San Jos� State University Department of English and Comparative Literature English 107�Professional Technical Writing, Spring 2011 Instructor: Kelly Harrison Office: FO222, 924-4496 Section: 1 T/Th 4:30 - 5:45, CL 111-incubator Office hours: T/Th 10-11:30am, after class, Wed by appointment Email: kelly.harrison@sjsu.edu Website: www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harrison REQUIRED TEXTS, WEBSITES, AND MATERIALS � Technical Communication in the Twenty-first Century, Sidney Dobrin et al. ISBN 978-0-13-117288-3 � http://www.prenhall.com/dobrin/ � Microsoft Office or Open Office (available from Spartan Bookstore, student discount) � College-level dictionary � Lined binder paper, 8.5x11, for in-class writing. � Blue or black pens for in-class writing, colored pen (green, purple) for workshops � Internet access and email, flash drive strongly recommended PREREQUISITES � English 1A/B � Upper-division standing � Strongly recommended: English 100W, English 106 COURSE DESCRIPTION English 107 introduces you to the techniques, demands, and responsibilities specific to the field of Technical Communications. You will learn to prepare and present technical information effectively and efficiently to both general and specialized audiences. This course requires substantial work outside of class time. A typical 3-unit class demands 9 hours of homework per week. Consider this a minimum! LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Students will learn to assess information/documentation needs for varying technical audiences. 2. Students will learn how to apply for jobs, interview, and create resumes, curriculum vitae, and cover letters, and they�ll explore the field of technical communications, professional organizations, and standards, and career development 3. Students will learn to write concise and detailed instructions, procedures, and processes, including appropriate use of lists (numbered and bulleted). 4. Students will learn styles, tones, grammar, and usage appropriate for technical documents. 5. Students will understand the general principles and processes for writing technical documents, including ethical and legal responsibilities, use of graphics, design elements for page layouts and online media, and modern production cycles. 6. Students will learn approaches to research for technical documentation, including interviewing SMEs and accessing equipment. 7. Students will learn methods, approaches, and skills used by professional technical writers, including indexing, peer editing, and production tools, and they�ll learn how to apply those principles and processes to the composition of clear and purposeful technical documents designed to inform, instruct, define, describe, analyze, recommend, report, or persuade The English Department also includes the following objectives for courses in the major: 1. read closely in a variety of forms, styles, structures, and modes, and articulate the value of close reading in the study of literature, creative writing, and/or rhetoric; 2. write clearly, effectively, and creatively, and adjust writing style appropriately to the content, the context, and the nature of the subject; 3. develop and carry out research projects, and locate, evaluate, organize, and incorporate information effectively; 4. articulate the relations among culture, history, and texts. Academic policies You are responsible for reading the SJSU academic polices available online: http://www.sjsu.edu/english/comp/policyforsyllabi.html Student Technology Resources Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include digital camcorders, video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD, and audiotape players, sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Technical documentation (50% of course grade): Each student will write, revise, and publish technical materials targeted for a specific audience. The material will be designed (proper layout, headings, links, etc) and will consist of the following parts: � a title � process or procedures as appropriate � an introduction appropriate to the content � links to related content � graphics, video, Flash or other multimedia � examples 2. Resume/CV, Letters, Quizzes, Homework, In-class Assignments, Workshops, Class Participation, Status Reports (40% of course grade): Includes participating in online and in-class discussions, asking questions, responding to other students� work in workshop, doing in-class and out-of-class writing and editing activities. In-class assignments cannot be made up if you are not in class. 3. Final Exam (10%): Based on readings, class discussions and activities. Comprehensive. GRADING The grading standards in English 107 are extremely high. If you do well in this class, you will have demonstrated professional- level work. The A assignment is professional, publishable quality, well organized and well developed. To earn an A grade, the material must demonstrate a clear understanding and fulfillment of the assignment, use language effectively for the given situation, and be free of grammatical, mechanical, and usage errors. Ask yourself, �Is this something I�d see published by a major high tech company?� The B assignment is professional but needs some minor polishing before it can be published. B-level material demonstrates competence in the same categories as the A paper; the chief difference is that the B paper will show some slight weakness in one of those categories. It may slight one of the assigned tasks, show less facility of expression, or contain some minor grammatical, mechanical, or usage flaws. The C assignment will complete all tasks set by the assignment, but show weaknesses in fundamentals, usually development (not enough detail) or grammar. A C grade reflects work that is not ready for publication without editing or revision. The sentence construction may be less mature, and the use of language less effective and correct than the B essay. The D paper will neglect one of the assigned tasks or be noticeably superficial in its treatment of the assignment�that is, too simplistic or too short. The material may reveal some problems in development, with insufficient specific information to illustrate the experience or support generalizations. It might contain grammatical, mechanical, and/or usage errors that are serious and/or frequent enough to interfere substantially with the writer�s ability to communicate. The F paper will demonstrate a striking underdevelopment of ideas and insufficient or unfocused organization. It might contain serious grammatical, mechanical, and usage errors that render some sentences incomprehensible. LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND ATTENDANCE You are adults and responsible for attending class and turning in assignments on time. What would happen if you missed work? Could you ask your boss what you missed? If you must miss class, contact a classmate about what we covered. Do not email me asking me what we discussed or if you missed �anything important�. (You did.) Instead, contact a classmate for that material. It�s OK to email me if you need clarification on an assignment or need to arrange an appointment to meet in person. Please use standard English (including capitals and punctuation) in all emails to me. Please do not use text messaging or chat abbreviations (like ur, i, lol, etc). Treat your communications with me as you would with an employer. Yes, I�m an English teacher, and yes, I expect professional language skills from college students! You cannot make up in-class projects, discussions, quizzes, or other work. If you turn in an assignment late, you will lose one full grade for each day the assignment is late. That is, an A becomes a B after one day, and then a C after two days. Each day is a calendar day, not a class session! I will not take any assignments more than one week late. QUIZZES, CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, AND HOMEWORK Throughout the semester, I will give quizzes on the assigned reading and assignments. These quizzes will not be announced in advance and cannot be made up. I will assign various responses to reading and other short writing assignments both in and out of class. PLAGIARISM Plagiarism means passing someone else�s work off as your own, such as: � using content from a book or website without citing it as such � using web text directly in your papers without citing � having someone else write all or part of your assignments Any assignment containing plagiarized passages will receive an F grade automatically, and I will report the incident to Academic Integrity. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism or cheating on any portion of any assignment, including copying more than seven consecutive words from a web site, will result in a failing grade for assignment and possibly the course. All student work is subject to review at http://www.turnitin.com to identify possible sources of plagiarism. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty will be reported to the proper authorities and may result in a grade of NC or F. ONLINE MATERIALS Our class meets in the one technology-enabled classroom on campus. We have access to many technologies and equipment. You must have regular and reliable access to the internet. You, your group, and I may post material to the IC server that you can access from home. COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM If you have a laptop that you�d like to bring to class, you can. The Incubator has laptops that you will use throughout the semester. However, I expect that you will use the computer for classwork and not email, MySpace, Facebook, web browsing, or other non-class activities. Cellphones must be on vibrate during class. If you have an emergency and need to text or check a call, do it discretely. I will ask you to stop using your phone if I find you are distracting other students. CLASS PROJECT AND GOALS This semester, our class will develop a Wiki that documents the technology available in the IC. I will assign groups that are responsible for certain technologies. Once you have clearly documented the tasks assigned to your group, either ask me for another assignment or suggest one. While doing more will certain help your grade, doing things professionally is of utmost importance. If I don�t feel your or your group�s work is professional, I will not allow you to move on to other projects. Throughout the semester, I will ask you to give me a status report on your progress. This class will run very much like the real world. You are responsible for letting me know when you hit a road block. As your �manager,� I will help remove those roadblocks and help get you the resources you need to do your job. Wiki: sjsuicdoc.pbworks.com COURSE SCHEDULE Homework is listed on the date assigned and is due the following class session. Date, location Work, assignments, homework Week 1 TH 1.27.10 Welcome! Course overview, intro to incubator classroom HW: Buy/order textbook, write personal intro, join sjsuicdoc.pbworks.com and familiarize yourself with the Wiki Week 2 Cover Letters (block, modified block), Resume vs CV, �Styles� in MSWord (Research) T 2.1.10 HW: Ch 1-2, 12-13 (Correspondence) TH 2.3.10 �Styles� in MSWord (Research) HW: work on resume and cover letter, skim CH 3 Week 3 Interviewing skills T 2.8.10 HW: CH 14 (Employment), 7 (Organization, drafting) TH 2.10.10 DUE: Cover letter, resume/CV hard and soft copy (100pts) Topics for wiki, intro to page layout, your projects, (Planning) Gathering information, researching sources & SMEs, writing (Drafts) HW: Find online doc to share with class (internet link or laptop), CH 17 (websites) Week 4 Style guides & documentation plans (in-class specs: grade tracker app) T 2.15.10 HW: CH 6 (research) & CH 18 (Instructions) TH 2.17.10 Graphics, images, videos, and other media HW: work on style guide Week 5 Doc plans T 2.22.10 HW: CH 20 (Proposals), CH 8 (Visual rhetoric) TH 2.24.10 Definitions & Descriptions Due: Style guides (25pt) HW: CH 15 (Definitions), CH 16 (Descriptions) Week 6 DUE: Documentation plan, including individual assignments (50pt) T 3.1.10 Project workday HW: CH 10 (Revision) TH 3.3.10 HW: CH 11 (Usability) Week 7 T 3.8.10 TH 3.10.10 DUE: Project definitions/descriptions (50pt) Research and writing Research and writing Week 8 T 3.15.10 TH 3.17.10 Receive Tech Review comments and begin incorporating changes (Revise) Project workday HW: 19 (Manuals) Week 9 T 3.22.10 TH 3.24.10 DUE: Instructions (50pt) Preparing for technical reviews Monday-Friday March 28 � April 1 Spring Recess, Campus Closed Week 10 T 4.5.10 TH 4.7.10 Design review and share Due: First draft. Begin technical reviews (50pts) Week 11 T 4.12.10 TH 4.14.10 Complete technical reviews Due: Feedback from tech reviews (50pts) Approaches to revisions HW: Revisit CH 10 Week 12 T 4.19.10 TH 4.21.10 Converting documentation to print (Word/PDF) MS Word and production Q&A , production cycles Indexing HW: Convert Wiki text printable format, including index Week 13 T 4.26.10 TH 4.28.10 Indexing Q&A HW: CH 9 (Layout) Dreamweaver demo Week 14 T 5.3.10 TH 5.5.10 Q&A, Presentation skills HW: CH 23, Prepare and practice presentation DUE: Printable, indexed content (100pts) Week 15 T 5.10.10 TH 5.12.10 Presentations (both days) DUE: FINAL WIKI DOCUMENTATION (200pts) Week 16 T 5.17.10 Semester wrap up. Study for final (comprehensive, based on reading and class discussions). Due: Letter to Kelly (25pt) Monday, May 23, 1445-1700, FINAL EXAM (100pts) Important SJSU dates Spring 2011 Monday January 17Tuesday January 25 Wednesday January 26 Monday February 7 Monday February 14 Tuesday February 22 Mon--Friday Mar 28-April 1 Thursday March 31 Tuesday May 17 Wednesday May 18 Thur-Friday May 19-20 Mon-Wed May 23-25 Thursday May 26 Friday May 27 Saturday May 28 Monday May 30 Tuesday May 31 Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Day - Campus Closed (K) Spring Semester Begins First Day of Instruction � Classes Begin Last Day to Drop Courses Without an Entry on Record (D) Last Day to Add Courses & Register Late (A) Enrollment Census Date (CD) Spring Recess Cesar Chavez Day - Campus Closed (CC) Last Day of Instruction � Last Day of Classes Study/Conference Day (no classes or exams) (SC) Final Examinations (exams) Final Examinations (exams) Final Examinations Make-Up Day (MU) Grade Evaluation Day (G) Commencement (C) Memorial Day-Campus Closed (M) Grades Due From Faculty - End of Spring Semester (G)