ENGL& 235: Technical Writing
Winter 2010
MTWThF 12:00-12:50
LSC 101
Instructor: Dr. K. Zagrodnik
Office: CTR 190P
Phone: 253-840-8362
Office Hours: M 11:00-11:50
T 7:50-8:50
W 1:00-2:00
Th 7:50-8:50
F 11:00-11:50
Email: Angel Course Site
Required Texts
Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. Technical Communication Today. 3rd ed. NY: Longman,
2010. Print.
Course Description
English 235 is designed to familiarize students with the principles of organizing, developing, and
expressing technical information. Students will study rhetorical patterns and genres common to
scientific and technical disciplines as well as develop an understanding of how these writing
conventions and approaches can be incorporated into their academic and professional careers.
Course Outcomes
Student outcomes for English 235 reflect the four of the learning abilities established by Pierce
College: effective communication, critical thinking/ problem solving, information competency,
and student responsibility.
Specific outcomes for English 235 include:
1. Identify the purpose of, gather appropriate and accurate information for, and write
documents for specific audiences.
2. Acquire the skills of information competency: be able to access, evaluate and apply
information appropriately.
3. Transform instructions into informational units.
4. Analyze the accuracy of and use appropriate graphics in technical documents.
5. Write at least three different technical documents implementing the appropriate
content and format for each.
6. Participate actively in collaborative assignments.
7. Complete a collaborative teach document.
8. Identify and respond to ethical and multicultural issues in technical communication.
Assessment and Evaluation
Technical Documents Students will complete five major technical document assignments,
including:
 An application packet
 A memorandum packet
 A set of instructions
 A technical description
 An analytical report
Four of these assignments are individual assignments while the technical description will be a
team (group) assignment.
Drafting Assignments Students will have additional short assignments, including:
 Audience analyses
 Grammar exercises
 E-mail exercise
 Progress reports
 Group participation evaluations
 Usability studies
 Presentation evaluations
Some of these assignments will be completed outside of class meetings while others will be
completed during class meetings. Assignments should follow the proper format or they will not
receive credit. These assignments are averaged for a single grade; this grade is in part
determined by the number of assignments to be completed.
Presentation Students will give a formal ten minute presentation of their analytical report. This
presentation should be accompanied by a PowerPoint Presentation.
Class Participation Class participation is determined by your involvement in class and/or team
discussions, lectures, and activities. If you contribute regularly (each week or class period
contributing comments, responding to questions from me or other class members, asking
significant questions that relate to our understanding of the concepts of this course) then you can
expect a strong grade (an A or a B). If you talk throughout the semester (every other week or
mostly in group discussions but not in the larger class discussion) then you can expect a fair
grade (a C). If you do not participate or if your classroom conduct detracts from the learning
process of yourself or other class members, then you can expect a failing grade (an F).
Grading Distribution
Application Materials Assignment 10%
Memorandum Assignment
10%
Set of Instructions
15%
Technical Description
15%
Analytical Report
20%
Presentation
10%
Drafting Assignments
10%
Class Participation
10%
Course Total
100%
Grading Policies
Students earning an “A” have demonstrated excellence in their work; this work documents the
highest achievement regarding all expectations. A “B” grade demonstrates work that exceeds
expectations. A “C” grade demonstrates average work; this work satisfactorily completes all
requirements for the course.
Attendance is expected. It is very difficult to learn when you are not in the class. Habitual
tardiness will adversely affect the final grade. Please send me an email or a leave a phone
message if you will be or have been absent.
I reserve the right not to accept work that was due and to determine whether the student will be
permitted to make up any missed exams or course related work. Students should make an
appointment to meet with me at my office in order to discuss incomplete or missing assignments.
An assignment not handed in at the beginning of class time on the date due will have points
deducted, ten points for each day the assignment is late (including the day the assignment is due).
Unless noted, all final documents should be in paper form. I will not accept major assignments
through Angel or in other electronic formats.
Students are responsible for their own grades and keeping returned assignments.
Plagiarism is the presentation of the “work of another person without full and clear
acknowledgement of the source” (Pierce College, “Student Code of Conduct”). Any act of
plagiarism or cheating will result in a failing grade or zero, depending on the severity of the act,
for that assignment. Further action may be taken. For a more complete explanation, see the
copy of the Student Rights and Responsibilities available in the Student Programs Office and
online.
Course Policies
Readings and all assignments should be completed before the class meeting for that day.
During class meetings, students should turn off cell phones and all other electronic devices. This
will allow you to focus on lectures, discussions, and class activities. Please see me before class
if you need an accommodation for this policy.
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates respect for their
classmates and instructor and the learning process. If I determine a student is disruptive to
others’ learning, I will ask you to leave the classroom. You may not return until you have met
with me first and then with the appropriate college officials and have their permission to return.
Copies of Pierce College’s code of “Student Rights and Responsibilities” are available in the
Student Programs Office and online at the Pierce College website.
Format requirements are as follows:
 Unless otherwise noted written assignments should be typed and follow MLA
requirements (double-spaced with one-inch margins on all sides). Include the
correct header on the assignment (your name, the instructor’s title and name,
class, and date). You are responsible for stapling or clipping the assignment. Be
sure to edit and spell-check the response; mechanical and editing errors will result
in a lower grade.
 Final documents should be printed on one side of the paper with black text; the
best presentation of printed assignments occurs with a laser jet printer.
 All in-class writing should be done on clean paper in blue or black ink.
Additional Information
Students with disabilities who believe they may need academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or
services to participate fully in course activities or meet course requirements are encouraged to
register with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) Office, Room A115 in the
Administration Building. You will need to obtain the “Approved Quarterly Academic
Adjustments, Auxiliary Aids or Services” (green form) provided by ADS. Appointments to meet
with the ADS Coordinators can be made by calling 253-840-8335.
If there is an emergency on campus, call 911 and then Campus Safety in response to an imminent
threat to persons or property. In the event of an evacuation, take all personal belongings and
leave the building. Stay a minimum of 200 feet from any building or structure. So long as it is
safe to do so students are expected to stay on campus and return to class after evacuations that
last less than 15 minutes. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed to do so.
If there is an emergency closure of the college due to widespread illness or other emergency
(such as weather), adjustments may need to be made to the syllabus and/or mode of instruction in
order to achieve the course objectives.
Pierce College has issued all students a Gmail account, and it is this account that the college will
use to communicate college and campus information to students. Students can find information
about accessing this account on the Pierce College home page.
This course will be web-enhanced. The syllabus and additional assignments will be posted online through Angel (http://angel.pcd.edu). Your login name is your student ID (for most students
this number begins “925”) and your initial password is the first five letters of your last name (or
your entire last name if it is five letters or fewer).
The date and time for the final exam for this course is Friday, March 19, 2010, from 12:00 to
2:00.
Expect to spend, on average, between 10 and 15 hours a week outside of class time on this
course.
Course Schedule
I reserve the right to make necessary changes to the syllabus and course assignments as
necessary. Students will be informed of any such changes.
01-01410
01-05-10
01-06-10
01-07-10
01-08-10
01-11-10
01-12-10
Overview: Technical
Writing and
Communication
LECTURE
Course Overview
Defining “Technical
Communication”
Writing as a Technical
Communicator
The Technical Writing
Process
Readers and Contexts of
Use; Electronic
Communication
CLASS ACTIVITY
Student Introductions
ASSIGNMENTS
Writing a Course
Mission Statement
Writing a Course
Mission Statement
“Changing Bad
Habits” (p 37)
TCT: Chapter 1
TCT: Chapters 3 and
13
By 4:00 pm 01-09-10
respond to the e-mail
Dr. Zagrodnik sent
through Angel. This email should observe
appropriate guidelines
for the rhetorical
situation.
Application Materials
Creating Successful
Letters and Résumés
01-13-10
Using Plain and
Persuasive Style
Types of Résumés
01-14-10
Revising and Editing for
TCT: Review Chapter
1
TCT: Chapter 2
Evaluating Letters
TCT: Chapter 15
Identify an
advertisement for a
suitable position for
Application Materials
Folder
TCT: Chapter 9
Scannable/Searchable TCT: Review Chapter
Résumé
15
In-class peer review
TCT: Chapter 12
Usability
of application
materials
01-15-10
01-18-10
01-19-10
01-20-10
01-21-10
NO CLASS: Martin
Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Memorandum
Responding to an Ethical
Issue
Letters and Memos
Ethics in the Technical
Workplace
Organizing and Drafting
01-22-10
Collaborative
Project: Chapter 5
Team Presentations
on Ethical Issues
01-25-10
01-26-10
Instructions
Instructions and
Documentation
01-27-10
01-29-10
Writing Instructions
02-02-10
Individual Activity:
Writing Instructions
Individual Activity
Cont’d.
Individual Activity
02-03-10
02-04-10
02-05-10
02-08-10
02-09-10
02-10-10
Team Project: Technical
Definition and Technical
Description
Technical Definitions and
Technical Descriptions
Using Graphics
TCT: Chapter 17
TCT: Chapter 5
TCT: Chapter 8
Audience Analysis for
Memorandum
Assignment
Memorandum on
Ethical Issue Due
TCT: Chapter 20
Team Activity:
Writing Instructions
Team Activity
Cont’d.
Team Activity
Cont’d.
01-28-10
02-01-10
Team Project:
Chapter 5
Collaborative
Project: Chapter 5
Drafts of application
materials
Application Materials
Folder Due
Team Activity:
Revision Challenge,
Chapter 18
Team Activity
Team Activity
Team Activity
TCT: Review Chapter
20
TCT: Review Chapter
20
TCT: Chapter 10
Instructions Due
TCT: Chapter 4
TCT: Chapters 18 and
19
TCT: Chapter 11
02-11-10
02-12-10
Team Activity
Technical Description
Due
02-16-10
NO CLASS: Presidents’
Day Holiday
Proposals
02-17-10
02-18-10
Analytical Report
Analytical Reports
Analytical Report
02-15-10
02-19-10
02-22-10
02-23-10
02-24-10
02-25-10
02-26-10
03-01-10
03-02-10
03-03-10
03-04-10
03-05-10
03-08-10
03-09-10
Revision Challenge:
Chapter 21
TCT: Chapter 21
TCT: Chapter 23
Example Analysis
Conducting Research
Team Project
Memo Due: Response
to prompt #2 on page
701
TCT: Chapter 7
Memo Due: Response
to prompt #2 on page
171
Team Project
Progress Report Due
TCT: Review Chapter
8
Organizing and Drafting
Organizing and Drafting
Organizing and Drafting
Documentation
TCT: Appendix C
Peer Review
Peer Review
Preparing and Giving
Presentations
03-10-10
03-11-10
03-12-10
03-15-10
03-16-10
TCT: Chapter 16
Presentations
Presentations
Presentations
Presentations
Presentations
FINAL EXAM