Textbook

Technical Communication, 10^th Edition by John Lannon, Longman Press, 2005, ISBN #0321270762

Textbooks may be purchased at the TVCC Bookstore. The TVCC Bookstore will ship books purchased by credit card if you contact James Quattlebaum at 903-675-6203.

Course Information

Course: ENGL. 2311.0401 Technical Writing (Internet)

Prerequisite: ENGL. 1301

Course description:

An opportunity for intensive practice in writing for business, technical, or occupational fields is provided in this course. In addition to standard writing procedures, students study specialized techniques such as the use of layout and design, methods of problem-solving, interview techniques, and oral presentation.

English 2311 students should be able to demonstrate the ability:

· To adapt the particular rhetorical demands of the audience to appropriate style, purpose, and structure;

· To apply the appropriate modes of expression, including informative, persuasive, descriptive, narrative, and scientific;

· To understand professional writing as a recursive, connected, and interactive process which includes prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading;

· To read, analyze, and synthesize various professional materials;

· To construct and integrate graphic/visual aids coherently into professional documents;

· To understand the importance of cooperative and collaborative discussion leading to a group-generated document;

Policies

Plagiarism: Respond honestly to what you read. Plagiarism-- the theft of other’s ideas--will not be tolerated; therefore, a failing grade will be given to any plagiarized work submitted by a student.

Student Responsibilities

·To save all important work (I am not responsible for lost assignments)

· To complete all reading assignments

· To submit assignments in the proper format (the entire assignment is submitted as one

attachment)

· To submit all assignments on time (by 12:00 Noon on the scheduled due date)

●To submit all correspondence using the WebCT e-mail

●To use proper grammar, vocabulary, syntax, punctuation, and other conventions is a

prerequisite and is expected in all written assignments

Course Access on WebCT

Students will be allowed to log-on to the TVCC WebCT website after the 1^st class day of the semester. Students can get information regarding the TVCC WebCT at http://www.tvcc.edu/WebCT. Log-on information can be located at http://www.tvcc.edu/WebCT/studentinfo.htm. The student log-on is the student’s last name followed by their first initial of their first name plus the last four digits of their social security number (kingd8293). The student password is the last four digits of their social security number. The log-on and password are case sensitive. Once students have logged into WebCT, they can click on the course homepage and course icons for additional course information. Students should have basic computer and word processing skills prior to taking the course.

Student Logins

Ø All student logins are their last name followed by their first initial plus the last four digits of their social security number. Your initial password is the last 4 digits of your social security number. All instructors and students should change this password to something unique but easy for you to remember.

Ø Your login ID and password are case sensitive. In other words, if your Login ID or password contains lowercase and/or capital letters, you must type in exactly what you see.

Assignments

Assignments must be submitted by logging-on to the WebCT Web site and sending the assignments as attachments or as direct email to the instructor’s WebCT email address. Submit the entire assignment as one attachment. Questions will be graded based on detailed, organized thoughts with complete sentences, appropriate grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation.

Grading Criteria

This course is a sophomore level, so the use of proper grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and punctuation is required in all written work. An excessive number of grammatical errors (fragments, comma splices, fused sentences, misplaced modifiers, misspelling, preposition errors, etc.) seriously distract from effective communication and will be detrimental to your grade. The biography assignment, each chapter exercise assignment, and each chapter quiz is worth 10 points each. The following grading scale is based on total points accumulated in the class and will be used to determine the student’s grade:

A---405-460

B---365-404

C---328-364

D---295-327

F---Below 294 points

Grade Notification and Feedback

A successful distance learning experience requires a flow of communication between instructor and student throughout the session. Instructor comments are considered essential to the learning process. Therefore, each assignment submitted will be reviewed, graded and returned to the student in a timely manner, usually within three days of submission. If the student has not received feedback of submission within four days, it would be best for the student to contact the instructor. You may submit an assignment early after you have received feedback and a grade on a previous assignment. It is imperative that you review my grading for the returned assignment for any errors as soon as it is returned. Do not wait until the end of the semester; this will be too late.

Late Submissions:

An assignment may be submitted one day after due date with a ten point deduction. An assignment will not be accepted two days after the due date. Assignments are due approximately at two week intervals, so please plan accordingly.

Calendar:

Class Begins August 27^th

Assignment 1 due September 5^th Personal

Biography

Assignment 2 due September 14^th Chapters 1, 2, 3, and

Assignment 3 due September 28^th Chapters 4, 18, and

Assignment 4 due October 12^th Chapters 14, 15, and

Assignment 5 due October 26^th Chapters 21 and 22

Assignment 6 due November 19^th Chapters 23, 25, and

Assignment 7 due November 26^th Chapters 5 and 6

Assignment 8 due December 3^rd Chapters 7, 9, 10, and

11^th