Syllabus for ENGLISH 232.H52 - Technical & Business Writing
Syllabus for ENGLISH 232.H52 - Technical & Business Writing
Instructor: Nancy Levant
Instructor Email:
Office Hours: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. before classes, Rm. 201, or by Skype appointment
Class Time: Saturday 6:00 p.m. to 8:54 p.m., North Campus, Room 201
JC Website: www.jccmi.edu
Atkinson Library Website:
Required textbook: Technical Communications: A Practical Approach, 8th Edition, by William Sanborn Pfeiffer (ISBN: 13-978-0-13-278578-5)
Materials Needed for Course: two flash drives, multiple pocket folders, butterfly clips, plastic sleeves and one ring binder for portfolio, pens, pencils and highlighters, notebooks, and reliable computers and printers (broken computers do not excuse non-attendance or late assignments).
How to Login to JC Accounts: first seven letters of last name, first seven letters of first name, middle initial. Use no spaces, for example Jennifer Ann Smith would login as: smithjennifea
Password for JC Accounts: Your password is your first and last name initials, the two digit day of your birth, the last two digits of your birth year, and the last four digits of your student ID.
ENGLISH 232 Description: ENG 232 is a 3-credit technical and business writing and communications course where letters, resumes, cover letters, memos, proposals, formal reports, and executive summaries will be practiced and produced for grading. The course provides this variety of written and oral communication projects to meet the requirements of today’s workplace and includes both descriptive and instructional communications. Course projects are performed both in and out of class and are group-centered projects. ENG 131 is the prerequisite course for ENG 232.
Course Goals:
Students who complete English 232 should be able to do all of the following:
• Write and produce a variety of technical writing documents
• Become aware that writing is an activity important to the organization/work world
• Demonstrate effective use of the writing process
• Learn to recognize various document formats, appropriate to audience and purpose• Participate in responding to and evaluating writing produce by themselves and others• Produce a technical writing document using research methodology
• Produce documents using computing technology
• Demonstrate understanding of the role of diverse audiences and document design in a multicultural organization
Performance Objectives:
To complete the course successfully, students will perform all of the following:
• Complete all required readings
• Create a body of work demonstrating a variety of written documents, appropriate to audience and purpose•
• Submit finished documents and papers
• Complete all writing assignments in appropriate formats, using computing technology
• • Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to produce memos, reports, proposals, letters, emails, instructions, and resumes
Course Objectives and Associate Degree Outcomes (ADO):
ENG 232 course goals and objectives incorporate specific Associate Degree Outcomes (ADOs) established by the JC Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. These goals are in concert with four-year colleges and universities and reflect input from the professional communities we serve. ADOs guarantee students achieve goals necessary for graduation credit, transferability, and professional skills needed in many certification programs. The ADOs addressed in this course include the following:
Writing clearly, concisely, and intelligibly -- ADO #1 (proficient level)
Class discussions, activities and practice will focus on:
• Refining the writing and peer responding processes
• Writing with attention to purpose and audience
• Composing meaningful documents
• Organizing, developing, and supporting ideas
• Connecting prior knowledge and prior information
• Integrating sources with proper documentation
• Employing proper grammar, mechanics and format, with attention to word choice, tone and style
Thinking critically -- ADO #7 (proficient level)
Class discussions, activities and practice will focus on:
• Proposing creative topics and posing challenging questions for writing
• Employing tactful and diplomatic language
• Choosing appropriate visual images and graphics
• Evaluating evidence and assumptions
• Understanding conclusions, implications and consequences
• Solving problems
ADO 1 Rubric
- Process: Demonstrates writing as a recursive process including pre-writing, drafting, and revising, editing, and evaluating sources when used.
- Purpose & Audience: Addresses purpose effectively, engages audience, establishes credibility.
- Organization & Development: Shows control of organization; develops and supports a central idea using abundant examples, comparisons and facts.
- Meaning/Understanding: Demonstrates in writing a relationship between prior knowledge and new information.
- Use of Sources & Documentation: Integrates sources fluently and shows command of documentation conventions.
- Language: Employs correct grammar and mechanics with attention to word choice; sentences show variety and complexity.
ADO 7 Rubric
- Curiosity: Writes about and investigates various interests; proposes creative topics for writing assignments; poses challenging questions
- Understanding & Using Emotion: Understands and appreciates impact of emotion in tone of documents; employs bridges in letters; chooses tactful and diplomatic language; gives attention to word choice; chooses appropriate visual images and graphics
- Evaluating Evidence & Assumptions: Distinguishes between appropriate and inappropriate evidence and evaluates evidence; seeks to minimize bias; differentiates between correlation and cause
- Understands Conclusions, Implications & Consequences: Understands multiple factors affecting assumptions and conclusions; demonstrates ability to convey meaning to multiple audiences
- Problem Solving: Articulates and defends conclusions; uses expanded vocabulary; recognizes and explains multiple perspectives; demonstrates creativity; proposes new concepts
Hybrid Course Instructional Method: Physical classroom sessions will define reading and writing assignments, consist of interactive discussions of learned information utilizing question/answer interaction, and will be structured in peer partnerships that mimic today’s multicultural employee group project formats. Group partners will ensure the success of each individual in the group and act as accountability partners to all peers in order that effective methods for writing and oral communications are practiced and achieved in all stages of the group project and communication process.
The online/hybrid course sessions will consist of assigned discussions and projects including peer editing and assistance, the posting of questions and answers, group and individual writing, commentary and study groups on reading assignments, and quizzes. JetNet, You Tube, and Skype will be utilized for the online portions of ENG 232.
The final in-class project will require each group to reach consensus on a career-related topic and to provide a descriptive and instructional PowerPoint presentation on the selected topic. The presentation will include a brief history of the career topic, pros and cons, the multicultural opportunities and aspects, the current pay scales, educational requirements, possible career paths, and a question/answer session with the audience. Students will be expected to dress professionally for the presentation and to act as business professionals providing a seminar-style presentation to an audience of potential new hires.
Student Responsibilities: To achieve A or B grades in this class, attendance is mandatory, the completion of every assignment including reading assignments, verbal and group participation, the completion of all quizzes, and meeting all deadlines both in class and online are required. All assigned papers must be peer reviewed by two group members, and final copies must be turned in on time. Equally, all students will keep a running list of questions about assignments, MLA, grammar, or other concerns or areas of confusion. These questions will be written on the white board at the beginning of each on-ground class session, and they will also be posted on JetNet where students will answer all questions posted by their class mates. Course expectations include:
Common Skills
• Research and employment-related writing processes integration
• Demonstrated use of pre-writing strategies
• Formatting documents
• Media and design
• Academic research strategies
• Developing a research plan
• Finding sources
• Evaluating sources
• Synthesizing ideas
• Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing
• Proficient integration of source material
• Acknowledging sources, avoiding plagiarism
• MLA proficiency in citation and documentation
Genre Review
• Mixing Genres
• Reflection/Metacognition
Mastery of descriptive and instructional situations
Mastery of conventions of grammar & structures
Common Assignments:
• Pre-writing and drafts
• Resume/CV and Cover Letter
• Memos
• Proposals
• Reports
• Executive Summaries
• Reflection Essay
• Portfolio containing all pre-writing drafts, peer reviewed drafts, graded papers, and corrected/perfected writing assignments
• Self, group, and course evaluations
Facilitator/Instructor Responsibilities: I will act as the class facilitator to provide instructional information, to assign projects, to participate in JetNet and Skype conversations, to initiate online dialogue, to act as a tutor on an individual basis before class or via Skype appointments, to arrange for in-class and Skype guest speakers, to arrange one-on-one conferences with students, to lead class discussions, and to grade finished work.
As such, it is important to note that the roles of students and instructors have changed in today’s higher education classrooms by what is known as the Adult Learning Theory (ALT) and Learning Centered Instruction (LCI). According to ALT and LCI, students are responsible for their learning, and former teacher/instructors are now responsible for facilitating the self-directed learning of students. My role as a curriculum engineer and course facilitator is to provide you with the necessary information to accomplish the requirements of this course, but it is your job as adults to fulfill all requirements, meet all deadlines, and to use peer group members as supporting assistants and accountability partners in the successful completion of assigned work.
The primary reason for changes in the roles of students and instructors is to ensure that the educational process mimics the new international workforce systems that have replaced the former twentieth century employment models and methods. Most working people in the United States and globally will be working in teams vs. as individuals. Equally, you will be working with people from many countries. As such, you are being trained in today’s colleges and universities to learn and work in groups, to develop team leadership including consensus and delegation skills, to learn and develop multicultural sensitivity and skills, and to work independently of direct management which includes teachers. This new methodology is far more respectful of adult learners and provides them with many advantages, particularly when enrolled in hybrid and online courses.
As the facilitator for this course, I provide you with the information you need to accomplish all course requirements, I assist groups or individuals as needed and serve as a course engineer and facilitator vs. a lecturing teacher. I will also inspire and motive you with fascinating topics for potential research. In a nutshell, you will work together in teams during every class session. This does not mean spending time on social networks, texting, or otherwise not accomplishing course work. You will be acting as adults and doing what is expected just as if you were employed and on the job. As such, expect a lively and highly interactive class experience for which you are responsible.
Though this educational methodology is new to many, it specifically takes into account the needs of adult students, their desire for independent and highly technological learning, their employment and family obligations, and also their life experiences and adult wisdom. LCI is a respectful approach to adult learners who do not need nor should be controlled or taught as children. However, LCI also mandates self-directed learning. You are responsible for the knowledge you acquire, for the time and effort put forth for studies and projects, and you are equally responsible for grades earned. The outstanding component to the LCI model is that you have a far larger support system than simply one instructor. You have a dedicated group of peer project partners, free tutoring through the JC Center for Student Services and Writing Fellows, textbooks, the Internet, the JC librarians and databases, and handouts specifically for English 232. That is a lot of support. You will also participate in the determination of grades through self-evaluation, group, and course evaluations.
Grading Procedure: The following are the total possible points applied to each assignment:
•Pre-Writing and Completed Drafts 100 points
•Resume/CV + Cover Letter 50 points
•Business Memos (2) 50 points
•Proposal 100 points
•Business Report 200 points
•Executive Summary 100 points
•Reflection Essay 50 points
•Portfolio 100 points
•Mastery of MLA Formatting and Citing 50 points
•Verbal and Online Participation 50 points
•Group Work/Projects 100 points
•Attitude, Timely Communication, Student Professionalism 50 points
•Total points possible: 1000 points
Grading Scale:
4.0 = 94-100
3.5 = 86-93
3.0 = 80-85
2.5 = 75-79
2.0 = 70-74
1.5 = 66-69
HQV Grading: Jackson Community College requires four formal progress and grading reports to be filed for each student in each of their classes. Referred to as HQVs, these reports are entered into your e-services transcript and serve as a record of your progress, indicate the need for interventions that can help you be more successful, and can save you from unnecessary education debt.
The dates for recording English 232.H53 HQV grades are:
•September 29, 2014
•October 12, 2014
•November 4, 2014 (midterm grade)
The first three reports will indicate your progress in the class with a letter.
V = Verification of current class success
Q = Verification that you have quit the class or have been dropped from the class
H = Verification that you need help in the class and will be contacted by a representative from
Attendance Policy and Course Rules: Your attendance is mandatory for success in English 232. Regular attendance is essential for an A grade. If, due to emergency circumstances, a class will be missed, notify me prior to class. Assignments due on an absence date are to be emailed to me. If two consecutive class sessions are missed, I will begin the instructor initiated drop process. You cannot succeed in this class without regular and consistent attendance. If you miss two consecutive classes, you will be dropped from the course. As such, have back-up babysitting and transportation support, and make arrangements with employers in advance so that you may attend all scheduled classes and online sessions.
• Last Day to Drop: October 2, 2014
• Withdraw: After the add/drop period, a student may withdraw from a course in accordance with the dates published in e-services.
• Incomplete Policy: In accordance with JC policy, an Incomplete or “I” grade is only issued to students who have demonstrated good standing in the class and hold a passing grade at the time of an extenuating circumstance that precludes completion of the class. Documentation validating the circumstance may be required.
• Late Work and Makeup Policies: I accept late work but with a one-letter grade reduction for each day late, no exceptions. You may make arrangements to turn papers in early with validated peer reviews.
• Academic Honesty Policy: JC has an academic honesty policy which will be adhered to in this class. In essence, the policy requires that all work must be done by the student whose name it bears, and that cheating in any form is intolerable. The full policy can be accessed at http://www.jccmi.edu/policies/Academics/
• Failure: Plagiarism, whether directly copied or paraphrased, may result in a failing grade and can be grounds for expulsion from class with cases of plagiarism reported to the Office of the Academic Dean. Failure is also based upon completion of class assignments and accumulated grade points. All assigned papers must be completed.
Course/Schedule Flexibility: I teach to students rather than to concrete schedules; as such, the syllabus schedule may change. Equally, weather, illness, power outages, or other unforeseen circumstance may require schedule revisions.
Classroom and Computer Etiquette: Racism, sexism and gender bias, age bias, culture bias, handicap bias, and social elitism will not be tolerated in this class. All people are to be treated as equals with equal dignity and respect afforded to all…period.
You are adults and, therefore, I do not dictate what you do in classes for which you pay dearly. Should you choose to spend class time on social networks or gaming, that is your business; however, should I become aware of your lack of interest and effort, your participation, group, and student professionalism grades will be lowered by 50 percent.
Please arrive to classes and online gatherings on time, with all necessary materials, stay until dismissal times, and set all cell phones to vibrate.
Writing Help: When opting for help with your writing, please bring the following:
• a copy of the assignment
• your draft or work thus far
• knowledge of specific areas with which you need help
Instructor Support: If you need to see me for addition help, I am available before class, or you may make an appointment for a one-on-one Skype session.
Atkinson Library (main campus): There are amazing resources for writing students at the library; specifically, borrowing iPads and laptops, earbud sales, and databases prescreened for quality, academic research sources. A librarian will visit our classroom to demonstrate how to use the library’s databases. Equally, the Writing Fellows (student tutors) are available as a free service to those in need of help or guidance on their assigned papers. If you need help finding scholarly sources for your research, ask the librarians for help. They actually love to help you.
.
Writing Fellows: Located in the Atkinson Building (main campus), breakout room 107, Writing Fellows can help you on all stages of the writing process including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and citing sources—no matter what JC class in which you are enrolled. You may drop in during their working hours, generally 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or set up an appointment in advance. Students may also submit a draft for review online via the Writing Fellow link in the Student Union on JetNet. Bring or submit a copy of the assignment requirements, work completed on the assignment so far, and writing-related questions.