NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Syllabus
– Fall 2009
English II -Technical Writing (ENGL 151)
Instructor: Dr. J. Von Schilling
Office: College Center 353A
Phone: 861-4178
Email: jvonschilling@northampton.edu
Office hours:
Monday and Wednesday 1:00-2:00; Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-3:00
Course Text: A Concise Guide to Technical Communication (Gurak and Lannon)
Course Description:
English II is primarily a composition course that develops and adds to the writing skills introduced in English I.
The Technical Writing option focuses on the concepts and terms of technical writing and on such forms as definitions,
descriptions, process explanations, and technical reports.
Students will read, analyze, and interpret material from technical fields, and will practice research and writing
skills appropriate for technical topics.
Course Outcomes:
1. Students will understand and know how to follow the stages of the
writing process (prewriting/writing/rewriting) and apply them to technical and workplace writing tasks.
2. Students will be able to produce a set of documents related to technology
and writing in the workplace and will have improved their ability to write clearly and accurately.
3. Students will understand the basic components of definitions, descriptions,
process explanations, and other common forms of technical writing.
4. Students will be familiar with basic technical writing concepts and
terms, such as audience analysis, jargon, format, visuals, and presentation.
5. Students will be able to read, understand, and interpret material
on technology. They will have an appreciation for some of the ideas, issues,
and problems involved in writing about technology and in workplace writing.
6. Students will be familiar with basic sources and methods of research
and documentation on topics in technology, including on-line research. They will
be able to synthesize and integrate material from secondary sources with their own ideas in research papers.
Attendance: Any student who misses twice the
number of weekly meetings of the
class
(five class sessions) may be withdrawn.
Course Outline
and Assignments:
Week
1 (Aug. 25-27) Introduction
to English II: Technical Writing
- General Topic: Course introduction
- Due: Student information paragraph
Week
2 (Sept. 1-3) Job
Application/Transfer Cover Letter
- Reading Assignment: (Course text) p. 193-202
- General Topic: How to write effective cover letters
- Due: Job Application/Transfer Cover Letter (rough draft)
Week
3 (Sept. 8-10) Workplace
Writing Formats and Principles
- Reading Assignment: p. 131-143, 4-8
- General Topic: Document format – Workplace vs. college writing
- Due: Job Application/Transfer Cover Letter (final draft)
Week
4 (Sept. 15-17) Short
Report Writing
- Reading Assignment: p. 13, 207-214, 189-192, articles on a specific
technical topic
- (to be determined)
- General Topic: Writing short reports in the workplace
- Due: Short Report on a specific technical topic (partial draft)
Week
5 (Sept. 22-24) Report
on a Technical Topic
- Reading Assignment: p. 29-30, 46-49, 310
- Due: Short Report on a specific technical topic (final draft)
Week
6 (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) Workplace
Memos, Email and Text Messaging
- Reading Assignment: p. 86-90, 186-189, articles on text messaging in the workplace
- General Topic: Proper use of email and IM in the workplace
- Due: Email on Research Paper Topic
Week
7 (Oct. 6- 8) Internet
Searching in the Workplace
- Reading Assignment: Articles on internet use in the workplace
- General Topic: Proper use of the internet in the workplace
- Due: Website Reviews (partial draft)
Weeks
8 + 9 (Oct. 15-22) Reviewing
Websites in Your Field
- Reading Assignment: p. 77-82, sample website reviews
- General Topics: How to write detailed and helpful reviews, HTML format
- Due: Website Reviews (final draft) (Optional: Reviews in HTML format)
Week
10 (Oct. 27-29) Finding
Sources for Research
- Reading Assignment: p. 39-65, articles on online searching
- General Topic: Online searching – Tips and tricks
- Due: Sources for Research Paper
Week
11 (Nov. 3-5) Submitting
and Working with Sources
- Reading Assignment: Sources for research paper
- General Topic: Online searching – More tips and tricks
- Due: Additional Sources for Research Paper
Week
12 (Nov. 10-12) Outlining
Research Papers
- Reading Assignment: p. 91, 218-221
- General Topic: How to create outlines and PowerPoint presentations
- Due: Research Paper Outline and PowerPoint
Week
13+ (Nov. 17-24) Plagiarism
and Proper Use of Quotations
- Reading Assignment: p. 102, 114-122, 312-313
- General Topic: Understanding plagiarism rules
- Due: Short Research Report
Week
14 (Dec. 1-3) Writing
Rough Drafts of Research Papers
- Reading Assignment: Sources for research paper
- General Topic: Writing rough drafts – What works best
- Due: Rough Draft of Research Paper on a technical topic in the student’s field
-- 1500-2500 words, with documentation
Week
15 (Dec. 8-10) Documenting
Research Paper; Preparing Final Drafts
- Reading Assignment: p. 313-315, 335-338, sources for research paper
- General Topic: Guidelines for documentation and final drafts
- Due: Final Draft of Research Paper
