Writing in the professional domains, with an emphasis on research methods, clear and accurate presentation of ideas and data, and computer-mediated communication.
Athena Title
Technical Professional Comm
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught as writing intensive, which means
that the course will include substantial and ongoing writing
assignments that a) relate clearly to course learning; b) teach
the communication values of a discipline—for example, its
practices of argument, evidence, credibility, and format; and
c) prepare students for further writing in their academic work,
in graduate school, and in professional life. The written
assignments will result in a significant and diverse body of
written work (the equivalent of 6000 words or 25 pages) and the
instructor (and/or the teaching assistant assigned to the
course) will be closely involved in student writing, providing
opportunities for feedback and substantive revision.
Prerequisite
ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102M
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will practice, through a variety of written assignments that may take place both in and out of class, the elements of strategic or professional writing intended to impart technical or organizational information.
Students will learn to consider various audiences.
Students will practice presenting ideas and data clearly and accurately.
Students will become familiar with computer-mediated communication.
Topical Outline
The choice of topics will vary from instructor to instructor and semester to semester, ranging in emphasis from the purely technical world of manuals and documentation to purely organizational genres of technical communication.
Students should become familiar with identifying and practicing in their own written work the conventions for job search paperwork, internal memos, feasibility reports, procedural manuals, and executive summaries.
In all cases, however, the course will require students to write at least 6000 words over the course of the semester and to focus in a sustained and engaged manner upon writing as a process.
Institutional Competencies
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, or visual form.
