ENGL 388 A: Professional and Technical Writing

ENGL388 A 21: Professional and Technical Writing

MW: 12:30 -2:30

DEM  126

About the Course

ENGL388 Professional and Technical Writing prepares students to become conscious and conscientious communicators in various modes, platforms, and professions.  Because it is a course on writing within technical and professional contexts, this course focuses on the writing process, research methods, genres of technical writing, and professional ethics. It is recommended that students take ENGL 288 first, but it is not required.  

Course Description

In this course, you will develop and refine your technical communication skills by creating digital and print documents within an ethical framework that promotes equity and inclusivity for all readers and users who may engage with your work. Our readings, class discussions, and group activities and projects are designed to prepare you to be a successful technical communicator whose communication is ethical and effectively meets the needs of every member of your target audience. 

Learning Goals

Upon successful completion of this course, you will become familiar with:

• theory—understand major theories of the dimensions of professional and technical writing in order to learn about the various types and purposes of professional documentation. 
• inquiry— explore, experiment with, and invent a variety of writing genres in which original ideas combine with suitable, effective, and inclusive community-based research to produce equitable products and documentation. 
• practice—persuasive written, oral, and visual arguments, organize ideas and language effectively to address specific readers and meet specific purposes to create effective documents and ethical communication by following proven writing principles: knowing your audience, using clear language, and avoiding nonessential content, among others. 
• collaborate -- successfully work and communicate within small teams, which means respecting the opinions and experiences of others.

• Required Texts

  • A Strategic Guide to Technical Communication – Second Edition
    ISBN: 9781554810239 / 155481023X
  • Pdf Readings uploaded in Canvas

Instructor

Instructor

	Josephine Walwema, PhD email: walwema@uw.edu Office: PDL A-18 Office Hours: MW 9:00-10:30 AM and by appointment

About the Course

This is an in-person face-to-face class. If you wish to take a DL class, please drop this class and sign up for a virtual class in the summer. 

As an in-person class, a major part of the work of the class comes from our discussions and collaborations. The texts and assignments are not the class! Attendance at all sessions is expected because the knowledge and skills you will gain in this course highly depend on your participation in class learning activities.

Because of that, I expect you to attend all class sessions unless you are ill or have a valid reason for missing. In which case, you should email me in advance of the absence so I do not assume you are no longer participating in class. I plan to track class attendance to help me understand how and when students are engaging in the course. 

Class Expectations

Reading assignments typically appear in the syllabus on the date on which they are due. You should have completed these readings before coming to class that day.

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

Designing Documents

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
• Resources include Adobe Color Palette  

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!

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. Please ask for an extension if you need one. The formal assignments are broken down in these modules:

1. Fundamentals of Professional and Technical Communication 
2. Ethics and Culturally Responsive Technical Communication 
3. Research, report writing, and Plain Language 

Revision is part of the writing process. 

In addition to these formal assignments, there are five writing to learn assignments. These kinds of writing-to-learn activities are short, informal, and low-stakes writing tasks that help students think through key concepts or ideas presented in a course. These writing tasks will be held in class as group projects and are weighted towards the final grade. If you are absent when a writing to learn activity is taking place, you forfeit the grade for that task. 

Submitting Assignments to Canvas

Assignments are considered to be submitted when they are fully uploaded to Canvas. On Canvas, the due time is 11:59 pm. Do not wait until the last minute to submit an assignment, because uploads may take some time and you might miss the submission deadline.

If you cannot submit an assignment to the Canvas submission link because it is locked, please DO NOT email the assignment to me or submit it as an attachment to a comment. While I can read these, I cannot offer feedback on assignments submitted in this way or use any associated grading rubric, and thus the assignment WILL NOT be graded.

Late Work Policy

An assignment or discussion is considered late if it is not posted by the stated deadline. Late work may be accepted up to 24 hours after the due date, except where otherwise indicated. Exceptions are made to this policy only in rare circumstances and when I have been notified in advance. Typically, the final assignments of the semester must be submitted by the specified due date/time and no late submissions are accepted. 

If you anticipate that your assignment will be late, email me before the assignment due date to request an extension for the assignment deadline.

The request for extension should be sent in the form of an email from the Canvas inbox or student’s UW email account and includes: (1) a rationale for the request (i.e. why the student is not able to submit on time) and the specific assignment the student is requesting to make up. The final decision associated with the assignments and deadlines is at the discretion of the instructor.

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.

Grading and Assessment

Grading will 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.

As adults, I trust you to take responsibility for your own education and for managing your time. This Grading Chart outlines the grades you can earn in this class and the kind of work you have to do to earn that grade. That means if you do not submit any assignment, I will assume that you have decided that it does not fit within your course goals.

You may ask for clarification about or contest any assignment grade that you receive in written form. Outline the assignment expectations and how you met them viz the grade you received. Questions about grades must be submitted via email no sooner than 24 hours and no later than one week after the grade is released in Canvas.

This grading policy is based on rewarding work that contributes to the goal of improving your writing. If you actively engage in class sessions and activities, provide constructive and thoughtful peer feedback, and work on improving your writing with each draft, you will receive a good grade.

If you meet the assignment deadline, you are welcome to revise at least ONE major assignment of your choice for which you have earned a grade below a 2.0. You must indicate your intent to revise within ONE week after grades are released in canvas. We can agree on a resubmission date.

Note:  This privilege does not apply to late assignments or requests made during finals week.

A grade of “2.0” or better must be received in all Program in Writing and Rhetoric Courses for those courses to count toward the University's “C” credit

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

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:

• Open a folder in Google Docs. Call it ENGL 388. In that folder and for every assignment 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)
• 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.

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.

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
•  Service Status 

Add/Drop. You are responsible for knowing the university deadline dates for dropping the course.

The PWACs Anti-Racist Pedagogy