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English 1112 G: Test 1 DGD’s (September 20 and 27 DGD’s); Test 1 is on October 4
Activity 1: The ethics of technical writing
Engineers and scientists have a duty to describe reality truthfully and accurately. Technical
writers must therefore strive to avoid writing that is deliberately or unintentionally confusing,
manipulative or misleading. Read the examples below and discuss what is potentially ethically
problematic about each one.
(1) Our cutting edge editorial software was designed to replace an editor.
Additional question: what punctuation is missing?
(2) You say the following in a job interview for a company that wishes to put self-driving
cars on the market as soon as possible:
I am a go-getter and will do whatever it takes to beat the competition and make sure that we are
first on the road.
(3) The cases of the deadly COVID-19 virus are soaring.
(4) I do not recall seeing the memo that warned against the faulty construction before the
roof collapsed, my attention was focused on other important issues.
Additional question: what is the punctuation error?
(5) Written by a group working on a new, tinier chip design:
Everyone is looking for something smaller and more powerful (Irish and Weiss 370).
(6) Since the condition of the O-rings is “not desirable, but acceptable,” the Challenger
mission will be launched as scheduled.
(7) The car will be safe this winter because it had no accidents.
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(8) I spend much time browsing the Internet, because I learn many things that are relevant to
my studies.
Additional question: what is the punctuation error?
(9) Your group projects (in an imaginary course) were assigned on Sept. 6 and are due on
November 3. You are writing to your group on the evening of Sept. 7:
I am very excited about our wind energy project. I will email you the first draft of my part of
the report this weekend.
(10)
I cannot begin my report yet because I have to buy a better computer.
(11)
Imagine that you are a physician writing the following sick note for a patient:
[Name of patient] was absent from work because he experienced domestic problems that led to
anxiety attacks.
(12)
The following is inspired by the General Motors ignition switch disaster. Imagine
that an engineer writes the following about a car part that has life-threatening flaws:
The ignition switch may not perform to design.
Sources: 4 was copied or modified from materials in Chapter 6 of John M. Lannon et al.’s
Technical Communication. Sixth Canadian Edition (Pearson, 2014). 5-7 were copied or adapted
from Appendix H of Robert Irish and Peter Eliot Weiss’s Engineering Communication: From
Principle to Practice. Second Edition (Oxford, 2013). (11) was adapted from Philip Hebert’s
Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians (Oxford, 2008),
pages 51—this book if recommended for students who plan to apply to medical school.
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Activity 2: A discussion of Wushow Chou’s “Communications Smart” in Ares, a chapter of
Fast-Tracking Your Career (not depicted on the slides)
(1) What are elevator pitches and why is it important to prepare them?
(2) How might the skill of giving elevator pitches be useful for your success in this course
and beyond?
(3) What does Chou mean by “mastering the onset?” Analyze how author of the sample
essay on page 422 of Essay Writing for Canadian Students on Ares “master the onset”
when they begin their essay as follows:
Like Me on Facebook: Identity Construction in Social Media
Facebook has become a global phenomenon that engages hundreds of millions of people
on a daily basis. The Social Network Site (SNS) purports to give people a way to express
their unique, individual identities. Yet, the site simultaneously limits the user’s
capabilities for self-expression through its own structure in collecting information and its
own reasons and ends for offering the service in the first place.
(4) Using the principles that Chou discusses, explain what is problematic about the following
statement:
“English courses are completely subjective. It is best to focus on your STEM courses and not
waste too much time on your English report; just write what comes naturally and hope for the
best.”
(5) Why has Chou been using plain language? Why should everyone be using it in the
workplace? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the word “eschew in a
proposal as follows: “We will eschew environmentally hazardous materials.”
(6) Based on Chou’s advice, what should your first course of action be if you feel that your
manager does not understand or appreciate your work?
(7) How should humor be used and not be used in workplace communications?
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Activity 3: A discussion of Frederick Brooks’ “Great Designs Come from Great Designers,
Not from Great Design Processes” and “Where Do Great Designers Come From? in The
Design of Designs on Ares, pages 280-293 (this activity is not depicted on the slides.)
(1) Why are product design processes problematic?
(2) What are the benefits of design processes and how should their flaws be mitigated?
(3) Why is it important to nurture individual talent and how should this be done?
(4) What can students do to cultivate their design abilities? How is this advice relevant to
developing one’s writing abilities?
(5) Brooks demonstrates a high level of literacy, his writing style reflecting the benefits of
reading widely. Explain the literary references in the following: “Am I quixontically
advocating a revolutionary overthrow of all corporate design process, in favor of creative
chaos? I am not” (282).
(6) In this course, the reports you will write are your “design projects.” What is the
relevance of this text to the task of “designing” and writing your reports?
Activity 4: Eliminating vagueness and ambiguity
Edit the following sentences to eliminate problems of ambiguity and vagueness:
(1) Discussion starter 7: The engineer told the technician that he will be joining the alternative
energy committee.
(2) Imagine that this is the title of section (1) in a report about Internet addiction:
1. The nature of the problem
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(3) About 80% of individuals diagnosed with internet addiction in our study were university
students. This is partly due to the absence of direct supervision.
(4) Discussion starter 8: Though abundantly available, Ottawa does not yet efficiently harvest
wind to generate energy.
(5) In recent years, certain improvements have been made in prenatal testing. However, these
things do not come without their risks.
(6) Discussion starter 9: The eight columns supporting the building should be built
approximately five meters apart.
(7) Students resort to electronic distractions during lectures for numerous reasons.
(8) The liver is a complex organ whose functions include protein synthesis, detoxification and
the production of biochemicals for digestion.
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(9) I need to be careful with my money because I must save, but it is also important to enjoy
life, so I use my credit card to buy the things that I really love. As an engineer, I will have a
good income, so I can pay it off later.
(10) Call me any time if you have questions about your report.
(11) I would love to read your report about energy solutions for Ottawa. However, I am very
busy right now. Let’s see if I can find time in the future. I look forward to reading it very
soon.
Activity 5: Information and practice questions for Test 1
Note: The information and sample questions are for your own reference. Your DGD leader
might not mention every point about the test in class, so please read the information on this
handout carefully. Also, since the sample questions repeat the kind of questions already done in
class, we might not do them during the DGD (but make sure you do them independently and
check your answers on the slides).
Test 1 on Monday, October 4 at 10 am will cover the following materials:
Lectures: September 8, 15 and 22 (the librarian guest talk on September 29 is important for your
report but will not be included on the test).
DGD’s: September 20 and 27.
For the above lectures and DGD’s, review your notes and the slides posted on Brightspace and
ensure that you understand every point discussed in class.
Also read the following texts on Ares <https://ares.uottawa.ca/en/>:
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Wushow Chou’s “Communications Smart” (a chapter of Fast-Tracking Your Career)
Frederick Brooks’ “Great Designs Come from Great Designers, Not from Great Design
Processes” and “Where Do Great Designers Come From?” (in The Design of Designs)
Kimberly Young’s “Clinical Assessment of Internet-Addicted Clients” (in Internet Addiction: A
Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment)
Beer and McMurrey’s A Guide to Writing as an Engineer (pages 1-3, 5-6, 13-17)
House et al.’s The Engineering Communication Manual (only pages 43-57 [Meeting your ethical
obligations] and 63-65 [the memo about the influent pumps])
Brenner’s Copyediting’s Grammar Tune-up Workbook (pages 427, 429)
Strauss’s The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (pages 447-448)
You are responsible for studying the above texts even if we did not have time to discuss them in
class.
The test is worth 15 percent of your grade in the course.
It will be written in two parts, and each part will be graded out of 100. This means that you will
be getting two grades for test 1: one grade (out of 100) for part 1 (that grade will be worth
10% of your final grade in the course) and another grade (out of 100) for part 2 (that grade
will be worth 5% of your final grade in the course).
On the day of the test (October 4), the two parts of the test will be available on Brightspace as
explained below at 10 am. Both parts must be completed by 11:40 am (Ottawa time). The test is
open book, so you may consult the course materials while writing it. The questions in both part
1 and part 2 may cover any aspect of any of the materials you’ve been asked to study for the test.
See sample questions below (answers are in the DGD slides).
(1) Part 1 will be posted in the “tests” folder of your DGD Brightspace page (that folder is
under “Content”). It will contain 10 questions (each worth 10% of Part 1). You will
have to download the document containing the questions, save it on your computer,
answer each question in the document directly below the question and upload the
document in the assignments sections under “Test 1, part 1.” The name of the file you
upload should be your first and last name, and it should be in a Word format (or, if not
possible, PDF). Your DGD leader will grade the file you submit, typically 3 weeks, and
the answer key will be posted in the “tests” folder after you receive your grade.
Note: question 10 in part 1 will be, “Write 3-6 sentences in which you describe the progress
you have made on Report 1 so far.”
This is a question that you may prepare in advance and then copy and paste your answer into
the test. The intention of this question is to encourage you to make progress on your report.
The content of the answer would vary, but information that you might want to mention may
include the topic that you have chosen, why that topic is interesting, what you are hoping to
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find out, and what you have done so far (for example, what you have read toward the report
and why you found your readings interesting).
(2) Part 2 will be in the Quizzes section of your DGD Brightspace page. It will include 10
multiple-choice questions about any aspect of the materials covered in the course (each
question worth 10% of Part 2 of the test). Part 2 will be graded automatically. By 11:59
pm on the day of the test, you will see your grade on Brightspace, and the answer key
will be posted. See sample questions below.
You may submit the two parts of the test in any order that you’d like (part 1 before part 2 or part
2 before part 1).
Sometimes Brightspace seems to generate “late” notifications after you submit the test that are
not accurate. If you get such a notification but you submitted the test on time, please ignore the
notification.
Note about accommodations: If you are registered with SASS and have accommodations for
extra time, please submit the test late in accordance with your accommodation (for example,
within 150 minutes instead of 100 minutes if you have an accommodation for 50% extra time).
Please include a note to remind us that you are registered with SASS. Brightspace might give
you a late notification, but you may ignore it.
A note for students in time Zones outside of Ottawa
If you are in a time Zone in which the time of the quiz falls between midnight and 8 am, you may start the
quiz at 8:30 am your time (or earlier) and complete it within 100 minutes. Please do not communicate
with any students who have already written the quiz about the quiz. Email the professor and your DGD
leader before the quiz (if your DGD leader is not the professor) to let them know that you are in a
different time Zone. Brightspace might give you an automatic message that your submission is late, but
please ignore that message.
A note for students who have another class right after the test (and therefore may not have 100 minutes
available)
I suggest you inform the professor of the other class that you might be 10 minutes late for class
because you have a test. However, please note that the original length of time for tests 1, 2 and 3 is 80
minutes (I added 20 minutes to accommodate unlikely technical problems). Therefore, it is likely that
you will not need the extra 20 minutes. If you have any further questions or concerns about this,
please email me at gbaronsa@uottawa.ca.
Sample questions for part (1) of the test (the answers are in the DGD slides):
1. Explain what is problematic about the following sentence and how it may be edited:
“Having studied for the test, the errors in the sentences were easy to correct.”
2. Explain what is problematic about the following sentence and how it may be edited:
“The company Energy Solutions is looking for an engineer with several years of
experience in designing wind turbines.”
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3. Explain what is problematic about the following sentence and how it may be edited:
Electronic distractions cause numerous problems for students.
4. Explain what is problematic about the following sentence and how it may be edited: I
will begin working on report 1 for ENG 1112 very soon.
5. Explain what is problematic about the following sentence and how it may be edited:
Professors have voted the editorial software RosePen to be the best new product in the
software market.
6. Briefly explain why the demand to speak and write precisely might pose a problem in
the science and engineering workplace.
7. Your company designed Rosepen, a software that identifies high-risk words and
situations in documents and asks writers questions about them to help improve their
writing. The program identifies the word “this.” Write a question that would be useful
to ask writers about “this,” based on class discussion.
8. What is the recommended approach for treating internet addiction according to
Kimberley Young’s “Clinical Assessment of Internet Addicted Clients?”
9. Copy the following sentence and add any punctuation marks that may be missing. You
do not need to explain (just add the necessary punctuation):
10. Question 10 on the test will be exactly the following question (this is not a sample):
“Write 3-6 sentences in which you describe the progress you have made on Report 1 so
far.”
Sample questions for part (2) of the test (the answers are in the DGD slides). Part 2 of the
test will have 10 multiple-choice questions, but only 5 sample questions are provided below:
1. Which of the following is correctly punctuated?
i.
The three-year long plan was well-formulated.
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ii.
iii.
iv.
The three-year-long plan was well-formulated.
The three year long plan was well formulated.
The three-year-long plan was well formulated.
2. According to class discussion, why is Achilles heel an apt metaphor for writing
challenges that some engineers experience?
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Because this metaphor signifies a weakness in someone who is otherwise strong
Because the Trojan War was a technical project
Because engineers are often heroes
Because Achilles’s career ended due to poor writing skills
3. According to Wushow Chou’s “Communications Smart,” what should an employee do if
they feel that their manager does not understand what they are doing.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
File a complaint with their union
Use more specialized professional jargon
Use plain language
Look for other employment opportunities
4. What is the primary problem in the following sentence: “The grammar test will start at 4
pm next Thursday.”
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Vagueness
Ambiguity
Dangling modifier
False precision
5. In class discussion, the “smiley” icon was compared to
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Generic writing
Positive tone in language
Writing that uses specific language
Ironic language
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Activity 6: A discussion of “Clinical Assessment of Internet-Addicted Clients,” in Internet
Addiction: A Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment on Ares; only question 5 is
depicted on the slides)
(1) Why is internet addiction challenging to diagnose? The discussion of this question will
begin with discussion starter 10 and discussion starter 11 (see attendance and
participation handout).
(2) Discussion starter 12: According to page 24, what is the recommended approach for
treating internet addiction?
(3) Discussion starter 13: Explain one of the obstacles to overcoming Internet addiction
explained on one of the following course pages: 22, 26, 27.
(4) Discussion starter 14: Why is internet use especially problematic, potentially, for
university students, according to page 31?
(5) While the article is generally well written, it could at times benefit from closer editorial
attention. Discuss how the following sentences could be improved:
Page 20, starting at the third line of the Conceptualization section: “Internet addicts demonstrate
a loss of impulse control where life has become unmanageable for the online user.”
Page 29, the last sentence before the “Underlying Social Problems” section: “They will also
learn that an addiction to the Internet can be as harmful as other addictions they may have by
continuing to avoid problems without ever resolving them.”
Page 29, fifth line after “Underlying Social Problems:” “Poor communication skills can also
cause poor self-esteem and feelings of isolation, and can create additional problems in life, such
as trouble working in groups, making presentations, or going to social engagements.”
Page 31, third paragraph, line 8: “eating and drinking things parents would not approve of.”
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Page 32, starting at line 5: “Clinically, therapists need to properly diagnose the problem and
understand the dynamics associated with the condition. This includes things about Internet use
that may not be readily available.”
Activity 7: Analyze a workplace letter (this activity is not depicted on the slides.)
Read the following letter about AIDS written by the medical researcher Donald P. Francis and
discuss its strengths and weaknesses.
Public Health Services
Centers for Disease Control
Atlanta, Georgia 30333
4402 North 7th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85014
April 12, 1983
Walter R. Dowdle, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Infectious Diseases
Building 1, Room 6007
Centers for Disease Control
Atlanta, Georgia 30333
Dear Walt:
The outbreak of AIDS is a huge public health problem which requires a massive infusion of
resources. The number of people already killed is large and all indications are that this disease
will not stop until thousands of Americans have died. Even though tragic enough to justify great
expenditures for control, the direct effects of this disease are only a part of its effect. The
problem arising in the blood and plasma collection systems, the hospitals, and among the
research establishments could have far-reaching and long-lasting effects.
Our government's response to this disaster has been far too little. Much of this is because the
slope of the epidemic curve has been gradual, lasting years instead of days. We are not
accustomed to dealing with outbreaks having long latent periods. But these situations require
even greater speed because even after discovery of the cause, we will be so far behind and
control will be even more difficult. Even if we are so fortunate to have the rapid development of
a control modality for AIDS (perhaps a vaccine), we cannot be guaranteed that we can stop it.
from our HBV-vaccine predictions, we fear that few homosexual men and IV drug users could
be vaccinated prior to their exposure to infection.
This is a major challenge for CDC and will remain so for many years. We can predict increasing
frustrations now in pursuit of the cause and later in pursuit of control. This disease is not going to
go away. To do what is right we must ensure large scale funding for AIDS research and control.
The inadequate funding to date has seriously restricted our work and has presumably deepened
the invasion of this disease into the American population. In addition, the time wasted pursuing
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money from Washington has cast an air of despair over AIDS workers throughout the country.
Possibly worse, it has sandwiched those responsible for research and control between massive
pressure to do what is right and an ummovable wall of inadequate resources. The resulting
frustrations have severely inhibited the open-mindedness and cooperation that is required to
conquer such a scourge. Because of the slow and inadequate funding process, it seems that after
we get funds and recruit staff, we are always too late –the disease has passed us up again and we
are again understaffed and underfunded.
There must be a way to do it right. We can predict a massive need of both epidemiologic and
laboratory staff and a need for rapidly mobilizable funds to undertake field investigations. In this
vast and wealth country there must be a way to get $10 to $20 million immediately for this
disease. I stress speed because the usual government funding and spending processes are so slow
to be unacceptable in such an emergency situation.
For the good of the people of this country and the world, we should no longer accept the claims
of inadequate funding and we should no longer be content with the trivial resources offered. Our
past and present efforts have been and are far too small and we can't be proud. It is time to do
more. It is time to do what is right.
With utmost concern and continuing hope
Donald P. Francis, M.D., D.Sc.
Assistant Director for Medical Science
From the Donald Francis digital collection
https://blogs.library.ucsf.edu/broughttolight/2017/10/23/new-donald-p-francis-digital-collection/