Mar 28, 2024  
2021 - 2022 Cowley College Academic Catalog 
    
2021 - 2022 Cowley College Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ENG2233 TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING COURSE PROCEDURE


ENG2233 TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING

3 Credit Hours

 

Student Level:

This course is open to traditional students on the college level in the freshman year or above and to non-traditional students at any level who met the prerequisite requirements.

Catalog Description:

ENG2233 - Technical and Professional Writing (3 hrs.)

This course focuses on techniques that skilled communicators use to analyze an audience and a purpose, to create and find the best information on a subject, to arrange the information skillfully to meet the audiences’ needs and preferences, and to deliver the information effectively using the most appropriate application.

Course Classification:

Lecture

Prerequisites:

Traditional students must have completed English 2211 Composition I with a grade of C or better. Non-traditional students must have equivalent experience in writing technical and professional documents in the workplace.

Controlling Purpose:

This course is designed to help the student increase their knowledge and skills to write a variety of types of technical and professional documents for the workplace. Regardless of a person’s position in a company, the ability to effectively communicate to internal and external audiences has a significant and positive impact on success in a career.
Because the genres of technical writing and professional writing share the same characteristics in form, purpose, composition, design, and rhetoric, this course includes instructions on how to write both technical and professional documents.

Learner Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course the student will understand the techniques that technical and professional communicators use to analyze an audience, determine the purpose of a document, organize information on a subject, arrange the information skillfully to meet the audiences’ needs and preferences, and deliver the information effectively using the most appropriate application.

Unit Outcomes for Criterion Based Evaluation:

The following defines the minimum core content not including the final examination period. Instructors may add other content as time allows.

Unit 1:  Elements That Distinguish Technical and Professional Writing

Outcomes: Student will learn the distinguishing applications and characteristics of writing documents for the workplace.

  • Write a document that discusses information that management of a company needs to make an informed decision.
  • Develop a descriptive outline of a user-manual.
  • Write effective sentences.
  • Use persuasive visual and written techniques.

Unit 2:  Techniques for Selecting, Writing and Managing Information

Outcomes:  Students will learn the best techniques for gathering and organizing information to effectively meet the needs of the targeted audience.

  • Analyze how a publication addresses distinct audiences.
  • Write an audience profile.
  • Write a document that demonstrates ethical and legal obligations.
  • Find three documents that demonstrate the use of different organizational patterns and analyze their table of contents.
  • Collaboratively write a piece of marketing literature.
  • Develop a document that includes photos and graphics that support the instructional material.

Unit 3:  Objectives of Diverse Corporate Communications

Outcomes:  Students will learn how to write different types of documents for internal corporate communications and external marketing publications.

  • Write “internal” documents that address the needs of different audiences in the workplace.
  • Write a technical document that demonstrates the best techniques to inform and instruct the user of a product.
  • Write and design an online publication.
  • Write and design a marketing communications publication.
  • Write a descriptive outline of your final project.

Unit 4:  Methods for Integrating Information into a Cohesive, Polished Document

Outcomes: Students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills of writing corporate communications by creating and publishing a significant and effective document that meets professional standards.

  • Develop a marketing document as a final project that incorporates all relevant principles learned in the course.

Projects Required:

Writing Assignments for each module and the final exam.

Textbook:

Contact Bookstore for current textbook.

Materials/Equipment Required:

It is the student’s responsibility to have (or have access to) a personal computer. All writing assignments for Technical and Professional Writing must be written and formatted in Microsoft Word. Writing assignments should be submitted in PDF format or Microsoft Word.

Attendance Policy:

Students should adhere to the attendance policy outlined by the instructor in the course syllabus.

Grading Policy:

The grading policy will be outlined by the instructor in the course syllabus.

Maximum class size:

Based on classroom occupancy

Course Timeframe:

The U.S. Department of Education, Higher Learning Commission and the Kansas Board of Regents define credit hour and have specific regulations that the college must follow when developing, teaching and assessing the educational aspects of the college. A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit or an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. The number of semester hours of credit allowed for each distance education or blended hybrid courses shall be assigned by the college based on the amount of time needed to achieve the same course outcomes in a purely face-to-face format.

Refer to the following policies:

402.00 Academic Code of Conduct

263.00 Student Appeal of Course Grades

403.00 Student Code of Conduct

Disability Services Program: 

Cowley College, in recognition of state and federal laws, will accommodate a student with a documented disability. If a student has a disability which may impact work in this class which requires accommodations, contact the Disability Services Coordinator.

DISCLAIMER: THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR THE OFFICIAL COURSE PROCEDURE CONTACT ACADEMIC AFFAIRS.