ENGL288 A 21: Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing
What is this Course About?
ENGL288 Professional and Technical Writing engages in professional genres and communication practices in light of emerging technologies. Students produce texts that prepare them to enter professional spaces. Offered: AWSp.
GE Requirements:
English Composition (C)
Writing (W)
Course Description:
This course explores how professional and technical writers find, create, and deliver technical information. We will explore:
- What is professional & technical writing?
- What texts do P&T writers write?
- What are the core concepts of P&T writing?
- What kinds of documents, design principles, digital tools, rhetorical moves, writing strategies, and research skills should P&T writers possess?
Why Should I take this Course?
Demand for TPC writers is strong. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career prospects (2012–2022) for technical writers are nearly double that of other media jobs, with projections strongly outpacing the rate of aggregate occupations in the U.S. economy.
This course aims to help you learn skills to communicate effectively and efficiently in your professional life. The course introduces you to the rhetorical principles and composing practices necessary for writing basic professional and technical documents, designing and analyzing technical research, and communicating about technical issues in common documents such as policies, processes, and reports.
What Will I learn?
- theory—understand major theories of the dimensions of technical writing
- inquiry— explore, experiment with, and invent a variety of writing genres in which original ideas combine with suitable and effective expression.
- practice—persuasive written, oral, and visual arguments, organize ideas and language effectively to address specific readers and meet specific purposes
You will need these Resources
- Technical Communication by Mike Markel and Stuart A. Selber (12th Edition)
- Open Technical Communication OER Book
- The New York Times; Wirecutter, HowtoGuides
- Pdf Readings uploaded in Canvas
Instructor
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Josephine Walwema, PhD |
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What are the Course Policies
Each week will constitute a new unit and related activities containing a combination of the following elements:
- Weekly reading responses
- Major Projects (& drafts)
- Informal and formal writing assignments
- Discussion Boards
- Peer Review & Group Work
Successful course completion requires access to and reading the current course resources and materials, actively participating in learning activities such as discussions, group projects, and completing all assignments and projects.
How will I learn?
Instructional methods will include lecture, student-led and small group discussions, research exercises, presentations, and writing assignments.
Reading assignments typically appear in the syllabus on the date on which they are due. Aim to complete these readings before class that day.
Process Log Entries. Instead of reading quizzes, which decontextualize reading, and in order to promote the practice of writing, you will submit weekly process log entries covering the reading for each week. On Sunday of each week, you will post a 300+ reading response addressing (in polished, professional prose) based on guidelines offered.
The reading guidelines help you make these connections:
- What did you read about (summary)?
- What have you learned from it (analysis)?
- How will you use what you read to meet your writing goals for the semester (use)?
- Connect it with something else you have learned up to that point in the readings, from a lecture, or another source (contextualize)
What are the Writing Expectations?
Canvas. All coursework will be completed via the course canvas page. Please plan to log into Canvas daily.
Communicating with the instructor Please reach out to me via Canvas or UW email. Avoid using your personal mail for coursework purposes.
Collaboration. Working with others is a hallmark of professional & technical writing. Learn and apply strategies for successful teamwork and collaboration, such as:
- responding constructively to peers’ work
- soliciting and using peer feedback effectively
- managing team goals and conflicts constructively
Research. Understand and use various research methods and sources to produce quality documents, including:
- analyzing historical and contemporary contexts
- locating, evaluating, and using print and online information selectively for particular audiences and purposes
- triangulating sources of evidence
Document Design. Make rhetorical design decisions about documents (and other compositions), including:
- understanding and adapting to genre conventions and audience expectations
- understanding and implementing design principles of format and layout
- interpreting and arguing with design
- drafting, researching, testing, and revising visual designs and information architecture
Writing in Context. Analyze cultures, social contexts, and audiences to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of writing, such as persuasion, organizational communication, and public discourse, with an emphasis on:
- writing for a range of defined audiences and stakeholders
- negotiating the ethical dimensions of rhetorical action
Community Norms
Working with others is a hallmark of professional and technical writing. Learn and apply strategies for successful teamwork and collaboration, such as:
- responding constructively to peers’ work
- soliciting and using peer feedback effectively
- managing team goals and conflicts constructively
A commitment to writing as a process means you’ll be drafting, giving/receiving feedback, and revising based on your own assessment of how your writing should evolve. You should think of me as an asset in this regard: I am more than happy to meet with you one-on-one to work on your writing.
Have an open mind and willingness to contribute to our learning community!
Learning Goals
- analyze historical and contemporary contexts to recognize exclusionary practices and identify ways to make TPC more inclusive in usability and representation.
- identifying and repudiating intentional and unintentional misinformation and propaganda on technical communication platforms and modalities
- understanding and adapting to genre conventions and audience expectations practice inclusive, accessible communication design
- compose documents in creative, expository, and professional genres in print and electronic forms that attend to rhetorical, artistic, and socio-historic environments
- understand, develop, and deploy various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing documents both individually and collaboratively
- select and use appropriate styles and technologies that effectively and ethically address contexts and audiences
- build ethos through voice, evidence documentation and accountability
Course Evaluations
In the last week of the term, you will have an opportunity to complete surveys about the quality of instruction you have experienced in ALL of your courses including this one. I hope you take the time to complete them because they are an important form of feedback.
Student evaluations of teaching play an important role in the review of faculty every year. Still, we recognize that student evaluations of teaching may be influenced by unconscious and unintentional biases about the race and gender of the instructor. Studies show that women and instructors of color are systematically rated lower in their teaching evaluations, even when there are no actual differences in the instructors or in what students have learned.
As you fill out the course evaluations please keep this in mind and make an effort to resist stereotypes about professors.
Take time to focus on the content of your course and teaching practices of your instructors (the assignments, the course text, the in-class material) and not unrelated matters (the instructor’s appearance or mannerisms).
Thank you
Assignments
All assignments are due on the dates indicated and will be available the week prior and submitted through Canvas. Never via email. If you anticipate that your assignment will be late, please reach out to me ahead of time so we can work out some accommodation. My philosophy is to accept ALL your work as assigned and completed. Please ask for an extension if you need one. The assignments are broken down in these modules:
- Professionalism (15 %)
- Audiences and Ethics (30%)
- Definitions, Descriptions, and Processes (25%)
- Researching and Writing Technical Reports (30%)
Grading Policy
Assessment will mostly be based on general completion of the course assignments, your ability to apply the concepts we discuss in class, and engage with in the readings. You will also be assessed on overall progress and a thorough final report. Because writing is a process, your first writing assignment will give me (and you) insight into the skills you possess as an experienced writer (yes, you) and, thus, set a goal for yourself to develop TPC skills.
The starting grade in this course is a 2.0. This grade requires completion of all assignments while meeting the minimum requirements. For each assignment in which you demonstrate exceptional awareness of TPC concepts and skills beyond the minimum requirements and expectations, this percentage will increase. Conversely, for assignments that you fail to meet the minimum requirements and expectations, this percentage will decrease. Therefore, if the expectations for an assignment are unclear, please email me or bring this up in class so we can work together to ensure your success. There will be rubrics and points attached to each assignment to help you earn your desired grade.
Refer to the course grading rubric
Academic Integrity
The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/
Here's what you can do to cover yourself against plagiarism or collusion:
- At any stage of your writing, keep your drafts, notes, papers, and research materials. If a question of plagiarism arises, you'll have a paper trail ( paper trails protect you in a variety of academic, public, and work-related contexts)
- Don't use editing services. Don't ask anyone, even family or friends, to edit your paper or help you write it. You need to do that work yourself.
- If you need additional help with your writing, contact the University Writing Center, UW Writes, where trained professionals are there to help you without colluding in plagiarism.
- Last but not least, ask me if you have any questions about honesty.
Technical Assistance
Technical Assistance All technical support is provided by IT Connect:
📧Email: help@uw.edu
✆ Phone: 206-221-5000
💻Online: Send us a question
👤In-person: Walk-in locations
Add/Drop. You are responsible for knowing to be aware of the university deadline dates for dropping the course.
Access and Accommodations
Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
Religious Accommodations
“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.
Academic Integrity
Notice to Students - Use of Plagiarism Detection Software
Notice: The University has a license agreement with SimCheck, an educational tool that helps prevent or identify plagiarism from Internet resources. Your instructor may use the service in this class by requiring that assignments are submitted electronically to be checked by SimCheck. The SimCheck Report will indicate the amount of original text in your work and whether all material that you quoted, paraphrased, summarized, or used from another source is appropriately referenced.
The IWP's Anti-Racist Pedagogy
The Interdisciplinary Writing Program (IWP) is committed to engaging with anti-racist pedagogies. These pedagogies may take various forms, such as curricular attention to voices, communities, and perspectives that have been historically marginalized inside and beyond academic disciplines; inclusive classroom practices; discussions of racism; and consideration of other forms of prejudice and exclusion. We believe that countering the cultures and practices of racism in an academic institution is fundamental to developing a vibrant intellectual community. The IWP is happy to talk with you about your questions as well as to support student-led initiatives around anti-racist work, and we invite you to contact IWP faculty member Rush Daniel at daniej9@uw.edu or IWP Program Director Carrie Matthews at crmatthe@uw.edu. If you’re interested in how teachers of English as a professional community have taken up anti-racist work, check out the National Council of Teachers of English Statement on Anti-Racism to Support Teaching and Learning.