ENGL 230 Technical Writing

This intensive writing course provides an introduction to technical and professional communication. In an interactive workshop format, students learn to think critically about the informative, persuasive, and ethical dimensions of their writing. Students study rhetorical principles and apply them to an array of assignments, from brief memos to formal proposals. In addition, students learn how to adapt their writing process to rapidly-changing communication technologies, how to effectively write in a collaborative setting, and how to connect with a specific audience. (While this course is appropriate for all students, it is especially helpful for those students enrolled in the Computer Science/Information Technology programs.)

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ENGL 121

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

1. 1. Identify, analyze, and address audience and purpose in various forms of written communication and in one's own writing.
   
2. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of various writing invention strategies for generating ideas and gathering information for inquiry and research.
   
3. 3. Plan, edit, revise, proofread, and work with feedback to achieve more effective communication of ideas.
   
4. 4. Formulate a clear statement of thesis or main idea in various forms of written communication.
   
5. 5. Employ appropriate analysis, argument, summary, reflection, or description that includes relevant evidence, data, and examples to support well-defined claims as appropriate for the style of writing.
6. 6. Locate, evaluate, and use appropriate sources of information ethically and effectively.
7. 7. Organize ideas logically and appropriately to support the main idea in informative and persuasive professional communications.
8. 8. Analyze stylistic options, the choices among them, and the reason for using each in the most common work-related writing formats.
9. 9. Identify, describe, and analyze various social and cultural issues in professional writing.
10. 10. Edit, revise and proofread to achieve more effective communication of information;
11. 11. Work collaboratively and cooperatively in peer response writing workshops;
12. 12. Locate and evaluate information using hardcopy, online, and internet sources;
13. 13. Demonstrate the ability to use appropriate software programs as tools for writing.
    

Course Objectives

1. 1. Identify, analyze, and address audience and purpose in various forms of written communication and in one's own writing.
   

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Rubric for Writing Assignments

   Written Communication

   • WC1
2. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of various writing invention strategies for generating ideas and gathering information for inquiry and research.
   

   This objective is a course Goal Only

3. 3. Plan, edit, revise, proofread, and work with feedback to achieve more effective communication of ideas.
   

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Rubric for Writing Assignments

   Written Communication

   • WC2
4. 4. Formulate a clear statement of thesis or main idea in various forms of written communication.
   

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Rubric for Writing Assignments

   Written Communication

   • WC3
5. 5. Employ appropriate analysis, argument, summary, reflection, or description that includes relevant evidence, data, and examples to support well-defined claims as appropriate for the style of writing.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Rubric for Writing Assignments

   Written Communication

   • WC4
6. 6. Locate, evaluate, and use appropriate sources of information ethically and effectively.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

7. 7. Organize ideas logically and appropriately to support the main idea in informative and persuasive professional communications.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

8. 8. Analyze stylistic options, the choices among them, and the reason for using each in the most common work-related writing formats.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

9. 9. Identify, describe, and analyze various social and cultural issues in professional writing.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

10. 10. Edit, revise and proofread to achieve more effective communication of information;
11. 11. Work collaboratively and cooperatively in peer response writing workshops;
12. 12. Locate and evaluate information using hardcopy, online, and internet sources;
13. 13. Demonstrate the ability to use appropriate software programs as tools for writing.