1.

TITLE OF COURSE:

Technical Writing I

PREFIX/NUMBER:

ENG 131

CREDIT HOURS:

3

2.

PREREQUISITE:

A grade of "C" or better in ENG 090 or a score of 95 or above on the placement test

3.

TEXT:

Technical Writing: Process and Product, 5^th ed.  Gerson & Gerson.  Prentice Hall, 2004.

SUPPLIES:

• One 3.5" high density floppy diskette
• One 2-pocket folder (or other portfolio binder)

4.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course develops skills one can apply to a variety of technical documents. Students learn principles for organizing, writing, and revising clear, readable documents for industry, business, and government.

5.

COURSE GOAL:

To prepare students to be effective writers and communicators in their profession by increasing their ability to understand and analyze formats and methods typical of technical writing and by providing practice in producing documents of professional quality.

6.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the course, students will

(A)

Create a variety of technical documents—memorandums, letters, a resume, and brief technical reports—which express ideas clearly, correctly, and coherently.

(B)

Employ writing strategies such as description, definition, and instruction.

(C)

Evaluate the intended audience in technical writing situations.

(D)

Apply research techniques in technical writing situations.

(E)

Apply fundamental techniques of page layout to all documents.

(F)

Integrate visual aids into documents.

(G)

Edit documents for grammar, style, consistency, and presentation.

(H)

Produce collaborative documents.

(I)

Prepare and deliver a professional oral presentation.

7.

EVALUATION PROCEDURES:

Students will be evaluated on their ability to write clear, correct, and coherent technical documents. 

All writing assignments will be worth one letter grade. These grades will be averaged, and a final grade will be given according to the Raw Score Range.

Grading Scale
Raw Score Range

Letter Grade

90 to 100

A

80 to 89

B

70 to 79

C

60 to 69

D

0 to 59

F

Special Remarks:

a.

All assignments must be completed for the student to pass the course. To receive full credit, all work must be submitted on time. Late work will receive one grade cut for each day beyond the due date of the assignment and will not be accepted for a grade during final exam week.

b.

Attendance: College policy states that students may be dropped from enrollment when absent 20% of the scheduled class meetings. If enrolled from the beginning of the term, 9 hours will usually constitute 20% of a three-credit semester course which meets three hours per week. After missing the fourth instructional hour of a class, students may have points or a percentage deducted from their final grade for further absences. The specific number of points or percentage will be left to the instructor's discretion.

c.

Tardy Policy: Students are to be ready to begin classes at the scheduled start of the classes. It is considered unprofessional and disruptive behavior for students to arrive late and/or leave early. Three tardies or early exits may be counted as one absence.

d.

Missed Assignments: It is the student's responsibility, whether present or absent, to obtain all material presented and to complete all course assignments. 

e.

Students are expected and encouraged to spend two to three hours outside of class for every contact hour in class.

f.

Respect for others and for the teaching-learning situation is the key to successful interaction in the class. Therefore, instructors will manage the classroom environment to promote a positive learning experience for all students.

8.

COURSE OUTLINE

Tentative Schedule (Instructor may vary and/or supplement)

I.

Introduction: A Definition of Technical Writing

II.

Writing Clearly and Concisely

III.

Analyzing Your Audience

IV.

Business Communication

V.

Page Layout/Internet

VI.

Resumes

VII.

Using Visual Aids

VIII.

Writing Technical Reports

IX.

Oral Presentation/Writing Instructions

X.

Presenting Technical Information Orally

XI.

FINAL

9.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:

To be successful in this course, students are expected to participate in discussions, readings, in-class writing, and peer review activities. The instructor may assign point values to such activities.

10.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

The English Department supports and adheres to the following policy on academic integrity. Students should refer to their PCC Student Handbook for the complete policy statement.

"Pueblo Community College is committed to providing a superior educational experience for all students who attend the college. Academic integrity and honesty in all educational classrooms and programs are critical in providing this high level of education. . . . Academic Dishonesty is any form of cheating and plagiarism which results in students giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or receiving credit for work which is not their own. . . . Plagiarism is the deliberate adoption or reproduction of ideas or words or statements of another person as one's own without acknowledgement."

Penalties for violating the standards of academic integrity may include warning, probation, suspension, and/or failure of the course or assignment at the discretion of the instructor.  However, if a student submits as his or her own a paper that has been purchased, borrowed, or copied from the internet, a published work, or another person's work, the student will receive an F for the course.

11.

ADA NOTICE: