Technical Communication SyllabuS and Schedule

11 July, 2012 11:30 AM by Dr. Susan Codone

Technical Communication Online Summer 2012

Synchronous Discussion on Mondays, 8:00-9:30 PM, Eastern Time, Webex

Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to do the following:

1. Analyze audience and purpose for a document and design an appropriate document to achieve the communication goals.

2. Identify the types and purposes of documents used in a professional context.

3. Prepare an effective resume of your skills and experience.

4. Write informal reports concerning the feasibility of a decision.

5. Generate a clear and concise set of assembly instructions.

6. Prepare and deliver an effective oral presentation.

7. Conduct peer reviews.

8. Participate in team writing activities.

9. Use effective proposal writing techniques to develop a brief proposal.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of Engineering 107/108 or FYS 101/102 or equivalents.

In addition, as a student of an online class, you should do the following:

1. Acquire course materials by visiting the syllabus and Blackboard for all course information.

2. Check the class syllabus and the weekly pages frequently for assignments other course documents.

3. Do all required work each week as assigned and post assignments to the instructor via email.

Course Instructor

My name is Susan Codone, and I'm your instructor for this course! I am an Associate Professor of Technical Communication in the TCO department. I have taught at Mercer for 10 years. If you'd like more information about me, you can visit my faculty website.


Tools We Will Use
Everyone enrolled in TCO 341 is expected to have regular access to MS Word and PowerPoint to create and view word processing and presentation files.

We will use the Webex conferencing tool for all of our chats. With Webex, you login on your computer, and you will be able to see the content displayed on my computer, or on yours. Visit this page for login information. 

The following book will be used:
Technical Communication, Mike Markel, 9th edition.  ISBN-13: 978-0-312-55532-0
The textbook can be purchased from almost any online book retailer.

Sessions

Topics

Reading/Homework in Weekly Materials

Assignments

Session 1
Monday
May 21

Introduction to TCO 341 Summer 2012

Introduction to audience & purpose & communication purpose statements

Introduction of memo format
  1. Syllabus, Schedule
  2. Chapters 1, 5, & 14 of Markel
  3. Communication spectrum
  4. Fact A/B guidesheet
  5. Communication Purpose statement homework scenarios
  6. Annotated Memo guidesheet
  7. Memo assignment -Carlyle Windsor case study

Listen to the Week 1 podcast for more information

  • Send a one-paragraph bio and a picture to Dr. Codone by Sunday May 27.
  • Send me your Fact A/B statements, communication purpose statements, and your Carlyle Windsor memo by Sunday June 3.

 

MAY 28

 

  

 

Watch recorded class session for May 28

 

Due June 3:

1. Communication Purpose Statements

2. Carlyle Windsor memo

Session 2
June 4

 

Introduction to Proposals & RFPs

Resumes & Cover Letters

Bidder’s Conference with Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC)

  1. Markel Chapter 16
  2. RFP on website (TBD)
  3. Markel Chapter 15

 
  • Communicate with your assigned proposal group
  • Find a job ad at Monster, CareerTrak, or another online site that you think would interest you and is in your field.
  • Use the ad to both tailor your resume to it and write a cover letter for it.
  • Submit the cover letter, resume, and job ad (you can send a link) by Sunday, June 10.
  • Turn in Proposal Letter of Intent June 10.

Session 3
June 11

 

Proposal Introductions

Introduction to the Feasibility Report

Introduction to Research Methods

Markel Chapter 17, 19

  • Feasibility Report Assignment
  • Feasibility Report Grading Rubric

During this week, write and submit your feasibility report proposal memo to me by Thursday, June 14
 

 
  • Feasibility Report Proposal Memo
    due by Thursday June 14

Session 4 June 18
Feasibility Reports

 

Feasibility Report & Research

Peer Review Partners

Introduction to Oral Presentations

Intro to the Proposal Technical Approach

Markel Chapter 18

  • Feasibility Report Peer Review
  • Feasibility Report Draft

During this week, finish your feasibility report. It should be 3-5 pages single-spaced. Finish the report early enough in the week to allow your peer review partner to review it and give you feedback. You should have time to perform a peer review of your partner's paper. Use the peer review form provided in the weekly materials. Prepare to turn in a fully reviewed and polished final paper on June 28 and be ready to give your oral briefings starting on June 21.


Prepare a short PowerPoint -- no more than five slides -- to support your briefing. In 3-5 minutes, explain your report topic, your options, and your recommended solution. Cover each section of your report. In Webex, you can show us your PowerPoint as you speak.

  • Feasibility Report draft due for peer review by Thursday June 21

  • Final feasibility report due Sunday June 24

  • Oral briefings via WebEx beginning Monday June 25

June 25
Session 5

 

Feasibility Reports Oral Briefings

Oral Briefings – Feasibility Report PowerPoint presentations

Feasibility Report due

Oral Briefings due

Include peer-reviewed report in submission (turn both the reviewed draft and the final paper in)

July 2
Session 6

 

Introduction to Proposal Operations Plan

Introduction to Red Team Reviews

Markel chapters 16 & 21

Draft Introduction due Sunday, July 8

July 9
Session 7

 

Document Coherency & Document Design

 

Draft Technical Approach & Operations Plan due Sunday, July 15

July 16
Session 8

 

Introduction to Team Presentations

Letter of Transmittal

Executive Summaries

Proposal Red Teams -- switch proposal documents to complete red team reviews

Draft Executive Summary due Sunday July 24

Completed peer review draft due back to team Friday, June 20

July 23
Session 9

PowerPoint presentations

Proposal PowerPoint presentations

Proposal due final by Friday, July 27

Assignments & Point Values

Purpose Statements -- 25
Carlyle Windsor memo -- 25
Resume -- 50
Cover Letter -- 50
Feasibility Report -- 100
Feasibility Report Proposal Memo -- 25
Feasibility Report Oral Presentation -- 100
Proposal -- 200
Proposal Peer Review -- 100
Proposal Oral Team Presentation -- 100

Total Points: 775

 

 

 

 
Course content copyright 2012 Susan Codone -- Mercer University School of Engineering -- Department of Technical Communication