ENGL 288 C 24: Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing

Location:

Mary Gates Hall (MGH 082)

Time:

11:30 AM– 01:20 PM (T/TR)

What About this Course?

ENGL 288 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)

Technical and Professional Communication Value

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.

Course Description

Introduction to Technical & Professional Writing (ENGL 288) is a study of the principles and practices of technical and professional writing. Students learn about the rhetoric, style, organization, and conventions of technical and professional writing by analyzing and writing documents in technical and professional genres, including technical research reports, proposals, memoranda, professional correspondence, and instructions. Throughout the course students learn to focus on the audience and purpose of technical and professional documents and how to make ethical choices related to technical and professional writing. ENGL 288 considers the whole writing process, including planning, drafting, reviewing, and revising technical and professional documents, and it offers an English Composition (C) or Writing (W) credit to reflect this emphasis on writing as a process.

Course Audience

ENGL 288 is designed to improve the writing skills, rhetorical awareness, and professional prospects of three groups of students:

• • • Science and engineering majors preparing for technology-focused careers
    • Humanities majors interested in exploring career options in technical communication
    • Students of any major who want to learn about technical and workplace writing

ENGL 288 does not have any formal prerequisites. However, registration is not open to Freshmen and the course content expects students to be familiar with forms of writing other than technical and professional writing, such as academic essay writing.

What is Technical Communication

Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) is the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations use writing, design, and other modes of rhetoric to achieve specific purposes. Many of these purposes relate to technology or other specialized fields. For example, engineers and scientists are expected to develop proposals, status reports, lab reports, and presentations, all of which need to be highly functional documents.  Other technical writers create instruction manuals, online help pages, and product websites.

Across TPC fields, professionals communicate ideas that are detail-oriented, informative, and tailored to the audience. To do so effectively, they keep in mind standards of usability, accessibility, professionalism, and social justice ethics. They design for both users and subject matter experts in their respective styles, and explain new ideas and products to the general public.

Learning Objectives

Students in this course will learn about the principles of technical and professional writing and practice applying that knowledge by writing technical and professional documents. After completing this course, students will be able to:

• • • Develop professional and practical skills in TPC (e.g., skills in written and visual communication, editing, critical thinking, research, and document design) 
    • Analyze audience needs in order to write effectively in a variety of professional, technical, and scientific contexts
    • Understand how to critically analyze texts, synthesize sources from research, and incorporate data into assigned writing clearly, concisely, and logically
    • Demonstrate ethical and social justice oriented communication practices 
    • Understand TPC writing processes as fundamentally collaborative, iterative, and dialogic (via feedback and revision)

Required Course Materials

• • • Open Technical Communication OER Book
    • Pdf Readings uploaded in Canvas
    • Laptop: Bring a laptop (or at least a tablet) to each class session, so you can write, participate in activities, and access Canvas. Please ensure your laptops are fully charged. 

Instructor 

Instructor information

Dr. Linford Lamptey Email: lodlampt@uw.edu (Typically, I do not answer emails after 5pm, on the weekends, or on holidays/breaks; otherwise, I usually respond within 24 hours. If it’s been 48 hours and you have heard nothing from me, please check in again) Office: PDL A-16 Office Hours: Tuesdays @3:00PM-5:00PM and or by appointment Pass by my office hours; I’m happy to talk with you, so if those hours conflict with your schedule, don’t hesitate to ask for another, mutually convenient time.  If you want to discuss more in-depth material or a draft, send me the questions or draft when you request the conference.

Course Policies

Attendance & Emailing Me about Absences

This is an in-person class where participation is required. Until an accommodation is in place, you will need to participate in person. Readings/Notes are non-negotiable. You must submit your notes even if you are excused from class.

Almost every class meeting includes an in-class assignment primarily on our readings. To receive full credit for an in-class assignment, you must be there in person to complete it. This is because this class is community (building relationship) themed; We will typically conduct these assignments in small groups, and learning effective teamwork is one of the most important purposes of our class. Completing the assignment with permission from home can only earn you a maximum of 50% of the points. You may be excused missing a week and half of class work.

Unless you have a specific question related to an assignment or other aspect of a class meeting, please do not email me to tell that you will be absent. I have no interest in the specific circumstances of your absence unless it is a genuine emergency, it involves logistics related to university-sanction activities or work, or there is some other specific reason for me to be contacted about it. If it is an emergency do not hesitate to let me know.

Overall, these absence-justifying emails typically have no practical purpose and simply clog up my inbox. Keep in mind the amount of email that university faculty receive on a daily basis and try to show care in your communication with me. 

Each week will constitute a new unit and related activities containing a combination of the following elements:

• • • weekly reading notes and or responses
    • major projects (& drafts)
    • informal and formal in-class writing/drafting activities
    • peer review & group work

How Will I Learn ?

Instructional methods may include lecture, student-led and small group discussions, research exercises, presentations, and writing/drafting assignments. Lectures are not recorded. Class is heavily organized around workshop style where your participation is required.

Reading assignments typically appear in the syllabus on the date on which they are due. Complete these readings before class that day and upload your notes before class.

Please use this reading guide (for purposes of note grading) below to take your notes:

• • • what did you read about -- major ideas (summary)?
    • what have you learned from it -- ideas important to you (analysis)?
    • how will you use what you read to meet your writing goals for the quarter (use/apply)?
    • 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. Do not send works to instructor's email.

Communicating with the instructor

Please reach out to me via Canvas or UW email. Avoid using your personal email 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

Collaborative reams are normally formed in class when students are present.

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

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)

Course Content and Assignments

ENGL 288 focuses on analyzing, designing, and writing technical and professional documents. Emphasis is placed on the writer clearly defining the audience, clearly presenting the purpose, and professionally presenting each document. The course content and assignments are broken down in these modules*:

• • • Theories and Fundamentals of TPC 
    • Rhetoric and Ethics in TPC 
    • Professionalization
    • Procedural Discourse
    • Technical Reports and Research

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 below.

This is a writing course, so you will do a lot of writing! Some of the writing will be informal discussions and reflections, some will be annotations and critiques of others' writing, some will be first drafts, and some will be more polished writing. With all of these writing assignments you'll be practicing and getting more comfortable with different writing techniques and with reading and reviewing others' writing, all of which should make you a better writer.

Listed below are the five assignment groups for this course. Each assignment group has multiple parts, which are explained in more detail on the Assignments pages. You'll write multiple drafts for all of the assignments (except for the discussion prompts), focusing on improvements from draft to draft.

Reading/Taking Notes (10%)

Weekly-- By the start of each class session, you will write and upload your notes on the readings for the day. Organize your notes to reflect the reading material Summary, Analysis, Application & making Connections. Ask questions as well. See above on submitting or not submitting notes. 

In-Class Activities (15%)

Weekly--Most of our class sessions will have hands-on activities that you will do in small groups, discuss with the rest of the class, and turn in on Canvas. These in-class activities are, as the name suggests, class activities. They may not be completed outside class.

Drafts (10%)

Final drafts are incomplete without prior drafts. This class values the revision process and you should demonstrate meaningful reflection and metacognition about the composing process, learning, and rhetorical decision-making. Drafts must show careful thought and engagement of ideas read and discussed. Drafts must be polished at 70% in comparison to the final. Bullet point and incomplete drafts may not accepted.

Analyses Paper (20%) Due--May 01 @ 11:59pm                                                                                                                                                                                            

In Week 5 --You will select and respond to one question from a set designed to assess your understanding and application of technical communication. This assignment requires you to draw on your notes, readings, and class discussions to support your argument effectively. The questions will be provided one week before the due date. If necessary, you will have an additional opportunity to revise and resubmit your work.

Team Charter (10%)  Due by close of class-- May 13 @ 11:30am

From Week 5 to 7-- To help you work effectively as a team, you will develop a professional document to guide group activity

Video Presentation (10%)  Due-- June 05 @ 11:30am

From Week 8 to 10-- This would be a remediated version of recommendation report.

Recommendation Reports (20%) Due June 10 @ 11:59pm 

From Week 6 to 10--Your final project is a recommendation report. You will research a shared-community problem and propose a solution

Note: If you meet the assignment deadline, then you can redo the final assignment one more time when not happy with the grade. You will have to notify me of intent a week and no more after grades are released. In addition, you will have to discuss with me during office hours your plan in completing the rewrite/revision. You will revise your reflection to include new learnings rewriting the final paper. I'll grade it and I'll record the higher grade. This privilege does not apply to late assignments or after that date.

See the modules for more details on these assignment sequences, and see Grading Policy below for information on how these units and other aspects of the course are graded.                                                                                                 

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 during office hours 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.

Accumulated work will not be accepted more than two weeks past the due date and will not be graded during the final weeks or near finals. Please ensure your work is always up to date and submitted on time.

Late Work & Extensions

Assignments are due when noted in the assignment listing. Any work turned in after the due time, will be 10% every weekday late. So if something is due Tuesday at 11:30am and you turn it in Tuesday at 11:31pam, it will be 10% off. And if something is due Tuesday and you turn it in Thursday, it will be 30% off.  Late work for major assignments will hold at 50% off, so you can still earn some points for turning in work. But please note: some work cannot be turned in late, such as peer responses and homework assignments we're discussing in class (synchronously or asynchronously).

However, I do recognize that sometimes you may need an extension on an assignment. If you contact me at least 24 hours before the assignment is due, I can most likely (although not always) negotiate an extension with you. Definitely review your quarter schedule in all your classes and if you see a very busy week ahead, ask now for a possible extension.

If you miss peer review, your instructor will try to pair you with someone who also missed peer review. Know that this isn’t always possible, however. Students are encouraged to contact the Writing Centers at all stages of their paper drafts.

Your grade for the course overall is calculated based on the following mapping. You can view your calculated grade in Canvas.

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/

The UW requires students to acknowledge any sources that they use. Students must both 1) quote and 2) cite any text they lift verbatim OR paraphrase from other sources, even from readings assigned in class. 

Generally, students should err on the side of NOT copying and pasting. Failure to identify writing or design elements that are not one's own is plagiarism, and in violation of academic conduct.

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)
    • Do the 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.
    • Ask me if you have any questions about honesty.

Technical Assistance: 

All technical support is provided by IT Connect:

Visit the IT Help website or call  206-221-5000, or email help@uw.edu for tech support. You may  Send them a question. You may also check the In-person👤: Walk-in locations

Service Status 

Add/Drop.

You may also check the 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 Accommodation

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.