Course Description

Overview

English 421 helps students become better technical communicators, whose work is characterized by the presentation of technical material in written and visual formats that are user centered and aware of audience and context. The course and its principles are grounded in rhetorical theory and informed by current research in technical communication.

Communication across multiple audiences and for multiple purposes continues to be a desired skill set in technical and professional fields. Beyond field-specific knowledge and experience, successful and ethical communication drives the professional world. This class, in content and form, models these successful communication practices. Working individually and in groups, students learn effective strategies for communicating about and with technology, particularly in networked workplaces and through usability testing. To achieve success in this course, students must display the ability to succeed in their future workplaces by developing a variety of informative and visually effective print and electronic documents.

Required Texts

Professional Writing Online 3rd Edition, by Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Patricia Sullivan, and James Porter. Pearson Education, Inc., 2009 will be our course text. It is available at University Book Store and Follet's or online. Be sure to purchase unopened copies of the guide because used password codes are not transferable. Keep your receipt in case your password fails to work and see me immediately. Passwords cannot be shared.

ENGL 42100 Course Pack, which is available at CopyMat.

Goals

Writing in Context

• Analyze the invention, manufacture, and distribution of technologies in context and use writing to communicate these attributes in a variety of media and genres.
• Write to the different levels of technical expertise of a range of audiences and stakeholders to foster technical understanding.
• Understand the ethical implications of working within the nexus of technology and culture.

Project Management

• Understand, develop and deploy various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing documents both individually and collaboratively.
• Select and use appropriate technologies that effectively and ethically address professional situations and audiences.
• Build professional ethos through documentation and accountability.

Document Design
Make rhetorical design decisions about technical documents including

• understanding and adapting to genre conventions and expectations of a range of audiences including both technical and non-technical audiences
• understanding and implementing design principles of format and layout
• interpreting and arguing with design
• drafting, researching, testing, revising visual design and information architecture
• ensuring the technical accuracy of visual content

Teamwork
Learn and apply strategies for successful teamwork, such as

• working online with colleagues to determine roles and responsibilities
• managing team conflicts constructively
• responding constructively to peers' work
• soliciting and using peer feedback effectively
• achieving team goals

Research
Understand and use the research methods and strategies necessary to the production of professional documents, including

• working ethically with research participants, subject matter experts, and technical experts
• locating, evaluating, and using print and online information selectively for particular audiences and purposes
• triangulating sources of evidence
• selecting appropriate primary research methods such as interviews, observations, focus groups, and surveys to collect data
• applying concepts of usability research, such as user-centered design

Technology
Use and evaluate the writing technologies frequently used in the workplace, such as emailing, instant messaging, image editing, video editing, presentation design and delivery, HTML editing, Web browsing, content management, and desktop publishing technologies.

Projects and Activities

1. Application Project 

You will be asked to locate a job for which you are qualified and apply for it. You will be asked to use various web-based resources for job seekers and ultimately to select one job or internship to pursue. For this project, you will produce a job application letter, a job ad resume, and a general/job fair resume. In the process of completing each step, you will work closely with your peers and your instructor to shape your writing so that it represents you and your experience fully and effectively, given the rhetorical circumstances.

2. White Paper Project

A white paper is a common report genre in the professional world. White papers are used in business, industrial, and governmental contexts to sum up the gist of what’s known about a subject. During this project you will learn about

• the white paper genre through collaborative creation of a white paper.
• new writing and communication technologies that support technical writing in college and industry, with attention to open source and other freely available software or writing spaces (online networks, blogging, etc.)
• collaboration, project management, and strategies for writing and revising.

For this project, you will work in teams to produce a proposal memo, in which you propose your topic to me, a white paper, and a client letter, in which to explain your reasons for writing a sending your white paper to your client.

3. Usability Study and User Documentation Project

For project 3, you will work in teams on a client-based service-learning project that teaches you to manage complex writing challenges in real contexts that matter. You will learn principles of project management, collaboration, document cycling, usability testing and study, and client-based research. Because you will work with real clients--either in the community or online, you will also learn important principles of professional and ethical communication. The goal will be to start with the white paper produced already this semester and then, after user-testing and usability study, produce a user-guide that teaches a critical and (perhaps) complex application of the technology to an interested client. You will begin the project by thinking of and contacting clients who may benefit from having your report, which will consist of several components. You and your team will produce a usability report, a user-guide, and a presentation for your client.

Assessment

Technology Requirements

n order to participate fully in the course, you should already be able to use the technology platform and applications listed below.

• Mac OS X or Windows XP or Vista
• Microsoft Office for the PC or Mac (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) or Apple counterparts (Pages, Keynote, Numbers)
• Web Browser (e.g., Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer)
• Email Program (e.g., Purdue Webmail, Outlook, Thunderbird, Gmail, etc.)
• Adobe Acrobat and Reader (for PDF documents, collaborative review)

Collaborative Work

Collaborative work is required in the professional workplace. You and your team members are responsible for updating one another and me about project development and progress. In addition, you also are responsible for negotiating together all aspects of your work, including planning, drafting, revising, file managing, and scheduling of assignments. Every team member in the group will receive the same grade unless there is an extenuating circumstance. If there are any problems in your group, I expect the team to handle it internally. If this does not correct the situation, contact me, and I will intervene.

Attendance

Attendance is required at all scheduled meetings. Since you will be working in teams for much of the semester, it is important that you are present and contributing to your group projects. Excused absences may be granted for religious holidays or university-sponsored events, provided you make a written request to me no less than two weeks in advance and that you complete any required work before the due date. Absences and excessive tardiness will lower your participation grade.

Integrity

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! Plagiarism includes any quote, paraphrase, or duplication from a source that is not referenced. This is a major offense that Purdue University and the professional writing program take very seriously. It will result in your failure of the course, and you will be referred to the dean's office.

Late Work

Late work will not be accepted unless arrangements have been made prior to its being due.