Technical Writing

Syllabus

For general questions about course content and policies, please post inquiries in the Ask
Questions Here discussion board on Canvas so that your classmates may also benefit from the
question’s answer. For personal inquiries, please email your instructor. You can expect a
response in the discussion board or by email in 1-2 business days.

Rich Collins holds an MA in English Literature from Oregon State University and a BA in
English with minors in German, Creative Writing, and Film Studies from the University of West
Georgia. Rich has worked in a variety of areas in his professional career, starting in retail,
volunteering for a year in the nonprofit sector as an MTCC AmeriCorps VISTA, working in the
health insurance industry, and, most recently, working in college administration doing marketing
and recruitment. Currently he serves as an instructor where he focuses on bringing these
experiences into the classroom to work with students in a variety of fields. His own research
interests center on twentieth century American literature, but he is equally committed to assisting
and guiding developing writers in the classroom.

Course Description
This course will prepare you to produce instructive, informational, and persuasive documents
based on well-defined and achievable outcomes. Technical documents are precise, concise,
organized, and based on complex information. The purpose and target audience of each document
determine the style that an author chooses, including document layout, vocabulary, sentence and
paragraph structure, and visuals, among other factors. To this end, this course will teach processes
for analyzing writing contexts and producing effective, clean, and reader-centered documents in
an efficient manner.

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Syllabus
Participants gain an understanding and knowledge of genres such as reports, feasibility studies,
proposals, and specifications. Participants will construct a logical outline of a technical document;
write with awareness of expository techniques such as definition, classification, and causal
analysis; and design an effective format and layout for a technical publication. A writing project
chosen by the participant will be critiqued.

Prerequisites
No Class or Knowledge Required Before Taking This Course

Course Sequencing
Your course may be part of a series of courses that students must complete in a defined order.
This section will describe how this course relates to other courses in the program and should be
defined by your project manager.

Course Objectives
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
● Demonstrate rhetorical knowledge to create effective technical writing documents for end-
users.
● Apply and adapt flexible writing process strategies to produce clear, high-quality deliverables
in a multitude of technical writing genres.
● Use professional technical writing conventions of clean and clear design, style, and layout of
written materials.
● Gather and apply researched information that is appropriate to your field, as demonstrated by
reading and analyzing documents, and citing sources correctly.
● Write clearly, correctly, and concisely.

Course Material
To succeed in this course, you will need reliable internet access, an up-to-date web browser,
speakers/headphones, and word processing software (such as Microsoft Word or Open Office).
In lieu of a traditional textbook, we have curated an extensive collection of resources from around
the web which will be available to you through Canvas.

Course Outline

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Syllabus
Key Topics:
Technical Writing Fundamentals
• What is technical writing?
• Sentence level editing
• What is a Memo?

Topics/Objectives Learning Objectives:

After completing this week’s activities, you should be able to:
• Apply knowledge of sentence grammar to produce effective,
correct, and rhetorically appropriate sentence constructions.
(Corresponds with course learning outcomes 1-4)
• Identify personal areas for improvement in common grammar,
Week 1 punctuation, and syntax errors.
(Corresponds with course learning outcome 4)

Concept Lesson 1: What is a Memo? (Mini-lecture on Memos and their

design, style, and conventions)
Learning Activities
Concept Lesson 2: What is Technical Writing? (Video and reading on the
defining elements of technical writing.)

Comprehension Check: Quiz/self-assessment on common writing errors

Assignments Due
Deliverable: Write a Technical Memo

Key Topics:
Instruction Manual: Getting Started
• What is an Instruction Manual?
• Writing an Instruction Manual Outline

Learning Objectives:
After completing this week’s activities, you should be able to:
Week 2 Topics/Objectives • State the defining features of an Instruction Manual. (Corresponds
with course learning outcomes 1-4)
• Demonstrate knowledge on how to produce an Instruction Manual
for a variety of products and projects.
(Corresponds with course learning outcomes 1-5)
• Rhetorically analyze a scenario for an Instruction Manual.
(Corresponds with course learning outcomes 1-2)

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Syllabus
Concept Lesson 3: What is an Instruction Manual? (Mini-lecture on
Instruction Manuals, their design, style, and conventions.)
Learning Activities
Concept Lesson 4: Writing an Instruction Manual Outline (Mini-lecture
on how to summarize and envision the Instruction Manual document.)

Comprehension Check: Discussion Board on Instruction Manuals that

looks at examples and finds issues.

Assignments Due
Comprehension Check: Imperative Mood quiz.

Deliverable: Instruction Manual Intro and Outline

Key Topics:
Instruction Manual: Finalizing the Document
• What’s in an end-user?
Topics/Objectives
Learning Objectives:
After completing this week’s activities, you should be able to:
• Edit and finish an Instruction Manual document with the end-user
in mind. (Corresponds with course learning outcomes 1-5)
Week 3
Concept Lesson 5: What’s an end-user? (Mini-lecture on how to carefully
Learning Activities craft a document utilizing clean and clear design, concise writing, and
rhetorical awareness.)

Comprehension Check: Discussion board on user-centered design

Assignments Due
Deliverable: Instruction Manual Document

Key Topics:
Writing a Technical Description
• What is a technical description?
Week 4 Topics/Objectives
• What purpose do they serve?
• Who are they serving?

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Syllabus
Learning Objectives:
After completing this week’s activities, you should be able to:
• Write a short technical description of an everyday object with a
detailed breakdown of its key components.
(Corresponds with course learning outcomes 1-5)

Concept Lesson 6: What is a technical description and what purposes and

Learning Activities end-users do they serve? (Mini-lecture on the defining elements of a
technical description and its rhetorical situation.)

Comprehension Check: Multiple choice and fill in the blank quiz on the
defining elements and purposes of a technical description.

Assignments Due
Comprehension Check: Discussion board on technical descriptions

Deliverable: Technical Description Document

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Syllabus
Evaluation and Grading:
All WorkSpace courses are evaluated with the grade option of Pass/No Pass.
A student’s final grade will be either P (Pass) or NP (No Pass). Under this grading option, student
will receive a final grade of P for work that is clearly passing, i.e., which would earn a letter
grade of C or better. For work below this level (i.e., equivalent to D or F), student will receive a
grade of NP. Courses which are graded NP earn no credit toward graduation. The grades P and
NP both appear on your official transcript, but are not calculated in your GPA.

Evaluation of Student Performance Weighted as Percentages of the Total Grade

Comprehension Checks (6) 30%
Deliverable 1: Write a Technical Memo 10%
Deliverable 2: Instruction Manual Intro and Outline 10%
Deliverable 3: Instruction Manual Document 35%
Deliverable 4: Technical Description Document 15%
100%

Evaluation Scale
P (Pass) = 70% – 100%
NP (No Pass) = 69% or less

Weekly comprehension checks as “Complete” or “Incomplete.” To receive a “complete,” please

refer to the instructions for each assignment. Submissions that fail to answer each question on a
worksheet, fail to meet the minimum word count indicated, etc., will receive an “incomplete.”

Rubrics will be provided as appropriate for each deliverable.

Canvas
This course will be delivered via Canvas, your online learning community, where you will
interact with your classmates and with course instructors. Within the course Blackboard site you
will access the learning materials, tutorials, and syllabus, discuss issues, and display your
projects. If you are having problems accessing Canvas check your computer compatibility.

Students with Disabilities

Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, instructors and Disability Access
Services (DAS) with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the
faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss
accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not
yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 541-737-4098.
WorkSpace seeks to accommodate the diverse experiences and learning styles of the students,
and is open to feedback for improving the course, during this quarter and subsequent quarters. To
provide direct feedback please email, [email protected].

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Syllabus
Expectations for Student Conduct
Student conduct is governed by the university’s policies, as explained in the Office of Student
Conduct: information and regulations.

In an academic community, students and faculty, and staff each have responsibility for
maintaining an appropriate learning environment, whether online or in the classroom. Students,
faculty, and staff have the responsibility to treat each other with understanding, dignity and
respect. Disruption of teaching, administration, research, and other institutional activities is
prohibited by Oregon Administrative Rule 576-015-0015 (1) and (2) and is subject to sanctions
under university policies, OSU Office of Student Conduct.

Academic Integrity — Students are expected to comply with all regulations pertaining to
academic honesty, defined as: An intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim
credit for the work or effort of another person or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated
information in any academic work. For further information, visit Avoiding Academic Dishonesty,
or contact the office of Student Conduct and Mediation at 541-737-3656.

Conduct in this online classroom — Students are expected to conduct themselves in the course
(e.g., on discussion boards, email postings) in compliance with the university's regulations
regarding civility. Students will be expected to treat all others with the same respect, as they
would want afforded themselves. Disrespectful behavior to others (such as harassing behavior,
personal insults, inappropriate language) or disruptive behaviors in the course (such as persistent
and unreasonable demands for time and attention both in and out of the classroom) is
unacceptable and can result in sanctions as defined by Oregon Administrative Rules Division 015
Student Conduct Regulations.

Netiquette — In an online classroom, your primary means of communication is written. The

written language has many advantages: more opportunity for reasoned thought, more ability to go
in-depth, and more time to think through an issue before posting a comment. However, written
communication also has its disadvantages. This includes a lack of the face-to-face signaling that
occurs through body language, intonation, pausing, facial expressions and gestures. As a result,
please recognize the possibility of miscommunication and compose your comments in a clear,
positive, supportive, and constructive manner. Please be sure to be professional by demonstrating
tolerance for diverse points of view and give each other the benefit of the doubt about any unclear
intended meanings.

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