Develops ability in technical writing through extensive practice in composing technical documents and reports. Guides the student in achieving voice, tone, style, audience, and content in formatting, editing, and graphics.

GOAL ONE: Research and Report Methodology
If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• identify a topic
• narrow the focus
• use appropriate online and print resources for gathering information
• prepare an annotated bibliography that evaluates the authority and usefulness of each source
• plan a research report
• prepare an outline; prepare a draft
• polish the final report with in-text documentation and a list of works cited

GOAL TWO: Tailoring writing for different audiences
If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• identify the audience and purpose of each piece of writing they prepare
• address those issues as they write and revise their exercises and reports

GOAL THREE: Organization according to appropriate formats
If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• prepare various kinds of technical writing documents, including: memos; short reports; comparison analyses; objective descriptions; process analyses, research reports, etc.
• choose a format appropriate for document type

GOAL FOUR: Achieving a clear, readable style
If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• prepare their documents in clear, direct, exact language,
• keep the audience level and interests in mind

GOAL FIVE: Using graphics and layout to support communication
If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• recognize the importance of simple visuals such as tables and graphs and imported images to support and reinforce their written presentations;
• use plenty of white space
• choose appropriate fonts and other visual elements for their written presentations

GOAL SIX: Application and modification of previously learned composition skills to write for the work place
If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• edit their writing to eliminate extra words, imprecise phrases, roundabout sentence structures, and other impediments to clear, direct communication
• revise their writing after careful proofreading

Possible Assignments Include: (Subject to change each semester. The actual assignments are available in the Syllabus in the Blackboard course site on the first day of classes.)

Your final grade may be based on the following scale. Please note that you must also pass at least several exams in order to pass the course, regardless of your scores on the other assignments.

There are 2 exams in this course.

Last Updated: September 15, 2011