Technical Report Writing—WR 227 sec 01
Spring 2005
AC 3316; MWF 10-10:50
Brandy McKenzie, instructor
Email: mckenzib@mhcc.edu
Website: http://mysite.verizon.net/res1ryso
Required texts and materials:
Markel
Mike. Technical Communication. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s; 2004.
698 p.
1
large manila envelope, to be used when turning in your final portfolio of work (if you want your portfolio mailed back to you, please self-address this envelope and affix the proper
postage)
Welcome to WR 227, in which you will be learning how to conceive,
design, and execute various forms of technical, or professional, writing on topics of your choosing. In order to be enrolled in this class, you must have passed WR 101 and 102, or WR 121 and 122, with a grade
of “C” or better, and should therefore by now be comfortable with a number of different techniques used in writing. In this class, we will be developing those techniques towards a professional goal,
adding to them further skills in research, proposals, memos, presentations, and the development of a long project or report. By doing so, you will be developing “real-world” skills which will better
enable you to design and execute detailed projects in whatever field you choose to enter.
For the sake of developing these skills, you will have the following
assignments this term:
Your Final project,
which is the principle objective of this class. It will be a report on a topic
of your choice which has been approved by me early in the term. For your own
welfare, you may not drastically alter the chosen topic of your report after my approval during or around the fifth week of
class. While the structure of this class is designed to allow you multiple stages
of revision for both ideas and writing throughout the term, please note that there is no revision of this final paper. Furthermore, please also note that you must achieve a passing grade on this paper
in order to pass the class.
Two memos, one presented
to me via email and one in class, which will determine the early direction of your work for the course.
A typed, 2-page Proposal,
in which you will announce the topic and general design of your report. The proposal
should indicate a problem you will try to address, indicate how you will be addressing that problem, give some background
to the problem, introduce your major sources of information, and give some sense of the organization of your project (please
see p. 443 in your book for further details). Although your proposal may not
be the final word on the design of your final report, the proposal should lay a sturdy foundation for the work to come.
You will submit one Progress
Report on your final project three weeks before the final draft is due. This progress report will be used in workshops with other students as well as in conference
with me in order to help you on the last stretch of the essay by offering outsiders’ points of view and suggestions. The progress report should give an overview and honest evaluation of all work done
up until that point, and an indication of expected further developments.
As your report nears completion, you will be required to make an
Oral Presentation to the rest of the
class on your findings. This presentation will provide an overview of the work
you do this term, and inform the other students about the problem you identified and its solutions.
Your Participation grade
is an opportunity for me to make note of several things: your involvement in class (including but not limited to projects
we undertake together in class), your willingness to keep me informed about your progress over time, your application of consistent
effort to your work, etc. Please note that attendance and timeliness are separate
concerns from your participation grade, as discussed below.
Your final grade will be tallied in the following manner:
Final Report --40%
Memos—10%
Proposal—10%
Progress Report—10%
Oral Presentation—20%
Participation—10%
I use a standard grading scale with an overall score of 90% required for an A, 80% required
for a B, and so forth. Please note that you must pass the final essay in order
to pass the class.
Please note that both attendance
and timeliness are crucial to your success and may also affect your final grade.
Therefore, you will only be allowed three absences; for every subsequent absence, your final grade will be lowered
5%. Furthermore, your grade on assignments will be lowered ten percent for every
calendar day they are late unless you have been granted an extension by me beforehand.
Of course, should any emergency arise, I will be more than happy to work with you.
Plagiarism will also
affect your grade for the course. Failing to credit the ideas and words of others is a serious matter and may result in failure
or other disciplinary actions. To avoid these consequences, credit your sources
carefully with in-text documentation and a bibliography. Knowingly plagiarizing
all or part of an essay will cause your failure in the assignment or the course. Accidental
plagiarism, as in the case of incorrectly citing a source, can cause serious negative effects on your grade for the assignment
in question. I will be reviewing the basics of MLA, APA, and CBE formatting,
but if you should have any questions at all, please ask.
If you have a disability which may affect your performance in this
class or require special accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible so that arrangements may be made.
