UMass Dartmouth

ENL 266: Technical Communication

Instructor: Erik Isaacson
Office:

LARTs 345BTA Balcony

Office Hours:
appointment

MWF 10-10:50; available at other times by

Contact Info: eisaacson@umassd.edu

Textbook: Technical Communication Today, 5/E by Richard JohnsonSheehan. Pearson: 2015
Course Description (from COIN)
Introduction to the technical communication skills used in business and
industry. Students practice techniques for creating, managing, and
presenting information in written, oral, visual, and electronic forms and
use a variety of tools to research and collaborate on projects that relate
to many audiences, purposes, forms, and formats of technical
communication.
Course Overview
Technical Communication is about the series of informed choices that
writers make when communicating ideas and processes to other
people. In this class, you will learn how to make the best choices,
incorporating critical thinking and writing skills to create reader-based
documents that meet the needs of their audience, purpose, and
context. Through assigned readings, homework, and in-class exercises,
you will sharpen your writing skills, focusing on how the content,
organization, writing style, mechanics, and design of a technical
document must be adapted to meet the needs of its audience and to
achieve its purpose.
To prepare for major written assignments, you will complete weekly
written homework assignments, including document analysis, drafts of
assignments, peer reviews, and online discussions. Class time includes
short lectures, small group and large class discussions, short student
presentations, analysis of documents, and writing exercises that ask
you to apply key concepts. You will collaborate on a team project.
Throughout the term, you learn and apply writing skills used by
technical professionals to create reader-based documents and
presentations that have a developed sense of content, organization,
writing style, mechanics, and information design.

Page 1 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

Course-Specific Learning Outcomes. After taking this class, you will be

able to do the following:

Identify and summarize key concepts in technical communication

Analyze the purpose and features of various genres of technical

information

Develop documents and presentations based on audience

analysis, genre conventions, and information design principles

Synthesize information gathered from multiple sources into

technical writing and presentations

Demonstrate command of vocabulary and facility with

conventions of standard written English (grammar, usage, and
mechanics) and use an appropriate tone and style to establish the
desired relationship and motivate the desired outcome

Cluster 1C Learning Outcomes. After completing this course, you will

be able to:

Read with comprehension and critically interpret and evaluate

written work in discipline-specific context

Demonstrate rhetorically effective, discipline-specific writing for

appropriate audiences

Demonstrate, at an advanced level of competence, use of

discipline-specific control of language, modes of development,
and formal conventions

Demonstrate intermediate information literacy skills by selecting,

evaluating, integrating, and documenting information gathered
from multiple sources into discipline-specific writing

Attendance Policy
Classes are conducted in a discussion/workshop format; therefore,
regular attendance, preparation, and active participation are
important. My attendance policy is simple: you may miss three classes
(for any reason, excused and unexcused) without penalty. Each
additional absence, up to a total of 6, (for any reason, excused and
unexcused) will lower your course grade by 1/3 of a letter grade (e.g.
from B to B-). More than 6 absences will result in failure of the course.
Because our time in class is limited, promptness is also important. Two
late arrivals are counted as one absence.

Page 2 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phone use will not be permitted during class time. As an incentive
to avoid distractions presented by cell phones, extra credit will be
offered to those who voluntarily relinquish their devices at the
beginning of class. For each day that a cell phone is turned in, 1 point
will be earned toward the Homework grade. As Homework
assignments will typically count for 10 points each, 10 days of turning
over your cell phone is equal to 1 Homework assignment.
Assignments and Grading
Four major assignments constitute the bulk of your grade for this
course. Major assignments will be penalized one letter grade (from B to
C) for every class period they are late. You must complete all major
assignments and substantially participate in the team project to receive
a passing grade at the end of the semester.
You are responsible for the following assignments. You must complete
all of these assignments and participate substantially in all phases of
the team project to receive a passing grade at the end of the semester.
% of
Grade

Unit

1. Job Packet
2. Descriptions/Definitions
3. Team project (proposal,
instructions or user guide, oral
presentation)
4. Final analysis report
Homework (daily written
homework; document analysis;
drafts of assignments; peer
reviews; online discussions) and
Participation
regular attendance; adherence to
the cell phone policy; routine
engagement in class discussions;
substantive contributions to group
activities)

Due Date

15
15
25

09/26/16
10/12/16
Varying

20
25

12/12/16
Assigned
Daily

Total: 100

In addition to these major assignments, you will have homework.

Page 3 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

Homework assignments are normally worth 1020 points. Because the

homework relates directly to the topic of discussion each day, they
receive no credit if they are turned in late. All homework assignments
must be typed and submitted physically in class. At the end of the
semester, the homework grades are tallied and averaged, constituting a
major portion of the Homework and Participation aspect of your overall
course grade.
Your grades follow the universitys grading scale:
A+
A

100-97
96-93
A92-90
B+ 89-87
B
86-83
B82-80

C+
C

79-77
76-73
C70-72
D+ 69-67
D
66-63
D62-60

59 and below

Grading Criteria. All

major assignments will be evaluated using the

following criteria:
A Exemplary.

Shows excellent command of course concepts.

Synthesizes sources to develop and support claims. Selects and
organizes material, creating reader-based documents. Uses a
style that is fluent and coherent. Demonstrates command over
audience needs, genre conventions, and information design
principles. Contains no mechanical or citation errors. Overall,
demonstrates a combination of excellence, thoroughness, and
attention to detail.

B Accomplished.

Demonstrates understanding of course concepts.

Shows judgment and tact in the selection of material for the
intended audience and purpose. Supports claims and organizes
material. Language and tone adapted to the audience. Has few
mechanical errors. May be revised to address minor problems.

C Developing.

Meets all basic requirements, but needs revision to

strengthen the organization or style, to meet genre
conventions, or to adjust the language and tone for the
intended audience. Mechanics need some attention, but do not
detract from the writers purpose. Overall, needs revision to
strengthen the writers position and to meet the audiences
needs.

Page 4 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

D Beginning.

Responds to the assignment, but needs significant

revision in one of the major areas (content, organization, style,
or delivery) to cover essential points, to support
generalizations, or to appropriately respond to the audience
and purpose. Mechanical errors detract from the message,
making it difficult for the reader to access the main points.

F Unacceptable.

Provides an inadequate response and does not meet

one or more of the assignments basic requirements.

According to the university catalogue, an incomplete may be

given only in exceptional circumstances. You must be passing at the
time of the request or be sufficiently close to passing. If the work is not
completed within one year of the recording of the incomplete grade,
the grade will become an F(I). The incomplete policy for this course is
that at least 70% of the course must be already completed and an
exceptional circumstance (i.e. medical issue) must exist. If you feel you
require an incomplete for an exceptional reason, you need to email me
and state your reasons for the incomplete in writing. We will then
decide on a course of action.
Incompletes.

In accordance with University policy, if

you have a documented disability and require accommodations to
obtain equal access in this course, please meet with the instructor at
the beginning of the semester and provide the appropriate paperwork
from the Center for Access and Success Office. The necessary
paperwork is obtained when you bring proper documentation to the
Center: Liberal Arts, Room 016; (508)-999-8711.
Center for Access and Success Office.

Academic Integrity
I fully support and adhere to the Universitys policies on academic
integrity:
http://www.umassd.edu/studenthandbook/academicregs/ethicalstandar
ds.cfm. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism are serious legal and
ethical breaches. I do not tolerate this behavior in any form.
Plagiarism occurs when a writer, speaker, or designer deliberately uses
someone elses language, ideas, images, or other material without fully
acknowledging its source by quotations marks, in footnotes or
endnotes, and in lists of works cited. In this course, we will draw
heavily upon text, images, and other electronic materials found online;
the fact that such material is online does not lessen our obligation to
give credit where credit is due. All work you submit in this class is to
be 100% your own work (in collaborative contexts, generated 100% by

Page 5 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

you and your teammates). As is true of all work done at the university,
any secondary sources (articles, images, music, interviews, websites, or
other electronic mediaany content beyond a your own making) must
be cited. Some cultures allow un-cited borrowing; in American
education, each student must cite every source used.
Occasionally students unintentionally plagiarize material because they
have failed to keep track of their sources as they acquire them and use
them. In such cases, students may claim they were unaware of
universitys policies on academic dishonesty, feign ignorance
concerning what constitutes plagiarism, or try to convince me that
their motives were pure. I am not in a position to judge your intentions;
as a result, I am obligated to report all cases of plagiarism and other
instances of academic dishonesty (regardless of the circumstances) to
the university. If you have any questions about plagiarism and how it
relates to your work or the work of your team, please talk to me before
you turn in an assignment. Once plagiarized work has been submitted
for a grade, I have no choice but to enforce this policy.
Course Schedule
NOTE: This schedule will change as the semester progresses and does
not list all readings and homework assignments. Topics will be
discussed in class on the dates they are listed. Homework and
assignments are due on the dates listed. Unless otherwise noted, all
readings come from Technical Communication Today, 5th Edition by
Richard Johnson-Sheehan. Changes to the syllabus will be announced
in class.
Unit 1Schedule
W

9/7

Introduction to class

9/9

Topic: Determining the Context

Homework Due

Read Chapter 1: Communicating in the Technical

Workplace
Complete Exercise 1 (pg. 16), annotating the
document for the elements that make it an example
of technical communication and writing a paragraph
that explains how it exemplifies the definition of
technical communication outlined in Chapter 1.

Page 6 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

9/12

Topic: Understanding Your Audience

Homework Due

9/14

Read Chapter 2: Communicating in a ReaderFocused Way

Choose two websites that are designed for very
different types of readers (for example,
samsung.com and apple.comsimilar products, but
interested in different kinds of audiences). For each
company, complete the Reader Analysis Chart
(Figure 2.2) and the Context Analysis Chart (Figure
2.3).

Topic: Determining the Purpose

Homework Due

Read Chapter 11: Starting Your Career

After reading the chapter, consider your career
goals and answer the following questions:
What are your goals/wants in an
internship/job/career?
Who would you like to work for?
Why did you choose your major?
*Last Day to Add/Drop

9/16

Topic: Starting Your Career

Homework Due

9/19

Print out and bring to class 3 internship/jobs ads that

you are currently qualified to apply for
Bring to class your current resume, annotating it to
show its content, organization, style, and design

Topic: Organizing and Drafting

Homework Due

Read Chapter 15: Organizing and Drafting

Page 7 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

Examine the About Us pages of 2 companies

that you are interested in working for as a job or an intern.
Write a memo in which you answer these questions about
one of the companies:
o What is the purpose of these pages?
o What is the main point? What do they want
you to know about their company?
o What support do they offer to back up their
main point?
o How is the information organized? Do you
recognize patterns of arrangement?

9/21

Topic: Designing and Revising Your Documents

Homework Due

9/23

Read Chapter 16: Using Plain and Persuasive

Style (pgs. 430442) and Chapter 17:
Designing Documents and Interfaces
Complete Exercise 1 (p. 471)
Bring to class a draft of your cover letters

Topic: Peer Review

Homework Due

Bring 2 drafts of resume to class

Job Packet
In-Class Group Assignment

Assignment Due:

9/26

Unit 2Schedule
W

9/28

Topic: Technical Descriptions & Specifications

Homework Due

Read Chapter 6: Technical Descriptions &

Specifications
Bring to class a technical description
Practice Writing Technical Definitions

Page 8 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

9/30

Review Page 144

List 5 technical terms that are important
to your field
Write a sentence definition for each,
including the term, the category, and
distinguishing features
Choose 1 sentence definition and write a
300-word extended definition

Topic: Using Plain and Persuasive Style

Homework Due

Read Chapter 13: Persuading Others

Based on the chapter reading, answers the following
questions:

10/3

For your technical description

assignment, what are you describing and who
are your audiences?
For each audience, what is your
persuasive goal?
For each audience, what is your
persuasion strategy? Be specific to the chapter
and consider the balance or reasoning and
value-based persuasion strategies for each
audience.

Topic: Researching and Research Methods

Homework Due

10/5

Read Chapter 14, create a methodology map

of your topic (see p. 392)

Topic: Designing Documents and Interfaces

Homework Due

Read Chapter 18, complete a one-page memo

that describes the design elements and
principles youll integrate into your final draft.

Page 9 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

10/7

Topic: Creating and Using Graphics

Homework Due

Read Chapter 19: Revising & Editing for

Usability
Bring a draft of your technical descriptions to
class

10/10

Columbus Day: NO CLASS

10/12

Assignment Due:

Description/ Definition Assignment

In-Class Group Assignment

Unit 3Schedule
W

10/19

Topic: Beginning Your Groups iFixit Project

Homework

Read: Team Writing (Handout)

Read iFixits Getting Started module
(http://edu.ifixit.com/student-roadmap)
Connect Chapter 3 to the iFixit project, answering
these questions (p. 41):
o Subject. What are you being asked to develop
for iFixit? What are the boundaries of the
project? What are you not being asked to do?
o Purpose. What is the mission of the project?
Why are you being asked to do this? What are
the end results (deliverables) that you are
being asked to produce?
o Readers. Who are your readers? What are their
needs, values, and attitudes? Who will be
evaluating your work?
o Context. What are the physical, economic,
political, and ethical factors that influence this
project? How should you adjust to them?

Page 10 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

10/21

Topic: Writing the Team Charter

Homework

Read Chapter 8: Proposals

Review iFixits Getting Started pages
Connect Chapter 8 to iFixit:

10/24

Study the resources for writing a

proposal on the iFixit pages. Does it cover the
four major areas discussed in the chapter?
Where does iFixit require more or less
information that you would expect in writing a
proposal to them?

Topic: Writing the Proposal

Homework

Research your device, answering these questions:

What device are you be working on?

How much repair information is already
on the internet about your device? Are there
disassembly instructions available? If so, how
good are they and how are yours going to be
better?

What specific problems might you

address on your troubleshooting page?

What specific guides can you write for

your device?
Finalize Team Charter on Google Drive

10/26

Homework

Submit proposal to iFixit by 11:59 pm

Read Milestone 1 (Troubleshooting) and answer
these questions:

What is your purpose in writing the

Troubleshooting page?
What impresses you about the Example
Pages provided?

Page 11 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

10/28

Homework

10/31

11/02

Draft Troubleshooting page

Homework

What content is included? How is it

organized?

Submit Troubleshooting page by 11:59 pm

Homework

Read iFixit Milestone 2 (Device page) and answer

these questions:
What is your purpose in writing the
Device page?
o
What impresses you about the Example
Pages provided?
o
What content is included? How is it
organized?
Read How to Take Awesome Photos
(http://edu.ifixit.com/student-resources) and create a
bulleted list of important tips that you want to
remember for your team
o

11/04

Topic: Taking and Integrating Photographs

Homework:

11/07

Read Chapter 19, complete Exercise #3, page

547

Homework

Submit Device page to iFixit by 11:59 pm

11/09

Topic: Instructions and Documentation

Page 12 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

Homework

Read Chapter 7: Instructions & Documentation

Read iFixit Milestone 3 (repair guides) and
answer these questions:
o What is your purpose in writing Repair
Guides?
o What impresses you about the Example
Pages provided?
o What content is included? How is it
organized?

11/11

11/14

Veterans Day: NO CLASS

Topic: Strategic Planning
Homework

11/16

Read Chapter 12, complete Exercise #2, page 363

Draft repair guides

Homework

Draft repair guides

Submit first repair guide for review/feedback by 11:59

PM

11/18

Homework

Read iFixit Milestone 4, answering the following

questions:
o What are the goals associated with this
milestone?
o What kinds of feedback would be helpful for
you and your team?
o Why is peer review or usability testing an

Page 13 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

important part of technical communication?

o What kinds of feedback do you expect to see
from the iFixit technical writers? From the iFixit
community?
o How does assigning a repairability score for
your device affect end users?
o What are ways that you as an individual can
continue to contribute to iFixit and the repair
community?

11/21

Topic: Preparing and Giving Presentations

Homework

Read Chapter 20: Preparing & Giving Presentations

Watch the assigned TED Talk. As you listen, pay
close to the speakers use of organization, style, and
delivery. Then, based on the chapter reading, answer
these questions:

11/23

What were the speakers strengths?

Did the speaker use any of the opening
moves identified in the chapter? Which ones?
Did the speaker use one (or more) of the
organizational patterns discussed in the
chapter? Which ones?
How did the speaker conclude?

Topic: In-Class Group Activity

*Thanksgiving Recess begins after last class

11/25

Thanksgiving Recess: NO CLASS

11/28

Topic: Revising and Editing for Usability

Homework

Prepare for Usability testing, bringing your

device, tools, and repair guides to class for
peer review

Page 14 of 15

Syllabus: ENL 266-02 Spring 2016

11/30

Homework

Submit Repair Guides by 11:59 PM

12/2

Topic: Activity/Analytical Reports

12/5

Presentations

12/7

Presentations

12/9

Presentations

12/12

Presentations
*Last Day of Class
Due: Team Portfolio and Final Report

Page 15 of 15