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E N G L I S H   2 1 8 (M10):
TECHNICAL & SCIENTIFIC

COMMUNICATION

Tuesdays & Thursdays      |      8:55 to 10:10 am      |      Business Complex 111

INSTRUCTOR CONTACT & OFFICE HOURS

 

Jen England

jengland@nmsu.edu

Design Center (Milton Hall Basement 014M)

Mondays 11-2 | Tuesdays 10:30-11:30 | Thursdays 10:30-11:30 & 2:30-4:30 | or by appointment

 

ENGL 218 COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

Through class readings, discussions, and a variety of writing projects (both individual and group), you will become familiar with effective writing for courses and careers in the sciences, engineering, agriculture, and others as well as develop strategies for understanding and presenting technical information for various purposes to various audiences. You will produce a variety of documents designed to help you hone research skills, develop a professional writing style, understand what constitutes effective document design, and recognize the importance of ethical considerations in technical and scientific communication.

 

Successful completion of ENGL 111 with a grade of “C” or its equivalent is a prerequisite for enrolling in ENGL 218. Make sure you meet the necessary prerequisite(s).

SPECIFICS ABOUT THIS CLASS

 

Unlike other ENGL 218 courses, this class will operate from a general theme: zombies. While at first thought this theme might seem arbitrary and unrealistic -- though the CDC says otherwise (http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm) -- a zombies theme is actually quite productive for a technical and scientific communication course such as this one. In fact, it will do the following:

 

  • provide a broad framework from which the whole class can operate and unify

  • offer opportunities to explore related sub-areas of interest to you, including government, military, engineering, environment, health, media, and others

  • necessitate discussions about ethical concerns

  • incorporate potential “real-life” situations through the practice of emergency response and disaster communication

 

In other words, the zombies theme is the broad umbrella under which the class will choose specific and individual interests to research, write about, and design. I encourage you to give this theme a chance and use it as an opportunity to explore high-stakes scenarios in a low-stakes, safe environment where making mistakes does not mean life or death (or “life” again).

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

By the end of the semester, you will be able to 
 

  • Describe the difference between technical communication and other forms of writing

  • Identify and describe documents used in technical communication

  • Demonstrate the ability to analyze a rhetorical situation and develop appropriate documents in response

  • Identify and analyze target audiences

  • Understand and use basic principles of document design

  • Demonstrate familiarity with the computer-assisted writing process

  • Demonstrate the ability to manage information effectively and use it appropriately

  • Correctly use technical and scientific documentation styles

  • Present information in a coherent, logical manner, both in spoken and written form

REQUIRED TEXTS & MATERIALS

 

 

NOTE: The textbooks are placed on course reserve at Zuhl Library.

COURSE POLICIES

 

The following policies are in place to ensure quality and fairness to all students enrolled in ENGL 218. Make sure you understand each policy, the role it plays in the course, and how it can affect you.

 

Attendance

 

This ENGL 218 is a hands-on, workshop-based class, and much of the learning of the course takes place in class or is based on class discussions and exercises. Therefore, attendance in this class is mandatory. The English Department has established the following non-negotiable policy regarding attendance:

  • There is no distinction between “excused” and “unexcused” absences. Following university policy, the only exception is when you miss class for documented, university-sanctioned activities (e.g., ASNMSU sessions, scheduled athletic events, class field trips, conferences, etc.). In such cases, you must provide me with official documentation in advance. In all other cases, including illness and family emergencies, missing class counts as an absence.

  • Attendance counts for 10% of your final course grade.

  • Your attendance grade is based on the following scale.

Number of absences = Grade for 10% of final grade

2 or fewer = A

3 = B-

4 = C-

5 = D-

6 = F

7 or more = F for final course grade  

WARNING:

Please realize that if you are absent

more than three weeks of class

(or six class periods),

you cannot pass this course.

Late Work

 

To be fair to everyone in the class late work will not be accepted. However, if a situation such as sudden illness or family emergency arises, notify me as soon as possible so that we can discuss an extension. If you miss class because you are an athlete or attended a university-sanctioned event, you are responsible for turning in your work on the due date like everyone else.

 

 

Plagiarism

 

We will follow the NMSU library’s definition of plagiarism: “using another person’s work without acknowledgment, making it appear to be one’s own.” Additionally, it is academically dishonest to submit your own previously written work for a current assignment or to submit an assignment in more than one class without the prior permission of the instructors.

 

Plagiarism and academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class and can result in serious consequences, such as failing the assignment, failing this class, and/or being removed from NMSU. Please visit the NMSU library website to learn more plagiarism and academic dishonesty: http://lib.nmsu.edu/plagiarism/. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

 

 

Nondiscrimination

 

According to the NMSU Office of Institutional Equity/EEO website: “New Mexico State University is dedicated to non-discrimination and equal opportunity in education and employment in compliance with state and federal laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, serious medical condition, or veteran status.” Any comments, jokes, or remarks – either verbal or written – that denigrate the worth of an individual’s physical or mental ability, body size, religion, race, creed, ethnic background, sexual preference, or gender are inappropriate and will not be tolerated.

 

For more information on discrimination issues, Title IX, or NMSU’s complaint process, you can contact Gerard Nevarez, Executive Director and Title IX Coordinator, at equity@nmsu.edu or visit http://eeo.nmsu.edu/.

 

 

Students with Disabilities

 

According to NMSU Student Accessibility Services (SAS), “New Mexico State University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified NMSU students in accordance with state and federal laws,” including assistance with accessing buildings, programs, and services. Of importance is the requirement that “you must bring in documentation supporting your needed accommodation, fill out our Student Information Form, and meet with the SAS Coordinator before you can be accommodated.”

 

If you have or think you have a disability, contact Trudy Luken, Director, at sas@nmsu.edu or 575-646-6840 (V/TTY). There is also additional information provided at the SAS website: http://sas.nmsu.edu/.

 

 

Withdrawing from Class & the University

 

If you chose to withdraw from this class (in other words, drop the course with a “W”), you are responsible for initiating the appropriate paperwork. All paperwork must be properly submitted by the university-specific drop date: October 19. The last day to withdraw from the university is November 13.

 

Failure to submit appropriate paperwork by the designated deadlines will result in your receiving an F for all classes in which you will technically remain enrolled.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS & PROJECTS

 

In this class you will complete a variety of major assignments that will challenge not only your writing skills but also your layout and design skills, research abilities, and rhetorical thinking and reasoning. Through these assignments you will build and hone a set of skills necessary for successful technical communication. Below are brief descriptions of the major assignments you will work on in this semester:

 

Twitter discussions = 15%

These are ongoing, semester-long discussions that will help us better understand and grapple with course readings, materials, and assignments. Tweets must be professional and related to this class and/or technical and scientific communication in general. We will follow one another and create class-specific hashtags so we can more easily access course information.

 

Technical Description = 10%
As your textbook explains: “Technical descriptions are detailed explanations of objects, places, or processes ... Descriptions appear in almost every technical document” (Johnson-Sheehan, 2015, p. 129). These descriptions can be used to describe a device to clients, to test for quality control of a product, or even to aid in sales.

 

Instructions = 10%
Unlike technical descriptions, instructions are created not merely to describe but also to explain how something works. As a form of technical communication, instructions “help people complete simple and complex tasks ... [by] describ[ing] how to perform a specific task. They typically describe how to assemble a product or do something step-by-step” (Johnson-Sheehan, 2015, p. 160).

 

Proposal = 20%
The proposal is a group assignment designed to encourage collaboration, logical reasoning, and effective decision making. As a group you will develop an unsolicited proposal that either pitches a new idea or promotes a product. Johnson-Sheehan (2015) argues that “proposals are the lifeblood of the technical workplace ... effective proposal writing is a crucial skill in today’s technical workplace” (p. 199). This assignment provides you with the added bonus of developing effective team management and collaborative skills during the process.

 

Survival Guide = 25%
The survival guide is the culminating project in this class; it is a place to showcase and reflect on all the work you completed throughout the course. The survival guide will provide you a space to display your research and previously completed assignments within a professional yet creative format that will be informative and engaging. Furthermore, it will give you an opportunity to reflect on the course and to draw conclusions about the knowledge and skills you have developed and honed. You have two options for putting together your survival guide: print or digital.

DOCUMENT(ATION) STYLE AND FORMAT

 

Each assignment or project should adhere to the genre-specific conventions we will read about and discuss in class. In other words, there is not one particular style that will “work” for all the assignments. Rather, it is up to you to understand and utilize (or break from in clearly reasoned ways) the conventions and style of each assignment. 

 

All major assignments and projects will follow the citation guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). This is the most commonly used citation style by technical and scientific communicators, including Technical Communication Online, the journal of the Society for Technical Communication (http://techcomm.stc.org/instructions-for-authors/). Exceptions allowing for other citation styles may be made on an individual case-by-case basis.

 

When possible, all major assignments and projects should be saved as Microsoft Word files .doc or .docx. This allows me to use Word’s “Track Changes” to provide you specific feedback -- beyond that of the rubric -- on your writing, research, and design if you request it. Other acceptable formats include .pdf and URLS.

 

 

 

FILE NAMING & SAVING

 

All .doc or .docx files for major assignments and projects must be named according to the following:

 

last name_assignment abbreviation

 

For example, if I were submitting my Technical Description, my file name would look like this:

 

England_TD

 

I recommend you create a folder on your computer, external drive, or cloud-based account to store all the work in this class. I also recommend you save revisions of your work as separate files, keeping the original draft file as well. Please keep all work until final grades for the semester have been released and checked for accuracy.

 

This file naming and saving method not only models professional standards but also ensures your work is easily accessible for responding and grading and potential future revisions.

 

 

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

 

Unless otherwise requested, you will submit your major assignments and projects to me via an NMSU email uploaded attachment (not shared via OneDrive). The email’s subject line will be the same as the file name.

 

Additionally, in order to model courteous and efficient communication practices, I ask that in every email correspondence – whether submitting an assignment or asking a question – you write a brief memo explaining the nature of and reason for the email. For example:

 

Hello Jen,

 

I have attached my Technical Description assignment to this email. Please let me know if you have any trouble opening the file so I can resend it promptly.

 

Thank you,

 

Stephen King

REVISION POLICY

 

Because revision is an important component of the writing process – particularly in technical communication when documents must be tailored to specific audiences for specific purposes – you are encouraged to revise your major assignments (beyond the rough and “final” drafts) in this class. Thoughtful and effective significant revision, not merely sentence-level editing, can earn you up to 10% more than your original assignment grade. If you choose to revise the Technical Description, Instructions, and/or Proposal (as a workplace group), you agree to the following:

 

  • notify me in writing (preferably email) what assignment(s) you plan to revise

  • meet with me in person during office hours or an appointment to discuss your revision plan

  • write and submit a revision memo with your revised assignment(s)

  • submit all revisions by our final class meeting: Thursday, December 3

GRADING & GRADING SCALE

 

Below is the grading breakdown for this class:

 

Attendance = 10%

In-class/homework assignments = 10%

Twitter discussions = 15%

Technical description = 10%

Instructions = 10%

Proposal = 20%

Survival guide = 25%

 

 

Below is the grading scale used in this class:

 

A = 90-100%

B = 80-89%

C = 70-79%

D = 60-69%

F = 50% or below

 

WARNING: You must earn at least a “D” to pass ENGL 218.

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