Calendar

Follow the links at the bottom of this page for a schedule of assignments for each week this semester. Within each week, you will find daily listings of assignments. Each bullet point for the day is a different task for you to complete. Unless specifically noted otherwise, all assignments are to be completed before class on the day listed.

This course calendar may be updated throughout the semester. I'll notify you about any major changes, but you are still responsible for keeping up with the current schedule.

IMPORTANT: You must visit all of the links provided within the course calendar. There are many links to follow and read. Make sure you visit all of them. Some links provide easy access to other parts of the class site which will help you in your assignments. Some links are to required readings. Others provide you with detailed instructions on completing the assignments. Eventually, you may come to know the instructions which supplement assignments that are repeated throughout the course, but it's still a good idea to continue to revisit the instructions to make sure that you are satisfying all of the requirements.

Week 1

By Monday, January 7, at midnight

  • If you have not done so already, read Welcome to English 421Y, Technical Writing (Distance Learning).
  • Complete Getting Started 1: Registering on the Site
  • Review carefully the Course Description, paying particular attention to all requirements. It is important that you become very familiar with the course policies so you can understand what is expected of you in this class. It might be best if you read through the course description twice; ignorance of the course policies will not be an excuse for failure to properly complete an assignment. Please do not fall behind on the first day. This course will proceed at a quick pace, so don't wait a few days to get going!
  • Read Learning to Navigate the Site. Then explore the class website. Make sure that you login; some class website features are not available to guests. It'll be easier as we move forward if you take the time now to explore. Get familiar with where things are located, which links take you further into the class website and which take you outside to other resources.
  • Read through the rest of this page so that you know when assignments are due the rest of the week.

By Wednesday, January 9, at midnight

  • Now that you have had a chance to read the course description and explore the class website, email your instructor with a note letting him or her know that you have finished registering for the course. Your email should include a subject line, a greeting, a short message, and your real (full) name. It is important that you complete this task so that you know how to get in touch with your instructor.
  • Complete Getting Started 2: Logging in for the First Time and Getting Started 3: Editing Your Account for the First Time
  • Review How to Post to Your Individual Weblog and then "How to Post Comments and Replies"
  • The instructor will create a post on the course home page inviting everyone to introduce themselves. Post a comment to that post in which you
    • describe where you are from
    • give your course of study and year
    • talk about your career goals
    • tell what you would like to get out of this course
    • 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.

By Friday, January 11, at midnight

  • You should have purchased the course textbook by today: The Thomson Handbook (Comprehensive Edition), by David Blakesley and Jeffrey L. Hoogeveen. Boston: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. This book is available at local bookstores and may also be purchased online (e.g., through Amazon, here). You can buy the hardcover or paperback versions.

Reading

  • Familiarize yourself with the content and structure of The Thomson Handbook. Scan the frontmatter (including the the table of contents) and the backmatter (the "Glossary of Web Terms" and the "Glossary of Usage") so that you know what the book contains.

Check out Week 2. No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 2

Week 2

By Monday, January 14 at midnight

Employment Project

  • Read the Employment Project description. You can ask questions about the project by adding a new comment to the assignment. Try to answer your own question before posting it too hastily.

Reading

  • "Writing for Business and the Workplace" (TH, 217-220; TH is the abbreviation for The Thomson Handbook and will be used henceforth)
  • Read the sample job ad and student response in The Thomson Handbook (p. 223-24).

By Wednesday, January 16 at midnight.

Peer Review

No peer review this week. We will begin peer reviews with the Job Ad Analysis in Week 3 , and continue with peer reviews throughout the semester.

Reading

  • To support your understanding of this first major project, look ahead through Chapter 12 in The Thomson Handbook, "Writing for Business and the Workplace" (220-238). We will return to individual sections throughout the Employment and subsequent projects.
  • Read Gareth's Tips on Sucks-Less Writing

Reading Response

  • Post a reading response. Suggested Prompts: 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? Since this is your first time, you'll want to follow the tutorial for using the class site software, How to Post to Your Individual Weblog. Use the tag "Reading Response" in the category field.

By Friday, January 18 at midnight

Employment Project

  • Step 1: Skills Inventory, Job Description and Job Ad Analysis . Start this step by completing the Job Search Activity 12-1 (p. 221) in The Thomson Handbook. In a blog post, respond to each of the questions with a few sentences or a list.
  • Begin research to find two job ads in your area of interest. Internships are good possibilities for some people. Review the Job Search Resources at the Professional Writing website and the Purdue Center for Career Opportunities.

Reading

  • "Networking with Others on the Web" (TH, Chapter 28 , pages 621-40).

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

Check out Week 3 . No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 3

Monday, January 21 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

By Wednesday, January 23 at midnight

Activity

Using the resources listed on page 222 of The Thomson Handbook ("Using Print, Campus and Internet Resources"), find two job ads, produce an exact copy of each, then select one that you would apply for. Put the ads in a blog post (use cut-and-paste; provide a URL also if the ad has complex components that don't copy well). In a new blog post (tag=Employment Project Step 1 Drafts), complete the Job Ad Analysis form. Copy the questions into your blog post and then answer them.

Reading

Reading Response

Post a reading response by Wednesday at midnight. Suggested Prompts: You might also describe one instance when you sent an email message that worked wonders or that proved to be a huge mistake. What happened? Why? Which of the "Ten Habits of Successful Emailers" seemed to be missing? How does emailing differ from text messaging, and why do you think email is used more frequently in business and industry for project management? How might Gareth's tips apply to emailing?

By Friday, January 25 at midnight

Peer Review

Write two responses to job ads and analyses posted to your peers' blogs. Respond only to posts that have no or at most one response. What aspects of the job seem most important to you? Which criteria will be hardest to meet? Does it sound like a good job to you?

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

Check out Week 4 . No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 4

By Monday, January 28 at midnight

Reading

  • Read about the rhetorical concept of kairos ("the right or opportune time to speak or write") in Kairos and the Cover Letter, which includes some exaggerated approaches that you should avoid in your cover letters.
  • Read "Preparing the Cover Letter" and "Parts of the Cover Letter" (TH, pp. 224-225).

By Wednesday, January 30 at midnight

  • Step 1 of the Employment Project should now be completed. Your weblog should contain your job search activity/inventory, your two jobs ads, and your job ad analysis.

Reading Response

  • In a blog post, write a short cover letter that exaggerates an approach (or approaches), as discussed in the readings for Monday. Then write a few sentences about why this approach likely wouldn't work very well.

By Friday, February 1 at midnight

Step 2 of the Employment Project: Post a draft of your job application letter to your blog by today. Your letter should be attached to a blog post that includes a cover note that follows guidelines for Eliciting Good Response and the PDF version of the letter. (Read these directions for converting your documents to PDF format if you have any questions about the process.) Use the tag "Job Application letter." Review the sample in The Thomson Handbook, p 225. Your letter should be context-specific and should contain the required five parts (heading, greeting, opening, persuasion, closing) in the format shown.

Peer Review

As cover letter drafts are posted, complete your Peer Review of Job Application Letters using these directions. You will need to complete two reviews.

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. You need five (5) for this week.

Check out Week 5 . No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, email the instructor.

Week 5

By Monday, February 4 at midnight

Reading

Employment Project

Continue drafting your resume. Your printable 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 Thomson Handbook and from those available for review at the Online Writing Lab. It's critical that you shape your resume to the specific job or internship 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 in the Job Application Letter, your writing needs to be error-free, concise, and presented in an easily readable format.

Wednesday, February 6, by midnight.

Employment Project

Post your resume draft to your blog as a PDF attachment to a blog message that explains the nature of the attachment and invites peer feedback. Read these directions for converting your documents to PDF format if you have any questions about the process. You should also review the principles, guidelines, and resume samples in The Thomson Handbook (Chapter 12, pages 226-232). Pay special attention to the Project Checklist "Evaluating Your Resume's Content" and "Evaluating Your Resume's Design" on pages 228-229. Ask yourself these questions as you prepare your final draft.

Reading Response
  • In a reading response content type, write 300 words based on these questions. Why do you think it's important for the form and content of a resume to change for different rhetorical situations? What are the drawbacks of submitting a "one-size-fits-all" resume with every application?

Friday, February 8, by midnight.

  • Post a blog about the aspects of your letter and resume that you need to update and revise for the final due next Friday. This will serve as preliminatry writing for the Project Assessment Document draft due on Monday. ** Take a look at feedback you have so far from your peers.

Peer Review

  • Complete two Peer Resume Responses to students' resume drafts. If there are already a number of responses to resume drafts, please respond to someone whose draft hasn't gotten any responses yet -- or, if everyone's been covered, choose someone whose draft has gotten just one response.

 

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. You need five (5) for this week.

Check out Week 6. No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, email the instructor.

 

Week 6

By Monday, February 11 at midnight

Submit Draft of Employment Project Project Assessment (Step 4)

Readings on Metacognitive Writing

By Wednesday, February 13 at midnight

Reading Response
Consider the role of metacognitive writing in previous writing experiences and to this class's focus on the writing process. Next, consider the importance of feedback and response in relation to metacognitive writing. Also, how can freewriting help with metacognitive writing?? Procrastination is already a topic in some of the comment threads, so this response can end with a synthesis of how metacognitive writing and feedback relate to procrastination.

Peer Review

Complete one Peer Review of Project Assessment document using these guidelines.

By Friday, February 15 at midnight

Be sure to begin completing Employment Project Posting Checklist, which is due on Monday, February 18. See Kevin's blog post on the checklist here.

Step 4: Project Assessment Document due: Submit a two-page overview and analysis of your deliverables and the process you used to complete them. Your Project Assessment Document should answer the questions in Step 4 of the Employment Project, each of which is tied to the major goals of the assignment.

Employment Project Due

By tonight at midnight, you should post ONE (1) pdf file that contains your final cover letter, resume and project assessment to the blog. Your cover note should include links to your Step 1 documents as well. Read these directions for converting your documents to PDF format if you have any questions about the process.


Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. You need five (5) for this week.

Check out Week 7. No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, email the instructor.

Week 7

By Monday, February 18 at midnight

Reading

By Wednesday, February 20 at midnight

Reading

Reading Response

In the readings on Web 2.0, follow some links in the articles to learn more about Web 2.0 softwares. With this basic research and knowledge, write about half of your response in regards to these programs and your experiences with them. (If you can't think of any, this website is Web 2.0). You can also mention any other softwares you've used or experienced that are Web 2.0. In the second half of your response, offer some ideas about what you'd like to write about for the Illustrated Instructions project. Also give some background on your software knowledge and experiences. I'll use this response to put the class into groups of two for the project.

By Friday, February 22 at midnight

Project Two

  • Upon receiving an email from Kevin, make contact with your partner. Start deciding on a program that you'll write about.
  • Complete a project log

Reading

Project Log

  • Complete 100-200 words about Week 7

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. You need five (5) for this week.

Check out Week 8. No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, email the instructor.

Week 8

By Monday, February 25 at midnight

Project Two

Continue generating ideas for your project.

Sign up for chat conference with Kevin. Times available on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

 

By Wednesday, February 27 at midnight

Project Two

  • Submit Proposal to blog

Reading

Reading Response

In your reading response, synthesize the readings we've had so far on group work. Write about how these readings have changed your views on group. Write about previous group work experiences. In the last part, define what roles you'll fill in the Project Two.

By Friday, February 29 at midnight

Peer Review

  • Each individual should comment on two proposals. Offer feedback and advice in 100-200 words. Incorporate any of their relevant ideas or practices into your own group.

Reading

Project Log

  • Complete 100-200 words about Week 8

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 9

By Monday, March 3 at midnight

Project Two

  • Complete an individual draft of the instructions. Each group member should post their 1-2 page draft to their blog.

Reading

  • Thompson Handbook: p. 557-570

Peer Review

  • Each individual should comment on two proposals. Offer feedback and advice. Incorporate any of their relevant ideas or practices into your own group.
  • Look at one draft from another student and offer 100 words of comments and responses.

By Wednesday, March 5 at midnight

Reading

Project Two

  • Submit draft of Usability Test. The final Usability Test should be about a page long, with a short introduction, and can be a mix of 8 to 10 guidelines or questions. Ultimately, the document should guide your testers and elicit necessary feedback. Attach document to a blog post. Add questions about your concerns for your reviewers. In the blog post, answer these questions to help your reviewers:
    • What are you most worried about in your instructions?
    • What area will possibly cause confusion?
    • Do you assess that in your usability test?
    • What would you like feedback on for the usability test.

By Friday, March 7 at midnight

Reading

Reading Response

For this reading response, write about your past experiences with instructions and the value of effective visual content. Then, use our readings as a reference point in genereating your own ideas on effective visual content. Finally, end your reading response with a brief list of visual content that you'll need for your illustrated instructions.

Peer Review

  • Each individual should complete one peer review of Usability Test. Reply to the concerns and questions that they raised in their blog post.

Project Log

  • Complete 100-200 words about Week 9

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 10

Spring Break 

Week 11

By Monday, March 17 at midnight

Reading

  • Thompson Handbook: 723-729, 866-887 (esp. 884-887)

Project Two

  • Begin finalizing Usability Test
  • Continue Instructions draft

By Wednesday, March 19 at midnight

Project Two

  • Submit draft of instructions via attachment in blog post. In blog post, include the text of your completed Usability Test.

Reading

Reading Response

  • Based on the revision checklist and the readings on sentences and verbs, craft your own guide to what makes effective instructions. Since you've completed a draft, this will be a good exercise in applying what you've learned and generating a framework to follow in revision.

By Friday, March 21 at midnight

Usability Test

  • Each group should complete a Usability Test for another group. Download their instructions, work through the instructions and mark any problem areas. Answer their Usability Test questions in a reply and attach the draft you commented on.

Project Two

  • Respond to any usability test replies that your may have.
  • Begin incorporating feedback.
  • Consider work plan blog post for Monday, March 24

Reading

Project Log

  • Complete 100-200 words about Week 11

 

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 12

By Monday, March 24 at midnight

Project Two

  • Post a blog with a work plan of what you need to work on to finish revisions of your project. Each individual should post a blog.
  • Attach final instructions and project revisions memo to a blog post from one group member. Each blog post should include:
    • a brief cover note introducing the project.
    • a link to your UsabilityTest
    • a link to your Proposal
  • Email completed Illustrated Instructions Peer and Project Evaluation to Kevin

Reading

  • Review readings on illustrated instructions project, revision, and metacognitive writing.

By Wednesday, March 26 at midnight

Project Three

Project Two

  • Attach final instructions and project revisions memo to a blog post from one group member. Each blog post should include:
    • a brief cover note introducing the project.
    • a link to your UsabilityTest
    • a link to your Proposal

By Friday, March 28 at midnight

Project Two

Reading

  • Thompson Handbook: Chapter 29

Reading Response

  • The goal of this reading response is to respond to the ideas in Chapter 29 and how they will apply to this project. Also, generate some ideas on possible clients and what aspects of Web 2.0 they can use. I will use these responses to put people into groups.

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 13

By March 31, at midnight

Project Three

  • Get into groups

Project Two

  • Submit Project Two Checklist

Reading

  • Thompson Handbook: Chapter 32

By Wednesday, April 2, at midnight

Project Three

  • Chat about clients and topics
  • Contact clients
  • Post your client contact email in a blog (AFTER your group chats with Kevin)

Reading

Reading Response

  • Respond to the Nielsen columns and how that has changed your perspectives on the project, Web 2.0, and usability studies and user documentation in general. For the final half, incorporate the readings and the chat to produce a individual brainstorm session for your clients' needs and the deliverables that you will produce.

By Friday, April 4, at midnight

Project Three

  • Continue efforts to contact and finalize clients
  • Begin proposal and individual usability study

Reading

  • Review Chapters 10 and 12 in the Thompson Handbook

Project Log

  • Complete a Project Log

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 14

By Monday, April 7, at midnight

Project Three

  • Finalize client
  • Post a draft of the group proposal
  • Post a draft of each Individual's Usability Study

Reading

By Wednesday, April 9, at midnight

Reading

Reading Response

  • In the first half, consider some of the more pointless PowerPoint (or other programs) presentations (you've encountered over the years of your education or other experiences). How were the slides designed?? All text and few pictures?? Cluttered with text?? What stands out to your as the most pointless features of pointless powerpoints?? In the next half, consider how you can use these programs in a stand-alone presentation.

Peer Review

  • Post one comment on an Individual Usability Study draft
  • Post one comment on Group Proposal Draft

By Friday, April 11, at midnight

Project Three

Reading

Project Log

  • Complete a Project Log

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.



Week 15

By Monday, April 14, at midnight

Project Three

  • Submit Individual Usability Study in blog

Reading

Peer Review

  • Add two (2) comments to other groups' proposals, offering feedback on their clients, softwares and work plans.

By Wednesday, April 16, at midnight

Reading Response

  • Consider how Keynote or Captivate (or non-PowerPoint programs) can be used more effectively for multimedia presentations? Finally, how can you use these programs, including PowerPoint, for your Multimedia Presentation?

Project Three

  • Continue work on Usability Report

Peer Review

  • Respond to other group members' Individual Usability Studies

By Friday, April 18, at midnight

Project Three

  • Submit Usability Report
  • Continue work on User Documentation Draft and Multimedia Presentation draft

Reading

  • Review help guides and tutorials in your chosen program

Project Log

  • Complete a Project Log

Continue posting comments and replies using Principles for Comments and Replies. Please follow the guidelines for effective blog responding as discussed in this chapter. You need five (5) for this week, so respond to reading posts that have been promoted to our front page. For reference on how to do this, review How to Post Comments and Replies. Your posts should adhere to the guidelines for networking in online forums listed in the Project Checklist (TH, page 627).

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Week 16

By Monday, April 21, at midnight

Project Three

  • Continue work on User Documentation Draft and Multimedia Presentation draft

Peer Review

  • Each individual should respond to one other group's Usability Report. Comment on areas that will be especially useful for the upcoming deliverables.

By Wednesday, April 23, at midnight

Reading Response

  • None this week

Project Three

  • Post drafts of User Documentation and Multimedia Presentation. In the blog, include a cover note with a few questions to guide your peers and their responses.

By Friday, April 25, at midnight

Project Three

  • Continue revising final deliverables

Peer Review

  • Each individual should respond to a User Documentation draft and a Multimedia Presentation draft.

Project Log

  • Complete a Project Log
Finish up any comments from last week.

No later than today, you should read through the course calendar for the following week. Make sure that you understand all of the assignments. If you have any questions, contact the instructor.

Finals Week


By Wednesday, April 30, at midnight

Project Three