CM240: UNIT 1 SEMINAR

Tonight’s AgendaTonight’s Agenda

Class OverviewClass Overview Technical CommunicationTechnical Communication Final Project InformationFinal Project Information

Seminar GuidelinesSeminar Guidelines

Actively ParticipateActively Participate Stay on topicStay on topic Stop me for questions or to catch upStop me for questions or to catch up Review archiveReview archive Option 2Option 2

Instructor InformationInstructor Information

Email: Email: LPutnam@kaplan.eduLPutnam@kaplan.edu IM: LuEllaPutnamIM: LuEllaPutnam Education: B.A. in English; M.A. Education: B.A. in English; M.A.

English, PhD Student in LiteratureEnglish, PhD Student in Literature Work ExperienceWork Experience

What about you?What about you?

NameName What are your expectations for the What are your expectations for the

course?course? Do you have technical writing Do you have technical writing

experience?experience?

Syllabus HighlightsSyllabus Highlights Rubrics – Project expectations – Discussion and peer responses – Seminar participation/Option 2 Course policies – Accept late work, with penalties – Extenuating circumstances – Plagiarism policy

When a project is due? When are my When a project is due? When are my instructor’s office hours? All this instructor’s office hours? All this

information (and a lot more!) is contained in information (and a lot more!) is contained in the course syllabus. the course syllabus.

Discussion Board Discussion Board PostingsPostings 100 words100 words

Refers to the assigned readingRefers to the assigned reading Uses good grammar and punctuationUses good grammar and punctuation

Don’t forget to respond to two Don’t forget to respond to two classmates!classmates!

ProjectsProjects

APA format, citations, references page Format: .doc, .docx, .ppt, .pptx

Dropbox submission

Project ScheduleProject Schedule

Unit 2: Memo Proposal Unit 3: Project Plan & Schedule Unit 4: Annotated Bibliography Unit 7: Power Point Presentation Unit 9: Proposal Final, plus Portfolio (revised versions of Unit 2, 3, and 7

projects)

Project OverviewsProject Overviews Videos

–Video slide presentation, include audio– Download from classroom; view onwebsite, or download

PDFs–Doc Sharing– Slide view, plus script– No audio/video

Software LinksSoftware Links

SOFTWARELINKS(FREE) • If you don’t have Word or Power

Point:--OpenOffice.org--Google docs

• Viewing PDFs: Acrobat Reader

Course ObjectivesCourse Objectives

1. What do you think you’ll learn in this course? 2. What do you want to learn in this course?

ObjectivesObjectives • Introduction to various workplace writing

formats and styles • Study and practice audience analysis, and

evaluate the components of successful business correspondence, technical reports, instructions, proposals, and presentations.

• Create a portfolio of technical documents • Practice research, document design, and

organization and writing styles consistent with technical communication.

Key Characteristics of Tech Key Characteristics of Tech WritingWriting

Meets needs of identified audience Created for specific goal/objective Clear Concise Accurate Often, “translates” complex information

General Forms of Tech General Forms of Tech WritingWriting

Instructions, Manuals (policy, user) Specifications, descriptions Reports, proposals Genres: legal, medical, IT, science,

business, engineering

Final Project: ProposalFinal Project: Proposal

• Identify problem – Community, work, organization – Must be realistic to solve• Identify solution – Realistic solution – One solution for problem• Identify audience – One individual (primary) – Others (secondary)

ExampleExample

•Problem: local walking/running trail has no place to warm‐up/cool‐down

Solution: install basic outdoor exercise equipment

Audience: Park District authority (primary), city counsel (secondary)