Phil Druker/Department of English/ University of Idaho

 

 Brink 204 

 

TECHNICAL WRITING SYLLABUS English 317-04/05

FALL 2008

Note: * = new assignment , à = rough draft due, è = final draft due  red = changes in the syllabus

Week

Tuesday

Thursday

1

 8/26

·         Introduction to the course

·         Introductory email

8/28

·          The research project for the course.

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

·         Audience

2

9/2

·          Audience.

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

·         Final report topics

9/4

à  Due: rough draft, résumé

·         Writing letters: tone and style

·         Paragraphs. 

·         Punctuation

3

9/9

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

·         Sentence style: punctuation

·         Avoiding Passive Sentences

Pre-proposal for final report (email assignment)

 

9/11

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

·         Punctuation

·         Style analysis.  An approach to technical writing tasks.

*Assignment: Library Assignment

4

9/16
Library instruction: Meet in Library 212A during class

 

No class.

 

èDUE: Pre-proposal  Due at 9AM.  Email assignment.

9/18

èDUE: Library Assignment  Due at 9AM  (email assignment)

 Proposals:

  * Assignment: Writing proposals: RFPs

 

5

9/23      Proposals:

·         Problem identification and solving
The proposal as a persuasive document

·         Proposal objective section

 

**Assignment: Progress Report I on preliminary    research

 

9/25 Proposals:.

·         Objectives and approach in writing proposals

à Due: Rough draft, proposal: objective section 

àDue: Rough draft, proposal: problem section

·         Writing methods sections

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

·         Writing abstracts/summaries

 

6

9/30  Proposals:

· background section/level of technicality

àDue: Rough draft, proposal: methods section 

·Discuss Progress Report I

10/2  Proposals:

·         Some basics on graphics

·         Other sections of the proposal

·         Definitions//audience
·         Paragraphs, key terms

 

7

10/7è Due: Progress Report  5PM, Brink 204 (hardcopy)ç

Conferences

10/9   Proposals:

à Due: Rough draft, proposal: background section
Email this or bring it to your conference.

Conferences

8

10/14

à Due:  Rough draft, proposal: work on all sections

10/16

Sentence Style:  Bring draft to class

èDue: Proposal Final Draft  ç

1 PM Friday, October 17

9

10/21

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

·         Definitions and descriptions

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

 

No class

10/23
è Due: Description of a mechanism (in-class assignment).

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

·         Definitions and descriptions

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

 

10

10/28

 

è Due: Description of a mechanism (in-class assignment).

·         Work on section of final report.

·         Completion reports, objectives, and approach.

·         Analyzing information

10/30

·         Work on section of final report

·         Analyzing information

·         More on graphics.

à  Due: Section of final report, rough draft

11

11/4

Office hours/ no class. Bring rough drafts to the office. 8 - 2 PM   

11/6

èDue: Section of final report ç

·         Sentence style analysis--style check assignment

·         Format

·         Final reports

11/7 Friday

èDue: Section of final report ç

12

11/11

 

No class

 

11/13

èDue: Progress report II ç Style check due

·         Progress report II -- discuss/introduce

·         Sentence style.

·         Elements of the final report

 

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

13

11/18

èDue: Progress report II ç

·         Work on elements of final report: front matter

·         Editing the final report

11/20

·         Final reports: front matter

·         Criteria for evaluating the final report

 

Fall Break

Fall Break

14

12/2

·         Editing the final report.

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

12/8

·         Conclusions/      Recommendations

Front matter for final report

Final report criteria

Format

 

12/4

Other front matter
End matter
Sentence style/editing the final report
Final report criteria

15

12/9

è Due: Final Report, Dec. 9ç

DUE by 5:00 pm

No class

12/11

 No class

 CONFERENCE HOURS for weeks 14 and 15:

Tuesday, Dec 2 Wednesday, Dec 3 Thursday, Dec 4 Friday, Dec 5  Monday Dec 8
3:30-5:00 8:30-10:15, 11:30-12:30 3:30- 5:00 9:00 - 3:00 9:00-3:00