Technical Communication, EN 661.110.01 & EN 661.110.02
Spring 2009
ABOUT ME:
Professor: Pamela H. Sheff
Campus extension: 410.516.7056
E-mail: psheff@jhu.edu
Office: 102 Whitehead
Office hours: M/W: 12 – 1; T/ Th: 10:30 – noon and by appt.
Days/Time:
Section 1: MW 1:30-2:45
Section 2: TTh 12-1:15
Required Text: Strategies for Business and Technical Writing, Kevin J. Harty
SYLLABUS OUTLINE
Course Approach & Goals
(The What and Why of the class)……………….pg. 2
Course Plan including readings and due dates………..……pg. 3 - 4
Overview of Major Assignments …………….pg. 5
Paper Guidelines, Requirements, and the Self-Evaluation ……… pg. 6
Grading System………………………………… pg. 7-8
A note on Attendance and Ethics…………… pg. 9
DISCLAIMER! Please read this syllabus with care, it’s your responsibility to meet
all deadlines and complete all assignments noted here, even if they are not
announced in class!
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COURSE APPROACH & GOALS
COURSE FOCUS
Our work this semester will center on the following assumption: you have been
invited as citizen advisors to meet with President Obama and Secretary of
Energy Stephen Chu. What guidance would you offer them about shaping our
country’s energy and environmental policy for the next four years? You may
address this question from the perspective of your own academic discipline, from
an interdisciplinary perspective, from a political perspective or simply from your
own personal perspective which may combine all of the above. Your final project
will include a persuasive, well-researched technical report in response to that
question and an oral presentation. With the exception of the resume and
instructions assignments, all other graded assignments in this course will relate
to this large project. You will work in teams of 3 – 4 people.
THE WORKSHOP APPROACH:
This course will involve you in the process of communication through:
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Planning
Researching
Writing
Editing
Speaking
Reading about and discussing the theory of technical writing, and by
Applying that theory to an independent research project of your own
choice.
COURSE GOALS -- YOU WILL LEARN TO:
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To identify, analyze and understand your target audience
To understand the impact of your words
To communicate clear, usable directions and instructions
To create targeted and persuasive job application documents
To understand the relationship between visual design and the written word
To use that understanding to enhance your own communication
To work collaboratively
To persuade your audience of the value of your ideas
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COURSE PLAN
The following outline optimistically projects how we will spend our class time
together. I’ve bolded key dates, including those on which assignments are due.
Please pay careful attention to the dates at the left – because the syllabus is the
same for both sections, I am going to use the MW dates. If you are in the T/Th
section, just assume that you are the next day for all due dates. For instance, the
final report is due on Monday, April 6 for section 1 and Tuesday, April. 7 for
section 2. On the syllabus, the due date will read 4/6.
I reserve the right, however, to change this schedule based on reality.
1/26 Introduction to technical communication and peer review
1/28 Introduction to audience – oriented writing
Reading: Harty, pp. 1 – 38; 49 – 52; 170-86.
Assigned: the Rocket Pitch
2/4-6 Rocket Pitch due in written and oral form
Harty: pp. 127-40; 187-194; 200-6
Assigned: Topic Memo
2/9 Working in teams
First draft of topic memo due for peer review
2/11 Group work day
Assigned: Abstract of topic memo
Reading: Harty: pp.195-199; 335 – 365
2/16 Peer review on abstract
Assigned: instructions assignment
Schedule conference
Final draft of Topic Memo due
2/18 First draft of instruction assignment due for peer review
Abstract of Topic Memo due
2/23-25 Conferences
Instructions assignment due at conference
Readings: Harty: pp. 263-308; 326-32
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3/2 Presentation in class by Career Center speaker
Assigned: Resume/Cover Letters/Personal Statements
3/4 Resume, etc. continued
3/9 First draft of resume and cover letter due for peer review
Assigned: Progress Reports
Reading: Harty: pp.122-6
3/11 In or Out: Playing Human Resources Director
3/16 – 20 Spring break
3/23 First draft of Progress Report due for peer review
Final draft of resume packet due
3/25 Visual Data
Sign-up for conference
3/30 - 4/1 Group Conferences
Final draft of Progress Report due at conference
4/6 – 8 Presentation skills
4/13 -15 Peer review on final report
Assigned: Oral presentation – sign up for times
4/20 Final report due
4/20 - 29 Oral Presentations
5/7
Revised Final Project due
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OVERVIEW OF MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
(There may be other smaller assignments made as appropriate throughout
the semester.)
1. Rocket Pitch - You will create and deliver a three – five minute, three – five
slide powerpoint presentation outlining your approach to the question, “What is
the most important action or actions an individual can take to improve the
environment?” You will turn in both the powerpoint presentation and a one
page written synopsis of your approach.
2. Topic Memo - this outlines your research plan for the semester-long report. It
must include an overview of the issue, a proposed thesis, a defined scope for
your inquiry, a detailed research schedule and a list of probable sources, primary
as well as secondary.
3. Abstract of Topic Memo – a stand alone summary of your topic and
approach.
4. Instructions – an exercise focused on creating clear, concise, usable
directions
5. Resume packet -- must include job ad, cover letter, resume and thank-you
note.
6. Progress Report Memo - This memo must include an assessment of your
progress in answering the question and meeting deadlines set in original memo,
a discussion of any changes to your thesis, a schedule of research to be
completed, and two attachments: notes from at least one interview and an
annotated bibliography.
7. Semester – long technical report
8. Oral Presentation on technical report
All assignments must include a self-evaluation memo. (SEE PG. 6 FOR
GUIDELINES)
PAPER GUIDELINES, REQUIREMENTS AND THE SELF-EVALUATION
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All papers must be word processed and double-spaced with 1.25” left and
right margins and 1” top and bottom margins
All pages must be numbered (upper right corner or bottom center).
All pages must be stapled or clipped together.
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Unless I specifically ask you to do so, do not send assignments to me via
email.
Grammar and style guides: Any basic handbook will work; I recommend
any edition of Ann Raimes’ Pocket Keys for Writers – it’s thorough, small and
inexpensive.
Peer Review (PR): Much of our work in the classroom will involve peer review
and peer teaching. Learning to edit effectively is a vital part of writing, and
learning to work collaboratively is a key component in professional
communication. Excellent work will help you improve your own communication.
Sloppy or cursory participation in PR will lower your final grade.
Required Self-Evaluations (SE): You must turn in a brief (one page) selfevaluation memo addressed to me with each paper you submit for a grade. Each
SE must include the following:
a. a brief description of the special challenges you faced in this assignment - this
is not a reiteration of the assignment, but an analysis of your approach to it;
b. a thoughtful assessment of the paper’s strengths and weaknesses, including
what you might do differently if you were to start again or revise;
c. acknowledgment of all assistance you received in writing the paper - peer
evaluations, conference discussions with me, proofreading by your roommate,
help from the writing center, even a chat with your mother. If someone or
something helped you, I want to know. Help is a good thing as long as you
understand how someone or something helped you.
GRADING SYSTEM
Grading Categories: People who write on the job do not receive letter grades.
Workplace documents are valued according to whether they work or not, whether
they impress or not. To approximate those conditions and, most important, to
encourage you to focus on your growth as a writer and communicator rather than
your grade, we will use the following categories during the first part of this
course.
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Superior - a paper that meets professional requirements: worthwhile,
persuasive content, sensible organization, readable, interesting style and
appropriate form, format, and mechanics (this is roughly in the A to B+ range).
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Acceptable - a paper that satisfies most of these requirements or one that
satisfies all of them, but contains a small number of mechanical errors that
can easily be corrected (roughly in the B to C range).
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Unacceptable - a paper that needs extensive revision to meet all the
requirements, or that has the type or amount of mechanical, rhetorical or
design errors that would distract readers (roughly C - – F).
Your semester long project represents my opportunity to see how well you can
independently apply many of the skills we’ve worked on throughout the semester.
You will receive a letter grade on that project and the accompanying oral
presentation. Your final letter grade for the course will reflect a combination of
 performance on written and oral assignments
 attendance, and
 my assessment of your contribution as an editor during peer review
Since the goal of this course is to improve your ability to research, write and
present professional, audience-oriented communications, your determination to
improve will significantly influence your final grade. For example, if you begin the
course earning unacceptables and complete it with superiors, you will earn a
higher grade than a classmate who begins with superiors and slides into the
unacceptable range. The final project, because it serves as a demonstration of
your skills, will count more heavily toward your final grade than any other single
piece of work – approximately 25%. That said, I do not average, and I grade
holistically: I am interested in your continued improvement as a writer and
communicator. Effort, determination and growth as a writer definitely count!
Paper Grades: Papers will be graded according to the following criteria.
 Content (content, organization, overall effectiveness)
 Does the paper accomplish assignment goals?
 Is the content accurate?
 Is the paper directed to and written for the appropriate audience?
 Are sources used correctly and effectively?
 Is the paper organized in a way that makes the information easy to
access?
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Correctness (words, sentences, paragraphs)
 Is the writing clear, direct and grammatically correct?
 Is the diction appropriate?
 Are words used and spelled correctly?
 Have all typos been eliminated? Are sources documented correctly?
No paper will be graded as superior that includes major grammatical errors
(comma splices, fragments, run-ons, subject-verb agreement) or that
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includes multiple minor errors (pronoun agreement, reference/case, errors
of punctuation).
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Style (extras that raise effective or acceptable writing to superior)
 Is the language fluent and efficient?
 Is it active, simple and direct, without unnecessary repetition?
 Is the paper engaging as well as informative?
 Does the paper look good on the page?
No paper will be graded as superior that does not show efforts to enhance
style in writing and format.
Rewrites: You may rewrite papers during the semester. Rewrite grades replace
original paper grades. SAVE ALL ORIGINAL PAPERS and attach the original,
graded paper to your revision.
PLEASE NOTE:
 A rewrite is a significant rethinking of the paper, not simply a re-typing that
corrects errors I have marked. If the paper is not significantly improved, it
may receive a lower grade than the original.
 My grading notes are holistic, rather than detailed. I do not mark every error
or everyplace where improvements can be made. You must use the editing
skills you develop during the semester to identify all the areas where your
papers can be improved.
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ATTENDANCE AND ETHICS
Attendance: Attendance is required. You can neither benefit from nor contribute
to a workshop if you are not present. If you must miss class, I expect you to
explain your absence in an email to me and to keep abreast of our work by
asking a classmate for an update. Excessive absence (three or more classes)
will lower your grade in the course by at least one half letter grade.
Tardiness (for assignments and yourself): Arriving late and turning in
assignments late are equally disruptive and annoying, and as you will find in
professional settings, annoying behavior rarely leads to success.
Plagiarism: We both know what it is. Don’t do it: you will fail the assignment. I
am not talking about a mistake in citation here. Don’t claim someone else’s work
as your own. I will recognize it. If you have questions about the nature of
plagiarism, ask me.
Ethics: “The strength of the university depends on academic and personal
integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations
include plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and
electronic devices, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification,
lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition. See the guide on
“Academic Ethics for Undergraduates” and the Ethics Board Web site
(http://ethics.jhu.edu) for more information.” (JHU ethics policy)
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