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 Technical Report Writing
ENGL 221
Eagle Vision Classroom/Blended
Course Syllabus
Credit Hours:
3 Credits
Academic Term:
January 2015 Dates: January 23rd, 24th, & 25th AND
February 27th, 28th, & March 1st.
Meetings:
FRIDAY 1800-2200 (6:00PM – 10:00PM) Central Time; Eagle Vision
SAT/SUN 1400-1900 (14:00AM – 19:00PM) Central Time; Eagle Vision
Location:
Eagle Vision Classroom/Blended
Host: Katterbach, Remotes: Geilenkirchen
Instructor:
Erin Burnett
Office Hours:
Before and after class and by appointment
Telephone:
620-960-8232 Cell/Text
E-mail:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Course Description:
This course introduces students to the preparation of formal and informal technical reports, abstracts, proposals,
instructions, professional correspondence and other forms of technical communication. Major emphasis is placed on
the long technical report and the acquisition of advanced writing skills.
Course Goals:
Students produce a variety of written assignments that reflect industry-based standards and values. Student's who
satisfactorily complete this course must be able to express themselves correctly and efficiently, authoring documents
that non-experts can comprehend. The course will focus on and thus strengthen writing and presentation skills and
techniques that have been introduced in lower-level communication classes.
1
Revised: 6/20/2013 Learning Outcomes:
Alignment with General Education program outcomes is indicated in parentheses. Upon completion
of the course, students will be able to do the following:
1. Explain the importance of audience analysis in technical communication and be able to apply
it in practical contexts. (PO 3, 4, 12)
2. Apply the particular conventions of definitions, descriptions, instructions, processes, and
other types of professional communications, including electronic correspondence, to all
technical documents. (PO 3)
3. Recognize and discuss ethical implications of decisions in technical communications.
(PO 3, 4, 5, 12)
4. Correctly compose and use headings, legends, abstracts, graphs and tables. (PO 3, 4, 7)
5. Communicate in writing with minimal errors in grammar, usage, mechanics, and sentence
structure. (PO 3)
6. Prepare a formal technical proposal in an individual or collaborative team structure. (PO
3, 4, 7, 9)
7. Prepare a formal presentation developed from the technical proposal or report in an
individual or collaborative team structure, using visual aids. (PO 3, 4, 7, 9)
8. Employ appropriate documentation in a lengthy, thoroughly researched, summative
project or evaluative technical report. (PO 3, 14)
EagleVision (EV) Web-Conferencing Technology:
Eagle Vision is a web video conferencing platform, powered by Saba Centra, that provides a real
time collaborative environment with tools such as white board, application sharing, polling, and
voice over the internet (VOIP). This platform provides capacity for live virtual classrooms
(synchronous learning), meetings, training, and conferences as well as recording and playback
capabilities. Students are expected to come to class with the proper required equipment for an Eagle
Vision Home class (headset and camera). Students not in compliance with equipment requirements
will be automatically withdrawn at the second class meeting.
Students attending from an Eagle Vision classroom should contact their campus director and/or IT
support if they are experiencing any problems with the Eagle Vision classroom technology. The
telephone number of IT support is: 1-866-227-8325.
Required Course Materials:
Lannon, John M. & Gurak, Laura J. (2014). Technical Communication. (13th
ed.). Boston: Pearson/Longman. ISBN: 978-0321899972
2
Revised: 6/20/2013 Suggested Supplemental Materials:
A Writer’s Reference, 6th ed. by Diana Hacker. (Exercises)
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/writersref6e/Player/Pages/Main.aspx
AND
Hacker, D. & Sommers, N. (2010). The Bedford handbook. (8th ed.). Boston:
Bedford/St.Martin’s. ISBN-13: 978-0-312-65268-5 (Hardback) or 978-0-312-65269-2
(softcover)
Internet Resources:
Memhis Campus
http://erau.edu.memphis
APA Style
http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx
Blackboard (via ERNIE)
http://it.erau.edu/ernie
ERAU Computer Support
http://it.erau.edu/supportcenter/index.htm 1-866-227-8325
ERAU Library
http://amelia.db.erau.edu 1-800-678-9428
Grading:
Test/Quizzes 5%
Writing Assignments
40%
15%
Final Project 10%
Participation/Blackboard Work
30%
Midterm
Total
100%
GRADUATE
Grade
90 - 100
80 - 89
70 - 79
Below 70
Grade
A (Excellent)
B (Satisfactory
C (Passing)
F (Failure)
UNDERGRADUATE
Grade
90 - 100
Grade
A (Superior)
3
Revised: 6/20/2013 80 - 89
70 - 79
60 - 69
Below 60
Library:
B (Above Average)
C (Average)
D (Below Average)
F (Failure)
The Jack R. Hunt Library, located on the Daytona Beach Campus, is the primary library for all
Worldwide Campus students.
Web: http://library.erau.edu
Phone: (800) 678-9428 (ext. 6947) or (386) 226-7656
(Voicemail is available after hours)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
Email: http://[email protected]
Final Project (30% of your course grade):
This course requires the student to prepare and submit during week 09 a major practical
application of technical report writing as a final project. The final project must be at least 2,0002,500 words excluding front and back matter and must include at least 5 citations in APA format.
Students should remember that the nature of the class is collaboration of workplace
communication and the focus of the paper will be of that nature. Papers that do not address this
topic, but focus instead on other important, but irrelevant business issues will not grade well. The
paper should be prepared using APA 6th Edition standards. Writing should show college level
work. Don't forget the basics; spelling, grammar, and format.
•
•
•
All papers/projects submitted for grading in this course will be submitted to
safeassign.com - http://www.safeassign.com/.
Final Projects are due on the 9th Week as shown in the Course Schedule. The paper must
be turned in or you will not receive a Final Grade for the class.
This paper is worth 30% of your final grade. This is a large portion of your overall grade
and you need to treat it as such.
Assignments, Discussion Board Participation (If required for Blended Delivery), and/or
special administrative:
All assignments will be completed in a professional manner and on time, unless prior
arrangements have been made with the professor. Blackboard assignments (if required) are
graded with class participation. This course includes weekly activities, each of which may have
grade points associated with them. Unless prior arrangements have been made with the
instructor, students are expected to participate each week, according to the course schedule. This
is especially important with regards to discussion activities. Weekly discussions typically include
both an initial posting and one or more substantive replies.
Note: Proper etiquette has to do with keeping it simple by using proper English and proper
spelling – spell check works well in Blackboard.
4
Revised: 6/20/2013 Course Policies:
Embry-Riddle is committed to maintaining and upholding intellectual integrity. All students,
faculty, and staff have obligations to prevent violations of academic integrity and take corrective
action when they occur. The adjudication process will include the sanction imposed on students
who commit the following academic violations, which may include a failing grade on the
assignment, a failing grade for the course, suspension, or dismissal from the University:
1. Plagiarism: Presenting as one’s own the ideas, words, or products of another.
Plagiarism includes use of any source to complete academic assignments without proper
acknowledgement of the source. All papers submitted for grading in this course will be
submitted to safeassign.com - http://www.safeassign.com/ where the text of the paper is
compared against information contained in the safeassign.com database. Papers
submitted will be included in the safeassign.com database and become source documents
for the purpose of detecting plagiarism.
2. Cheating: A broad term that includes the following:
a.
Giving or receiving help from unauthorized persons or materials during
examinations.
b.
The unauthorized communication of examination questions prior to, during, or
following administration of the examination.
c.
Collaboration on examinations or assignments expected to be individual work.
d.
Fraud and deceit, that include knowingly furnishing false or misleading
information or failing to furnish appropriate information when requested, such as
when applying for admission to the University.
3. APA 6th edition format is the ERAU Worldwide standard for all research projects.
Disability and Special Needs:
ERAU is committed to the success of all students. It is a University policy to provide reasonable
accommodations to students with disabilities who qualify for services. If you would like to
request accommodations due to a physical, mental, or learning disability, please contact the
Worldwide Campus Disability Support Service Office at (888) 292-5727 or via email
[email protected] or [email protected].
Course Schedule:
Session
1
Topics
What is Technical
Communication?
L/O
LO-2
Activities
Readings: Chapter 1 (pages 1-14),
Chapter 6 (pages 106-121) optional
Assignments: Introductory memo
Blackboard Assignments: Discussion
5
Revised: 6/20/2013 2AM
Audience Analysis
LO-1
LO-2
2PM
Business
correspondence
LO-1
LO-2
3AM
Grammar and Style
Review and Instructional
Documentation
LO-1
LO-2
LO-5
3PM
Reports
LO-8
4
RFPs and Proposals
LO-6
5AM
Designing Presentations
LO-3
LO-4
5PM
Ethics in Technical
Communication
LO-8
6
Course Reflection
LO-8
Revised: 6/20/2013 “About me”
Readings: Chapter 2 (pages 16-33),
Chapter 3 (pages 36-59) optional
Assignments: Audience Analysis
Worksheet and Audience Analysis
Exercise
Blackboard Assignments: Discussion
“Audience Analysis”
Readings: Chapters 14 (pages 318331), 15 (pages 334-346) and 16
(pages 349-377) all required
Assignments: Formal Business Letter
Blackboard Assignments: Discussion
“Head-Start”
Readings: Chapter 11 (pages 209242), Reference pages 680 on for
additional guidance on grammar and
style, Chapter 20 (pages 456-485)
Assignments: Active Voice Exercise
and Grammar Test
Blackboard Assignments: “Write Your
own Instructions” and Reviewing a
Peer’s Instructions
Readings: Chapter 21 (pages 489507), Chapter 22 (pages 510-552)
optional
Readings: Chapters 23 (pages 554588), 5 (pages 82-102), Chapter 12
(pages 245-288) optional
Homework: Request for Proposal
Blackboard Assignment: Group
Assignment Discussions
Readings: Chapters 12 (pages 245288) and 24 (pages 590-618)
Homework: Group Proposal, Group
Presentation・,* Individual Reflection
Blackboard Assignment: Group
Discussion and Collaboration
Readings: Review Chapter 15 (pages
334-346) Assignments: APA
Formatting Exercise
Blackboard Assignment: “Ethics”
Discussion
No readings
Assignments: Final Report
Blackboard Assignment: “Course
Reflection” Discussion
6
Submitted by:
Erin Burnett
Approved by:
Revised: 6/20/2013 7