+Kristopher O’Neil

The Extent of Ethics Instruction inTechnical and Professional Communication Graduate Programs

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Thesis Presentation Master of Arts in English: Technical Communication

Option

23 July 2013

2+Introduction

+ 3

Literature Review

4+Methodology

Content Analysis

Title of “Syllabus” in the document

course description

course objectives

grading rubric

required texts

assigned readings

project descriptions

exam topics

course schedule with weekly topicdescriptions

assignment descriptions

+ 5

Methodology

+ 6

Methodology

“Ethics” in Title

Course Engagement

Ethics Textbook Chapters assigned

Ethics journal articles assigned

Layered Literacy 1: discussions of language and stylistic choices

Layered Literacy 2: the writing process

Layered Literacy 3: social theory

Layered Literacy 4: rhetorical choices

Layered Literacy 5: technology

Layered Literacy 6: visual literacy issues, specifically in graphic and

illustration choices

Layered Literacy 7: document design

Data collection

+ 7

Methodology

Determining Ethics Extent

course engagement × layered literacies = y

(y + total of assigned readings on ethics) - Layered literacies

= ethics extent

8+Findings & Discussion

Assigned ethics readings

+ 9

Distribution of assigned ethics readings

Findings & Discussion

more programs assigned readings from textbooks than from peer-reviewed journals.

+ 10

Course engagement

Findings & Discussion

+ 11

Layered literacies

Findings & Discussion

+ 12

Ethics extent by curriculum

Findings & Discussion

+ 13

Research courses

Non-Research CoursesSum of Ethics Textbooks Sum of Ethics journal articles

16 18

Research CoursesSum of Ethics Textbooks Sum of Ethics journal articles

14 7

the total readings from ethics journal articles for all the non-research courses is much higher than the readings in research courses.

Findings & Discussion

+ 14

Ethics extent comparison with and without research courses

Findings & Discussion

15+Conclusion

Limitations

Measuring ethics from syllabi

Layered Literacies journal article examples is incomplete

Ethics in electives

Graded versus ungraded assignments

Incomplete Syllabi

Program databases

16+Thank You

References available on request—full thesis will be available via ProQuest in 6 months.

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