English 421K, Technical Writing

During the Instructions and Usability Project, you will learn strategies for planning, researching, and drafting usable instructions for a diverse range of audiences. 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 in your blogs and in workshops.

Project Prompt and Summary

For this project, you will draft an instruction set for a device/software of your choice that focuses on the following key rhetorical concepts in technical communication:

• Assessing rhetorical situations
• Cross-cultural readers and contexts
• Using style in instructions
• Organizing and designing instructions
• Usability testing
• Revising and editing technical descriptions for accuracy

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. In the Instructions and Usability Project, you will learn to shape your writing for very specific situations and purposes:

Writing in Context

• Writing for a range of defined audiences and stakeholders

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 workplace documents, including

• Understanding and adapting to genre conventions and audience expectations
• Understanding and implementing design principles of format and layout
• Drafting, researching, testing, and revising visual designs and information architecture

Teamwork
Learn and apply strategies for successful teamwork and collaboration, such as

• Working online with colleagues
• Providing peer feedback

Research
In addition to incorporating traditional research activities, you will learn and use research methods such as performing observations and drafting field notes.

Deliverables

• Memorandum for Instructions
• Draft of Instructions
• Usability Assessment
• Final Draft of Instructions
• Project Assessment
• Peer Reviews of ALL documents

Grading

The Instructions and Usability Project is worth 30% of your course grade. The breakdown for each of its components is as follows:

• Memorandum for Instructions (15%)
• Draft of Instructions (10%)
• Usability Assessment(15%)
• Final Draft of Instructions (40%)
• Project Assessment (20%)

Grading Criteria

When grading your project, your instructor will pay particular attention to see whether you have effectively adapted your documents to the audience(s) that will read your instructions. Your writing will need to be precise, accurate, and well-suited to the context and to the rhetorical occasion (in terms of tone, style, and content).

Revision

You will have opportunities to revise your work during the project via peer and instructor feedback. Accordingly, you should use your class and workshop time wisely during the project to ensure you are receiving appropriate feedback for your work from both your peers and your instructor.