Course Syllabus

Fall 2024 | ENG-2135-VO02 - Technical Writing & Research

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Jennifer Alberico
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Cindy Swanson

General Education Requirements

CCV Writing and Research

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course examines the principles and methods of technical writing. Students explore a variety of methods and approaches for creating technical texts, including documents that demonstrate proficiency in the writing of reports, correspondence, manuals, proposals, articles, and specifications. Students must complete a final research paper achieving a grade of C- or better in order to pass this course. This course fulfills the research and writing intensive requirement. Prerequisite: English Composition.

Essential Objectives

1. Explore a broad range of texts and published articles from a variety of sources modeling technical writing through reading, writing, and critical discussion.
2. Generate, draft, and revise a variety of technical reports, proposals, graphic aids, manuals, and correspondence, including memos, emails, resumes, and manuals.
3. Critically examine, analyze, and evaluate underlying strategies related to technical writing and communication across different professions and applications, such as instruction and manual writing in manufacturing, or procedural documentation in nursing.
4. Develop strategies and implement skills for addressing the needs of both specific and multiple audiences across different technical rhetorical situations.
5. Apply the principles of technical writing to the student’s chosen field of study, including preparations for workplace interviews, presentations, and reports.
6. Incorporate layout integration and document design into technical documents, including page-design elements suitable for both electronic and print materials.
7. Work collaboratively to produce a group conceived, drafted, and edited technical document.
8. Evaluate completed documents in real-world settings and reflect on their practical application.
9. Demonstrate information literacy skills: distinguish between and utilize both primary and secondary sources; perform library and web-based literature searches; and evaluate data and resources for credibility, reliability, and validity.
10. Demonstrate the ability to apply either APA or MLA citation styles in academic writing by parenthetically citing sources in the text and correctly compiling them in the relevant end sources page.
11. Design, create, and revise a final technical document project, such as—but not limited to—a technical manual, report, or analysis that integrates five or more scholarly and professional sources, including primary and secondary evidence as needed, to address an academic research question or professional issue and demonstrate writing proficiency by achieving a grade of C- or better.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Allowed: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges technology, including generative AI, plays a supportive role in learning and feedback. During our class, we may use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in certain specific cases. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of these specific cases constitutes a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

Through reading, discussing, and creating technical artifacts, you will be exposed to a variety of formats and writing techniques, expanding and developing your skills.

Evaluation Criteria

Class Discussions: 30%

Discussion forums are a vital and required component of this course; this is the place where you learn and practice skills while building community with your classmates. It is expected that you engage with each week’s topics and skills-building activities as well as connect positively to your peers and me.Students who regularly participate in discussions perform better on the major weight-bearing assignments associated with that unit.

Each week, you will have a two-part assignment in the class discussion forum. You will be posting a reply as well as commenting on at least one of your peers' posts. There are no right and wronganswersin a class discussion - discussing information is how we learn. There are no stupid questions! The only dos and don'ts are the following:

DO

• Ask open-ended questions
• Stay curious
• Be respectful
• Back up your claims with sources

DON'T

• Make assumptions about people or ideas
• Generalize or use stereotyping language
• Use terms that could be offensive
• Cite social media or unsubstantiated sources

Learning Logs: 20%

Weekly Learning Logs are informal written essays (approx. 300 words) that account for class participation and attendance. They are graded based on engagement, relevance, and written expression. Learning logs will help you prepare essays and assignments throughout the course.

Reflection Essays & Surveys: 20%

Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your learning, your thought process, and your study habits. In addition to a mid-term reflection essay, you will be asked to take two brief surveys about your study habits and how they have evolved over the semester.

Class Projects: 30%

By Week 14, you will design, create, and revise a final technical document project, such as - but not limited to - a technical manual, report, or analysis that integrates five or more scholarly and professional sources, including primary and secondary evidence as needed, to address an academic research question or professional issue and demonstrate writing proficiency by achieving a grade of C- or better.

Academic Integrity

CCV has a commitment to honesty and excellence in academic work and expects the same from all students. Academic dishonesty, or cheating, can occur whenever you present -as your work- something that you did not do. You can also be guilty of cheating if you help someone else cheat. Being unaware of what constitutes academic dishonesty (such as knowing what plagiarism is) does not absolve a student of the responsibility to be honest in his/her academic work. Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and may lead to dismissal from the College.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Missing & Late Work Policy

• The hope is that there are no late assignments, but we all know life happens. Late assignments can be submitted up to one week past the deadline. Please contact me prior to submitting late work so we can work out a plan, if appropriate.
• Late work is not accepted in the discussion forum. Interacting with classmates is an essential part of online discussions and cannot be made up after the fact. Posting after the week is over is like coming to class aftern everyone has gone home.
• Extensions will be granted only in extenuating circumstances. If a lengthy medical problem or other emergent personal issue will result in missing weekly discussions and/or assignments, please contact me as soon as possible.
• Students who know that they will not have course access for any given week should make arrangements with me to make a plan to make up the work.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity