ENTC 3030 Technical Communications

1. ENTC 3030Technical Communications Syllabus

2. ENTC 3030Technical Communications Instr.: Dr. Hugh Blanton Phone: 439-4177 email: blanton@etsu.edu web: http://faculty.etsu.edu/blanton Office: Wilson-Wallis 222-A Office Hrs: T—11:30 am – 2:30 pm or by appointment

3. Books • Paradis, James & Zimmerman, Muriel. The MIT Guide to Science and Engineering Communication, 2nd Ed. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA. 2002. • Valiela, Ivan. Doing Science: Design, Analysis, and Communication of Scientific Research. Oxford University Press. New York, NY. 2001.

4. The primary focus of the course will be hot topics in technology or science. • Each student will present before the class one topic chosen from the list of suggested topics and references. • The topic choices are due no later than Feb. 10th. • Hand in the title of your seminar topic, followed by a sentence explaining the reason for choosing it. • Students who could not decide will be assigned one of the available topics on the list. • All students will be given two public speaking opportunities about their respective topic, • a short (~5 min) overview and • a longer (~40 min) seminar talk.

5. Short overview  (5 min.) • This is a brief warm-up presentation • explaining what the topic is about, • why it was chosen, • why it is interesting, • why it is important, • what is new, • etc.

6. Seminar (~40 min.) • This is a more detailed seminar-style talk followed by a classroom discussion.

7. Presentation styles and formats include:   • Blackboard presentations--Technically simplest but limited in amount and quality of presenting data and visual information. • Transparencies--Requires printing or writing on (expensive) transparencies. • Allows display of graphics but no animations. • A limited number of transparencies will be available for the class. • Ask the instructor. • Slides- Same as transparencies but has to be prepared professionally.

8. Presentation styles and formats include:   • Computer presentations - This is the most versatile and convenient format. • It easily allows integration of animation, sound, graphics and  interactive displays. • One of the best presentation programs is Microsoft Power Point. • The class will have a projector for computer presentations.

9. Course objectives • Write effective technical and research reports, proposals, procedures and process explanations, memoranda, and professional correspondence addressing a variety of audiences; • Prepare and deliver professional presentations and briefings, using visuals and computer technology; • Identify, retrieve, and critically analyze technical and related information through on-line networks and databases to investigate an issue or solve problems; • Develop, integrate and edit tables, charts, and diagrams; • Review and revise written and oral communication; • Work productively in a team, with emphasis on the team process, decision making strategies, and project planning; and • Understand ethical responsibilities of providing accurate information and communicating effectively with the general public and professionals.

10. Topics covered • Communication context: situation, purpose, audience • Communication attributes: content, structure, format, language, illustrations • Writing as a process • Correspondence • Library resources and research strategies • Technical Proposals • Strategies for designing persuasive, informative, or motivational documents • Standards for technical reports • Revising and editing technical documents • Grammar review • Technical presentations • Illustrations, graphs, and tables • Collaborative writing

11. Relationship of course to undergraduate degree program objectives and outcomes • This course serves students in a variety of technology majors. • This course partially fulfills the Technology Core requirements for the Dept. of Technology.

12. Assessment of student progress toward course objectives • Correspondence (memos, letters, resume) • Proposal for the technical report • Progress report (written or oral) • Formal technical report • Oral presentations (individual and team) • Process explanation, Instruction set, or Illustrations (team project) • In-class workshops and computer-based exercises • Peer reviews • Conferences with instructor

13. Revision Option

14. Method • Revision means literally "seeing again," developing a new perspective on the writing task. • Just correcting the original work based on my comments or your own observations will not be accepted as revision; • instead, you'll have to rewrite the document significantly. • Some revisions can raise your grade • all revisions should help you learn more about writing well. • I’m happy to help you to revise: • I highly recommend that you check in with me at some point before you submit a revised assignment so I can help you • focus on the most important areas, • brainstorm options, • assess your progress, and • otherwise assist you to improve.

15. Revision Grading • Revisions of two assignments can be submitted for re-grading. • No risk is involved (you cannot receive a lower grade than the one originally assigned) • but neither do you have a guarantee of earning a higher grade for your effort. • In order to insure that you work hard on your initial assignments, revision grades will not be more than one full grade higher than the original grade. • Revision grades replace the original grades rather than being averaged with them.

16. Materials • The original document containing my comments and grade must accompany the revision, • along with old and new background material.

17. Timing • You may submit a revised assignment at any time during the semester; • all revisions are due one week before the last day of class—no exceptions. • Students often find it useful to delay revision until later in the semester for the following reasons: • They can apply the additional course material to improve their writing • They learn by practicing their writing skills in other assignments • They gain perspective by putting the work away for a time • They have more assignments to consider for revision, so they can choose the ones that will count most toward their course grade

18. Course Schedule

19. Course Introduction—Week 2 • Introduction to ENTC 3030 • Students • Instructor • Office Hrs • Assignments • Grading • Read • Chapter 1 of Paradis/Zimmerman • Chapter 5 of Valiela

20. No Class—Week 3 • Observance of Martin Luther King’s birthday.

21. Review—Week 4 • Review of Grammar • Introduction to Technical Communications • Read • Chapters 2, &17 of Paradis/Zimmerman

22. Week 5 • Searching the Literature • Goals • Homework • Read Chapters 7,8,& 9 of Paradis/Zimmerman

23. Week 6--February 10, 2003 • Writing Proposals • Progress Reports • Memos, Letters, and email • Homework • Read Chapters 12 of Paradis/Zimmerman

24. Week 7 • Instructions & Procedures • Selection of project due. • Homework • Read Chapters 4 & 5 of Paradis/Zimmerman

25. Week 8 • Revising Documents • Developing Graphics • Read • Chapters 16 & 18 of Paradis/Zimmerman • Chapter 8 of Valiela

26. Week 9 • Document Design • Citation & Reference Styles • Homework • Read Chapters 3 & 10 of Paradis/Zimmerman

27. Week 10 • Organizing & Drafting Documents • Reports • Homework • Read Chapters 14 & 15 of Paradis/Zimmerman

28. Spring Break—March 17, 2003

29. Week 11 • Job Search Documents • Oral Presentations • Read • Chapters 14 & 15 of Paradis/Zimmerman • Chapter 7 of Valiela

30. Week 12 • Oral Reports

31. Week 13 • Oral Reports

32. Week 14 • Oral Reports

33. Week 15 • Oral Reports

34. ENTC 3030 GRADING

35. Grades will be calculated as follows: • Oral presentations 25% • Short overview 10% • Proposal presentation 15% • Written presentations 60% • Topic choice 5% • Overviewreport 15% • Resume 10% • Proposal report 15% • Memo 10% • Procedures 5% • Subjective 15%

36. Grade guidelines

37. ENTC 3030 PROJECTS

38. Request for Proposal (RFP) • Request for proposal to: • Develop a method for non-destructively testing the quality and taste of watermelons. • Analyze the newly established lottery system in Tennessee and its effects on higher education. • Analyze the effect of the proposed class fee on the Department of Digital Media curriculum. • Develop a strategy for marketing a specific curriculum taught at ETSU. • Analyze the effects of the development of an income tax in Tennessee. • Analyze a topic covered in Scientific American.

39. Homework: Brief Biographical Sketch • I’d like to know more about you, so I can work with your interests, experiences and attitudes to create a comfortable and effective learning environment for you. • I’d also like to see what you already know about writing. • So, please design a document that gives me the information that I request in a useful form. Thanks! • Name • E-mail and/or phone and any limitations (e.g. calling times) • Websites (your own, ones you like) • Year and academic area • Career direction • What do you consider to be the most interesting thing about yourself? • Name some scientific or technical subjects that you find particularly interesting. • What are some of your nonacademic interests/activities? • When did you last take a writing course? What kind? • What are the three most recent communications you have written (papers, reports, memos, proposals, etc.) and for whom? • What would you like to improve about your writing? Confess your chief anxiety about writing and about this course. • What other courses are you taking this semester (please include instructor name and/or section number)?