English 3153

Technical Writing
Overview
From the most basic lab report to medical aftercare instructions, from
museum displays to airplane safety guidesin English 3153, students learn
to analyze and produce technical documents across a variety of settings.
In particular this course will take a user-centered design research
approach to writing for science, workplace, and consumer settings.

Goals

Learn to produce technical communication genres,

Learn to respond to the rhetorical situations of professional settings,
designing documents in specific ways for specific audiences,
Learn the basics of scannable document design,
Learn to translate technical information to non-technical
audiences,
Learn how to run a usability test and research users,
Learn to work, write, and present collaboratively.

Instructor: Dr. Will Kurlinkus

E-Mail: wkurlinkus@gmail.com
Website: english3153a.wordpress.com
Office: Cate 2, Room 338
Office Hours: TR 3-4:30 or Ask

Materials

Rocket Surgery Made Easy

Technical Communication: A
Reader-Centered Approach

Notebook
Other readings made
available online for free

Assignments
1. Application Packet: 15%
2. Instructions Set: 20%
3. Grant: 20%
4. Usability Test: 35%
5. Journals: 10%

Tips

Attendance, Participation, Late Work

Attendance is vital to your ability to understand course material. Each
unexcused absence after two will result in the lowering of your assignment
grade by a letter grade for that unit. Six unexcused absences will
automatically result in failing the course. There will be an attendance sheet
passed around each day of class. It is your responsibility to sign it each day.
Late submission of a final assignment will result in the deduction of a 20%
penalty up until a week. After a week you will receive 0%.

Access
Students requiring academic accommodation should contact the Disability
Resource Center for assistance at http://www.ou.edu/drc/home.html Any
student who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully
demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally ASAP so we
can discuss accommodations to ensure full educational opportunities.

Digital Readings
You will be required to purchase a digital version of Paul Andersons Technical
Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach from the Cengage website as
posted on the course blog.

Technical Writing

1. Attend All Classes

2. Ask Questions
3. Come to Office Hours
4. Imagine the texts you produce in
this class as writing samples for a
future career.

Journal Expectations
Each day I expect you to jot, sketch, or quote
something in your journal about one of our
readings. I might also ask you to write
something specific in your journal as an
activity.
Once a week, you will create an easel.ly
infographic summarizing something weve
read, done, or learned.
I will collect and grade journals/info-graphics
on a random day once a unit. Make sure they
are complete and dated.

Introduction
T 1.17





R 1.19

1. When Patients Read What Their Doctors Write;

2. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229818;

In Class: Rhetoric, tech writing, and user-centeredness


Create infographics
1. "What are the Work Patterns of Technical Communicators?" Bill Hart-Davidson
2. User-Centered Document Design: Dual Streams, Headings, and Bullets:
http://www.copyblogger.com/scannable-content/
3. Read, find follow up, and summarize 1 of these articles:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/italian-scientists-get/; Clear as Mud; Chocolate Milk; Pill
Bottle.

In Class: Practice scannable practices; scannability and resumes;


Introduce Assignment 1

Unit 1: Application Packet

T 1.24

How to Get a Job. Philip Kolin: 159-174.

In Class: Job search discussions; finding and analyzing job ads; CV production;

R 1.26



T 1.31

1. Obtaining a Job. Paul Anderson: Chapter 2: Read 22-45 (beginning to cover letter)
2. Read and Grade Resume examples based on readings

In Class: Resume production; analyzing resumes; visual rhetoric

R 2.3

1. Going to an Interview. Kolin: 205-212;

2. Email reading s1, 2, 3, and 4
2. Follow-Up reading

In Class: Interviews and follow ups; E-Signatures; professional Emails; LinkedIn

T 2.7

Editing and Formatting Workshop

R. 2.9

[DUE]: Peer Review. Draft of 1 resume and 1 cover letter

1. Writing Your Job Application Letter. Anderson: 46-58 (cover letter onward)
2. Read and Grade Resume examples based on readings

In Class: Cover letter production; analyzing cover letters; showing vs. telling

Unit 2: Instruction Set

T 2.14

Reader-Centered Instructions. Anderson: Chapter 27

In Class: Lego Group instruction creation; comparing types of instructions
Introduce Assignment 2

R 2.16




T 2.21

[DUE]: Assignment 1

1. Cooper: The Postmodern Space of Operator's ManualsDifficult Reading.

2. Tierny: The Dilemmas of Maker Culture;
3. The Makers Bill of Rights;

In Class: Lego Instruction test; Theory of instruction sets and parts
1. Ilama Creating User Personas
2. Read and Grade Instruction Examples based on readings and powerpoints

Due: Bring in a user-persona for your proposed instruction set

In Class: Instruction set design theory



R 2.23
T 2.28

Scavenger Hunt: In Teams Redesign/Create Public Instructions Day: Culture Jam

Workshop: usability test an instruction set

[DUE]: Peer Review. Draft Due

R 3.2

Unit 3: Grant Unit

T 3.7

1. Listen to Radiolab Colors and 9-Volt Nirvana. (For more, listen to Space, Falling, or Emergence)
2. Listen: Euala Biss on Anti-Vaccination
http://www.fastcompany.com/3041381/strong-female-lead/why-women-are-ditching-stemcareers-and-how-to-change-it
http://www.wired.com/2015/08/qcamp/
http://www.aauw.org/2015/11/09/princess-or-geek/
In-Class: Be prepared to talk about a misconception or problem in your field

R 3.9



T 3.14
R 3.16

T 3.21

[DUE]: Assignment 2

1. Grant Reading 1: Bryson

2. Grant Sample 1: Bryson

In Class: Introduce Assignment 3


No ClassSpring Break
No ClassSpring Break
1. Finish Grant Workbook Part 1: Bryson
2. Writing Reader-Centered Proposals. Anderson: Chapter 23
In Class: Grade Sample Grants

R 3.23

T 3.28

1. Finish Grant Workbook Part 2: Bryson

Museum Field Trip Meet at Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural HistoryFill-out activity sheet.

R 3.30

[DUE]: Peer Review

Unit 4: Usability Test

T. 4.4


R 4.6

1. Usability Test Report Example 1

2. Web Design Principles 1: Beyond Task Completion

1. Rocket Surgery. Steve Krug: 13-37.

2. Top 5 Web Design Mistakes Small Businesses Make
3. Web Design Principles 2

In Class: Introduce Assignment 4; web design principles

T 4.11


R 4.13




T 4.18

[DUE]: Assignment 3
1. Rocket Surgery. Krug: 39-61;
2. IDEO Methods Cards
In Class: Web design principles and analysis; user-centered methods; creating scenarios; Studio
Time
1. Rocket Surgery. Krug: 63-89 and 147-153;
2. Creating Communications with a Team. Anderson: Chapter 18

In Class: User-centered methods beyond usability tests; Teamwork tips; Studio Time
1. Rocket Surgery. Krug: 91-119;






R 4.20



T 4.25

2. Writing Reader-Centered Empirical Research Reports. Anderson. Chapter 24

In Class: Lab reports parts and common errors 1; Studio Time

[DUE]: Assignment 4.1

1. Rocket Surgery. Krug: 121-132.
2. Memos. Kolin: 133-141.

In Class: Lab reports part 2


Creating and Delivering Listener-Centered Oral Presentations. Anderson: Chapter 19

In Class: Studio Time

[DUE]: Assignment 4.2

R 4.27

T 5.2

In-Class Studio Time

R. 5.4

In-Class Studio Time

[DUE]: Group Presentations and project 4.3

Final Report Due: Midnight by Exam Day