English

314 - XW

Technical Communication
Instructor: Lynn McCool Office: Ross 449
Day/Time: Asynchronous Office hours: Virtual M-F 9a-2p;
Ross hours M, W 12:30-2:30 pm
Location: Ross Hall 449 Email: [email protected]

Overview
During this semester, you will work individually and FAQs
with your classmates to address and solve several How should I contact my instructor?
communication problems typically encountered by The best way is by email. I will try to respond
within 24 hours of receiving email, but it
professionals. By the end of the term, you should have may take 48 hours. To meet with me in
developed the communication skills to excel at person, come to my office hours or set up an
creating and delivering successful documents in your appointment.
chosen field, in part by analyzing your reader’s What should I do if I can’t access this
existing knowledge base, resulting needs, and his or course?
Contact ISU IT department
her attitudes and values as they reside in the existing .https://www.it.iastate.edu/
communication context.
What is my course grade so far?
Grades are entered on the course website.
Learning Objectives You can monitor your progress at any time
Through readings, class discussions, and assignments, by signing in to your account and looking at
you will learn to: the grade book.

• Apply rhetorical principles to technical Will spelling and grammar affect my

grade? Yes, they can. Spelling and
communication. punctuation can have a big impact in the
• Implement principles of effective document design workplace; your errors are “noise” that can
interfere with successful communication.
and the display of quantitative data.
Can I take the final exam early? No. By the
• Understand the influences of organizational ISU Registrar's policy, you must attend your
settings in the composition of technical and final at the time scheduled by the
university. No finals are given early to
professional documents. accommodate early travel (see the third
• Understand the conventions of your discipline and bullet point here:
http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/students/
be aware of the variety of conventions across exams).
disciplines.
Where can I get help for my projects? You
• Participate in the collaborative planning and can meet with me during office hours or an
executing of a project. appointment time, but there are additional
options. The Writing and Media Center
• Understand how ethical issues influence research (http://www.dso.iastate.edu/wmc) offers
and application in your discipline. one-on-one assistance for written, oral,
visual and electronic communication
Texts and Materials projects.

You are required to have a copy of the required course

materials: (1) Leo Finkestein, Jr.’s Pocket Book of
Technical Writing for Engineers and Scientists and (2) a
Connect code for the McGraw-Hill online materials for
English 314 (ISBN 9781259717314).

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 1

Professionalism Performance Evaluation
Respect for others. In agreement with ISU's policies The following is a grade breakdown of the work you will
on student conduct, you are to carry yourself with complete this semester:
respect for others and in ways conducive to
maintaining a positive learning environment. In this Pretest
course, you will restrict your oral commentary to
class-specific activities and discussion, will refrain
+5%
from profane or offensive outbursts or from 50 points extra credit possible; multiple-choice exam
disruptions, and will not engage in behavior that is
demeaning, threatening or harmful to either yourself
1 Memo Analysis
or class members. For further details, see ISU's 10%
policies: http://policy.iastate.edu/policy/SDR#a4 Analyzes technical descriptions (individual)
Collaborate with team members. Be respectful of 2 Problem Statement 5%
others’ time. Work hard to understand other people’s
schedules and communicate appropriately with each Synthesizes research that establishes the problem the
other. technical description will help to solve (individual)

Participate. Participation means being present 3 Topic Proposal (and revision)

mentally as well as bodily; it means among other 15%
things: (1) thoughtfully contributing to any online
Proposes the topic for the technical description
discussions or other work; (2) preparing for
teamwork, having your materials with you when you (individual)
meet as a team & for team discussions; (3) carefully
completing any in-course assignments or discussions.
4 Paper-Airplane Instructions
Simple, cursory discussion posts are not enough. 10%
Provides technical instructions (collaborative)
Send complete email messages. Provide a subject
line, a statement of the email’s purpose, a specific 5 Feasibility Report on Instructions
request, your name, and any other content your
audience (including me) needs. 10%
Tests another group’s instructions (collaborative)
Follow directions. Directions are there for a reason,
whether they are in-class directives, instructions for 6 Technical Description (and revision)
submitting work, or genre conventions. Ignoring
directions, even small ones, can signal you don’t take 20%
your work seriously. Constitutes the major project for the course
(collaborative)
Proofread. Proofread everything, including emails.
Word-processing programs have built-in spell- and 7 Presentation of Technical Description
grammar-check functions. Use them. Then check your
work for mistakes the software program didn’t catch. 10%
Presents the group’s process of creating the technical
If you miss a team meeting, find out what you description and its recommendations (collaborative)
missed. When you must miss a team meeting, actively
seek out what you’ve missed. Ask your team members Final Exam (Posttest)
or send them an email and ask, “What can I do to catch
up?” or something similar. This question shows 5%
awareness of the time the team members spend Multiple-choice exam
contributing to assignments. Don’t be a slacker.
Professionalism, In-Class Work, Etc.
Arriving Late/Distractions. Although at times (not
frequently) unavoidable, coming into a team meeting 5%
late or leaving early is not only distracting but also See box at the left.
shows disrespect for others' involvement in the
course. Get here on time, stay for the entire meeting, LearnSmart Online Homework
or do not remain in the course. If you must leave early 10%
from a specific team meeting, make arrangements
ahead of time with other team members.
It is your responsibility to complete these assignments
on time.
Team work/Collaboration. Members of work groups
should be prepared, reliable, enthusiastic, helpful, Grading and Evaluation
open-minded, and supportive. You should resolve
conflicts with tact. Every group member should Your assignments will be assessed in five major
participate and complete peer evaluations honestly. categories: context, substance, organization, style, and

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 2
delivery. These categories are further delineated into specific expectations. To earn an A in this course, you must
demonstrate exemplary accomplishment of all assigned tasks. To earn a B, your work must be mature.

Major assignments will be penalized one letter grade for each day they are late (including weekend days) and will
not be accepted if they are more than four days late. You must successfully complete all major assignments to
receive a passing grade at the end of the semester.

Letter Grades and Corresponding

Percentages A 93 – 100 B- 80 – 82 D+ 67 – 69
The scale to the right will be used when A- 90 – 92 C+ 77 – 79 D 63 – 66
assigning grades. B+ 87 – 89 C 73 – 76 D- 60 – 62
Grading Criteria B 83 – 86 C- 70 – 72 F 00 – 59
All major projects will be assigned letter
grades according to the following criteria:

Exemplary Accomplishment. Shows excellent analysis of the assignment and provides an imaginative and original
A response. Successfully adapts to the audience, context, and purpose of the assignment. Contains very few
mechanical errors and requires little or no revision. The piece is ready to be presented to the intended audience.

Mature Work. Shows judgment and tact in the presentation of material and responds appropriately to the
B requirements of the assignment. Has an interesting, precise, and clear style. Contains minor mechanical errors and
requires revision before the assignment could be sent to the intended audience.

Competent. Meets all the basic criteria of the assignment and provides a satisfactory response to the rhetorical
C situation. There is nothing remarkably good or bad about the work, and equivalent work could be sent out in the
professional world following revisions to the organization, style, or delivery of the assignment.

Developing. Responds to the assignment but contains significant defects in one of the major areas (context,
D substance, organization, style, or delivery). The assignment could not be presented to the intended audience
without significant revision.

Formative. Provides an inadequate response to the assignment and/or shows a misunderstanding of the rhetorical
situation. Contains glaring defects in one or more of the major areas (context, substance, organization, style, or
F
delivery). The project could not be presented to the intended audience without intensive revision or completely
starting over.
Percentages are not rounded: You will have ample opportunities to bolster your grade through homework and
professionalism. Therefore, when you have earned 89.75 percent of the points possible, your course grade will be
a B+, not an A-.

Attendance and Grades

The attendance policy for the ISUComm Advanced Communication program is consistent across courses and
sections. However, attendance for an online course works a little differently than with a face-to-face course.
Attendance in an Advanced Communications online course is determined solely on three things:
1. Your consistent and engaged participation in discussion boards, team projects, and course activities
2. Your timely response to any correspondence/communication that your instructor sends you.
3. Your timely response to any correspondence/communication from your team members.
o If you’re unable to keep up with course work and communication with instructor and team
members, the instructor will advise you to drop the class and enroll in it during a semester when
you can “attend” regularly.
o Failure to communicate during and for group projects or failure to contribute to the oral
presentation of your final project means taking an F for that activity.
o During scheduled individual and group conferences, missing a scheduled individual or group
conference counts as an absence.

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 3

Effective Team/Group Collaboration
Employers increasingly tell faculty and administrators here at ISU that students should improve their teamwork
and collaboration skills. Employers value collaboration because it creates more effective problem solving,
generates more innovations, and results in fewer overall errors.
Whenever people work in groups, conflict is inevitable and, to some extent, conflict can be useful. Collaboration
is effective because diverse personalities and perspectives come together, but if team members don't share their
different perspectives and discuss how and why those different perspectives came to be, their collaborations won't
be as rich as they could be. Just playing along with others’ opinions to be nice or reduce conflict can actually
prevent a team from creating an effective product.
Although teams should encourage productive conflict, they should avoid non-constructive conflict by creating a
positive atmosphere. Team members need to be able to share their ideas and opinions in a safe environment as
much as they need to be able to provide critical feedback in a respectful manner.

Developing Effective Teamwork and Collaboration Skills

To help you develop your teamwork and collaborative skills, the second half of the semester will require extensive
teamwork. As part of the collaborative work, your instructor may require that you and your group follow some
ground rules for collaboration. Your instructor may do the following:
1. Require your group draft documents in an online collaborative program such as Google Docs. Your
instructor may ask that you invite him or her to edit or view the document.
2. Periodically review your team’s documents. Your instructor may also review your documents’ revision
histories to see how the drafting, cutting, pasting, rewriting, and editing process is going.
3. Require that your team notify him or her early if your team requires mediation. Your instructor will ask
that you don’t wait to notify him or her until the time you turn in your peer evaluation.
4. Require that your team communicate using official Iowa State channels such as Iowa State email, and
require that your team cc him or her on your communications.
5. Require that your team create a team action plan or establish ground rules, and require that your team
share the plan or rules with him or her.
Your instructor may provide supplementary materials about effective teamwork, but here are some additional
sources for you to use as you start your group collaborations:
• A series of TedTalks addresses effective collaboration and teamwork; pay particular attention to videos 1,
6, 7, and 8 listed on this webpage: http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/10-ted-talks-every-team-should-
watch
• Conflict is a part of effective collaboration, but the trick is how to get conflicts working productively for
your team to create a better result. The following video addresses how to do exactly that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHJ8eybXJdw
• Productive conflict is good, but it can easily become destructive. The following website contains some
specific, practical methods of staying on a productive track: http://www.dummies.com/how-
to/content/resolving-conflicts-on-the-team.html

Validating Enrollment
To validate your enrollment in each course at the beginning of the semester, you must reply to the first email your
instructor sends out to you as an initial course contact. As the instructor, I have the option to offer a place in the
course to another student if a registered student fails to respond to the initial email. If you do not validate your
enrollment, you must drop the course, or you will receive an F grade. (See the bottom of this webpage:
http://catalog.iastate.edu/registration/.)

Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is a serious legal and ethical breach, and it is treated as such by the university. I will not tolerate
plagiarism in any form. If you are caught plagiarizing, you will receive an automatic 0 on the assignment.
Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, you may also fail the entire course. In addition, I will report the
incident to ISU’s Office of Student Conduct.
Plagiarism occurs when a writer, speaker, or designer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, images, or
other material without fully acknowledging its source by quotation marks, in footnotes or endnotes, or in lists of

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 4

works cited. All work you submit in this class is to be 100% your own work (in collaborative contexts, generated
100% by you and your teammates). As is true of all work done at the university, any secondary sources (articles,
images, music, interviews, websites, or other electronic media) used in this class must be properly cited.

Disability Accommodation
Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon
as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student
Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources office, located in the Student
Services Building, Room 1076. Phone (515) 294-7220 to set an appointment.

Diversity Affirmation
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin,
pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S.
veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity, 3350 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Reporting Grievances
If you become concerned about my class management, please communicate your concerns with me. Concerns
sometimes relate to grading methods, paper turnaround time, and course policies, as examples. If you feel
uncomfortable speaking with me, contact the Co-Directors of Advanced Communication, Jenny Aune
([email protected]) or Jo Mackiewicz ([email protected]).

Grade Appeal
If you feel that your final grade does not reflect the quality of the work you produced this past semester, please
discuss the disconnect with me. If, after talking with me, you still feel that your final grade does not reflect the
quality of your work, you can file a grade appeal with Deanna Stumbo (229 Ross Hall). For a grade appeal, you will
need to submit the following materials:
• A memo explaining why your final grade does not reflect the quality of work you produced
• All the work you complete during the semester
• The course policies with grade breakdown
• The assignment sheets
A panel of instructors will review your materials blindly and assign a grade based on the quality of the work. If the
grade the panel assigns is higher than the grade you received, your grade will be change accordingly. If, however,
the grade the panel assigns is lower than the grade you received, your grade will remain the same.

Week-by-Week Schedule of Readings and Assignments

Week Topic Deliverable(s) Due
Concepts: #1 Memo Analysis assigned
Review the course syllabus (objectives and schedule.
Benefits of good communication skills; costs of ineffective LearnSmart homework:
communication; identifying and analyzing levels of audience; • Evaluating Truth and
overview of technical definitions and descriptions Accuracy in a Text
Readings: • Integrating Source Material
• Chapter 1: Introduction: What is Technical Writing? Into a Text
• Chapter 18: Business Communication
1
Screencasts/Videos: Pretest (Available for one day only—
11–15 Jan • Directions for Connecting to McGraw Hill LearnSmart Fri. 15 January Find a quiet space with
• The Importance of Communication (Professional reliable internet to take the pretest. You
Connections) do not need to go to the testing center.)
• Business Communication Genres (This is a closed book, no notes test.
• Writing to an Audience (Professional Connections) You may not stop/start the test. You
Discussion Board: Course Introductions must complete the test in one sitting.
You have two hours to complete the
test.)

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 5

Concepts: #2 Problem Statement for the
Analyzing data and information; choosing effective Technical Description assigned
information; organizing information; introduction to problem
statements, technical definitions LearnSmart homework:
• Evaluating Information and
Readings: Sources
• Chapter 6: Problem Statements pp. 81-82 • Using Information Ethically
• Chapter 3: Technical Definition, pp. 25–27 and Legally
• Chapter 4: Description of a Mechanism, pp. 37–40
2 • Chapter 5: Description of a Process, pp. 61-64 #1 Memo Analysis due Fri. 1/22 @ 6
• English 314 Library Research Guide (found in left p.m.
18–22 Jan
navigation bar of Bb course page)
Screencasts/Videos:
• Ethical Communication PPT
• Communication Models for TechComm
• Professional Genres (Professional Connections)
• The Genre of Email (Professional Connections)
Discussion Board: “How to Recognize Plagiarism” tutorial and
certificate (part of professionalism grade)

Concepts: #3 Topic Proposal for the Technical
Anticipative audience needs; open-ended problems; purpose Description assigned
and elements of proposals
Readings due first class day: LearnSmart homework:
• Chapter 6: Proposals • Apostrophes
• OWL@Purdue PPT on Writing Problem Statements • Sentence Types
• OWL@Purdue Research & Citation Links
3 #2 Problem Statement due Fri. 1/29 @
• APA Sample Annotated Bibliography
25–29 Jan • MLA Sample Annotated Bibliography 6 p.m.
ScreenCasts/Videos:
• Concepts of Audience Analysis
• Writing Problem Statements
• Create a Basic Gantt Chart
• Proposals: Creating a Project Plan
Discussion Board: Analyzing a Proposal
Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Team interactions; effective meetings and use of technology; • Semicolons
writing collaboratively; conflict resolution; working on diverse • Fused (Run-On) Sentences
teams; and Comma Splices
Readings due first class day:
• Chapter 20: Team Writing
4 • Free Gantt Chart—Google Apps
Screencasts/Videos:
1–5 Feb
• Team Communication
• Teamwork & Collaboration (Professional
Connections)
• International Communication
• The Writing Process
Discussion Board: Team Forming Activities

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 6

Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
When to use visuals and data displays; guidelines for effective • Phrases, Clauses, and
visuals and data displays; integrating visuals and data Fragments
displays; conventions; document design • Revising
5 Readings
Chapter 15: Visuals #3 Topic Proposal for the Technical
8–12 Feb
Screencasts/Videos: Description due Fri. 2/12 @ 6 p.m.
• Principles of Document Design
• The Beauty of Data Visualization –David McCandless
Discussion Board: Visual Design Analysis & Ethical Considerations
LearnSmart homework:
INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES: Sign up to meet with the • Commas
instructor in her office or virtually via Google Hangouts. See Bb
6
for link. Teams collaborate to finish A4- Paper
15–19 Feb Airplane instructions
Individuals work on topic proposal
revisions
Concepts: #4 Paper-Airplane Instructions
Anticipative audience needs; open-ended problems; purpose assigned
and elements of instructions LearnSmart homework:
• Verbs and Verbals
7
Readings: • Parallelism
22–26 Feb Chapter 10: Instructions and Manuals
Screencasts/Videos: #3 Revision of the Topic Proposal for
• Instructions & Documentation the Technical Description due Fri. 2/26
Discussion Board: Revising Klondike Instructions @ 6 p.m.
Concepts: Use of style in technical writing #5 Feasibility Report for the Paper-
Airplane Instructions assigned
8 Screencasts/Videos: LearnSmart homework:
29 Feb– • Plain vs. Persuasive Style Pt. 1 • Pronoun Reference
• Using Style in Technical writing Pt. 2
4 Mar Discussion Board: Ranking of Topic Proposals & teams request
favorite proposal
Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Purpose and elements of usability testing & feasibility reports • Pronoun–Antecedent
Agreement
Readings:
Chapter 8: Feasibility and Recommendation Reports #4 Paper-Airplane Instructions due Fri.
9 Screencasts/Videos: 3/11 @ 6 p.m. Uploaded to Bb AND
• Analytical & Feasibility Reports CyBox
7–11 Mar
• Document Cycling & Usability Testing
• The Life of a Document
Discussion Board: Feasibility reports analysis

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 7

Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Technical definitions, Life cycle of a document, using • Subject–Verb Agreement
collaborative software
**Note: Friday, 25 March is the last
Readings: day to drop.
10
Chapter 3: Technical Definition
21–25 Mar Screencasts/Videos: #5 Feasibility Report for the Paper-
• Technical definitions Airplane Instructions due Fri. 3/25 @ 6
Discussion Board: Writing a technical definition p.m. Uploaded to Bb AND CyBox

#6 Technical Description assigned
Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Purpose and elements of technical descriptions of mechanisms • Adjectives and Adverbs
and processes
GROUP CONFERENCES: Friday in
11 Readings: class, give a team status update on
28 Mar– Chapter 4: Description of a Mechanism your A6 project.
Chapter 5: Description of a Process
1 Apr Screencasts/Videos:
• Details and Examples of Technical Descriptions
Discussion Board: Technical description analyses

Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Analysis of technical description examples; review of effective • Wordiness
visuals • Eliminative Redundancies
12 and Recognizing Sentence
Screencasts/Videos: Variety
4–8 Apr • Conducting Effective Peer Review in CyBox Upload A6 Draft to CyBox for Peer
• How to Upload to CyBox Review before class on Friday.
Discussion Board: Peer review of Technical Description drafts; Peer Review of A6 drafts
Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Effective oral presentations • Parentheses
Readings: • Dashes
Chapter 17: Presentations and Briefings
13 Screencasts/Videos: #6 Technical Description due Fri.4/15
11–15 Apr • Creating Good PowerPoint Presentations @ 6 p.m. uploaded to Bb
• Using Vocalics for Screencasts
• Screencast-O-Matic Tutorial
Discussion Board: Social media posting
Concepts: LearnSmart homework:
Oral presentations; review concepts as needed to prepare for • Hyphens
the final exam • Coordination and
14 Subordination

18–22 Apr #7 Screencast Presentation of the
Technical Description due Fri. 22 April
@ 6 p.m. Upload MP4 of presentation.

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 8

Review concepts as needed to prepare for final exam; review LearnSmart homework:
concepts as needed to revise the technical description • Colons
• Proofreading

Posttest/Final Exam (Available for one
week only— Mon. 25- Fri. 29 Apr
15 Find a quiet space with reliable internet
25–29 Apr to take the pretest. You do not need to
go to the testing center. Choose a time
and place within the timeframe to take
the test. Once you begin the test you
must complete it.)

FINALS FINALS

Finals week
#6 Revision of the Technical
2–6 May
Description due Mon. May 2 on or
before 6 p.m.
Due dates & deadlines
1. Major Writing Assignments are due Fridays at 6 p.m. This ensures that your instructor is available
prior to the time of submission. She cannot guarantee availability during non-business (6p-8a) and
weekend hours.
2. All LearnSmart assignments are due Fridays at 6 p.m. Late LearnSmart assignments are assessed an
automatic penalty via Blackboard. If an assignment is more than 24 hours late, Bb will record it as
zero even though LearnSmart will continue to reflect the points earned.
3. Discussion board posts are due by Wed. at 6 p.m.
4. Watching course content via video or screencast and completing the required reading for the week
should be done prior to completing major writing assignments.
5. Other assignments such as the conferences, oral presentations, the pre/post/final exams are due at the
stated time.

English 314: Technical Communication – Course Policies 9