Technical Writing

Course Number:
WR 227Z
Transcript Title:
Technical Writing
Created:
Aug 16, 2022
Updated:
Jul 18, 2023
Total Credits:
4
Lecture Hours:
40
Lecture / Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0
Satisfies Cultural Literacy requirement:
No
Satisfies General Education requirement:
No
Grading Options
A-F, P/NP, Audit
Default Grading Options
A-F
Repeats available for credit:
0
Prerequisites

WR 121 or WR 121Z

Course Description

Introduces techniques for producing instructive, informative, and persuasive technical/professional documents aimed at well-defined and achievable outcomes. Focuses on presenting information using rhetorically appropriate style, design, vocabulary, structure, and visuals. Students can expect to gather, read, and analyze information and to learn a variety of strategies for producing accessible, usable, reader-centered deliverable documents that are clear, concise, and ethical. Prerequisites: WR 121 or WR 121Z. Audit available.

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Apply key rhetorical concepts through analyzing, designing, composing, and revising a variety of deliverable documents for technical/professional contexts.
  2. Engage in project-based research, applying appropriate methods of inquiry for clearly defined purposes (e.g., user experience research and client/organization research).
  3. Collaborate with various stakeholders to develop and apply flexible and effective strategies for managing projects.
  4. Develop and adapt document design and composition strategies to meet the demands of diverse clients, organizations, and multicultural audiences.
  5. Examine and respond to individual and professional ethical responsibilities across organizational contexts.

Suggested Outcome Assessment Strategies

The determination of assessment strategies is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: writings (journals, self-reflections, pre writing exercises, essays), quizzes, tests, midterm and final exams, group projects, presentations (in person, videos, etc), self-assessments, experimentations, lab reports, peer critiques, responses (to texts, podcasts, videos, films, etc), student generated questions, Escape Room, interviews, and/or portfolios.

Course Activities and Design

The determination of teaching strategies used in the delivery of outcomes is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: lecture, small group/forum discussion, flipped classroom, dyads, oral presentation, role play, simulation scenarios, group projects, service learning projects, hands-on lab, peer review/workshops, cooperative learning (jigsaw, fishbowl), inquiry based instruction, differentiated instruction (learning centers), graphic organizers, etc.

Course Content

Outcome #1:Apply key rhetorical concepts through analyzing, designing, composing, and revising a variety of deliverable documents for technical/professional contexts.

  • Final compositions (emails, proposals, business letters, memos)
  • Appropriate formats and writing styles for various types of technical and professional communications
  • Oral Presentations
  • Visual presentations
  • Instructions (user manuals, how-tos, handbooks, guides, training, etc.)
  • Proposals (projects, grants, RFP/RFI, and other persuasive documentation)
  • Reports (formal/scientific, recommendations/feasibility, progress, etc.)
  • Resumes/CVs, applications, cover letters, and other job-related documents
  • Flyers, infographics, slideshows

Outcome #2: Engage in project-based research, applying appropriate methods of inquiry for clearly defined purposes (e.g., user experience research and client/organization research).

  • Professional research
  • Inquiry emails
  • Stakeholder engagement and consultation
  • Surveys, newsletters, polls
  • Usability testing
  • Audience/user analysis and research
  • Use of CGCC library resources: books, journals, databases, videos
  • Identification and use of scholarly sources
  • Web literacy and source evaluation

Outcome #3: Collaborate with various stakeholders to develop and apply flexible and effective strategies for managing projects.

  • Group presentations
  • Informational interviews
  • Collaborative portfolios
  • Group work in shared documents, drives, folders
  • Peer feedback and analysis
  • Written self-assessment
  • Team formation, team management, and project leadership

Outcome #4: Develop and adapt document design and composition strategies to meet the demands of diverse clients, organizations, and multicultural audiences.

  • Audience-centered communications (emails, memos)
  • Communication with international audiences
  • Surveys, newsletters, polls
  • Document design (layout, formatting, composition, typography, etc.)
  • Accessibility in document design (fonts, images, tables, headings, etc)
  • Editing, revising, and proofreading documentation
  • Translation (globalization, localization, and other intercultural contexts)
  • Video production for technical communication topics
  • Visuals (figures/graphics, photographs, icons, symbols, other semiotics)

Outcome #5: Examine and respond to individual and professional ethical responsibilities across organizational contexts.

  • Ethics (social, economic, and environmental justice, diversity statements/policy, etc.)
  • Legal and ethical issues in technical and professional communications
  • Value statements (Accessibility statements, mission statements, land acknowledgments, etc)
  • Web literacy and media bias analysis
  • Online journals demonstrating comprehension of the reading Self evaluation

Suggested Texts and Materials

  • ER Guide for WR 227. Read, Bowen, and Covey.
  • Technical Communications Across the Professions. Crystal Baye Herald (OER)
  • Technical Writing Essentials. Suzan Last (OER)
  • Technical Writing.  DeSilva, Hamlin, Naas, et al (OER)
  • Technical Writing by A Gross, A Hamlin, B Merck, C Rubio, J Naas, M Savage & M DeSilva
  • Open Technical Communication by Tamara Powell, Tiffani Reardon & Jonathan Arnett
  • Free Online Textbook for Technical Writing by David McMurrey
  • Technical Writing by Lumen Learning and SUNY Open Textbook Resources
  • Technical Writing Essentials: Intro to Profess. Comm. in the Technical Fields by Suzan Last
  • Introduction to Professional Communications by Melissa Ashman