UWP 104T: Technical Writing_________________________________ Instructor: Dr.

Katie Arosteguy (Ah-ross-teh-gee) Office Hours: MW 10-11:30 in Voorhies 363 Course Description:

Spring 2014_

Class: MW 12:10-1:30 Olson 247 Email: [email protected]

UWP 104T is designed for students who plan to enter professions in which they must frequently communicate information about technology and other technical subjects to a spectrum of different audiences that includes experts, managers, technicians, and non-specialists. All UWP courses require a minimum of 6,000 words of original, formal, graded writing. To pass the course, students must hand in every major graded writing assignment. Students who fail to turn in one or more of the papers will automatically receive an F in the course. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in order to fulfill the university writing requirement. Course Objectives:

Understanding differences between academic and technical writing Analyzing contexts, purposes, and audiences to determine appropriate writing style (technical, semi-technical, non-technical), as well as content, organization, and design choices, for technical documents Learning strategies for testing the usability and overall effectiveness of a document Writing clear, concise, consistent, and accurate prose Employing writing as a process, from researching a problem to organizing and drafting a document to testing, revising, and editing that document Practicing strategies for effective collaboration on large writing projects Employing rhetorical strategies for effective visual and document design Addressing ethical, cultural, international, and political issues related to writing Gaining proficiency in using computer-mediated communications

Prerequisites: Students should have completed UWP 1 or ENL 3 or the equivalent and have upper-division standing. They should be familiar with the general principles of good writing, including organization, development, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Required Texts: Gurak, Laura and John Lannon. Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. 2nd Ed. Pearson, 2013. ISBN: 9780205245529 Time Commitment: UWP 104A is a four-unit course. Three hours per week is lecture/discussion. An additional unit of credit is justified by the significant amount of work that students must do outside of class time to plan, draft, and

revise the 6,000 words of required writing. In addition to this substantial written requirement, students will meet individually with the instructor for discussion and evaluation of their work. Evaluation Standards: Grades will be A through F, with plusses and minuses given according to UC Davis/UWP policy. Please note: I am very firm about grades. An 89% is a B+, not an A-. Grades are not curved. Grading standards are as follows (final grades to be determined at the discretion of the instructor): Grading Scale: 97-100% 94-96 90-93 87-89 84-86 80-83 77-79 74-76 70-73 67-69 64-66 60-63 59% and below A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF Outstanding achievementawarded for highest accomplishment Praiseworthy performanceabove average in most respects Satisfactory performancework meets standards for competency (Lowest grade to receive course credit.) Minimally passingeffort and achievement less than satisfactory Fails to passeffort and achievement greatly lacking

*Please refer to the rubrics listed in Resources on SmartSite for exactly how specific papers will be graded. A note on collaboration: As is customary in technical workplaces, the writing in this course will be highly collaborative, and its effectiveness relies on both individual energy and cooperation with group members. Please be prepared to work extensively with others in this course. Part of your Feasibility Report grade will be determined by evaluations your colleagues fill out. Course Work: Essay 1: Instructions (15 percent) (1200-1500 words) Students will write an Instruction Set for other UWP 104T students to help them complete a task using software available in the computer lab. Essay 2: Usability Test Report (10 percent) (1,000 words) After preparing an orientation script and conducting a pre-test interview, test, and post-test interview on their Instruction Set, students will write a Usability Report wherein they assess the issues any problems that arose in the peer evaluation of their Instruction Set. Students will discuss their strategies for revision. Essay 3: Proposal (15 percent) (1,000 words) Students will write an unsolicited internal research proposal that asks permission to conduct a feasibility report on the implementation of some form of technology to solve a current, local, real-world problem in the students area of interest.

Essay 4: Feasibility Report (20 percent) (3,500 words) Students will work collaboratively to choose one of their proposals and write the Feasibility Report. Students will address the actual person who would authorize the technological changes and identify two possible technological solutions to the problem. Each should have a fair chance of being chosen and the task is to compare the two solutions according to evaluative criteria your group develops and, based on primary and secondary research, recommend one solution as being better overall. Various In-Class and Shorter Writing Assignments (10 percent) (800 words) This portion of your grade includes peer review reports, and various assigned in-class and take-home writing assignments. Peer Review: You will have the opportunity to revise your major writing assignments after giving and receiving feedback during Peer Review. To be successful in peer workshops, you need to bring the correct number of drafts with you to class on the day of the workshop and actively and constructively participate in the workshop by providing well-reasoned feedback. Your peers will be relying on you to help them improve their writing. Peer Review is also another way for you to reflect on the requirements of the assignment and to look at how other classmates are approaching the assignment. NOTE: You MUST arrive to class ON TIME on Peer Review days; otherwise, you risk not having a group to work with. Please do not arrive to class and then begin printing out your drafts. Depending on which Peer Review we are doing, I will either have you come to class with hard copies or I will have you upload your draft into a class folder. Presentation (10 percent) Teams will give an oral/visual presentation of their Feasibility reports at the end of the quarter. Each team will prepare a 10-15 minute presentation (about 10-14 slides) that summarizes the final report. Students are expected to utilize effective oral and visual presentation skills as discussed in class and to write presentation slides with conciseness and careful planning. Each group member will have a significant speaking part. *Note that since the Feasibility Report and the Presentations are collaborative efforts, your grade for these assignments will be a group grade unless either I or some group members feel that one person didnt work as hard as the others. In this case, I will review everyones personal contributions and assign separate grades for the project. Plan to use your Google Drive account, and to add me to the list of those who have permission to edit the document (Katie Arosteguy at [email protected]). Classroom Performance (10 percent): I expect you to attend class every day, on time. I expect you to bring any materials that are due each class day so that you will be prepared to participate in that days activities. I expect you to work diligently during workshops and activities, to actively engage in any in-class writing assignments, to ask questions, to help your classmates solve problems using principles discussed in class, and to finish the work assigned for the activity. In short, I expect you to cultivate a professional ethos appropriate for the workplace, and to demonstrate that ethos through a professional, serious attitude towards your work and the work of your classmates. You are responsible for reading and following course policies and assignment sheets, and for asking questions when you do not understand. You are also responsible for scheduling your work so that you can meet deadlines.

**Please Note: In an effort to improve the quality of the classroom experience and to decrease disruption and distraction, the following behaviors will negatively affect this portion of your grade to the extent that I deem necessary.

Being late to class or leaving class early Missing class periods Being disrespectful of other students or the instructor Facebooking/ surfing the web/ texting Coming to class unprepared Not participating in class discussions or class activities Poor quiz grades Unprofessional attitude toward the class or work * You may receive an F for this portion of your grade if you miss three or more classes. If you miss a class, please contact a classmate before contacting me for information and materials. You are responsible for any assignments, announcements, changes in schedule, etc. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. An absence is an absence. If you really do have an emergency, I will require documentation in order for it not to count against you. Some class sessions will begin with quizzes on readings at the VERY BEGINNING OF CLASS. If you come in late or are absent that day, you miss the opportunity to take the quiz. Final Exam (10 percent) (350 words) Students will draw on the skills and strategies learned throughout the quarter to help a general audience customer evaluate a technological product and decide whether or not to make a purchase in a well-crafted Catalog Page.

Course Policies: Smart Site: Most course materials will be available on Smart Site (smartsite.ucdavis.edu). I will send announcements and updates about class activities as well as individual messages via email. It is your responsibility to check your UC Davis email regularly and to make sure there is adequate space in your mailbox. We will also occasionally use the features on Smart Site in class, so familiarizing yourself with our course site is important. All hard-copy assignments MUST be typed, stapled, and properly formatted. All electronic assignments must be submitted as Word-compatible files (.doc, .docx, or .rtf). I will not be able to open or respond to your work if you send it in another word processing file type (e.g. Open Office, Works, WordPerfect). Papers should be in MLA style and should be formatted with the following naming convention: YourLastName_ProjectTitle_mm-dd.doc In-class and informal writing assignments (including quizzes or Peer Workshops) CANNOT be made up. These exercises reward people who attend class.

 Late papers: I will comment minimally on late Peer Review drafts up until 24 hours after they were due in class if they are emailed successfully to me. However, you will not receive the credit for having been at the Peer Review. It is always better, of course, to visit me in office hours with these drafts. Major essay assignments not turned in the day the final draft is due will be marked down one half of a full grade for each class day they are late. If you receive less than a C- on a major essay (other than the last one) and would like to re-write it, this is possible. Your old grade and new grade will be averaged together to reach your new grade. You are responsible for setting the schedule for revision and for seeing me in office hours to clarify what you need to revise. In no event should you ever email me your papers and expect me to print them out, read them, and comment on them. You may email me with SPECIFIC questions about assignments and/or your essay. Revision: You are required to significantly revise all major assignments for this course before turning them in for a final grade. Since writing is about process as well as product, be prepared to spend more time revising than you did writing the paper originally. The comments you receive during our Peer Review sessions may not necessarily identify all problems or errors in your writing. You are expected to go beyond this feedback if necessary, and seek the help that you needwhether that means coming to my office hours or going to the SASC. Be mindful that revision goes beyond sentence-level work, or simply adding a couple of paragraphs. It usually involves a global reworking of ideas or approaches, which can mean changing your central idea, extending or changing your research, or re-organizing and expanding on ideas presented in paragraphs. Please also note that in order for me to comment on a new draft, I must have the previous one I commented on to refer to. Academic Dishonesty There are generally two different kinds of plagiarism. You are expected to avoid both. 1. Intentional plagiarism (i.e. cheating), where one knowingly appropriates the work of others and passes it off as their own. This includes turning in a whole document that someone else has written; copying and pasting sections, sentences, phrases, or ideas from anothers work without appropriate attribution (quotation/citation); improperly paraphrasing without appropriate attribution; falsifying sources; turning in the same paper to another class; using a paper you already wrote. Intentional plagiarism might also take the form of receiving too much help on a paper. In short, do not submit work that has been written, revised, or edited, either in part or in whole, by someone else. 2. Unintentional plagiarism (i.e. misuse of sources), which includes accidental appropriation of the ideas and materials of others due to a lack of understanding of the conventions of citation and documentation. Unintentional plagiarism might include a lack of understanding of paraphrasing, not being clear about the parameters of common knowledge, and/or the statute of limitations on the attribution of ideas. Consequences: I am uncannily good at finding plagiarism. If I find this in an early draft or informal piece of writing, I prefer to meet with the student and educate them about what they did wrong. But if I find plagiarism in the final draft of a major assignment, I must turn the case over to Student Judicial Affairs for a thorough investigation. If you are ever unsure about the parameters of plagiarism, come and see me.

 Email etiquette: If and when you email me, please use proper salutations, signatures, and include appropriate subjects in the subject line. I cannot be expected to know who you are if you do not tell me. While I do check my email often, it may take me up to or beyond 24 hours to respond. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can, but with 75 students, other student concerns may take priority. Technology: Please save all of your work that you do this semesterin electronic and hard copy form. Disability Accommodation: The Student Disability Center (160 South Silo) provides services to students with disabilities who are eligible for reasonable accommodations under state and federal law. A team of professionals assists students with learning, vision, hearing, medical, psychological and mobility disabilities. Students with injuries or medical conditions that may temporarily limit their ability to participate at the university also may be able to receive assistance including note-taking, test-scribe and shuttle services. Please bring your accommodations form to me in person to ensure your accommodations will be recognized. If you think you may have a learning disability of any nature, contact the SDC to get tested and to receive accommodations. Writing Resources: Please consult the tutorial services of the Student Academic Success Center (2205 Dutton) for extra help on your writing. Take advantage of this free opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a writing tutor and strengthen your writing skills. You can call 752-2013 to make an appointment. In addition to this, read your papers out loud and/or read them to a friend. Better yet, have a friend read your paper out loud to you. It is amazing how many stylistic/grammatical issues we catch when we hear our writing read out loud. Please be advised that in no case should a tutor or friend write for you; instead, they can suggest changes to you or tell you what kinds of grammatical errors you are making and refer you to sources that will help you. Extra Recommendations for EL Students: To succeed in this upper-division writing course, you may need additional support in 1) reviewing assignments and evaluating writing prompts; 2) reviewing your drafts (to understand what to improve and how to do so) and; 3) reviewing your final drafts before submitting them. If you rely on translating from another language into English to do your academic work (either translating in your head, or perhaps with the aid of translation software) rather than thinking and composing in English, your writing may reflect awkward or inappropriate phrasing and language usage. Mastery of written language requires intense exposure, training (including focused reading), and applied practice. Accordingly, to succeed in academic or work environments where English is the common language, you will want to get the additional support you need to excel in writing English. In addition to attending my office hours, the following list of helpful campus resources can guide you in improving your English while at UC Davis. You may want to think about what you can change now in your daily language patterns or study habits to benefit more from your college education. Student Academic Success Center http://lsc.ucdavis.edu/writing.html I recommend going here first. They offer workshops every quarter, drop-in tutoring with student tutors, and scheduled appointments with ESL writing specialists. Partners in Acquiring Language (PAL) Program http://linguistics.ucdavis.edu/eslinstruction/palprogram If you are an international student, you may wish to sign up for this conversational language program. Although this will probably not help you with your written English, it may help you to understand some of the differences between casual and formal language use. Linguistics ESL Instruction http://linguistics.ucdavis.edu/esl-instruction/undergraduate-esl/placement

The Linguistics Department offers courses in ESL guided learning. University Extension Courses http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/international_english/intensive_english.asp The University Extension offers intensive English courses. Communication: Please come and talk to me if any situations arise during the quarter that may prevent you from doing well in the course. I want everyone to succeed in this course. I especially encourage you to attend my office hours and discuss your writing concerns with me. Please arrive to office hours with specific, focused concerns/ questions in mind. Peers: You are responsible for finding out what you miss on days you are absent. Please gather the names, phone numbers, and e-mails of at least two other students who you can contact to get information you missed. These two peers are your first point of contact in the event you miss a class.

Friends Name:_________________________ Friends Name:_________________________

Contact Info.________________________________ Contact Info.________________________________

Schedule: This schedule may change due to class needs. Pay attention to updates given in class. *Readings appear on the day well be discussing themNOT the day you should begin reading them. Week 1 3/31 4/2 Reading Assignments/ Class Schedule Introductions Syllabus; Introduction of Course and Students; Diagnostic essay Read Ch. 1: Introduction to Technical Communication; Read Adelstein The Writing Process and Lamott Shitty First Drafts The Writing Process Read The Rhetorical Square and Keenan Using PAFEO Planning Read Ch. 14: Instructions; Essay 1 Assignment: Instruction Set Given Writing Instructions How to write Instructions; How to incorporate Visuals; Read Ch. 8: Using Audience-Centered Visuals How to conduct Usability Tests and write Usability Reports; Read Ch. 4: Providing Audiences with Usable Information; Essay Assignment 2: Usability Report Given; Using Active Voice Writing Usability Test Reports Conduct usability tests M: Bring your modified usability survey, orientation script, and a draft of your Instruction set (as well as any necessary equipment) W: Essay 2: Usability Test Report Due Due Dates

M: Diagnostic Essay Due

2 4/7

4/9

3 4/14

4/16

4 4/21

4/23 5 4/28

Read Ch. 18: Proposal Writing; In-class time to research/discuss current issues in your field; Essay Assignment 3: Proposal Given Proposal Writing How to write Proposals; Using effective Transitions; Avoiding Plagiarism Peer Review of Proposals

M: Essay 1: Instruction Set Due W: 3 copies of Essay Assignment 3: Proposal Draft Due

4/30

6 5/5

Teamwork in Technical Communication Read Ch. 5: Teamwork and Global Issues in Technical Communication; Read Pentland The New Science of Building Teams Essay Assignment 4: Feasibility Report Given; Form Groups W: Essay 3: Proposal Due Research Methods Read Ch. 3: The Research Process in Technical Communication; Read Driscoll Introduction to Primary Research Writing Feasibility Reports How to write Feasibility Reports; Read Ch. 17: Formal Reports Incorporating Evidence & Issues of Style Read Graff: The Art of Quoting and Incorporating Sources Read Ch. 6: Structuring Information for Your Readers and Ch. 7: Writing with a Readable Style Writing Feasibility Reports Peer Review Reports of Essay Assignment 4: Feasibility Report
Ongoing: Plan to meet with your group extensively this week

5/7

7 5/12 5/14

8 5/19

M: 3 copies of Essay Assignment 4: Feasibility Report Draft Due

5/21

Group Work Day/ Group Conferences with me

9 5/26 5/28 No Class Oral Presentation Skills Oral Presentation Assignment Given; Read Ch. 22: Oral Presentations; Final Exam Instructions Given 10 6/2 6/4 Oral Presentations Oral Presentations
Ongoing: Plan to meet with your group extensively this week W: Essay Assignment 4: Ongoing: Plan to meet with your group extensively this week

Feasibility Report Due 11 Writing Catalog Pages Final Exam Sat. June 7 10:30-12:30

10