Phil Druker/ Department of English/ UI

 

                                                                                         

TECHNICAL WRITING SYLLABUS English 317-06/07

SPRING 2008

http://www.class.uidaho.edu/druker/TW317.htm

Note: * = new assignment , à = rough draft due, è = final draft due

Week

Tuesday

Thursday

1

 No class

1/10

·         Introduction to the course

·         Introductory email

2

1/15

·         The research project for the course.

·         The objectives, nature, and style of technical writing.

·         Audience

1/17

·         Audience.

*  Assignment: Résumé, letter of application,                        thank-you letter.

·          Final report topics

3

1/22

à  Due: rough draft, résumé

·         Writing letters: tone and style

·         Paragraphs. 

·         Punctuation

 

1/24

à Due: rough draft, letter of application and thank-you letter

·         Sentence style: punctuation

·         Avoiding Passive Sentences

èPre-proposal for final report (email assignment)

4

1/29
èDUE:  Résumé, letter of application, and thank-you letter ç

·         Punctuation

·         Style analysis.  An approach to technical writing tasks.

·         *Assignment: instructions

1/31 Library instruction: Meet in Library 212A during class

 (No Class -- UI closed for weather)

5

2/5

No class

2/7èDUE: Library Assignment DUE

Class meets

Library assignment

 

**Assignment: Progress Report I on

preliminary research  

      Writing proposals: RFPs

Start discussing Proposals

Revision of cover letters...

6

·         2/12

·         Proposals:

·   Proposals.  Problem identification and solving.

·         Objectives and approach in writing proposals.

·         Proposal objective section

 

2/14

·         Proposals: background section/level of tech.

à Due: Rough draft, proposal: objective section  

àDue: Rough draft, proposal: problem section

·         Paraphrasing, quoting, and citing sources.  Avoiding plagiarism.

·         Writing abstracts/summaries

·         Methods sections

7

2/19è Due: Progress Report I  ç

àDue: Rough draft, proposal: methods section

·         Definitions//audience

·         Paragraphs, key terms

2/21

No class--conferences.  Sign up

à Due: Rough draft, proposal: background section--  bring draft to conference

8

2/26

no class-instructor ill

2/28

Proposals

·         Some basics on graphics

à Due:  Rough draft, proposal: all sections

 

9

3/4

Proposal: all sections-end of discussion

 

3/6
·         èDue: Proposal Final Draft  çC

 

3/11 Spring Break

3/13 Spring Break

10

3/18

Final Reports and analysis

*Description of a mechanism (in-class assignment).

·         Definitions and descriptions

*Assignment:  Section of final report
*Assignment:  Final report

3/20
è Description of a mechanism (in-class assignment). Due at end of class.

11

3/25

·         Work on section of final report.

·         Completion reports, objectives, and approach.

·         Analyzing information    
·        
Graphics.

3/27

·         Work on section of final report

à No class : office hours for Section of final report, rough draft

12

4/1

àDue: Section of final report, rough draft

·         Analyzing information.

·         Format

4/3

èDue: Section of final report ç

·         Memo introducing section of final report (in-class assignment)

·         Sentence style analysis

·         Progress report II

·         Final reports

13

4/8

No class

4/10 Style Check 2 Due

>   Progress report II

·         Elements of the final report

 

14

4/15

 èDue: Progress report II ç

 ·         Final report introductions (revising the proposal sections that fit in the final report)

·         Work on elements of final report: front matter

·         Editing the final report

 

4/17

·         Final reports: end matter

·         Criteria for evaluating the final report

15

 4/21 MONDAY

NO CLASS

Office hrs 10 - 2

 àDue: rough draft of other sections of the final report (optional but encouraged) – by 4/28

 

4/22 TUESDAY

NO CLASS
Office HRS:
11 - 4

4/23 WEDNESDAY

NO CLASS
OFFICE HRS:
10 - 4

 

4/24 THURSDAY

NO CLASS
OFFICE HRS:
11- 4

4/25

No Class

OFFICE HRS:

11:30-2

16

4/28 Monday

OFFICE HRS:

12- 5

4/29 Tuesday

è Due: Final Report, 4/29ç

Office hrs: 11 - 5

 

5/1

·          No Class