WR 227 Technical Writing Detailed Course Outline

WR 227 Fall 2008 Online

Planned Course Outline

Notes: READ THESE!

	This course outline is subject to change, with notice in the Announcements in Blackboard and by email to your COCC email account, at any point in the course!
	All folders refer to sections in the Blackboard course. All lecture and assignment pages are linked from the Weekly Overviews, but are also available in their own folders. Supporting page materials usually appear only in the Supporting Materials main folder.
	Pearsall is our main text: The Elements of Technical Writing. If the reading assignment contains just a chapter number, the assignment is to read the whole chapter. If you are responsible for only part of the chapter, page numbers will follow the chapter number (e.g., Chap. 9 (pp. 118-121)).
	"Handbook" is whatever handbook you are using, preferably Rosen, The Academic Writer's Handbook (either first or second edition).
	Turnitin from within Blackboard is the online submission and informal group/peer review tool: you will be able to access Turnitin from within Blackboard directly from this Blackboard course (links below each assignment will appear at least 2 weeks before an assignment is due); you will not need a separate Turnitin account or separate login information.
	Ethics discussion folders, with questions/topics, will appear in the Discussion Board one week before an ethics discussion is due.
	Exercises are all in the Online Exercises folder; grading is automatic and immediate. Un-graded practice exercises accompany all graded exercises.
	All major assignments (reports, memos, annotated bibliography & ethics discussions) have samples, located in the Supporting Materials folder.
	All assignments, including graded exercises and ethics discussion posts, are due by Wednesdays (except for the Final Research Report, due on Monday of exam week).
	All assignments are due by 11:55 p.m. on the due date (give or take a few minutes).

Week 1 Sept. 22-26

On Thursday, Sept. 25, at 9:00 a.m., I will remove course access for registered and waitlisted students who have not completed BOTH first week attendance requirements, and I will enter online permission to register for wait listed students who have completed BOTH first week attendance requirements, as space permits. I admit wait-listed students who have completed attendance requirements by the deadline strictly in the order they joined the wait list. Due to problems caused by admitting students over class capacity (26), I do not anticipate doing so this quarter. Note that permission to register doesn't register you: you must still do that! (Permission to register is just an online equivalent to a signature on an add form.)

All assignments other than the Formal Research Report are due by 11:55 p.m. on Wednesdays. (I'm not worried about a few minutes late, but I have to give a specific time in the submission and grading programs and 11:55 is the latest I can safely use without problems in being able to view assignments and not have the due date show up as the next day.)

Note: If Wednesday due dates are a problem for you, I urge you to turn in assignments earlier. Assignments are due by 11:55 p.m. on Wednesdays, not necessarily on Wednesdays.

Suggested Timeline:

1. Log in to the Blackboard course no later than Monday, Sept. 22 (course access begins Wednesday, Sept. 17):

click on each menu item (on the left side of your screen when you first get into the course) to see what each contains;

read the first week attendance requirements;

check out the practice mechanics review exercise to see if you will need any review to succeed in this course.

2. Read the syllabus, course outline, and course outcomes and start the Course Information quiz no later than Tuesday, Sept. 23

3. Complete the TWO first week attendance requirements no later than Wednesday, Sept. 24

4. If you are on the wait list, and I give you permission to register, complete the registration process by Friday, Sept. 26, 4:30 p.m.: the new Blackboard system will automatically remove course access from un-registered students sometime Friday evening (I THINK I can add you back when you register).

5. Read remaining pages and, in the Q&A and Topic Discussion folders in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about first week materials, including the Formal Research Report assignment by Friday, 3 p.m., if you need my assistance, or Sunday, Sept. 28 on your own.

6. I strongly recommend beginning the up-coming week's work the weekend before each week (i.e., begin week 2 work Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28; begin week 3 work Saturday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5; and so on).

Course Materials: Required Reading "Lecture" Pages:

Note: these pages contain the online equivalent of hand-outs, handout discussion, and "lecture" in traditional classes. If you don't read them, expect the same results as if you didn't attend classes in a face-to-face class!

	Syllabus, course information, course outline (link from Week 1 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder or see the Course Information folder).
	Course assignments overview (link from Week 1 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder or see the Lectures by Topic folder).
	Introduction to Technical Writing (link from Week 1 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder or see the Lectures by Topic folder).
	Introduction to the Formal Research Report (link from Week 1 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder or see the Lectures by Topic folder).
	Editing Tips for Technical Writing (link from Week 1 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder or see the Lectures by Topic folder). The practice basic skills review exercise is in the Online Exercises folder.

Activities and Assignment Instructions:

	Formal Research Report Assignment (link from Week 2 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder or see the Assignments folder): reading required
	Post, read, and respond to questions about topics for the Formal Research Report to the Topic Discussion folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).

Textbook Required Reading:

Pearsall, Chap. 1

Optional Supporting Pages:

	Sample Discussion Board post (in the Introductions folder in the Discussion Board)
	Sample Formal Research Report final drafts (link from the assignment or see the Supporting Materials folder)

Assignments due by 11:55 p.m. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24:

Details in the Assignments folder

First Week Attendance Discussion Board Post: post to the "First Week Attendance Posts" folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard
90% or better on the Course Information Quiz (you may take the quiz as often you need to): Online test in the Online Exercises Folder in Blackboard
Do the Practice Mechanics exercise in the Online Exercises Folder in Blackboard.

Week 2 Sept. 29-Oct. 3

Note: On Monday, Sept. 29, 3:30 p.m., I will remove course access and permission to register for any wait listed students with permission to register who have not done so by that time. All remaining course materials are set to appear Tuesday morning, 12:05 a.m.

Note: If Wednesday due dates are a problem for you, I urge you to turn in assignments earlier. Assignments are due by 11:55 p.m. on Wednesdays, not necessarily on Wednesdays.

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course Saturday, Sept. 27 or no later than Monday, Sept. 29 (many students complete most of a week's work on the weekend before the week starts, to meet Wednesday deadlines) and read the required content, assignment, and text materials.
Optional: Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30) or telephone me with questions.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete Week 2 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Complete the TWO Week 2 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Decide on a topic, begin looking for acceptable, college level research materials.
Read supporting materials as necessary to confirm your topic and, in the Q&A and Topic Discussion folders in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about topics for the Formal Research Report by Friday, 3 p.m., if you need my assistance, or Sunday, Oct. 5 on your own.
Complete preliminary research for your Formal Research Report by Friday, 3 p.m., if you need my assistance, or Sunday, Oct. 5 on your own.

Course Content Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (link from the Week 2 Overview in the Weekly Course Materials folder in Blackboard or see the Lectures by Topic folder, which organizes lecture pages by topic rather than by the week in which they were first covered):

	Topics for technical writing research reports
	Technical writing's 3 part audience
	College research basics (for the Research Proposal Memo Report due in week 3 (rough) and week 5 (final))
	Proposal reports (for the Research Proposal Memo Report, rough draft due next week)

Activities and Assignment Instructions:

	Research Proposal Memo Report Assignment (link from Week 2 Overview or see the Assignments folder); reading required.
	Post, read, and respond to questions about topics for the Formal Research Report to the Topics Discussion folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).
	Post, read, and respond to questions about the Research Proposal Memo Report to the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).

Textbooks Required Reading:

	Pearsall, Chaps. 2, 3 (pp. 5-22), & 9 (pp. 118-121)
	Handbook: sections on research (Review sections on the writing process as necessary.)

Optional Supporting Pages and Links:

	How to Use Academic Search Premier from the COCC Library (in the Supporting Information folder)
	The Least You Should Know About Source Use (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue University Online Writing Lab (O.W.L.) link for source analysis information (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Practice (not for a grade): Topic Analysis Exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)
	Optional (not for a grade): Source Analysis Exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)

Assignments due by 11:55 p.m. WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1. Both exercises in the Online Exercises folder:

Graded Topic Analysis exercise
Graded Basic Skills Review exercise

Week 3 Oct. 6-10

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course Saturday, Oct. 4 or no later than Monday, Oct. 6 and read the required content, assignment, and text materials.
Begin writing the Research Proposal Memo Report no later than Monday, Oct. 6.
Optional: Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30) or telephone me with questions.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete Week 3 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Complete the TWO graded Week 3 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Continue research and begin revising the Research Proposal Memo Report on your own and, in the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about the proposal report by Friday, 3 p.m., if you need my assistance, or Sunday, Oct. 5 on your own.

Course Content Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (all in the Week 3 Weekly Course Materials folder and the Lectures by Topic folder):

	Technical style requirements
	Basic document design
	Technical writing report formats: memos, memo reports and formal reports

Activity:

v Post, read, and respond to questions about the Research Proposal Memo Report to the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional but do establish that you are attending; reading required).

Textbooks Required Reading:

	Pearsall, Chaps. 4, 5 (pp. 23-48 & pp. 69-76), 9 (pp. 112-118, 122-126) & 10 (pp. 134-135)
	Handbook: review any grammar or diction problems you have had in the past and look at sections on wordiness, clich�s, faulty parallelism, & passive constructions

Optional Supporting Pages and Links:

	Latham's Grammar Shop (in the Supporting Information folder)
	The Least You Should Know About Technical Style (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue O.W.L. links on Memo Writing, Parallel Structure in Professional Writing, and the Writing Process (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue University O.W.L. links for grammar review materials (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue O.W.L. "Handbook on Formal Reports" (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Practice (not for a grade) Grammar, Diction &Technical Style Exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)
	Sample Research Proposal Memo Reports (in the Supporting Information folder)

Assignments due by 11:55 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8:

Graded Technical Style exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)
Research Proposal Memo Report complete rough draft. Submit to Turnitin from within Blackboard. (Note: I encourage you to do informal, un-graded peer reviews on this rough draft, but doing so is optional. Be sure to review someone else's report if you want someone to review yours!)

Week 4 Oct. 13-17 (Monday: Faculty Work day: no classes or office hours)

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course Saturday Oct. 11 or no later than Monday, Oct. 13 and read the required content, assignment, and text materials.
Optional: Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30), telephone me with questions, and/or schedule a conference with me to go over your Research Proposal Memo Report rough draft.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete Week 4 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Complete the ONE graded Week 4 assignment by Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Review my comments on your Research Proposal Memo Report Rough Draft in Turnitin from within Blackboard on Thursday or Friday (rough draft return for on-time drafts scheduled for no later than Wednesday evening, Oct. 15). Rough drafts receive comments plus one of two grades: 5/5 if turned in on time or 0/5 if turned in late or not turned in. If you don't see comments (just a grade), you aren't looking at the graded assignment!
On Thursday, Oct. 16, you will see a new folder in the Discussion Board: Ethics Discussion 1: Week 5. It contains the topic/question for the ethics discussion assignment due Wednesday of Week 5. Each Ethics Discussion folder for weeks 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9 will appear Thursday of the week before the discussion post is due.
Continue research for the Formal Research Report, especially resources sufficient to complete the Annotated Bibliography Assignment.
Begin revising, editing, and formatting the Research Proposal Memo Report Final Draft.
In the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about the proposal report, the ethics discussions, and/or the annotated bibliography by Friday, 3 p.m., if you need my assistance, or Sunday, on your own.

Course Content Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (link from Week 4 Overview or see the Lectures by Topic folder):

	Introduction to applied ethics (for the five ethics assignments, weeks 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 )
	Annotated bibliographies
	Summaries and abstracts
	Documenting principles (using tag-lines and parenthetical references; kinds of acceptable source uses; basic principles of "fair use")

Activities and Assignment Instructions:

	Ethics Discussion Assignment (link from Week 4 Overview or see the Assignments folder): reading required
	Annotated Bibliography Assignment (in the Assignments folder): reading required
	Post, read, and respond to questions about the Ethics Discussions to the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).
	Post, read, and respond to questions about the Annotated Bibliography to the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).

Textbook Required Reading:

Pearsall, Chaps. 7 (pp. 69-76) & 8 (pp. 88-91)

Optional Supporting Pages and Links:

	Practice (not for a grade): Formatting Exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)
	Sample Annotated Bibliographies (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Copyright law and privacy (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue O.W.L. link "Documenting Electronic Sources in Specific Disciplines" (in the Supporting Information folder)

Assignment due by 11:55 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15:

Formatting exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)

Week 5 Oct. 20-24

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course no later than Monday, Oct. 20 and read the required content, assignment, and text materials and the ethics discussion topic/question.
Review information on grammar, diction, technical style, memo report format, proposal report content and format, source evaluation, and documenting format; and revise, edit, and proofread the Research Proposal Memo Report final draft.
Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30) or telephone me with questions.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete Week 5 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Complete the TWO graded Week 5 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Find any remaining research sources to complete the Annotated Bibliography Assignment.
Begin writing the Formal Research Report.
In the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about the Annotated Bibliography Assignment and/or the Formal Research Report.

Course Content Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (link from the Week 5 Overview or see the Lectures by Topic folder):

	FAQs and FEPs on source use
	Specifics for source "Fair Use"
	Original/Primary/Empirical Research: Surveys, questionnaires and interviews (for the Empirical Research requirement for the Formal Research Report)

Activity:

Post, read, and respond to questions about the Annotated Bibliography to the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).

Textbooks Required Reading:

	Pearsall, Chap. 8 (pp. 97-107)
	Handbook sections on documentation.

Optional Supporting Pages and Links:

	The Least You should Know about Documenting (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue University Online Writing Lab (O.W.L.) link for documenting information (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Link to "The Internet Detective" interactive workshop on research (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Sample Ethics Discussion (in the Supporting Information folder)

Assignments due by 11:55 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 22:

Research Proposal Memo Report Final Draft (submit to Turnitin from within Blackboard: see the Assignments page for emergency alternatives if the formatting isn’t coming through in Turnitin).
Ethics Discussion Assignment 1 (Discussion questions are in the First Ethics Discussion: Week 5 folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard; post your assignment in the same folder. Each folder will be available one week before the assignment is due.)

Week 6 Oct. 27-31

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course no later than Monday, Oct. 27 and read the required content, assignment, and text materials.
Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30) or telephone me with questions.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete Week 6 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Complete the TWO graded Week 6 assignments by Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Review my comments on your Research Proposal Memo Report Final Draft in Turnitin from within Blackboard on Thursday or Friday (final draft return scheduled for no later than Wednesday evening, Oct. 29). If you don't see comments (just a grade), you aren't looking at the graded assignment!
Continue writing/researching the Formal Research Report and begin the Progress Memo.
In the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about the Formal Research Report and/or the Progress Memo.

Course Materials Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (link from the Week 6 Overview or see the Lectures by Topic folder):

	Technical definitions
	Progress reports
	Memos vs. memo reports

Activities:

	Post, read, and respond to questions about the Annotated Bibliography to the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).
	Optional: Post your Annotated Bibliography to the Annotated Bibliography Optional Peer Reviews in Turnitin from within Blackboard. Be sure to review someone else’s assignment if you want someone to review yours!

Textbook Required Reading:

Pearsall, Chap. 10 (pp. 134 & 136-137)

Optional Supporting Pages:

	Sample Annotated Bibliographies (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Sample process writing for differing levels of audience expertise (in the Supporting Information folder)

Assignments due by 11:55 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 29:

Annotated Bibliography Final Draft (submit to Turnitin from within Blackboard: see the Assignments page for emergency alternatives)
Ethics Discussion Assignment 2 (Instructions are the same as for Ethics Discussion Assignment 1. Discussion questions are in the Second Ethics Discussion: Week 6 folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard; post your assignment in the same folder.)

Week 7 Nov. 3-7

NOTE: Friday, Nov. 7 is the last day to drop a course without it appearing on your transcript, the last day to add a course, and the last day to change to or from audit status.

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course no later than Monday, Nov. 3 and read the required content, assignment, and text materials.
Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30) or telephone me with questions.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete Week 7 assignments by Wednesday, Nov. 5.
Complete the THREE graded Week 7 assignments by Wednesday, Nov. 5.
Review my comments on your Annotated Bibliography in Turnitin from within Blackboard on Thursday or Friday (final draft return scheduled for no later than Wednesday evening, Nov. 5).
Continue writing/researching the Formal Research Report.
In the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about the Formal Research Report.

Course Materials Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (link from the Week 7 Overview or see the Lectures by Topic folder):

	Formatting/layout requirements and options for formal reports
	Graphics
	4 Essential documenting principles
	Formal Research Report preliminary materials & appendices (e.g., cover letters, table of contents)

Activities:

	Post, read, and respond to questions about the Formal Research Report Progress Memo in the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).
	Optional: Post your Progress Memo to the Annotated Bibliography Optional Peer Reviews in Turnitin from within Blackboard. Be sure to review someone else's assignment if you want someone to review yours!

Textbook Required Reading:

Pearsall, Chaps. 6, 9 & 10 (pp. 127-134)

Optional Supporting Pages and Links:

	Sample Progress Memo (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Proposal and grant writing (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Purdue O.W.L. link to "Visual Rhetoric" slide presentation (in the Supporting Information folder)
	Practice (not for a grade) Documenting and Source Use Exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)

Assignments due by 11:55 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 5:

Formal Research Report Progress Memo (submit to Turnitin from within Blackboard)
Documenting and Source Use Exercise (in the Online Exercises folder)
Ethics Discussion Assignment 3 (Discussion questions are in the Third Ethics Discussion: Week 7 folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard; post your assignment in the same folder.)

Week 8 Nov. 10-14 Tuesday Veterans' Day Holiday

Suggested Timeline:

Log in to the Blackboard course no later than Monday, Nov. 10 and read the required content, assignment, and text materials.
Log on to the online office hour in Blackboard (Monday 2:30-3:30) or telephone me with questions.
Access supporting pages as necessary to complete the Week 8 assignment by Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Complete the graded Week 8 assignment by Wednesday, Nov.12.
Review my comments on your Progress Memo in Turnitin from within Blackboard on Thursday or Friday (final draft return scheduled for no later than Wednesday evening, Nov. 12).
Complete all research for the Formal Research Report and prepare the full rough draft.
In the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board, post, read, and respond to questions about the Formal Research Report .

Course Materials Required Reading: "Lecture" Pages (you know where to look now, right?):

	Cover letters for reports
	Table of Contents format and options
	Formal Research Report details and grading

Activities and Assignment Instructions:

	Review Formal Research Report Assignment (in the Assignments folder): reading required.
	Post, read, and respond to questions about the Formal Research Report in the Q&A folder in the Discussion Board in Blackboard (posting and responding are optional; reading required).