1
Note: This is a sample syllabus; while some aspects of the course remain the same,
others do not.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GUIDELINES/SYLLABUS
South Dakota State University Department of English
Online Technical Communication/English 379.7 & 8: 3 credits
Fall 2008
Mrs. Lynn Hublou, Instructor
Please make sure you familiarize yourself more thoroughly with D2L by visiting the
Student D2L tutorial under “Resources” on the homepage.
Mrs. Lynn Hublou, Instructor
Phone: 688-5753
Email: Internal email system
D2L Support: The D2L homepage
has an email link and phone numbers for
you. The on-campus computer help phone
number is 688-6776.
Required Text: Technical Communication, 11th ed., John M. Lannon,
NOTE: 11th ed. (Do not ask if it is ok to use the 10th ed.; it is not ok.)
Recommended Texts: St. Martin’s Handbook
Roget’s Thesaurus
A good, hardbound dictionary
This course is delivered through Desire2Learn (D2L). See the sections below with the
blue section headings for some information about navigating the course.
Office Hours: MTWTH 10:30-12:00; and by appointment.
I am available online throughout the day. I am usually not available on weekends. If a
situation arises when I will not be available for a full day, I will be sure to tell you.
Course Description and Goals/Learning Outcomes
Technical Communication is the “study of and practice in writing of a technical nature”
(SDSU University Bulletin Quarterly 290).
Any successful professional will tell you without hesitation that the key to success is
through excellent communication skills, with careful attention to the writer’s audience.
Therefore, this course is designed to provide students with practical writing skills
necessary for success in any field by stressing efficiency and usability. These skills
involve everything from memo writing to business letter writing to report writing. You
will learn to write convincing memos, letters, and reports; and you will learn to
successfully design these documents using available technology. You will become aware
of the social responsibility of communicating ethically. Your awareness of diversity will
2
be raised through different modes of and approaches to communication. You will
understand the importance and frequency of communication in the workplace.
The course will begin by studying persuasive techniques early on. The persuasion
analysis is the precursor to the remainder of the assignments, all of which adhere to the
assumption that any piece of writing is persuasive; therefore, each writing assignment is
unique in that it will address a particular audience, and the student as the writer must
analyze that audience and determine how best to “persuade” the audience. Students will
learn to design letters and memos and to create other visually-appealing documents;
document design is integral to successful workplace communication.
Technical writing requires conciseness and accuracy with attention to the importance of
the audience and to altering tone to match that audience. Because the course stresses
efficiency, course content will heavily emphasize revising techniques. You will learn to
write clear, coherent, persuasive prose; you will conduct some research, and you will
enhance your verbal and analytical skills.
Therefore, it is important that you analyze and critically evaluate the ideas and
arguments within a given situation; it is important that you learn fundamental principles,
generalizations and theories regarding technical communication; and it is important that
you learn to apply the course material, in turn improving your thinking, problem-solving,
and decision-making skills. It is also essential that you develop skill in expressing
yourself in writing through applying the course material to improve those skills. Much of
this will evolve through the important task of working with others as a member of a
team.
Broadly, this course seeks to help you to improve your ability to read text critically, to
consider issues thoroughly, to think about them clearly, and to write about them
convincingly. These objectives accord with and, thus, satisfy two of the System General
Education (SGE) goals:
Goal #1: “Students will write effectively and responsibly and will understand and
interpret the written expression of others.”
Student Learning Outcomes: “As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students
will:
1. Write using standard American English, including correct punctuation, grammar,
and sentence structure [assessment based upon your performance on various
exercises and responses and on the major essays];
2. Write logically [assessment based upon your performance on the major essays];
3. Write persuasively, using a variety of rhetorical strategies (e.g., exposition,
argumentation, description) [assessment based upon your performance on the
major essays];
3
4. Incorporate formal research and documentation into their writing, including
research obtained through modern, technology-based research tools [assessment
based upon your completion of the research component of the major essays and
various documentation exercises].”
Goal #7: “Students will recognize when information is needed and have the ability to
locate, organize, critically evaluate, and effectively use information from a variety of
sources with intellectual integrity.”
Student Learning Outcomes: “Students will:
1. Determine the extent of information needed [assessment based upon your ability
to provide sufficient evidence to support your claims in the major essays];
2. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently [assessment based upon
your ability to find relevant sources and incorporate them into the major essays];
3. Evaluate information and its sources critically [assessment based upon your
ability in chat rooms and message boards and in the major essays to challenge
and/or corroborate the validity of other writers’ claims];
4. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose [assessment based
upon your ability in the major essays to gather sources, incorporate them
appropriately into your essays, and thereby persuade readers that your arguments
are plausible and cogent];
5. Use information in an ethical and legal manner [assessment based upon your
ability to fairly and accurately represent others’ ideas through quotation,
paraphrase, and summary—and to do so, in the case of paraphrase and summary,
in your own words].”
Note: Freedom in learning. Under Board of Regents and University policy student
academic performance may be evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on
opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to academic standards. Students should be
free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and
to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for learning
the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled. Students who believe
that an academic evaluation reflects prejudiced or capricious consideration of
student opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards should first contact the
instructor of the course to initiate a review of the evaluation. If the student remains
unsatisfied, the student may contact the department head and/ or dean of the college
which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.
Following Directions
Because this is an online course and we are relying primarily on written communication,
I have one important piece of advice: Read all instructional material carefully and follow
all directions. Read the instructions for assignments carefully and print them. Highlight
important information such as due dates and other criteria. Use a calendar to write down
4
assignment due dates; consult it frequently and make any necessary changes on a regular
basis. Typically, students who fail to follow directions receive lower grades than those
who follow directions. Following directions is a skill many people lack, but it is an
absolute necessity in almost every facet of life. Please demonstrate that you have it.
We will cover a great deal of material, but we will not discuss everything. Therefore,
you are responsible for material that I assign but that I may not directly cover. This
applies to the material for the quizzes, too. When you read about particular grammar or
mechanical situations, you are responsible for applying those principles to your writing,
including material I cover within emails, discussion postings, and in “News.”
Using a Calendar
Keeping track of deadlines in a calendar and keeping the calendar in your binder would
be very helpful to you. This is especially important because assignment due dates are not
always predictable from week to week. Read ahead in the syllabus so you know what is
coming up and so nothing will surprise you. You have a built-in calendar within the
course, too; look on the navigation bar for “Calendar.” “Events” on our course homepage
also provide specific dates and times for assignment opening and closings. You will find
“Events” prominently displayed on the left-hand side of the screen on the homepage.
Possible Changes to Syllabus
The syllabus provides dates of weekdays. Be alert to the syllabus and to our assignments
within the Dropbox (look on the navigation bar for “Dropbox”).
IMPORTANT: I may make changes to the syllabus and/or to Dropbox assignments. Pay
close attention to the “News” on our course homepage for these corrections. Any
corrections I make there will always take precedence.
The syllabus is subject to change. Pay close attention to correspondence from me and
make changes accordingly. I frequently provide detailed information and instruction via
email and/or through “News” on the homepage, so check these sources of information
daily. Also, print a copy of the syllabus and guidelines for easy reference and to make
any necessary changes. As assignments become available, and as you receive emails
from me, print them and put them in a three-ring binder (buy a three-hole punch, too). In
fact, doing this should be a given. It’s what I do, and it makes life far less complicated,
particularly in an online class. You will have no trouble staying organized.
The Beginning and the End of the Week
Most of the time, I will open assignments for the coming week on Saturday at 6:00 a.m.;
however, the beginning of the week is officially on Monday at 6:00 a.m. I will post most
assignments on Saturday morning to take into account those of you who work during the
week and who would like to get a head start on the coming week’s assignments. The
end of the week is officially on Friday at 6:00 p.m.
5
For the most part, you will have one paper due each week, and you will have two quizzes
each week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. I will be fairly consistent with this,
though deviations from this may occur.
The Textbook
Use the textbook. When I make assignments, you are to read them, but don’t just read
the assignment. Highlight key ideas and write ideas and comments in the margins. Use
the book; dig into the material.
You will learn a great deal in this course from the textbook. I will serve as your guide,
but you must realize that your own reading and your own application of what you read
will be your primary learning tools. Obviously, my input is the impetus for the course
content and for what you ultimately produce for the course.
Technical Communication, 11th ed. is an excellent resource. Look through it to see what
it has to offer. Chapter 13 will be very useful to you. You will have assignments from
this chapter throughout the course, but you should look through it and become familiar
with the ideas therein right away. Those ideas are vital to becoming a successful
technical writer and to becoming a clear thinker. Look at Part Five of the text,
“Resources for Writers.” “A Quick Guide to Documentation” provides a thorough
discussion of three different methods of documenting, along with explaining how to use
quotations, paraphrases, and other issues related to careful documentation. “A Quick
Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics” covers mechanical and grammatical
situations that you should review and be familiar with.
Finally, look at the last few pages of the book. The index should be the first place you
look when you want to investigate something in particular. The very last page of the
book lists editing and revision symbols. This list also provides page numbers where you
can look in the book to learn about those ideas. Become familiar not so much with the
list of symbols, but with what you need to be aware of as a writer.
Course Delivery and Pace of Course
This course is delivered entirely online, using Desire2Learn software (D2L). Learning
will occur through reading assignments from the textbook and from other online
resources, through writing assignments, through discussions and peer review exercises,
and through accessing my notes from within the course.
This course is not self-paced. It is imperative that you keep up with your work on a daily
basis. The volume of work must remain constant for the student and the instructor alike.
Advice About How to Navigate Our Course
You can figure out quite a bit about how to navigate in D2L on your own. However, I
will offer some advice here within the Course Guidelines, and I will provide an area
within the course where you can ask questions; you will see this link (a link to “Discuss”
near the top of the Homepage, under “Course Info”). The best advice I can give you is
6
just to keep experimenting and exploring the class. You will become more familiar and
comfortable with it all the time, and if you have used WebCT, you will find many
similarities. Also see the links on the right side of the homepage called “Student
Guides.” The advice I’m offering here is limited; you have access to superior, more
detailed information through “Student Guides.” The following sections (with blue
section headings) outline the features of our course homepage and describe some
navigational features of the course.
Contents on the Left Side of Our Course Homepage
To begin with, take a close look at the Homepage. On the upper left side of the screen
you will find a link to the syllabus, a link to information about me, and so on. Be sure to
look at these.
Below that, still on the left, you will find a list of “Events.” This is where you will see
information about assignment openings and due dates (it is NOT where you will find
assignments). It merely serves as a place to remind you of what is going on.
Below “Events,” you will see links to SDSU resources. These are handy links, so check
them out.
Contents in the Middle of Our Course Homepage
At the top of the page, you will see “Course Info.” This is where you will find the link to
the specific class discussion where you can ask questions about D2L. Feel free to ask
questions and also to answer them. This is a place where we can learn from each other.
Please don’t feel that it’s always up to me to answer every question.
Below “Course Info,” you will see “News.” It’s very important that you read the news
items that I post. This is where I will make changes in due dates or alert you to other
important information. I expect you to stay up-to-date with all news I post. If you miss a
due date I have changed through “News” or if you are unaware of information I have
provided under “News,” I will not accept “not knowing” as an excuse. Check the
“News” every day for any changes or for any other important information you should be
aware of.
Contents on the Right Side of Our Course Homepage
The top of the right side of the course homepage has an item called “Updates.” This will
tell you if you have email or if you have discussions to read.
Below “Updates,” you will see “Student Guides.” These links will help you with specific
information about the course; these are excellent tutorials. For this course, you should
become familiar with
1. Locating a Course
2. Classlist
3. Preferences (this is more for your personal use than anything)
4. Course Mail
7
5. Dropbox
6. Pager
7. Locker (this is very handy; you don’t need to use a flash drive, ever, for the course—
all your files can be stored within the course)
8. Grades
The Contents of the Course Navigation Bar (near the top of the screen)
At the top of the screen on the navigation bar, you will see 1) “My Home,” 2) “Course
Mail,” 3) “Locker,” and 4) “Calendar.” These links are called “widgets.”
1) My Home has some general information on it, along with a link to other courses you
are enrolled in that are linked to D2L. This page is NOT our course homepage.
2) Course Mail obviously takes you to email. You may read your messages here, and if
you want to view email you have sent, go to “Filter By” and choose “All Messages” in
the dropdown box. You can send email from “Course Mail” by replying to a specific
message. You will probably do most of your emailing through “Classlist.”
The dropdown box next to “Folder” allows you to choose Inbox, Sent (choose “All
Messages”), Drafts, Trash Can, and Address Book.
After you have read an email message, make sure to click “mark read” from the menu
immediately above the message you’re reading. That way, you can separate the emails
you’ve read from new, unread emails.
3) Locker allows you to save any work you do right within the course. You do not need
a flash drive, although you may, of course, use one if you choose to.
4) Calendar allows you to visually see when assignments begin and end. You can also
make your own changes to the calendar in addition to what I create
on the calendar.
Slightly below the widgets I just described, you will see other widgets: 1) “Course
Home,” 2) “Content,” 3) “Course Mail,” 4) “Discuss,” 5) “Dropbox,” 6) “Quizzes,” 7)
“Classlist,” 8) “Groups,” and “Grades.”
1) Course Home is the homepage for whatever individual course you’re working within
(in this case, English 379, Technical Communication).
2) Content is a feature I do not use. Some professors use it and some don’t.
3) Course Mail is the same widget I described above. You just have two links at the top
of the page for the same thing.
8
After you have read an email message, make sure to click “mark read” from the menu
immediately above the message you’re reading. That way, you can separate the emails
you’ve read from new, unread emails.
4) Discuss takes you to the section of the course where we conduct discussions and
where you will participate in peer editing.
5) Dropbox is the section of the course that contains your assignments. I will have all
instructions for each assignment within “Dropbox.” NOTE: Look at Week 1 in the
syllabus, though, where you have two assignments listed that are not within the Dropbox.
The Dropbox is the place where you will submit assignments, too. After I have graded
your assignments, I will upload a graded file. You must make sure to look
at all graded files for any comments (See my comments on this in the section “Viewing
Graded Work Within the Dropbox” below).
6) Quizzes We will not use this section of the course.
7) Classlist is a section of the course where you can select recipients for email. When
you select to go to “Classlist,” simply click the box next to the recipient’s name(s) and
click on the email icon (the envelope above the list of students’ names). If you want to
email me, you’ll find my name when you select either “Instructor” or “All” from the tabs.
You can also page people from the Classlist (use the bell icon for paging), but using this
feature is sort of like crying wolf. It can be overused. We should prefer the email feature
over the paging feature.
You should also be aware that you can check your emails for grammar errors. Click on
the checkmark with ABC on it. I expect you to use this feature. We may conduct
ourselves informally on occasion, but informality does not translate to sloppiness.
You will create your “Profile” within Classlist, too.
8) Groups Periodically, you will be placed in groups for peer editing or for discussions.
If you click on “Groups,” you can find out who the other members of your group are.
After you click on “Groups,” you will see a dropdown box next to “View Categories.”
Just find the activity you’re looking for in the dropdown box and select that, for example,
“Verbal Style Group Exercise.” Then just click on the numeral next to the name of the
activity, and you’ll see your group members.
9) Grades will show you individual grades for each assignment along with my
comments. The actual graded assignments, however, are not available here. You
may view graded assignments through the Dropbox under “View.” See “Viewing
Graded Work within the Dropbox” below for a detailed discussion of this.
If you click on the bars icon, you will see the grade distribution for that assignment
for all students in the course, including my progress on the percentage of assignments
I’ve graded.
9
Writing and Computer Requirements
I have Word 2003; I cannot open Word 2007 documents (.docx). Therefore, it is
imperative that you save your documents as .doc or .rtf. If you do not, I will not give you
credit for your assignment.
To save your work as .doc or .rtf, go to “Save As” at the top of the screen, which will
open a new window; at the bottom of the window, click on “Save as Type.” At this point
you may choose Word Document (*.doc) or Rich Text Format (*.rtf).
Write in Times New Roman font along with 12 point font size. Use your computer’s
default margins (they should be set at about 1 inch). Do not try to use larger fonts or
margins. I will notice, and your grade will reflect the attempt to “stretch” an assignment.
All assignments should be written in formal written Standard English.
Always revise a hardcopy of your work. Never create a document and revise the onscreen version. It is physically impossible for our eyes to see everything we need to see
onscreen (I don’t know the technicalities of this, but it has something to do with pixels).
In any case, you will be much more successful by printing and revising. Just consider
this part of the arduous task of completing the writing process.
Look at page 21 in Technical Communication (TC). It provides an excellent, short list of
guidelines for proofreading. Please take special note of the last bulleted item. If you use
Word when you write, you should already know that it detects spelling and grammatical
errors with a fair degree of accuracy by highlighting errors in red or green. When you
turn in your work and Word has highlighted your errors, and if you have done nothing
about them, I will definitely approach your assignment unfavorably. The highlights are
there for a reason: for you to correct, not me. (NOTE: “Word” is not infallible; correct
what needs to be corrected.)
Email and Online Discussions
Email messages and discussion postings will probably be written somewhat informally,
but be aware of your tone. We often say things in email and in discussions online that we
wouldn’t ordinarily say to someone face to face. We will treat each other with respect
and maintain proper decorum (this should always be the case with any type of
communication). Even though email and discussions may be slightly more informal than
your written assignments, you should still proofread and use correct grammar. This is a
writing class; even so, email and discussion postings, except under the most informal
circumstances, should always be written with care. Do not write your emails as if you are
instant messaging. Informal is not synonymous with inappropriate. In other words, do
not explain that something “sucks” for example, in an email or in class discussions. I will
look unfavorably on those emails and discussion postings that are disrespectful to me or
to other members of the class; expect to be penalized.
All email messages should be posted via the inner email system. Be sure to regularly
check your email messages within the system and check discussion postings daily.
10
I will respond to your emails in as timely a manner as possible, usually within 24 hours
during the week. If you email me on a Saturday, for example, chances are that you may
not hear from me until Monday. I will follow the 6:00 a.m. Monday to 6:00 p.m. Friday
work week.
You will participate in online discussions, each worth 10 points. When the time comes, I
will provide you with a grading rubric for this so you will know how I will assess your
participation.
In addition, you will participate in online peer-review exercises. These will take place in
“Discuss,” accessible through the homepage.
Attendance
Regular attendance and participation are required to succeed, especially in this online
course. You must participate in class discussions and complete all assignments; failing to
do so will negatively affect your grade.
If for some reason you are unable to engage with your online class, please contact me and
let me know your reasons or emergency. You are responsible for your class participation
and completing all assignments. Because this class takes place on the Internet, you must
be your own motivator and hold yourself accountable. If you allow yourself to
procrastinate and to fall behind, you run the risk of failing this course.
Please be advised that I have the ability to see if you are keeping up with the course by
reading your email or if you are reading discussion postings. If you are not, this can
affect your grade; in essence, if you are not reading emails and if you are not reading
discussions (and not posting within discussions when they are available), this tells me
you are not participating fully in the course.
Therefore, after you have read an email message, make sure to click “mark read” from
the menu immediately above the message you’re reading. That way, you can separate the
emails you’ve read from new, unread emails. If you do not mark your emails as read, I
will assume you are not reading your emails and I will gauge your participation
accordingly.
Assignments
You will find assignments within the “Dropbox” (on the navigation bar). Reminders of
when assignments open and close are listed under “Events,” displayed prominently on the
left side of the screen. These reminders also appear in the course’s built-in calendar (find
the calendar link on the navigation bar).
Please note: Most assignments are due at 8:00 a.m. on the day they are due. Pay
attention to this system and mark your calendars for this. If it confuses you, pretend
assignments are due the night before.
11
You are expected to read all assignments I make. You are responsible for material that is
assigned but may not be covered. Likewise, when I assign material, I expect you to apply
those principles to your writing, whether we cover them directly or not. I will hold you
accountable for any advice I offer through course mail, through discussions, or through
“News.”
Put your name on everything you submit to me; I will deduct one point for papers
without a name (this means on the document itself). If I upload a document into the
wrong file, I can retrieve it much more easily if your name is on it.
I reserve the right to assign a zero to any paper that is submitted with little or no regard
to the assignment’s requirements, including poor attention to following directions and
exhibiting weak grammatical and mechanical skills. Note what I said above under
“Writing and Computer Requirements” regarding the last bulleted item on page 21 of
the text.
You will have a number of writing assignments, quizzes, and exercises to complete.
Here is a summary of the assignments (subject to change):
Introductory Letter
Persuasion Analysis
Claim Letter
Letter of Application (aka Cover Letter)
Résumé
Thank-You Letter
Midterm Memo
Service Learning Project
Planning Proposal
Various Quizzes and Exercises
Online Discussions
Online Grammar Resources
“Grammar Slammer” is an online grammar guide that is fun to peruse and to use. Other
wonderful grammar guides can be accessed online, so don’t be afraid to look for them
and to use them. One of them is the Purdue Online Writing Tutorial
(owl.english.purdue.edu).
Grading
You can view your grades under “Grades” and within the Dropbox. Your grade will be
based on 545 points. I use a 90/80/70/60 grading scale. However, I can easily detect
students’ attitudes toward the class and the work it requires; positive attitudes can affect a
final grade in borderline cases, as can negative attitudes adversely affect a final grade in
borderline cases. Keep track of the points you’ve earned. You can view the points
you’ve earned through “Grades,” too.
12
Here is the breakdown of grades:
490-545 = A
436-489 = B
381-435 = C
327-380 = D
326 or less = F
I will post grades in a timely manner. Quiz grades should be posted within a day of the
quiz’s submission; grades for papers will obviously take longer, but usually no longer
than a week. My goal is to have grades for papers posted before another paper is due.
Please look at the “Definition of Grades” I am including at the end of these Guidelines.
These are the SDSU English Department’s grading guidelines, and those to which I
adhere. I am also including the “Student Guidelines for English 201” adopted by the
English Department at SDSU. These guidelines illustrate the skills you should have and
the errors you should have learned to avoid.
Extra Credit and Penalty Points
I will allow an extra-credit point for each mechanical or grammatical error I have made
that you find; simply notify me through email that you have made such a discovery. I
allow this because this exercise enhances your power of observation, essential for a
skilled technical writer, and it also makes you a more skilled analyst. I will enter the
extra credit point(s) to an already-submitted assignment.
Any penalties I impose for non-participation in group work will be deducted from an
already-submitted assignment. If you see that a grade has changed, you will know why.
Viewing Graded Work Within the Dropbox
Because the course is not self-paced, I expect you to make significant progress from
assignment to assignment. In order to accomplish this, you must view the graded files
and read any comments I make on those graded files and/or within the “comments box”
when I return your work. To do this, simply click on “View” within the Dropbox and
open the graded assignment. For instance, let’s say Joe Jones submits his claim letter
assignment with this file name: jonesclaimletter.doc. After I have graded Joe’s paper, I
will upload the graded document like this: jonesclaimlettergraded.doc. Just click on
“View,” you will see the newly-named file, you can open that document, and you’ll see
the comments I made. You’ll know the assignment is graded because the “bubble” under
view will be highlighted with orange accent marks.
Again, I can look to see if you have been viewing your graded work. If you haven’t, you
are not participating fully in the course; you will not make necessary corrections on
future assignments, nor will you make satisfactory progress. Your grade will suffer as a
result, from lack of improvement and/or from lack of participation.
13
Late Work
I will accept legitimate reasons for the submission of late work, but I will judge whether
to accept late work and/or whether it will be penalized. Ordinarily, I penalize late work
one-third the original point value. If I choose to accept late work, it may not be
submitted more than two weeks beyond the original due date unless circumstances are
extenuating.
University-approved trips are excused without penalty, but you must notify me in
advance of your “absence” from class. I will provide you with equivalent learning
experiences based on what you will miss during your absence.
Keep in mind that the volume of work must remain constant for both you and for me, so
adhering to the schedule will be important. I will give you adequate time to finish your
work, but you must turn in your work on time. Any work submitted late (except for
extenuating circumstances, and I will be the judge of that) will be penalized one-third of
the assignment’s total value.
This is an online course. You must have computer access on a regular basis. I provide
plenty of time to complete writing assignments, so being “out of town” when assignments
are due is not an acceptable excuse for turning in assignments late. I will determine
penalties for tardy assignments and non-participation on a case-by-case basis. You must
let me know what your circumstances are in order for me to make any kind of judgment.
Academic Honesty
Any instances of plagiarism will be treated as the theft that they are—just like stealing
some other company’s plan—and will result in a zero for the assignment and possible
failure or grade reduction in the course. No company retains employees found
defrauding the company. The same is true here.
American Disabilities Act
Students who require special accommodations to participate in this class should contact
me and the Office of Disability Services as soon as possible. The office is located on the
SDSU campus; the director, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks, may be reached at 688-4504.
14
STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR ENGLISH 201
(English 201 is a Prerequisite for English 379)
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, SDSU
English 201 is the second of the two required semesters of instruction in basic
composition for students at SDSU. The English Department strongly recommends that
the course be taken in the sophomore or junior year in order that the skills developed in
the course may be applied by Juniors and Seniors in advanced coursed, and in order that
the skills may be fresh in the students’ minds when they find it necessary to apply them
in their professional life. This is an advanced composition course. It is not designed to
cover once more the materials presented in Freshman Composition (English 101).
Students in this course are expected to be able to spell and punctuate properly, to write a
grammatical sentence, and to organize paragraphs and essays coherently. Therefore,
students should not expect much in-class emphasis on such matters in English 201.
English 201 is designed to help students do the following:
[English 379 students note the following:]
1. Write cogently upon a subject of some complexity.
2. Use some of the simpler techniques of conscious language manipulation to
express vividly what they have to say. They should be able to use devices such
as:
a. parallel structure
b. images and figures of speech that are connotative as well as denotative.
c. appropriate allusions supporting their ideas and showing experience and
background in reading.
d. the proper word in the proper context.
3. Be logical and avoid non-sequiturs.
4. Be economical and precise.
5. Avoid jargon and clichés.
6. Evaluate their won work and revise intelligently.
15
By the time they have reached English 201, students should have learned to avoid
the following common errors:
1. Incorrect spelling
2. Sentence fragments
3. Misplaced modifier
4. Faulty agreement
5. Vague pronoun reference
6. Mixed metaphors
7. Faulty parallelism
8. Shifts in person or tense
9. Fused and run-on sentences
When basic errors such as these, or those specified by the instructor, appear in
students’ writing, it is the instructor’s obligation to sharply lower the grade in order
to stress the students’ need to correct such errors.
16
The attached definitions of letter grades should help give the students an idea about
where they need to improve.
Definition of Letter Grades
A. The “A” paper shows originality of thought in stating and developing a central theme
or idea. Its ideas are clear, logical, and though-provoking; it contains all the positive
qualities of good writing listed below:
1. Careful construction and organization of sentences and paragraphs.
2. Careful choice of effective words and phrases.
3. Concentration on a main purpose, with adequate development and firm support.
B. The “B” paper has a clearly individual insight or tone and a clearly stated purpose,
logically and adequately developed. Its ideas are clear because it contains some
positive qualities of good writing. It is comparatively free from errors in the use of
English. Although indicating imaginative competence, the “B” paper lacks the
reinforcing qualities of mechanics and style which characterize the “A” paper.
C. The average paper will receive a “C” grade. It has a central idea organized clearly
enough to convey its purpose to the reader. It avoids serious errors in the use of
English. It may, in fact, have few marks on it, but it lacks the vigor of thought and
expression which would entitle it to above average rating.
D. The grade of “D” indicates below average achievement in conceiving and expressing
ideas correctly and effectively. Most “D” papers contain serious writing errors in the
use of grammar and fail to present a central idea or to develop it adequately. With
more careful proofreading, fuller development, and more perceptive observation, “D”
papers might clearly receive a higher mark.
F. The grade of “F” may indicate failure to conceive, state, and develop a main idea.
It may also indicate a failure to avoid serious errors in grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and sentence structure. Papers containing several serious mechanical
errors may not be accepted by the instructor until adequate revision is completed.
17
Course Description and Guidelines/Syllabus
Technical Communication Online/English 379. 7 & 8: 3 credits
Fall 2008
Mrs. Lynn Hublou, Instructor
Mrs. Lynn Hublou, Instructor
Email: Internal email system
D2L Support: The D2L homepage
has an email link and phone numbers for
you. The on-campus computer help phone
number is 688-6776.
Required Text: Technical Communication, 11th ed., John M. Lannon [NOTE: 11th ed.]
Recommended Texts: St. Martin’s Handbook
Roget’s Thesaurus
A good, hardbound dictionary
Be alert to the syllabus and to our assignments available through the Dropbox and to
“Events” listed on the homepage for specific dates and times for assignment openings
and closings. Be alert to important announcements in “News Items” on the homepage.
Read ahead in the syllabus so that nothing surprises you. In addition, keep track of all
points you have earned. You may also view your progress under “Grades” (on the
navigation bar).
The syllabus gives you the dates and times when assignments are due. Other specific
instructions are available within the “Dropbox” (find “Dropbox” on the navigation bar);
this is where you will find the assignment files (the attachments). I know that many of
you are working, and you may need more time to complete the assignments. I will be
flexible with you in allowing you adequate time to complete your work by opening
assignments for the coming week on Saturdays, but the syllabus itself will show the list
of assignments for the week on Mondays. Most assignments will be due at 8:00 a.m. on
the day they are due. The volume of work must remain constant for both you and me, so
adhering to the schedule will be important; therefore, the course is not self-paced. I will
give you adequate time to finish your work, but you must turn in your work on time. Any
work submitted late (except for extenuating circumstances, and I will be the judge of
that), will be penalized one-third of the assignment’s total value. In addition, you must
put your name on every assignment; any assignment without your name on it will be
penalized one point. This means your name should be on the assignment itself, not just in
the filename.
I will deduct one point from any assignment that does not have your name on it.
18
Week 1/September 3-5
Assignment: Take the syllabus/guidelines quiz. This is due by Friday,
September 5, at 8:00 a.m. As with other quizzes and writing assignments, it is
available under “Dropbox.” This quiz is worth 10 points; call it
“syllabusquiz.doc.” (You may include your last name or your initials in any
filename, e.g. “syllabusquizhublou.doc” or syllabusquizlh.doc.” or
“LHsyllabusquiz.doc” or anything on that order). (10 points)
Remember to put your name on your quiz (and on any paper you submit to me).
Occasionally I upload a document to the wrong file, and if your name is on your
paper, retrieval is that much simpler for me. I will deduct one point from any
assignment that does not have your name on it.
Please note: Most written assignments are due at 8:00 a.m. on the day they are
due. Pay attention to this system and mark your calendars for this. If it confuses
you, pretend assignments are due the night before.
NOTE: I cannot open .docx files (Word 2007). If you have Word 2007, you
must save your work and submit it with a .doc or .rtf file extension. This means
that when you save your work, go to “Save As,” and at the bottom of the window
that will open, click on “Save as Type”; at this point you may choose .doc or .rtf.
If you inadvertently submit an assignment with the .docx extension, I will give
you one chance to re-submit that assignment. However, if it happens again, you
will receive a zero for the assignment.
Assignment: Print the syllabus and guidelines and put these papers in a
folder or binder for easy access. Study the syllabus and guidelines because
you will have a quiz over this material due Friday, September 5. Print every
email I send you, and print each assignment as it becomes available. I urge
you to have a calendar on which you can write due dates and so on; also, use the
calendar within the course, available on the navigation bar on the course
homepage. A visual plan, along with the written plan, may simplify matters
greatly for you.
In order to become comfortable with the mechanisms of the class,
send me an email identifying the following information (find email
under “Course Mail” on the navigation bar:
(1) Name (also let me know what you prefer to be called), (2) year
in school, (3) phone number, (4) hometown, (5) major, (6) your
literacy history [experience over the years with reading and
writing], (7) a favorite book, even it is from your childhood, (8)
your experience with online learning.
I should receive this information from you as soon as possible, but no later than
8:00 a.m. Monday, September 8. Also, bear in mind that this email represents
19
who you are, and it should demonstrate email “netiquette”; this means that you
will use complete sentences, you will use correct grammar, and you will address
me as Mrs. Hublou (not as Lynn). I will expect this level of professionalism in
every email from you and in every discussion posting.
Sending me an email that displays courtesy, which contains the information I
asked for, and which contains complete sentences and well-developed paragraphs
will earn you a maximum of 10 points. This assignment should be at least three
paragraphs (items 1-5 [above] in one paragraph, 6 and 7 in one paragraph, and 8
in one paragraph). I will deduct up to three points for errors in grammar and
mechanics, and I will deduct up to three points for underdeveloped paragraphs.
The purpose of this assignment is for you to begin applying the principles of
technical communication, including expressing yourself appropriately through
writing and following directions.
Assignment: For a second 10-point opportunity, introduce yourself to the class
through “Discuss” (click on “Discuss” near the top of the homepage). In order to
earn the full 10 points, you must complete your course profile under “Classlist.”
Simply click on the bust you see after your name and complete the profile. Don’t
forget to save your profile after you have completed it! Don’t worry if you don’t
fill out absolutely everything, but fill out the first and last sections. The first
section gives basic information about yourself; the last section would be of
interest to all of us. The last section is called “About Me.”
After you have completed your profile under “Classlist” (and saved it), go to
“Discuss” and find “Hello.” Under “Hello,” you can say a friendly hello to the
class and tell the class you have completed your profile so that everyone can view
it and learn about you. Please mention one or two things about the “Profile” that
you think are the most interesting about you.
Again, the purpose of this assignment is to begin applying the principles of
technical communication. You are beginning to apply the fundamental principles
of technical writing by addressing your audience appropriately and by providing
your audience with information they can use to get to know you better.
You have until Monday, September 5 at 8:00 a.m. to accomplish completing your
profile under “Classlist” (5 points) and posting under “Discuss” (5 points); I will
assess these two 5-point exercises as one 10-point assignment. You will find it
under “Grades” and it will be called “Profile.” Please note that when you respond
to any discussions, simply click on “reply.” In order to earn the full 10 points,
you must fill out the profile and you must post under “Discuss,” as I have
directed. I will grade weak attempts accordingly.
20
Week 2/September 8-12
Send me your introductory email by 8:00 a.m. Monday.
Post your introduction to the class through “Discussions” by 8:00 a.m. Monday.
Finish your Profile by 8:00 a.m. Monday.
Assignment: Read the material over letters in Chapter 17, pp. 360-73 in TC.
Take the 10-point quiz over letters by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 9. Call it
“lettersquizYourLastName.doc.”
Assignment: Read about Letters in TC, pp. 360-73 (top). Follow the directions
for “Introductory Letter” in the Dropbox. Submit your letter as
“IntroLetterYourLastName.doc.” (no spaces) Your letter is due by 8:00 a.m. on
Friday, September 12, and it is worth 20 points.
Assignment: Read Chapter 1 in TC. Take the quiz based on Chapter 1 and
submit it as “Chapter1quizYourLastName.doc.” Take this 10-point quiz by 8:00
a.m. Thursday, September 11.
Week 3/September 15-19 (Note: Quizzes are due on Tuesday and Wednesday of this
week)
Assignment: Read Chapter 4 in TC, “Being Persuasive.” This chapter matters
because almost any piece of writing is considered persuasive. Also, read the
material in the textbook on Tone, pp. 238-45, the advice for which you will
follow from here on out. Take the quiz over Chapter 4 (10 points). Submit this
quiz by Tuesday, September 16 at 8:00 a.m. Call this “Persuasionquiz.doc.”
Assignment: Follow the instructions for “Persuasion Document” under
“Dropbox” on the homepage. Submit your assignment as “Persuasion.doc.” This
30-point assignment is due by Thursday, September 18, at 8:00 a.m.
Assignment: Read Chapters 2 and 3, “Preparing an Effective Technical
Document” and “Delivering Usable Information” in TC. Make sure you are
aware of the basic tenets of technical writing: usability and efficiency. These
chapters are the very essence of technical communication. Pay special attention
to the information about addressing the audience; in particular look at the
Audience and Use profile on page 35. Addressing as many of these elements as
possible can be helpful, especially when you are dealing with a “difficult”
audience—that is, your reader. Take the 20-point quiz over this chapter by 8:00
a.m. on Wednesday, September 17. Call it “Information.doc.”
21
Assignment: Begin reading and studying the “Verbal Style” handout under
“News” on the homepage. In addition, study this material as it is discussed in TC:
active and passive voice pp. 219-22; it/there sentence openers p. 224; weak verbs
and needless to be constructions pp. 225-26; nominalizations (noun addiction)
p. 226.
NOTE: Look under “Avoid Weak Verbs” on page 225. The list of examples of
“to be” verbs contains an error. It should read “will have been” (not “will, have
been).
You will participate in a group exercise over this material next week; you will
take a quiz over this material next week.
Assignment: Soon you will be writing a letter of application and a résumé for
me. You will need a suitable job description from which to write that letter.
Look in Sunday newspapers, look online, or look elsewhere, but find a job
description or an opening for an internship you would be qualified for NOW. If
you are graduating this fall or next spring, consider yourself a college graduate
and search accordingly. But if you will be in college for more than one more
year, find a job suited to your present skills.
Find a description that lists at least 2-3 specific qualifications (e.g. excellent oral
and written communication skills, specific computer skills, people skills, and so
on); you need these specifics because your letter of application will focus on what
the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. Submit your job advertisement
by Friday, September 26 at 8:00 a.m.
Submitting a suitable description is worth 5 points; 0 points for a weak ad or no
ad. It is well worth your while to find a suitable description; they do exist, and I
will be very fussy about this. Here is an example of a description that would yield
0 points: “Wanted: herdsman. Must work flexible hours.” You may have to type
your job description as a Word document. Put your name on it (-1 point for no
name). You can find further instructions for this with the specific assignment
under “Assignments” on the homepage.
NOTE: The final draft of your letter and résumé are due on Wednesday,
October 15. However, you will participate in an online peer review of the
cover letter and résumé before that time. Do NOT submit your letter or your
résumé until you have completed the peer review exercise under
“Discussions.”
22
Week 4/September 22-26
Your job description is due on Friday, September 26, by 8:00 a.m.
Assignment: Review the material in Chapter 13 on nominalizations, weak verbs,
“to be” verbs, and active and passive voice. Review this material from the Verbal
Style handout available under “News” on the homepage. Participate in the
Verbal Style peer exercise through “Discussions.” This will begin by Tuesday at
6:00 p.m., and it will continue through no later than Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.
Failure to participate will result in a loss of 10 points.
You must post your own corrections to the sentences (which I will provide in
advance) BEFORE 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday to avoid a penalty (-5). You must
review your peers’ corrections BEFORE 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday to avoid an
additional penalty (-5).
Assignment: Take the 10-point Verbal Style quiz by 8:00 a.m. on Friday,
September 26. NOTE: You may not submit the quiz until after the Verbal Style
peer exercise.
Assignment: Read Chapter 6 in TC, “Working in Teams.” Submit the 10-point
quiz on this chapter by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 23. Call it “Teams.doc.”
Week 5/Setpember 29-October 3
This week I am assigning the cover letter and résumé. I will open up a
discussion forum for you to ask any questions you may have about either
document. I will keep this open throughout the period you will be working
on your cover letter and résumé.
Assignment: Read about résumés and letters of application, along with other job
search information in TC, Chapter 18, “Employment Correspondence.” Write a
letter of application and a résumé and call this assignment “jobapp.doc.” This is
due Wednesday, October 15 by 8:00 a.m. (60 points—30 points for the letter
and 30 points for the résumé). Submit the documents together, as one
document.
You do not need to re-submit your job description along with the final draft of
your letter of application; I will have printed a copy for my own use.
NOTE: The final draft of your letter and résumé are due on Wednesday,
October 15. However, you will participate in an online peer review of the
cover letter and résumé. The peer review begins on Monday, October 6 at
6:00 p.m. and continues through 8:00 a.m. on October 10. You must post
your drafts BEFORE 6:00 p.m. on Monday to avoid a late penalty (-5). If
you post on time but you participate after the cutoff on the 10th, you will lose
5 points. If you do not post at all, you will lose 10 points.
I will provide you with guidelines for this exercise within the course.
23
Assignment: Read about commas and compound sentences under
punctuation/comma usage in Grammar Slammer. (You can Google this site.)
Take the quiz over this material (commas and compound sentences) and submit it
by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 30 (10 points). NOTE: See pp. 675-76 in TC
for another discussion and the list of coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, so,
or, nor, yet).
Assignment: Read about semi-colons with clauses under Punctuation in
Grammar Slammer, and read about semi-colons in TC on pp. 682. Take the quiz
on using semi-colons. Submit “semicolons.doc” by 8:00 a.m. Thursday, October
2. (10 points)
Assignment: Continue participating in the Forum (through Discussions) on cover
letters and résumés.
Week 6/October 6-10
Assignment: Participate in the peer review of cover letters. This will occur in
“Discussions.” Please read pages 107-108 in TC, “Reviewing and Editing
Others’ Work” before you proceed with the peer edit. Follow these instructions
for posting:
The peer review begins on Monday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. and continues
through 8:00 a.m. on October 10. You must post your drafts BEFORE 6:00
p.m. on Monday to avoid a late penalty (-5). If you post on time but you
participate after the cutoff on the 10th, you will lose 5 points. If you do not
post at all, you will lose 10 points.
Assignment: Take the 10-point quiz on it/there sentence openers (also called
“expletives”) based on the information in TC on page 224. Take this quiz by
Tuesday, October 7 at 8:00 a.m. and call this quiz “expletives.doc.”
NOTE: Unnecessary expletives may also occur within sentences, not just at
the beginning of sentences, so expect to see this situation in the quiz.
Assignment: Read about active and passive voice on pp. 219-22. Do “a” through
“e” in Exercise 3 on page 221 and “a” through “e” in Exercise 4 n page 222.
Submit as “activepassive.doc” by 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 9. This is worth
10 points.
Assignment: Schedule a midterm conference; I will do this through Course Mail
on a first-come first-served basis. I will hold conferences in my office, Scobey
312, during the week of October 20-26. The purpose of these conferences is for
us to get to know one another and to communicate with one another on a level not
possible through the Internet. If you live out of town and cannot meet with me, I
24
will visit with you over the telephone. Conferences will be twenty minutes long
or so.
You will bring a self-evaluation memo with you to your conference (10 points)
which I will assign next week (Week 7). We will also look over your final résumé
and cover letter together. If you do not attend a conference, you will submit your
self-evaluation as an assignment within D2L.
The last day to sign up for a conference is on Friday, October 17 at noon.
Assignment: Mark your calendar for the times and dates of the cover letter/
résumé peer edit. Plan your time accordingly!
Week 7/October 14-17 (October 13 is Native American Day, a holiday)
Your cover letter and résumé are due by Wednesday October 15, at 8:00 a.m.
Assignment: Begin the “Job Hunt” discussion; it will continue indefinitely.
(TBD). Failure to participate in this discussion will result in a loss of 5 points. It
will not be graded. The discussion will remain open throughout Week 8.
Assignment: Read Chapter 16, “Memo Reports and Electronic Correspondence.”
Pay special attention to the material on page 329 about formatting a memo. Pay
attention to the subtle differences among the examples shown in the textbook, and
use the midterm memo assignment itself as a guide.
Read p. 307, “Tailor Each Paragraph to Its Purpose” in Chapter 15 in TC,
“Designing Pages and Documents.” Also, adhere to the advice in the middle of
“Guidelines for Using Headings” on page 315 regarding beginning headings with
“this” or “it” or other pronouns. This advice will help you write headings for a
memo.
Assignment: Follow the directions for a midterm self-evaluation memo, found
under “Dropbox” (10 points). Bring your memo to the midterm conference; if
you do not attend a conference, submit your memo by Tuesday, October 21,
at 8:00 a.m.
Assignment: Submit “VerbalStylequiz.doc” by 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, October
16 (10 points).
Assignment: Sign up for your midterm conference by noon on Friday, October
17.
25
Week 8/October 20-24
Attend your scheduled midterm conference in my office, Scobey 312. If you
have questions, comments, or concerns, bring those to the conference.
Bring your midterm memo.
If you do not attend a conference, your midterm memo is due on Tuesday,
October 21 by 8:00 a.m.
Assignment: Read about the follow-up letter (the thank you letter) in TC on page
420, along with accompanying notes about the thank-you. Write a thank-you
letter for a fictional interview based on the job you are “applying” for in the
application letter. Read the instructions for this assignment and call this
“thankyou.doc.” This letter is due by 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 29, and it is
worth 20 points.
Assignment: Take the 10 point quiz over Chapter 16 by 8:00 a.m. Thursday,
October 23. Call it “memoquiz.doc.”
Assignment: Follow the instructions under “Assignments” for the Service
Learning Project. Submit this 50 point assignment as “Servicelearning.doc” by
8:00 a.m. Monday, November 3.
Week 9/October 27-31
Your thank-you letter is due by 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 29.
Continue working on your Service Learning Project this week.
Assignment: Take the 10-point quiz over the material on page 227-28, “Making
Negatives Positive” by Tuesday, October 28. Call it “positives.doc.”
Assignment: Continue studying Chapter 13 in TC, “Editing for Conciseness,”
pages 223-29 (top). Submit the 10-point quiz over these concepts by Thursday at
8:00 a.m. Call it “Editing.doc.”
Week 10/November 3-7
Your Service Learning assignment is due by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4.
Assignment: Participate in the “Not a Sunny Day Discussion” this week. It will
close at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7. This will not be graded, but failure to
participate will result in a 5-point penalty.
26
Assignment: Read Chapter 5 in TC, “Weighing the Ethical Issues.” Take the
quiz over Chapter 5 by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 4. Call this 10-point quiz
“ethics.doc.”
Assignment: Read the notes, “ethical considerations in writing,” which I will
provide you with.
Assignment: Read about Letters in TC, pp. 360-73 (top). Read about claim
letters on pp. 377-81 (middle), along with the notes I will provide you with.
Follow the directions for “Claim Letter” under “Dropbox” on the homepage.
Submit your claim letter as “Claimletter.doc.” This letter is due on Wednesday,
November 12, by 8:00 a.m. (30 points)
Review the material on Tone on pp. 238-45 in TC. Also make sure you review
the material “Interpersonal Considerations in Workplace Letters” on pp. 369-73
(top). All of this material applies to your claim letter.
Week 11/November 10-14 (Tuesday, November 11 is Veteran’s Day Holiday)
Your claim letter is due by 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Assignment: Post your claim letter in your group no later than 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday. Failure to do so will result in a 5-point penalty. Posting late results
in a 5-point penalty. No participation at all results in a 10-point penalty.
Assignment: Participate in the Ethics Discussion, open through Friday,
November 14 at 6:00 p.m. (10 points)
Assignment: Review the material in the Verbal Style handout on expletives,
passive voice, weak verbs, and “to be” verbs. Review this material in Chapter 13
of TC. Submit the Verbal Style quiz by 8:00 a.m. Thursday, November 13. (10
points)
Assignment: Read about adjustment letters in TC, pp. 381-84. Also read
“Conveying Bad or Unwelcome News” on pages 372-73. Follow the instructions
in the Dropbox for writing an adjustment letter, due Tuesday, November 25 at
8:00 a.m. Call it “Adjustment.doc.” (30 points)
During Week 12, you will participate in a discussion about adjustment letters,
based on the claim letters you posted this week (Week 11).
27
Week 12/November 17-21
Assignment: Participate in the week-long group work involving claim letters and
adjustment letters. The group work officially ends at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday,
Nov. 20. The same penalties apply that I have imposed before for late posting
and non-participation.
Assignment: Study the words on pages 236-37 in TC, “Avoid Imprecise
Wording.” Take the 10-point quiz over these words by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday,
November 18. Call this quiz “confusedwords.doc.”
Assignment: Read Chapter 23, “Proposals,” in TC. Read the instructions for
writing a proposal. You will participate in an online peer review of your proposal
during Week 14, so do not post your assignment until after the peer review
exercise. The final proposal is due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, December 12. Submit
it as “proposal.doc.” (50 Points)
Week 13/November 24-26 (Thanksgiving Holiday Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27
and 28)
Submit your adjustment letter by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 25.
Assignment: Read about pronouns ending in –self under Style and Usage in
Grammar Slammer. Take the 10-point quiz on reflexive pronouns by
Wednesday, November 26 by 8:00 a.m. Call it “reflexive.doc.”
Week 14/December 1-5
Assignment: Post a draft of your proposal through “Discussions.” The peer
review of proposals will begin on Tuesday, December 2 at 6:00 p.m. and continue
through Friday, December 5 at 8:00 a.m. Remember that the final draft of your
proposal is due by 8:00 Friday, December 12.
Post your proposal BEFORE Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. (-5 for late post). Evaluate
your peers’ proposals BEFORE Friday at 8:00 a.m. (-5 for late post). Minus 10
points for non-participation.
Assignment: Read about indefinite pronouns under Style and Usage in Grammar
Slammer. Take the 10-point quiz on indefinite pronouns by 8:00.m. on Thursday,
December 4. Call it “indefinite.doc.”
Assignment: Read about email in TC on pages 400-405. You should also
review the material in Chapter 3 in TC. Review the material on Tone on pp. 23845 in TC. This will prepare you for next week’s discussion on email.
28
Week 15/December 8-12
Your final proposal is due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, December 12.
Assignment: Participate in this week’s discussion on email. The same penalties
apply that I have imposed before for late posting and non-participation (10
points). Any posts after Friday, December 12 at 6:00 p.m. will be penalized.
Assignment: Participate in the last discussion (besides the email discussion).
Opening and closing times TBD. (no point value—this is just a last chat)
Assignment: Take the final quiz over any mechanics and grammar we have
covered throughout the semester. This includes verbal style, material we covered
from Chapter 13, material from all quizzes and any information I have covered in
emails to you. This quiz does not include content from chapters aside from
Chapter 13, except for material we covered from “A Quick Guide to Grammar,
Usage, and Mechanics” from the back of TC. Take this quiz by Thursday,
December 11 at 8:00 a.m. (20 points)
Finals Week/December 15-19
The course will remain open during finals week and beyond so that you may
receive your final graded paper.