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TECM 2700-808 Introduction to Technical Writing

FALL 2022
August 29 – December 7, 2022
3 credits / 100% online
Instructor: Dr. Cynthia Pope
Phone: 507-382-6121 cell/text (even on weekends by 10 pm)
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: 9:00-10:00 am CST Mon CST via Zoom or by special appointment
https://unt.zoom.us/j/87846656077 /Meeting ID: 878 4665 6077
_____________________________________________________________________________________

COVID UPDATE
 Free on-campus COVID testing is available through Curative located in the Union and the
Student Health and Wellness Center.
 Students, staff and faculty are required to have a COVID-19 test at designated intervals
throughout the semester.
 Report positive COVID cases & potentials exposures to [email protected].

STRESS RELIEF OPTIONS

 Stress relief podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decompress/id1506861758 or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmxhc5ZBD9k
 Virtual museum exhibits https://apple.news/AoXUX57qoTzuLREnMdxoSvQ
 Meditative music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYtA3V5s92E

Course Summary
Every profession, regardless of the field, requires solid communication skills: the ability to communicate
with an audience inside and outside of the profession. The effective professional has a keen sense of
audience and purpose, a command of the language, and an ability to adapt to a variety of communication
tasks.
Technical Writing introduces students to the genres, style, and design of technical documents that are
used in various professional fields including engineering, science, business, and criminal justice. By the
end of this course, you should be able to

 analyze communication contexts rhetorically by understanding audiences, purposes, and

situations
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 create technical documents that solve problems and improve a reader’s access to information

 write effective technical prose

 design convincing and usable documents
 research, synthesize, articulate, and graphically represent technical data
 write collaboratively and work as a member of a team

Textbook
The required free text for this course is Professional and Technical Writing 2019 by Suzie Baker and
produced under license “Creative Commons Attribution-non-Commercial 4.0." You will need to create a
free account with the publisher to download a PDF copy of the textbook. Supplemental readings will be
available on Canvas.

Assignments
The assignments in this course are designed to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate and
develop your writing abilities. As this is a writing-intensive course, each assignment, whether individual
or group, requires substantial contribution and solid evidence of audience analysis, ethical considerations,
and problem-solving skills.
Below is a brief description of the major assignments you will complete in this course and the assignment
grade weights. More specific instructions about each will be provided in-class and on Canvas.

TECM 2700 Content

15% Tech Style

30%
Resume
Project Mgmt Software
15% Employment Outlook
Disco, Quizzes, Participation

20% 20%

Technical Style Exam (Individual project) 15%

Identify the style weaknesses in technical document and then edit the document using the style
recommendations in textbook. This is an open-note/open-book exam.

Resume (Individual project) 15%

Select an internship posting based on your current qualifications. If you're planning on graduating this
year, approach this assignment as if you have your degree. Design and construct a resume based on
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this posting’s desired qualifications. You will be evaluated on the content and appearance of the
resume as well as how effectively it targets your audience. Resumes produced with existing templates
will not be accepted.

Additionally, write a LinkedIn headline and summary, which would appeal to recruiters and hiring
managers. The headline and summary will be assessed on its content and persuasiveness.

Project Management Software Report (Group project) 20%

In assigned groups, research and assess the efficacy of two free project management tools such as
Asana, Dropbox, Google Drive, GoToMeeting, or Slack. After your team has selected its tools, you will
perform a usability test. Your team will then synthesize your findings in an IMR&D (Introduction-
Methods-Results-Discussion) report.

Employment Outlook Report (Individual project) 20%

Individually, research and report the employment outlook for three positions within your future field.
You will locate & synthesize from the Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics) as
well as 3 current job postings in your profession. You will also interview one relevant professional who
works outside the university.

The audiences for the employment outlook report are academic advisors and undergraduate
directors who advise and recruit students into your major. The report will be assessed on your ability
to analyze, synthesize, and visualize technical information.

Professionalism, Discussion Posts, and Quizzes (Individual assignments) 30%

Complete discussion posts, in-class activities, short writings, and assigned readings as well as conduct
yourself as a professional communicator.

Grading
The below grading criteria serve as general guidelines for evaluating all assignments. Assignment-
specific rubrics will be housed on Canvas. Grades of ABCDF will be issued, no pass/fail options.
"A" (90-100%): A manager would be very impressed and would remember the work when a promotion is
discussed. Work that is a pleasure to read, with excellent content, grammar, sentence structure,
mechanics, and visual design. In addition, work is thorough, complete, coherent, well organized,
supported sufficiently, and demonstrates a superior understanding of audience, purpose, and rationale.
"B" (80-89%): A manager would be satisfied with the job, but not especially impressed. Documents are
well written and well produced and demonstrate a substantial addition to the learning process. Work is
sufficiently developed, organized, and supported, and demonstrates a solid understanding of audience,
purpose, and rationale.
"C" (70-79%): A manager would be disappointed and ask you to revise or rewrite sections before
allowing clients and others to see the work. In other words, the document may have clear, but
underdeveloped ideas, or it might not engage or affect the reader. The documents may contain some
errors in grammar, mechanics, or logic.
"D" (60-69%): A manager would be troubled by the poor quality of work. This level of work forces the
reader to work too hard to understand the main ideas. The documents may contain incomplete
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information, have serious grammar and mechanical problems, lacks clear organization, or be conceptually
unclear.
"F" (0-59%): A manager would start looking for someone to replace you. In particular, work fails to
address the tasks of the assignment, is so underdeveloped as to demonstrate incompetence, and is
mechanically and grammatically incomprehensible. This grade will also be assigned for any evidence of
plagiarism.

Course Policies and Procedures

These policies provide you with the formal regulations governing this course. Submission of your first
assignment indicates you have read, understood, and agreed to these policies.

Online Learning, Attendance, and Communication

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do not
meet on a designated day and time each week.
For each module, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at
your own pace within that time frame. However, you must adhere to the deadlines outlined on the
calendar. You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in
activities.
You can expect meaningful feedback on written assignments within 7–14 days of the deadline. Questions
about grades or other individual issues should be emailed to the instructor, not posted on the discussion
forum.

Drop Dates
Please be aware of the below deadlines as well as the changes in grading policies. UNT students can no
longer receive a grade of WF, and they can drop a course online without the instructor’s signature.
However, students have five (5) business days to be reinstated in a dropped course.

Date Description
Sept 2 Last day to add/drop a course without financial repercussions.
Nov 18 Last day to withdraw from the semester. Process must be completed by 5 p.m. in the
Dean of Students Office. Grades of W are assigned.
Nov 19 First day to request a grade of I, incomplete (See “Grading system” in the
Academics section of this catalog.).

Medical Withdrawals
If a student must withdraw due to medical reasons, prior to the withdrawal deadline as indicated in the
academic calendar, a student may do so through the regular withdrawal process. If a student is
incapacitated or unable to make the request on his/her own, please contact the Dean of Students Office for
assistance at 940-565-2648. For details regarding the withdrawal process, go to
http://deanofstudents.unt.edu/withdrawal

Technology Requirements
To successfully complete this course, you should have access to a reliable internet source. You should
also have these technical skills:
 Using the Canvas learning management system
 Using email with attachments
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 Creating and submitting files in common program formats

 Copying and pasting
 Downloading and installing software
 Using spreadsheet programs
 Using Microsoft Word (Free software download for UNT students)

The following information has been provided to assist you with the technological aspect of the course.
 UNT Help Desk
 Browser requirements
 Computer and Internet Literacy
 TECM Comm Lab (for writing support) https://sites.google.com/view/tecmcommlab
 TECM Tech Lab (for course-related technology and software
support) https://sites.google.com/view/tecm/home

Netiquette Guide
When communicating online, you should
 Treat others with the same respect you would show in a face-to-face classroom
 Err on the side of being too formal rather than too informal. Take your cue for the right level
from how your professor & classmates interact with you
 Be cautious when using humor or sarcasm as it can easily be misunderstood
 Be careful with personal information (both your own and other people’s info)

Assignment Submission and Grading

Format
All assignments must be submitted through Canvas unless otherwise noted. Emailed assignments will not
be accepted. You may not use program templates (e.g., Word templates) to format your documents —
these don't encourage you to learn the programs and generally result in dull, unpersuasive documents.

Due Dates
Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are normally due by 11:59 pm Sundays; however, some
assignments—such as Peer Review deadlines—are due 11:59 pm, Wednesdays. Please refer to the
calendar in Canvas for detailed information. As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make
up missed assignments unless you have a documented emergency. It is your responsibility to keep up with
your assignments.
Students with an excused absence (hospitalization, jury duty, or family emergency) may be asked to
produce proper documentation to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the
instructor. If you encounter a true emergency, contact me & I’ll do my best to accommodate you fairly.

Teamwork Behavior
You will complete major projects in teams. I will assign these teams based on your shared academic
interests. Before any teamwork begins, you will create a charter that is designed to improve
communication. Your charter will include information on team goals and member roles, strategies for
conflict resolution, and protocols for missing deadlines. If your team encounters any project management
issues, consult the charter before asking me to intervene.
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Academic Integrity
Follow UNT’s academic integrity and dishonesty policies. UNT defines six acts of academic dishonesty
(see UNT Policy 06.003). Below is a brief description of these act and the related 2700 penalty for
committing each act or visit https://policy.unt.edu/policy/06-003

 Cheating —using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any
academic exercise. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or
hours. You will receive a grade of 0 for any assignment that involves cheating.

 Plagiarism — the deliberate adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, or statements of

another person as one's own without acknowledgement. You will receive a grade of 0 for any
assignment that involves plagiarism.

 Forgery — altering a score, grade, or official academic university record or forging the
signature of an instructor or other student. You will receive a final grade of F in the course for
any act of forgery.

 Fabrication — intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or

citation in an academic exercise. You will receive a grade of 0 for any assignment that involves
fabrication.

 Facilitating academic dishonesty — intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to

help another to violate a provision of the institutional code of academic integrity. You will
receive a grade of 0 for any assignment that involves facilitating academic dishonesty.

 Sabotage — acting to prevent others from completing their work or willfully disrupting group
projects. That includes omission of effort; thus, all students in the group must contribute. You
will receive a final grade of F in the course for any act of sabotage.
All acts of academic dishonesty will be reported to UNT’s Academic Integrity Office. You can read
UNT's policy at http://tinyurl.com/nuwo42u. At the beginning of the semester, we will review the six acts
of academic dishonesty and their related penalties. You must also complete a quiz on the subject, which
will certify that you understand the policies and procedures.

Accommodations (Special Arrangements)

UNT Office of Disability Accommodations
In accordance with university policies and state and federal regulations, the university is committed to full
academic access for all qualified students, including those with disabilities. To this end, all academic
units are willing to make reasonable and appropriate adjustments to the classroom environment and the
teaching, testing, or learning methodologies in order to facilitate equality of educational access for
persons with disabilities.
To receive accommodations, you must register with the ODA and then request a Reasonable
Accommodation form, which you should present to me within the first week of class (see UNT Policy
16.001). You can read UNT’s policy on disability accommodation for students and academic units at
https://tinyurl.com/y7jshaqx.
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Federal Regulation for F-1 Students taking Distance Education Courses

To read detailed Immigration and Customs Enforcement regulations for F-1 students taking online
courses, please go to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations website at http://www.ecfr.gov/. The
specific portion concerning distance education courses is located at Title 8 CFR 214.2 Paragraph (f)(6)(i)
(G).
The paragraph reads: (G) For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than
the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be
counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken online or through distance
education and does not require the student's physical attendance for classes, examination or other
purposes integral to completion of the class. An online or distance education course is a course that is
offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open
broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, or satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing. If
the F-1 student's course of study is in a language study program, no on-line or distance education classes
may be considered to count toward a student's full course of study requirement.

University of North Texas Compliance

To comply with immigration regulations, an F-1 visa holder within the United States may need to engage
in an on-campus experiential component for this course. This component (which must be approved in
advance by the instructor) can include activities such as taking an on-campus exam, participating in an
on-campus lecture or lab activity, or other on-campus experience integral to the completion of this course.
If such an on-campus activity is required, it is the student’s responsibility to do the following:

1. Submit a written request to the instructor for an on-campus experiential component within one week
of the start of the course.
2. Ensure that the activity on campus takes place and the instructor documents it in writing with a notice
sent to the International Student and Scholar Services Office. ISSS has a form available that you may
use for this purpose.

F-1 students unsure about their need to participate in an on-campus experiential component for this course
should contact the UNT International Student and Scholar Services Office (telephone 940-565-2195 or
email [email protected]) to get clarification before the one-week deadline.

Sexual Discrimination, Harassment, & Assault

UNT is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment,
including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know)
has experienced or experiences any of these acts of aggression, please know that you are not alone. UNT
has staff members trained to support you in navigating campus life, accessing health and counseling
services, providing academic and housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and
more. (See UNT Policy 16.005)
UNT’s Dean of Students’ website offers a range of on-campus and off-campus resources to help support
survivors, depending on their unique needs. Renee LeClaire McNamara is UNT’s Student Advocate. She
can be reached through email at [email protected] or by calling 940-565-2648.
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Schedule
On the next page is our tentative schedule for this section of 2700. The schedule is subject to change
pending our progress this semester. Each Monday I will update the Canvas Home Page to delineate
weekly assignments due & other pertinent information about the course.

W Date Topic Assignment Due Dates are 11:59 pm

k by either Wednesdays or Sundays
1 Aug 29  Read all Welcome! Start Here files  Baker Unit 1.1-1.8 Quiz by Sept 4
 Read Module 1 materials  Academic Integrity Quiz by Sept 4
 Academic integrity  Examine Everyday Technical Writing by Sept 4
 What do tech writers do?  Completion Quiz by Sept 4
 How is tech writing different from  Introduce Yourself by Sept 4
standard essay writing?
 Watch designated videos

SEPT 5 NO CLASS (LABOR DAY)

2 Sept 5  Read Module 2 Overview & Objectives  Snow Policy A or B by Sept 11
 Find if you’re on Snow A or B teams  Baker Unit 3.1-3.6 + 17.8 Quiz by Sept 11
 Read Module 2 Reading & Materials  Correspondence Case by Sept 11
 Technical Style
 Diplomacy & Tone
 Style, Editing & Justification
 Watch Follow-up video

3 Sept 12  Read Module 3 Overview & Objectives  Pt 1: Diplomacy, etc. Memo by Sept 18
 Read Module 3 Readings & Materials  Pt 2: Tech Style, etc. Memo by Sept 18
 Review Prepare for Final Exam files  Examining Professional Emails by Sept 18
 Baker Unit 5 Quiz by Sept 18

4 Sept 19  Read Module 4 Overview & Objectives  Baker Unit 9 Quiz by Sept 25
 Read Module 4 Readings & Materials

5 Sept 26  Read Module 5 Overview & Objectives  Group Resume Discussion by Oct 2
 Read Module 5 Readings & Materials  Creating Resume Shell by Oct 2
 Resume shells  Baker Units 6.1+ 6.4-6.7 + 13.1-13.2 Quiz by
 Peer Reviews due following Weds Oct 2

6 Oct 3  Read Module 6 Overview & Objectives  Resume Conventions Discussion by Oct 9
 Read Module 6 Readings & Materials  Resume Final due Oct 9
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7 Oct 10  Read Module 7 Overview & Objectives  Answering Interview Qs by Oct 16

 Read Module 7 Readings & Materials  Working in Teams due Oct 16
 Know memo v cover letter formats
 Read 6.2-6.3 in Baker text

8 Oct 17  Read Module 8 Overview & Objectives  Team Discussion Activity by Oct 23
 Read Module 8 Readings & Materials  Team Charter by Oct 23
 Working in teams  Baker Unit 10.1-10.7 Quiz by Oct 23
 Learning individual strengths

OCT 21 is MID-TERM
9 Oct 24  Read Module 9 Overview & Objectives  Investigating Project Mgmt Software Group
 Read Module 9 Readings & Materials Discussion by Oct 30
 Project management software  Explore the 4 platforms on your own
 Conducting user testing (UX)  Post entries & respond to teammates
 Conducting Software Testing by Oct 30
 Group assignment
 One teammate submits to Canvas

10 Oct 31  Read Module 10 Overview &  Project Mgmt Software Draft Report Nov 6
Objectives  Project Mgmt Software Peer Review by Nov 9
 Read Module 10 Readings & Materials  Baker Unit 8 Quiz by Nov 6

NOV 18 is LAST DAY TO DROP WITH a “W”

11 Nov 7  Read Module 11 Overview &  Project Mgmt Software Final Report Nov 13
Objectives  Project Mgmt Team Evaluation by Nov 13
 Read Module 11 Readings & Materials  Baker Unit 15 Quiz by Nov 13
 Develop interview Qs
 Gather data for Employment
Outlook Report

12 Nov 14  Read Module 12 Overview &  Developing Interview Qs by Nov 20

Objectives  Start the Employment Outlook Report Draft
 Read Module 12 Readings & Materials due next week

13 Nov 21  Read Module 13 Overview &  Employment Outlook Report Draft due Nov 27
Objectives  Emphasis is synthesizing data from
 Read Module 13 Readings & Materials each job into one solid report
 Look for a pattern (thesis) among all data
 Employment Outlook Report Peer Review due
Nov 30
 Summarizing Interviews due by Nov 27

NOV 23-25 THANKSGIVING BREAK

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NO CLASS

14 Nov 28  Read Module 14 Overview &  Employment Outlook Report Peer Review due
Objectives Nov 30
 Read Module 14 Readings & Materials  Employment Outlook Report Final due Dec 4
 Include visuals (i.e. charts, graphs, etc.)
whenever possible from data gathered
 Final Exit Evaluation due Dec 4

15 Dec 5  Read Module 15 Overview &  LinkedIn Profile due Dec 7

Objectives  Final Correspondence Case due Dec 7