ENG 3365: Writing in Professional Contexts
Instructor: Julia Jasken
E-mail:
jjasken@mcdaniel.edu
Writing Center
SPRING 2007
Office Hours: MW3-4, T 2-3:30
Office: Hill Hall 210, #857-2431
Class Meets: MWF 10:20-11:20
Materials
Kynell, Teresa C. and Wendy Krieg Stone. Scenarios for Technical Communication: Critical
Thinking and Writing. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
Course packet. This can be purchased from the English department secretary Bobby Anderson.
About this Course
This course focuses on the analysis and production of professional writing in context. In the
next fifteen weeks, you will be considering how workplace practices and expectations help
shape written products, paying particular attention to the analysis of historical moments when
communication choices have had real, often disastrous, consequences (e.g., the production of
Nazi war memos, big tobacco documents, the three-mile island disaster, etc.).
Attendance
Because participation is incredibly important in a course such as this, you are allowed two
unexcused absences throughout the term without penalty. Each additional absence, unless
it has been cleared with me in advance, may drop your final grade as much as one
half grade (so, from a B to a B-). Even if you absence is excused, you are responsible for
handing in assignments the day they are due. You are also responsible for finding out what
was covered in class that day. These absences also apply to workshop days unless otherwise
noted.
Arriving Late to Class
Please, please, please arrive to class on time. When you arrive late, you miss valuable
introductory announcements and explanations. Excessive lateness will negatively affect your
grade.
Technology Issues
Given that our classes will be held in the writing center computer lab, I need to say a few
words about the temptations that arise in networked spaces. It may be tempting for you to
“multitask” while you are at your computer. (For example, you might be tempted to check email or to instant message a friend during class discussion.) However, I would ask that you
refrain from doing this, even if you have finished a particular assignment and are waiting for
the class to come back together as a group. Multitasking in this way removes the focus from
the important work of the classroom and sends the message that you are not fully engaged in
the work of the course.
Late Work
This is a writing-intensive course. As you can see from the syllabus, writing is due almost
every week. If you fall behind, the work of the course can quickly pile up. Please make every
effort to complete work on time—this means handing it in at the beginning of class on the day
it is due unless otherwise noted. Work that is not turned in on time will lose half of a grade for
each day it is late.
Course Assignment and Grade Breakdown
These point totals represent the majority of the points allotted for the course. Assignments
and point totals may be modified as the course progresses.
Writing Archeology Distillation
10 points
Interview memo
10 points
Scenarios
variable
memo (10), definition (15), description (15), short report (15)
Short Report Presentation
10 points
Instruction Set
20 points
Instruction Set Report
15 points
Brochure
20 points
Reading responses (4)
20 points
Book Review
20 points
Book Review presentation
20 points
Solution Defenses
5 points each
For each professional document you create in the class, you will write up a solution defense, in
which you justify the decisions you made. Your grade on these defenses will be based on how
well you have identified the problem and explained your document choices. These should be
written in paragraph form and should not merely answer the given sample questions found in
Chapter One of Scenarios.
Quizzes
3 points each
Given the discussion-oriented nature of this course, it is absolutely essential that students
come to class prepared to actively participate in discussion. This means that you must have
read the material and taken relevant notes. These quizzes will typically be given at the very
beginning of the hour, but will not be announced in advance. Students are allowed to use any
notes they have written down, but they are not allowed to use their textbooks.
Participation Grade
40 points
A significant amount of class time will be spent discussing the work of others (both inside and
outside of the class). This portion of your grade will be based on the extent to which you make
valuable contributions to these discussions. Full points in this section will only be given to
those who exceed far beyond the basic level of participation.
Final Exam
20 points
This will be in an open book, open note, essay-style exam that will ask you to comment on the
theoretical texts presented in the course packet as well as the more objective material
presented in the textbook.
Additional Assignments
variable
Grading
You can calculate your grade at any point in the semester by dividing the number of possible
points you have received with the number of total points possible at the time of your
calculation. The percentage guidelines are as follows:
100-90% A to A90-80% B+ to B80-70% C+ to C70-60% D+ to D-
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
McDaniel College, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the
Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973/Section 504, will provide reasonable accommodations for
eligible students with disabilities. If you require special assistance, please see me privately
and/or seek assistance directly from the Office of Student Academic Support Services in
Winslow Hall, room 213 (410-857-2504, sass@mcdaniel.edu).
2
Calendar*
*This calendar is subject to change at the professor’s discretion. If the calendar does change
for some reason, you will be given advanced notice, and the changes will be reflected on the
Blackboard syllabus.
In class we will cover…
1
2
These things are due…
M 1.22
syllabus, what is technical
communication?
journal experiences
W 1.24
discuss Henry, journals
Read Henry, “Researching the
Discursive Self,” course packet
Personal archeological dig—writing
inventory
F 1.26
discuss Henry, journals
discuss interview assignment
Read, Henry, “What is a Writer?”
course packet
Digging deeper—inventory revision
M 1.29
Nonprofit letter analysis,
ethos/pathos/logos
 Writing Archeology distillation
 “It isn’t What you Write”, Course
packet
 Schedule interview
W 1.31
Internships, Career Services
 Read Chapter 7 (169-181)
 Read “The Bosses Son” (183),
“Internship Adventure” (186),
“Intern Search” (187)
F 2.2
Share interviews and internships
 Interview memos
3
4
M 2.5
sketch relationships
discuss scenario
 Read Chapter 1. Do #4 on p. 20
W 2.7
mini-scenarios
memo concision
 Read Chapter 2 (23-38)
 “Sunset Inn Accessibility” (52)
 memo and solution defense
F 2.9
item description
 Read Chapter 4 (93-102)
 Read “Cable Modem Pilot Project”
(105)
M 2.12
technical definition
peer critique
 Definition and solution defense
W 2.14
technical description, fan
scenario
 Read Chapter 5 (115-123)
 Read “The Glowing Globe”
F 2.16
short reports, phrasing product
defects
 description and solution defense
3
5
6
M 2.19
 Read Chapter 8 (201-229)
 Read “The High-End Real Estate
Plan” (234), “What’s the Plan” (237),
“The Construction Accident” (240)
W 2.21
Powerpoint charts and graphs
 draft one of group short report
F 2.23
presentations
explain instruction set project
 Final draft of short report
M 2.26
notes, cautions, warnings
workshop day
 Read Markel, “Writing Instructions
and Manuals,” course packet
 Read “Cellulose Insulation
Installation” (157)
W 2.28
instruction manual analysis, RCA
manual
 Read Cooper “The Postmodern Space
of Operator’s Manuals,” course
packet
F 3.2
7
 Read Wysocki and Lynch, “Analyzing
Instruction Sets,” course packet
M 3.5
workshop day
W 3.7
peer critique
 draft one of instruction set
revision
F 3.9
 final draft of instruction set
revision due
8
9
10
M 3.12
Spring recess
W 3.14
Spring recess
F 3.16
Spring recess
M 3.19
intercultural communication
in-class memo, copyediting in
Word
W 3.21
CCCC conference
F 3.23
CCCC conference
M 3.26
Microsoft Publisher Tutorial I
 Read “A Visit to the Forbidden City,”
course packet
 Electronic Copyedit and Letter
4
W 3. 28
Microsoft Publisher Tutorial II
 Read Schriver, “How Documents
Engage Readers’ Thinking and
Feeling” (305-323), course packet
F 3.30
11
12
13
14
15
 Read Schriver, “How Documents
Engage Readers’ Thinking and
Feeling” (267-305), course packet
M 4.2
workshop day
W 4.4
peer critique
F 4.6
workshop day

first draft of brochure
M 4.9

final brochure due
W 4.11

read Ch. 3: Ethics
F 4.13

three book presentations
 “Nature of Ethics”, “Nazi Records” pt.
1 (81-98), course packet
 reading response
M 4.16
W 4.18
 “Nazi Records” pt. 2 (98-115),
course packet
 reading response
F 4.20
 three book presentations
M 4.23
The Insider
 “Tobacco and Death” pt. 1 (152-76),
course packet
 reading response
W 4.25
 “Tobacco and Death” pt. 2 (177-84),
course packet
reading response
F 4.27
 three book presentations
M 4.30

W 5.2
final review
F 5.4
final review
three book presentations
5
6