

Five Steps of Storyboarding

1. Find or create a storyboard template that you can use to draft your outline,
   like the one attached to this post..
2. Each frame of your storyboard should represent a unique page, a step in a sequence,
   or some other individual component of your work (such as a PowerPoint or Keynote slide, a keyframe in Flash, or a Web page).
3. In each frame, identify your content. Use shorthand to describe the content (including images and audio) that you want to include and approximately
   where it should be placed, as in the example below.
4. Add notes to each frame in your storyboard on design, source files, material,
   and anything else that will help you remember what each frame should contain
   and how it should be presented.
5. When you have completed a rough draft of your storyboard, read back
   through it to see whether it has an order that makes sense and includes the
   multimedia you want to use. Move frames around as necessary.

How to Post Comments and Replies

Posting comments, as you will soon see, is easier than creating and sending an email.

1. You must be logged in to the site in order to post comments.
2. While you can click on the add new comment link on any post from the course home page, instead, first click on the title to access the full post and all comments. Always make sure you view the full post first. There may already be a comment conversation thread begun about what you are interested in discussing. Rather than starting a new thread, join in the existing one.
3. Choose add new comment to reply directly to the main blog post and start a new thread or reply to respond to an individual comment.

   If you don't see an add new comment link, you are most likely not logged in.

4. Enter a title for your post in the Subject field. Your title should describe the content of your post. If you do not enter a title, the system will automatically use the first few words of your comment post.
5. Enter the text of your comment in the Comment field. You may use plain text or some HTML. Some people may have the "enable rich text" link visible. If you use that feature, Drupal will give you a set of buttons much like a word processor's to help you input your message. Be careful to review your input, however, since this feature will do some strange things with your text on occasion.
6. Click on "input format" to learn about your formatting options. Drupal will use a filter to convert line breaks and URLs when you select "Filtered HTML." If you want to format your posts nicely, include images, or insert more sophisticated HTML, then choose "Full HTML." Generally speaking, leave the Input format on Filtered HTML unless you have used HTML tags other than those allowed.
7. Select Preview comment at the bottom of the page.
8. Always review what you have written in preview mode. You will not be able to edit your comment once you have posted it.
9. If you are ready to submit your comment, select Post comment at the bottom of the page. Don't forget this step! The most common way people lose posts is by forgetting to submit after previewing their comments or blog entries. If you have made changes to a post, preview it again.
10. Verify that your comment has been posted. It should be visible on the page. If something went wrong, try using your back button to get to the input screen. Review and resubmit if it's still there.

Note: You can use the Comment viewing options to change the way that comments are displayed on the page. Experiment with this feature and see which configuration works best for you.

How to Post to Your Individual Weblog

Posting to your individual weblog is a little more complex than posting a comment, but after a couple of times, you'll find it as easy as email.

1. You must be logged in to post to your weblog.
2. From any page on the site, choose the create content link in the main navigation block on the left hand side. That will bring you to the create content page. [You can also click on the blogs link and then the "my blog" sublink.

   

3. The first time you visit the create content page, read the descriptions under personal blog entry and story.
4. To post to your individual weblog, choose blog entry. This will bring you to the Submit blog entry page.

   

5. Review the Project Checklist distributed in class regarding participation in online forums from The Thomson Handbook.
6. Enter a good Title for your post.
7. Choose a Category tag for your post. You can use a standard one (like "Reading Response" or create one suggested in the prompt or that suits your content. You may use multiple tags.
8. Enter the text of your post in the Body field. You may use plain text or some combination of HTML in creating this post.
9. Leave the Input format on Filtered HTML unless you have used HTML tags other than those allowed.
10. Under URL path settings, you can give your post a short and unique URL alias. For example, you might want to use "team3projectlog" to identify your team's project log. If you use that URL, the full path would be something like http://digitalparlor.org/up07/420Y/team3projectlog.
11. Optional: If you need to attach a file,
    • Click on the File attachments link.
    • Use the Browse button to locate the file on your hard drive.
    • One you have located the file, click the Attach button.
    • A bar will show the progress of the upload . You should then see your attachment listed.
12. Choose Preview.
13. Review your post. If you make any changes, preview it again.
14. When ready, select Submit to post.

Notes:

• The system will not offer you a Submit button if you do not give your post a title.
• Choose story on the create content page to post to the course home page. The rest of the procedure is the same as for creating a personal blog entry.

Learning to Navigate the Site

For the first day of class, you'll want to explore some of the features of the site. This document gives an overview of a few features you might want to take a look at that will help you to navigate the site.

Navigation

In the header visible at the top of every page, you'll find one row of links:

• The first five take you to important sections of the course guide.
• The others take you to useful resource sites at Purdue.

Once you've logged in to the site, directly beneath the header on the left, you'll find the main navigation block, accessible from every page:

The navigation block is your gateway to many areas of the site useful for creating and viewing content and managing your work. For example,

• blogs
  Lists all the blogs on the site and includes a direct link to your blog in its submenu.
• create content
  From here you can post to your individual weblog or the front page (see How to Post to Your Individual Weblog).
• image galleries
  These are useful for uploading screenshots and other images that groups need to review and discuss.
• members
  Need to find out someone's email address? Use the members list. You can also click on any username to access the personal account page. Only registered users have access to the private portion of account pages.
• my subscriptions
  
  Our site allows you to "subscribe" to blog posts and other content so that you can keep tabs on follow-up responses. You can set your default subscription settings in my account > edit.
• recent posts
  This display allows you to access all of the recent content posted by everyone. Note how it provides red astericks to denote pages you have yet to read and notices of new unread comments.
• search
  Search the content of blog posts, stories, book pages, and galleries; also search for users by name or username
• my account
  Links to your profile information, site settings, and more. Adjust your account profile here.
• categories
  This function allows us to categorize all of our posts. By the end of the semester, there will be literally thousands of posts, and these allow some degree of organization. Later in the semester, we will use this same function to organize group spaces.
• log out
  
  Use this to log out of the website, which is recommended after each session.

Book Navigation

All of our course materials on the site are integrated into the course guide:

The course guide is a hypertext with many levels of pages.

• You can use the book navigation links that show previous and next pages below the main text or use the breadcrumb navigation at the top.
• Use the printer-friendly version link beneath any page to get a text-only version of that page and all of its subpages collated into one. For example, if you go to the top page of the guide and click on printer-friendly version, you will see the entire course guide, including the calendar, on one screen (a very long one).

Principles for Comments and Replies

Posting comments and replies to the reading responses and drafts of others will be a primary means of class interaction and discussion. Instructors may promote blog posts to the front page of the course website. There, everyone will respond to and discuss the readings, drafts, or other work posted to our course website. The course description explains the purpose of this coursework:

All comments and replies to another's blog post should follow effective rhetorical strategies for networking with others on the Web. (Readings from the course text or handouts may provide additional guidelines to follow.)

• Keep threads alive and relevant.
• Follow-up comments with further discussion.
• Think of your comments and replies as part of a lively class discussion in which everyone participates.

When commenting and replying to blog posts on the course's front page, you are required to

• Read through the posts on the course home page referred to by the assignment.
• Before using the comment and reply features for the first time, you might want to consider reviewing How to Post Comments and Replies .
• Strive to be thoughtful and analytical in your comments.
• Try to find something new to say instead of saying what has already been said in the original post and in other comments already posted.
• Feel free to share personal experiences which shape your views on the topic discussed.

You should also

• Provide links to additional resources on the web which would better inform the discussion. You should always link to any other texts on the Web you mention, even those on the course website.
• Contend with and/or support the original blog post. If you are criticizing what the blogger has said, remember to do so respectfully, which encourages further dialogue. "This sucks" would not be an appropriate response. Neither would "That's great!" if you don't explain what you mean.
• Direct attention to related and relevant issues. You may find that none of the posts on the class website about a particular set of readings confront what you feel is an important issue on the assigned texts. As long as it is related to the general topic of the readings or the topic of this class, feel free to post a comment which turns the conversation in a new direction (use the subject line to clearly specify this new direction).
• Occasionally post to blog posts not on our front page. If you like, you may choose to post three of your comments or replies to any other recently submitted blog posting on the class site from the instructors and/or other students, whether or not those posts focus on the topic up for discussion.
• Use emoticons and acronyms to convey additional information (such as tone and intonation).

For those of you wishing to do more than the minimum requirements of the course, you might visit the class website additional times per week and post new comments and/or replies to any of the blog posts.

Principles for Posting to Your Weblog

You'll do a lot of the writing for this class in your individual weblog space on the course website. You can access your weblog via your my account page.

One way to think of a weblog or blog is as a journal. However, unlike a journal that you might keep at home (as well as most if not all of the writing you have done in school before), your blog space is public. Your fellow class members will be invited to read your blog. Classmates will respond to your posts with comments and replies. Group members will review notes you take when doing research. And, of course, since it's on the Internet, other Web readers may encounter your writing and take a look at what you have to say.

There are many uses for weblogs, but we'll only use them for a few things here. During this class, you'll be asked to use your course weblog to

• share drafts of your work-in-progress for peer review
• keep a project log
• post research notes

In addition to the individual weblog space that everyone has, the home page of our course website is a community blog space where anyone can post. While most of your blog writing will be posted to your individual weblog, we'll use the home page as a place to promote discussion among all class members. For example,

• When there is a reading response assignment, your instructors may promote someone's post to the front page for community discussion.
• Groups may be asked to lead discussion by posting their reading responses or blog posts to the course home page instead of to their individual weblogs.
• Groups may be asked to share proposals and progress reports with the entire class.

Good Blogging Practices

• Titles for blog posts should reflect the context of what you have written, not merely restate the name of the title of the assignment or reading. Interesting and informative titles draw more interesting responses from others.
• Blogs should demonstrate the principles of writing for the Web as they are covered in this course.
• Bloggers link. Use hyperlinks when referring to another post on the public Internet and follow good attribution practices. Hyperlinks mean converting text to a link, not merely cutting and pasting in an URL. To do so, you'll have to know a little HTML for creating hyperlinks.
• People visiting the course website from the Internet won't know what you mean if you just mention "the reading assignment for today." Since PW Online is password protected, others on the Internet cannot access it. Treat it like a printed text. At minimum, you should mention the name of the text and the title of the chapter or section you are referencing.
• Good bloggers always keep in mind that they are writing for a public audience.

To Learn More

• To receive credit for your work, be sure to follow the course requirements for reading responses and project logs.
• Optional: Read Meg Hourihan's What We're Doing When We Blog for a brief description of weblogs. For further reading on weblogs, take a look at The Weblog Webliography on Kairosnews.

Principles of Reading Responses

Each week, you will be responsible for creating a reading response. Each reading response should be specifically focused on the reading and the prompt provided on the calendar, clearly indicate that you have read and thought seriously about the reading, and be sufficiently developed. Reading responses should be 300 words or longer. Post your reading response as a blog entry and tag it "Reading Response" or use the tag provided in the prompt itself.

Sometimes, you and each of your group members will be assigned to post your reading response to the course home page by submitting a story. The posts on the course home page will then be the focus of full class discussion. Selected reading responses will also be promoted to the front page for more lively community discussion.

In composing your reading response you should:

• Be sure to focus your response on the subject of the prompt.
• Link your response to recent class discussions online, your current project work, something you might have read elsewhere, and/or previous professional, academic, or personal experience writing and communicating in other contexts.
• Discuss how the reading contributes to your understanding of the current project, expands your understanding of recent discussions, or suggests ideas for your work in the class.
• Be sure to properly cite the original reading and any other sources you might mention. Good citation practice is critical in all writing and especially so on the Web.
• You can apply the rhetorical considerations discussed in Principles for Posting to Your Weblog to your reading responses.
• When it is your group's turn to post reading responses to the course home page, consider that the goal of these blog posts is to share new information and stimulate discussion. If your group is reponsible for posting about an assignment, check to see if anyone has already posted a response on the reading. If so, read through it. Shape your blog post to take the conversation in different directions.

Project Log Guidelines

Purpose

Because you will have a weekly record at the end of the project, your project log will help you to complete the Peer Collaboration Evaluation Form due at the end of each project. Project logs also provide evidence of each group member's contribution to the project. And detailed project logs lend more credibility to your evaluation of others in your Peer Collaboration Evaluation Form.

After college, you may find keeping a project log useful in your professional career:

• In the busy life of a professional, it can often be difficult to remember all aspects of a project when compiling monthly or quarterly progress reports.
• Consultants can use project logs to provide supporting evidence of work done on a project in preparing invoices or in case a client questions billable hours.
• Once a project is completed, a project log can be useful as a record for planning similar, future projects that will be completed by others.

Requirements

At least once a week, post a short report to your weblog covering all of the following:

• Use informative titles (e.g., Project Log for Week 5: Project 2 Takes Shape)
• Tag your post with "Project Log"
• Report on the status of the project: Is it in early drafting? Is it production ready? Is your group conducting research? Etc.
• Record your contributions to the project that week.
• Record the contributions of others in your group.
• Record the time and date of group meetings and communication and describe briefly what was accomplished. Did the group have a large email discussion? Did you IM with another group member? Etc.
• Report on any scheduled plans for completing specific tasks in the project. What group members have taken on which specific tasks? What are the prospective deadlines?
• Plan out ideas for completing the project, including ways to collaborate and communicate more effectively with your group.
• Reflect on any lessons you have learned about collaboration and electronic communication.

Remember. Your project logs are public and can be read by other group members. Be diplomatic. Do not write about what other group members failed to do or negatively evaluate their participation. Simply record what others have agreed to do and the tasks which they have completed. You will have ample opportunity to assess the work of others at the end of the project.

You can of course post more than once a week.

Questions about Assignments (Ask Them!)

At some point in the semester, almost everyone is likely to have some questions and concerns about how to complete an assignment.

Know that all class members are encouraged to respond to questions--not just the teachers--so that we can discuss the assignments. If you can help clarify or answer any concerns of your classmates, please do so. Plus, participating in these discussions is one way to demonstrate more effort than just the minimum requirements of the class.

While some of you might think, "I'd rather just email the teacher directly," sharing your concerns on the class website can benefit everyone. Each blog post and comments on the next week's assignments will be a resource that everyone can use. The question you ask might help someone later, someone who hasn't thought about the assignment in the way that you have. Yet, they still might arrive at the same question later on. They need only read through the blog and comments to find the question that you already posted, as well as an answer.

If you feel you need a more immediate response, still post your question or concerns, then email your instructor, who will be sure to respond to your email by replying to your comment ASAP.

If you have something personal to discuss, something not to be shared with the rest of the class, you are, of course, welcome to email your instructor privately.

Week 1

Monday 1/7

• Introduction to the course
• Review syllabus
• Discuss course technologies

Wednesday 1/9

• Make sure that you have your login and password for accessing Purdue ITaP machines and an e-mail address that accommodates attachments. If you have questions about your accounts, you can visit the ITaP Customer Service Center in STEW 068. You can also visit the ITaP Instructional Computing Division webpage for information about campus technologies.
• Read E-mail Guidelines
• Purchase Professional Writing Online at the book's website or at Follett's or University Bookstore.
• Review the Professional Writing PowerPoint (attached below)
• Begin finding job advertisements or internships - explore job search resources in class.

Friday 1/11

• Read Rhetoric of Professional Writing: Understanding Purpose. Write a blog post describing an experience where you had to adjust your writing to suit a particular audience (at least 150 words). Title your blog "Audience."
• Read the Employment Project Description on this site.
• Refer to the Job Skills Checklist.
• Refer to the Purdue Center for Career Opportunities in your search.
• Read Resources for Job Seekers (pwonline).

I will create a post on the course home page inviting everyone to introduce themselves. Post a comment to that post in which you:

1. Describe where you are from
2. Give your course of study and year
3. Talk about your career goals
4. Tell what you would like to get out of this course
5. Share at least one thing personal about yourself (a hobby, your favorite sport, a favorite activity, etc.

• Reminder: As you work on assignments for this course, always read ahead a few days to give yourself time to ask questions about future assignments.

Week 2

Monday 1/14

• Read Gar's Tips on Sucks-Less Writing.
• In PWOnline, read the following in the Rhetoric of Professional Writing Chapter:
  • The Complex Nature of Writing
  • Evaluating Writing
  • Technology and Writing/Work in the 21st Century
  • Collaboration and Team Writing
• Read Online Remark Can Now Sink Job Candidate

Wednesday 1/16

• In PWOnline, read the following under Rhetoric of Professional Writing:
  • Types of Documents (Genres)
  • Terminology: What is Professional Writing?
  • The Importance of Technical Communication to Engineers
  • The Importance of Business Communication in Managerial Work
• In PWOnline, read The Rhetoric of Employment Documents
• Read the Job Ad Analysis document (attached below) and come with questions about the assignment
• Due: Bring two job ads to class (print them from the source)

Friday 1/18

• Review the Resume PowerPoint (attached below).
• Review the "BadResume" (attached below).
• Post a blog detailing your progress in the course. How are you doing on the project? What is working or not working for you? What questions, comments, or concerns do you have?
• Post a reading response. Suggested prompts (not an exhaustive list and you do not have to use one of these):
  • How might writing for the workplace differ from writing in college?
  • Describe some of the important ways that writing functions in the workplace or other professional contexts.
  • How do Gareth's tips help you understand these differences?
  • Why do you think writing is such an important component of effective business practice?
• Due: Select ONE job to apply to and complete the Job Ad Analysis (attached below). *To do this you need to:
  • Type your answers on the attached document.
  • Print the document - I will not accept handwritten assignments.
  • Staple the pages together before you hand them in to me.
  • Make sure you save this document for future reference.
• Start searching for online resumes in the field of the job you are applying for.

Week 3

Monday 1/21

• No class - Official University Holiday

Wednesday 1/23

• Review Information on Resumes.
• Read discussion of resumes on PWOnline
• Read "Skeptical Resume Reader Tells How He Really Thinks"
• Read this resume advice to students
• Read about resume design on Purdue's Online Writing Lab
• Work on tailoring your resume to the job you're applying to. *You will need to bring a copy of your resume to class next week for peer workshops.
• Resume Extravaganza (in-class) :
  • Open the file below, and read through all the resumes in no more than 10 minutes.
  • As you read, pay attention to where you are looking on the resumes and how you are evaluating them.
  • Choose 5 people you would call for an interview at a hypothetical company.
  • In a blog entry tagged with the "Blog 3" tag, list those five (by page number) and discuss the activity.
    • What aspects of the resumes stood out? Why did you choose the 5 you did?
    • How will this activity inform your own resume revision?
    • As you post, see which resumes are chosen repeatedly. Do the same ones emerge as favorites? Why or why not?

Friday 1/25

• Post a Reading Response
• Review The Rhetoric of the Job Application Letter in PWOnline
• Read all sections on the Application Letter in PWOnline
• Look at sample Application Letters in PWOnline
• Boise State Cover Letter advice
• Review the Cover Letter PowerPoint (attached below)
• In-Class Group Exercise:
  • In groups of three to four students review the six resumes below according to:
    • Design Principles
    • Column and Quadrant Test
    • Rhetorical Features
  • Then rank the resumes 1 through 6 (with 1 being the highest/best)
  • Articulate your criteria and why the resumes (referencing specific form and
    content) were ranked the way they were. Keep in mind that these resumes
    are not all applying for the same position nor do they share the same
    qualifications or experiences. Address them primarily with regard to
    how they are composed and designed. Do so in a Word document that you
    hand in to me.
    • Sample Resumes (be sure to zoom in):
      • Andrews
      • Snow
      • Jensen
      • Graduate
      • Middleton
      • Goodwin
• Work on your cover letter - you will need a finished draft next week.

Week 4

PEER EDITING WEEK

Monday 1/28

• Due: The resume you've written for the Employment Project. Everyone must bring 5 copies
• Read the Resume and Cover Letter review documents (attached below). Come to class with any questions.
• Read OWL's guide to Concise Writing
• Review "Resume and Cover Letter Writing" (attached below).
• Read Evaluating Your Resume's Design (also attached below).
  

Wednesday 1/30

• Due: Revision of your resume after Monday's class *** BRING 3 COPIES AND 3 READABLE COPIES OF YOUR JOB AD. STAPLE JOB AD TO EACH COPY OF YOUR RESUME.
• Read "The Seven Deadly Sins . . . " (attached below).
• Review the "User-Centered Cover Letter" document (attached below).

Friday 2/1

• Due: Cover Letter & resume & job ad (for Peer Editing) - bring 3 stapled packets that include these 3 documents
• Read "Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes"
• Post a Reading Response.
• Post a blog that explains in detail how your cover letter will
  be different from your resume. For example, what are you planning on
  highlighting in your cover letter? What kind of specific evidence do you plan to include to improve your professional ethos?
• DON'T FORGET your project assessment document (details under the project description). This is your 4th deliverable for this project and is due next Wednesday.

Week 5

Monday 2/4

• One more day of peer review - bring 3 copies of resume and cover letter with job ad.
• We will review deliverables for Employment Project. Read the project description again and come with any last questions.
• For Wednesday: Make sure you have correct business letter format for your cover letter.
• DON'T FORGET your project assessment document (details under the
  project description). This is your 4th deliverable for this project and
  is due Wednesday along with your resume and letter.

Wednesday 2/6

• DUE: EMPLOYMENT PROJECT IN MANILA ENVELOPE
  • Remember all deliverables: Resume, Letter, Project Assessment
  • Also include peer reviews in your packet
• Read White Paper Project description.

Friday 2/8

• Read about White Papers in PWOnline
• Read White Paper on How to Write a White Paper (attached below)
• Take a look at this White Paper
• Look at Sample White Papers for ideas
• Post a Reading Response.
• Post White Paper Topic Idea by class time on Friday and form groups by Monday (all done through blog). Refer to 'Individual Deliverable 1.' Your subject heading should say "Topic Proposal: __________". Make sure you tag your blog with your class time: (7:30, 8:30, 9:30). You cannot start negotiating a group until you've posted your own topic proposal. Once you've posted your topic, all negotiating will be done through comments on the blogs.

Week 6

Monday 2/11

• You must have chosen your group (through the blog) by class time.
• Read the guidelines for memo writing outlined at Purdue's Owl.
• Read in PWOnline, Principles: Research (Some of this is short, some long!)
  • Why Writers Need to Find and Use Information
  • Locating and Evaluating Information that Already Exists
  • Using Citation Formats
  • Copyright, Plagiarism, and Fair Use

Wednesday 2/13

• In PWOnline, read Classifying Readers and Understanding an Audience
• In PWOnline, read the following under Managing Projects:
  • Overview
  • Collaboration and Team Writing
  • Selecting a Team Work Structure
  • Drafting and Revising Large-Scale Projects

Friday 2/15

• Due: Group Deliverable 1 - Topic Proposal for White Paper.
• Each potential group (as established over drupal) will turn in one hardcopy
  of a 250 word topic proposal, in the form of a memo, by Friday. This memo will include information about the topic under consideration, the potential solutions to be examined, and possible resources. Follow the guidelines for memo writing outlined at Purdue's Owl. Remember that you are selling an idea, specifically, to me -- this is a persuasive, not descriptive, document. This means presenting the issue as worthy of consideration, and the solutions (three) as relevant, while demonstrating the feasibility of the project within the parameters of the assignment.
  • Your MEMO should, at the least, consist of the following sections:
    • 1. Background/Context/Problem
    • 2. Proposed solutions (3)
    • 3. Formal Request for "go-ahead," which should be addressed to me. You are to convince/persuade me that this is a viable project.
    • 4. List of potential resources (this is not part of the 250 words).
• Begin researching topic for white paper
• Post a Reading Response.
• Post your research and work blog (Individual Deliverable 2) with at least 3 sources. In your blog, you must explain why each source you've found will be important in your research. Therefore, you must read each of your sources. Briefly summarize each source and explain why it is relevant to your white paper. Title your blog in this way: Team # _____ Work Blog: (Your first and last name).
• In PWOnline, read the following under Managing Projects:
  • Versioning Documents
  • Organizing Files
  • Troubleshooting.
• Read the PowerPoint (attached below) on format and composition. This will really help you begin to see what will be included in your white paper.

Week 7

Monday 2/18

• Read the Identity Theft and Sophos sample white papers below. Note the design and the notes made on the designs.
• Start reading the booklet on Group Work and Collaboration
  on the University of California, Davis website. This is very helpful,
  not only for this project but also for any future projects you work on
  in the workplace.
• Continue your research

Wednesday 2/20

• Read the Fuel and Urine Trouble sample white papers below. Note the design and the notes made on the designs.
• By class time, you should decide the division of labor in your group. Create some kind of contract that details who is responsible for what.
• Start writing your white paper - seriously!

Friday 2/22

• Create a detailed outline of your white paper
• Post a Reading Response
• By class time, you must post your 2nd Project Log to your blog. In it, you should discuss what you have accomplished in accordance with what your group decided you were responsible for. Read the Project Log Guidelines.
• Bring in the writing you have done so far for the white paper

Week 8

Monday 2/25

• Finish reading the booklet on Group Work and Collaboration on the University of California, Davis website.
• Review the Global Warming whitepaper with comments (attached below).
• Review the PowerPoint presentations attached below.

Wednesday 2/27

• 8:30 & 9:30: Class meets in the DLC (Hicks Undergraduate Library Rm B853)

Friday 2/29

• DUE: Rough draft of White Paper - 1700-2000 words. All your written content, including citations, must be included in this rough draft. Each team must bring 5 stapled copies of their white paper to class.
• Post a Reading Response
• Post Weekly Project Log by class time. Refer again to the Project Log guidelines.

Week 9

Monday 3/3

• Continue working on white paper. Bring revised version (2 copies) to class for peer review.
• Peer Review: Document attached below.

Wednesday 3/5

• Review peer reviews your group received on Monday
• Bring 2 revised versions (per team) of white paper to class.

Friday 3/7

• Post a Reading Response
• DUE: Post Project Log before class. Again, refer to Project Log Guidelines.
• DUE: Final copy of white paper - one copy per group
• Oral Presentations will begin on Monday 3/17.

Next Week: Spring Break! Enjoy and see you on 3/17.

Week 10

Monday 3/17

• Oral Presentations

Wednesday 3/19

• Oral Presentations continued.
  
• If you did your oral presentation on Monday, your Collaboration Evaluation is due, typed, in complete sentences.
• Read Service Learning Project Description

Friday 3/21

• Resume/Letter Revisions Due
• If you did your oral presentation on Wednesday, your Collaboration Evaluation is due, typed, in complete sentences.
• Do research on possible organizations for Service Learning Project
• Read the Client Criteria
• Post a Reading Response.
• Write a blog post describing two possible clients. Explain why each would make a good client and what kind of documents you might be able to produce for them.

Week 11

Monday 3/24

• Have groups chosen for Service Learning Project (2-4 people per group)
• Read the following section on Proposals in PWOnline:
  Overview, The Rhetoric of Proposals, Types and Contexts of Proposals,
  Content and Organization, Proposal: Biomedical Engineering Design
  Project
• Read the Sample Student Proposal (attached below)
• Review the Proposal PowerPoint (attached below)

Wednesday 3/26

• Due : Group Deliverable 1: Short Memo
  This 300-word memo should inform the instructor of your group members, and
  suggest three organizations the group will contact and the kinds of projects/deliverables (needs) that the group is interested in undertaking. This will be composed before meeting with potential clients. In your memo, you should rank the organizations/businesses according to your first, second, and third choice and explain the reasons behind your ranking. This memo should reflect that you've done some research into each of the three organizations in order to anticipate what kind of materials they may be in need of (for example, don't just write that you'd like to work on their website if they've already got a great website). Refer again to the OWL's Guidelines for Writing a Memo. Do not set up meeting with client until I approve your choices.

Friday 3/28

• DUE: Project Log by class time - Remember, this time each group will post only one blog. Again, refer to Project Log guidelines
• Field Research day

Week 12

Monday 3/31

• Review readings from last week about proposals from PWOnline
• Continue working on securing a client/conducting first interview
• Read the article attached below (labeled Luntz.pdf)

Wednesday 4/2

• Have client secured no later than today; complete first interview by Friday
• Read this section on proposals and look at examples
• Read directions on how to create Gantt Chart
• Watch YouTube video on creating a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Excel 2007
• If you are using an older version of Excel, watch this YouTube video or do a Google search of "Gantt chart excel directions" and read the second result (it's a pdf)
• Review the sample Gantt chart (attached below)

Friday 4/4

• White Paper Revisions Due
• Complete first interview with client
• Watch 5 Steps to Project Success
• In PWOnline, read the following sections under Social and Cultural Issues:
  • Ethics and Professional Communication
  • Basic Principles of Ethics
  • Ethical Guidelines for Teamwork and Project Management
• DUE: team Project Log by class time

Week 13

Monday 4/7

• Due: 2-page Proposal for Service Learning Project

Wednesday 4/9

• In PWOnline read the following sections:
  • Copyright, Plagiarism, and Fair Use of Others' Writing
  • Gender in the Workplace
  • Ethics Editing Checklist
• Deliver Proposal to client

Friday 4/11

• DUE:  Team Project Log by class time. In addition to reporting on the progress you've made on the project this week, you will also answer the questions listed in the Client Meeting Report (attached below)
• Take a look at these templates from Microsoft - they might give you some ideas for your own documents

Week 14

Monday 4/14

• Read the Service Learning Oral Presentation PowerPoint (attached below)
• Review PowerPoint on Brochures and Flyers
• Group conferences (as time allows)
• Work on rough draft

Wednesday 4/16

• Group conferences (as time allows)
• Add to your list of peer review questions
• Read Rough Draft Peer Review document (attached below)
• Read the Rough Draft Peer Review Questions document (attached below)
• Read the following in PWOnline on Oral Presentations:
  • Overview
  • Informal Oral Presentations
  • Tips for Giving Oral Presentations
  • Worksheet: Evaluating Oral Presentations

Friday 4/18

• DUE: Weekly Project Log before class time
• DUE: Rough draft/peer review - bring two copies of each of your documents
• Group conferences (as time allows)

Week 15

Monday 4/21

• Meet with clients to formally present client documents (as scheduled)
• Oral Presentations:
  • Everyone should be ready to present.
  • Read Oral Presentation Review (document attached below) as a checklist for your oral presentation.
  • Also, review the PowerPoint on your Oral Presentations (attached below). This contains questions you could answer in your presentation.
• DUE: Final documents for Service Learning Project

Wednesday 4/23

• Meet with clients to formally present client documents (as scheduled)
• Oral Presentations
• Due: Hand in typed, stapled copies of the following two documents: Collaboration Evaluation & Project Assessment (document attached below). Remember, each of
  these documents is worth 5% of your overall project grade - please provide thoughtful answers.

Friday 4/25

• Meet with clients to formally present client documents (as scheduled)
• Course Evaluations
• Assignments returned and final course grades assigned.

Week 16

Exam schedule in effect. Class does not meet.

Project 1: Employment Project

During the Employment Project, you will learn strategies for seeking and securing employment, with particular attention to the documents people normally use to represent themselves and their prospects to potential employers (see "Deliverables" below). This project asks you to work individually, but there will also be chances for you to work with your peers to exchange ideas and feedback.

Project summary

You will be asked to locate a real and specific job for which you are qualified and prepare the application materials for it. If you already have a good job, you'll find one that would be an advance for you, then prepare application materials for that position. Step 1 of the project asks you to learn about and use various web-based resources for job seekers and ultimately to select one real job to pursue. Step 2 asks you to prepare a print resume suitable for that specific position. Step 3 asks you to prepare the all-important cover letter (i.e., "Job Application Letter"). In Step 4, you will assess your experience in a "Project Assessment Document." In the process of completing each step, you will work closely with your peers and me to shape your writing so that it represents you and your experience fully and effectively for the particular job to which you are applying.

*You will not simply create general documents (templates), but rather documents specifically tailored to the job you have chosen to apply for. This project focuses on teaching you the importance of making rhetorical choices that will help you be successful in the job hunt.

Deliverables

Step 1: Job Description and Rationale. Produce an exact copy of the job announcement, a one-paragraph description of the position in your own words, and a two-paragraph discussion of why you have chosen this position and why you believe you are qualified for it. Not counting the actual job announcement, Step 1 should be approximately 300-500 words in length.  For some guiding questions to consider, refer to the attachment at the bottom of the page (Job Description and Rationale).

Step 2: Print Resume. Your print resume (one or more pages in length, depending upon the type of job and the depth of your experience) should adapt features drawn from the samples discussed in class or available for review at the Online Writing Lab. It's critical that you shape your resume to the specific job you have chosen to apply for (that it's suited to the context), so be sure to include only the relevant aspects of your professional experience. As will be the case in the Job Application Letter, your writing needs to be error-free, concise, and presented in an easily readable format. Part of this step is generating references which are appropriate for the position, which will be presented professionally whether they are part of your resume or not.

Step 3: Job Application Letter. The job application letter (or "cover letter") is critical to your efforts to secure a job, perhaps as critical as your resume itself. For Project 1, your letter should be no longer than one or two pages (one is preferable in most cases), following the suggestions and models discussed during class. (See below under resources for more information.)

Step 4: Project Assessment Document. As you near the end of your work on the Employment Project, prepare a two-page overview and analysis of your deliverables and the process you used to complete them. Your Project Assessment Document should answer most of the following questions, each of which is tied to the major goals of the assignment:

Your Project Assessment Document is due when you turn in your completed Employment Project.

All four deliverables should be fully revised and submitted by the due date which can be found on the course calendar. The full project needs to be submitted in a manilla envelope.

Resources

Purdue's OWL
Purdue Center for Career Opportunities
The Riley Guide
To prepare, review the OWL tutorials: Resume Workshop (Powerpoint) and the Online Resume Tutorial

Grading

The Employment Project is worth 25% of your course grade. The breakdown for each of its components is as follows:

• Step 1: Job Description and Rationale 10%
• Step 2: Print Resume 40%
• Step 3: Job Application Letter 40%
• Step 4: Project Assessment Document 10%
• Total 100%

Grading criteria

When I assign a grade to your project, I will pay particular attention to see whether you have effectively adapted your documents to the job for which you have applied. Your writing will need to be precise, accurate, and well-suited to the context (the job/field) and to the rhetorical situation (in terms of tone, style, and content). In this case, a generic, catch-all resume and cover letter will not satisfy the requirements of the project and will result in a failing grade (e.g. using one you created in another class).

Really, your employment documents (resume and cover letter) should receive one of three grades: A = You will get the call for an interview, B = Your documents were put in the "read more closely" pile on the HR directors desk, and F = Your documents were thrown away and/or you get the rejection letter.

Project 2: White Paper Project

Project 2: White Papers and Presentations

During the White Paper Project, you will learn to identify ethical, controversial, or technological issues or problems relevant to a professional setting, to research and synthesize information, and to present that information in an objective fashion which calls your audience to action. Although this project involves some individual elements, the majority of the project is the result of collaboration.

Project Summary

In this project, groups of 3-4 members will be asked to do web-based and library research and then to write an informative white paper on methods for addressing (solutions) to a contemporary issue--which may be ethical, controversial, or unresolved. For instance, you might examine the electronic commerce, digital communication and workflow, and content management systems in business and educational contexts, p2p file sharing and copyright law, safety issues, identity theft, or a host of others. This research will result in a visually sophisticated (well-designed) document of 1700-2000 words that presents findings to appropriate audience(s) and rhetorical situation(s). Ultimately, you will propose THREE solutions to your issue, in an even-handed way. This will not be a compare and contrast paper where you campaign for one of the solutions. Rather, you will advocate EQUALLY for all three solutions. After producing the final draft of the white paper, groups will present their findings to the class in a brief and engaging oral presentation, complete with PowerPoint and handout(s).

White Paper. A white paper is an informative and definitive overview of a well-focused topic. White papers typically include an "Executive Summary," "Background Information," "Key Issues" or "Key Developments," "Resource List," and a number of other sections, depending on the nature of the subject matter (a chronology, remaining challenges, future prospects, etc.)

Rhetorical Situation: The primary audience for your white paper consists of readers who are concerned in implementing solutions to the problem you are addressing (there are many levels of audience). Though they are experts in their field, their awareness of the issue and their familiarity with the technology and policies needed to address the issue will vary based on particular audiences. The purpose of the white paper is to identify a problem and provide objective information which could lead to a solution if implemented.

Length and Format: The length of your white paper will depend somewhat on your choice of topics, but should be within 1700-2000 words (formatting will vary based on the design employed by each group, but every white paper should be visually sophisticated.)

Info About White Papers:

Learn to Write a White Paper

How to Design a White Paper

How to Write a White Paper by Michael Knowles

How to Write a White Paper – A White Paper on White Papers

OTHER ARTICLES (that support the persuasive nature of the white paper):

The Steak Behind the Sizzle: Effective Marketing Using White Papers

Creating White Papers that Drive Sales

Project Goals

This project emphasizes several important goals that all professional writers should bear in mind and that are consistent with those of the Professional Writing Program at Purdue. The White Paper Project emphasizes shaping research, writing, and design to very specific situations and purposes:

Writing in Context
Analyze professional cultures, social contexts, and audiences to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of writing, such as persuasion, organizational communication, and public discourse.

Writing Process
Develop and understand various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing documents that respond effectively and ethically to professional situations and audiences.

Collaboration
Learn and apply strategies for successful collaboration, such as working and communicating on-line with colleagues, setting and achieving project goals, and responding constructively to peers' work.

Research
Understand and use various research methods to produce professional documents, including analyzing professional contexts, assessing and using information resources, and determining how various media and technologies affect and are affected by users and readers.

Technology
Develop strategies for using and adapting various communication technologies to manage projects and produce informative and usable professional documents.

Document Design
Learn to argue with visual data, understanding and implementing various principles of format, layout, and design of professional documents that meet multiple user and reader needs.

Deliverables

There will be both group and individual deliverables for this project. Groups will be responsible for the following:

Group Deliverable 1: Proposal. You will have the opportunity to review individual proposals on Drupal and to discuss possibilities and form groups. Each group will turn in one hardcopy of a 250 word topic proposal, in the form of a memo. This memo will include information about the topic under consideration, the potential solutions to be examined, and possible resources. Follow the guidelines for memo writing outlined at Purdue's Owl. Remember that you are selling an idea -- this is a persuasive, not descriptive, document. This means presenting the problem or issue as worthy of consideration, and the solutions as relevant, while demonstrating the feasibility of the project within the parameters of the assignment.

Group Deliverable 2 and 3: Draft and Final Copy of White Paper. Each group will be required to have 5 hardcopies of their white paper (must be printed before class) in class for peer review. Remember that a draft is a complete version.

Group Deliverable 4: Presentation. Each group will present their material to the class in a professional presentation. Presentations will run 10-12 minutes. They must include multimedia elements and be accompanied by a handout. Each group member will be expected to take part in the presentation. **NOTE: Your multimedia element can be anything from a PowerPoint to a slide show to a video - however, it must be something that your group has produced yourselves.

Individuals within groups will be responsible for the following deliverables:

Individual Deliverable 1: Drupal Group Forum. Each individual will post a project topic on the blog (professionally written with a subject heading Topic Proposal: ____ ). Every student will then respond to other posts to ensure that they have negotiated a topic and a group.

Individual Deliverable 2: Drupal Research & Work(b)log. Each individual will be required to keep a blog which a) records their research and b) details their contributions to the project. Each student will be expected to have four research posts with annotations. Worklogs will be updated weekly until the project concludes.

Individual Deliverable 3: Project Assessment. An important component of your project is successful collaboration. Each member will reflect on their participation in the project and on the experience of working in a group. Collaborative evaluation form attached below as a word document - type your answers in this document and turn in the class after your group presentation.

Grading

The White Paper Project breakdowns as follows:

Group D 1: Proposal: 5%
Group D 2: White Paper Draft: 5%
Group D 3: White Paper Final: 50%
Group D 4: Presentation: 25%

Individual D 1: Discussion Board / Topic Negotiation: 5%
Individual D 2: Research & WorkBlog: 5%
Individual D 3: Assessment: 5%

Grading Criteria

When I assign a grade to your project, I will pay particular attention to see whether your white paper is informative and accurate and that you avoid as much as possible arguing a particular position. You should strive for a balance of perspectives and accurate coverage of a focused topic. The point is not to advocate for a position or "pamphleteer," but to establish a foundation of knowledge about the subject that future students and researchers will find useful. I will also weigh your feedback on the Collaborative Project Evaluation form attached at the bottom of the page.

More White Paper Resources:

Sample White Paper (fairly short)

Sample White Paper #2

Project 3: Client-Based Service Learning Project

Project 3: Client-Based Service Learning Project

Thus far, you have produced several rhetorical documents, both as individuals and as groups. You have created text and images in order to persuade various audiences of decision makers. In the Employment Project, you created resumes and cover letters with fairly straightforward arguments: “I am the best person for a particular position in a particular organization.” That is, you should decide to give me the job.

In the White Paper project, you faced a more complex rhetorical situation. White papers have to begin by convincing the audiences that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Then, they have to anticipate objections and propose viable solutions. All the while, the white paper has to spur the audience to action. Unlike the employment project, however, the white paper project required collaboration not only within your groups, but also with the audience you imagined for the project. Though the paper did not address an actual audience, it still had to address stakeholders with varying background knowledge, interests, and power.

Project Summary

For this project, groups of 2-4 members will be asked to locate a real world client and negiotiate a reasonable and mutually beneficial writing project which will be completed by the end of the semester. In working with community members, students will operate in a real world writing environment that requires collaboration with their group, their organization, and their instructor to complete the project by semester's end. It is each group's responsibility to establish their own client and project, though all clients and projects are subject to instructor approval. The instructor will veto any project for an organization which has individuals from the group as members or employees, as well as organizations which have formal marketing departments. The instructor will also veto any project for an organization that has an individual from the group as a family member/close friend. Students are encouraged to work with non-profit organizations, academic departments, and small businesses. Clients must be in the West Lafayette/Lafayette community. Past projects included the following:

• A brochure for an after school program
• A policy manual for Humane Society
• A press release for a charity event
• A marketing campaign for a coffeeshop live music series
• A market analysis and series of flyers for a campus club membership drive
• A promotion for an academic department guest speaker
• Internal policy documents for a departmental office
• A website for an organization
• Product or service description

It is crucial that projects are appropriate in length and content. The project needs to take roughly six weeks to produce, so project options too small or ambitious may need some revision. It is also crucial that the project is mutually beneficial; the work needs to be of importance to the organization and educational for the students. For potential organizations, check out the United Way, Purdue's website, or the Journal and Courier List of Lafayette Organizations.

Project Goals

This project emphasizes several important goals that all professional writers should bear in mind and that are consistent with those of Professional Writing at Purdue. The Public Document Project emphasizes the collaborative writing process in context. It will include research specific of the organization and will require appropriate technology in producing a document designed to meet the organization's specific needs:

Writing in Context Analyze professional cultures, social contexts, and audiences to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of writing, such as persuasion, organizational communication, and public discourse.

Writing Process Develop and understand various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing documents that respond effectively and ethically to professional situations and audiences.

Collaboration Learn and apply strategies for successful collaboration, such as working and communicating on-line with colleagues, setting and achieving project goals, and responding constructively to peers' work.

Research Understand and use various research methods to produce professional documents, including analyzing professional contexts, assessing and using information resources, and determining how various media and technologies affect and are affected by users and readers.

Technology Develop strategies for using and adapting various communication technologies to manage projects and produce informative and usable professional documents.

Document Design Learn to argue with visual data, understanding and implementing various principles of format, layout, and design of professional documents that meet multiple user and reader needs.

Deliverables

There will be both group and individual deliverables for this project, though group work composes the majority of the project and grade.

Groups will be responsible for the following:

Group Deliverable 1: Short Memo
This 300-word memo should inform the instructor of your group members, and suggest three organizations the group will contact and the kinds of projects/deliverables (needs) that the group is interested in undertaking. This will be composed before meeting with potential clients.

Group Deliverable 2: Formal Proposal
In this detailed, 2 page project proposal, groups will propose and plan out the scope and specifics of their project. Each group proposal will serve two functions: to inform the instructor of the project so that it may be approved, and to serve as a contract between the group and client. A copy will be delivered to the client after approval by the instructor. Remember that this is a persuasive document serving multiple functions for multiple audiences. Ultimately, this document is written to your client, not me. This proposal must include the following elements:

• Name of organization.
• Contact information of the organization, which includes:
  • Name of your contact person
  • Address of the organization
  • Phone number
  • Email address of your contact
  • Website URL (if applicable)
• Goals/Mission Statement of the organization.

The proposal should also address project goals and deliverables:

• The deliverables determined by group and client.
• The intended audience for the deliverables.
• Established deadlines (meetings, drafts, final submission, etc).
• The intended process, detailed timetable, and group division of labor (in a completed Gantt chart)
• Research completed so far towards the project.
• Research still necessary to complete the project.
• Resources needed to complete the project (technological, research, etc).

Group Deliverable 3: Weekly Progress Posts
Every week, each group will post updates to the Forums that inform the instructor of their progress on the project. These posts should include tasks completed, meetings conducted with group and client (if necessary), any problems encountered, and goals for the following week. Posts should also evaluate group progress in regard to the timetable established in the proposal.

Group Deliverable 4: Rough Draft
A rough draft of the project which meets standards for a draft negiotiated between group and client. Drafts will be turned in one week prior to submission to client. (Drafts should be submitted to clients after conferences.)

Group Deliverable 5: Presentation
Your presentation to the class serve as the "practice run" for the presentation of your materials to your client. Therefore, you should do everything in front of the class that you plan on doing when you go to your client's business/organization to present them with your final project (this includes what you plan to wear, hand out, and explain about the materials you've produced for them). You will not be allowed to do a PowerPoint presentation. You need to focus on communicating an idea - explain what the company/organization can do with your materials, how to change them in the future, and even what you learned from working with them.

Group Deliverable 6: Final Project
A final project submitted to instructor for evaluation and comment. This will be submitted to instructor before submission to client.

Individual Deliverable 1: Project Assessment Document
A final project assessment submitted to instructor.

Individual Deliverable 2: Peer Evaluation Collaboration Form
Attached.

Grading Percentages:

• Group Deliverable 1: 6%
• Group Deliverable 2: 8%
• Group Deliverable 3: 8%
• Group Deliverable 4: 6%
• Group Deliverable 5: 20%
• Group Deliverable 6: 40%
• Individual Deliverable 1: 6%
• Individual Deliverable 2: 6%

Grading Criteria
The final documents will be graded on how well they meet client needs and professional writing standards. Because of the unique nature of the project, groups will be graded based on a specific set of standards created for their project. These standards will vary greatly between projects, and are partly the result of negiotiations between client, groups, and instructor. Projects cannot be revised after final evaluation. The ultimate goal of this project is to produce deliverables that your clients will actually use, so it will be graded with that in mind.