Course Schedule
Week 1: What is Technical Writing?
- getting started (course introduction)
- TechJournal 1: Technology & Work
- review of technical writing samples
- writing definitions of technical writing
- TechJournal 2: Technology’s Impact on Language
- creating basic home pages
Week 2: Writing Definitions
- No Class (Sep. 2): Labor Day
- definitions of simple objects
- writing effective definitions
- writing definitions of common college terms
Weeks 3: Graphic Design
- symbols
- graphic design principles
- TechJournal 3: Visual Literacy
- Microsoft Publisher basics
- redesigning ads
- creating web home pages
Week 4: Document Design
- text design principles lecture
- practice work with text design principles (2 days)
Week 5-6: Proposal Writing
- proposal writing lecture (1 day)
- recruitment and Retention Proposal writing (2 days)
- critique of proposals (1 day)
- Technical Writing Project Proposals
- No Class (Oct. 5)
Weeks 7-8: Document Organization & Writing Style
- No Class (Oct. 8)
- Movie Orders 2010
- document organization schemes
- language formality
- readability analysis
- style sheets
Week 8: Instructional Writing
- following simple directions
- advanced real world directions
- directions nightmares
- no assembly required
- critiquing sample directions
Week 9: The Campus Directions Project
- planning campus directions project
- writing and revising campus directions
- posting campus directions
- No Class (Oct. 26): EAPSU Conference
Week 10: Career Services Site/Project Work
- walking campus directions paths
- register for IUP career services site
- TechJournal: best jobs
- discuss best jobs
- Project Work Day
- memo writing
- project memo creation
Week 11: Goal Setting & Resumes
- career planning
- critiquing sample resumes
- effective resume design
- student resume critiques
Week 12: Writing Job Application Letters
- critiquing sample job application letters
- techniques for writing job application letters
- student job application letter critiques
- schedule individual Project Review Meetings to discuss evaluations of Technical Writing Project
Week 13: Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 19 Mon. – Nov. 23 Fri.
- No Class
- work on Technical Writing Project
Week 14: Project Delivery & Copy Editing
- performance reviews
- copy editing discussion
- copy edit Technical Writing Projects
- Full Technical Writing Project Draft Due (Nov. 30)
Weeks 15: Project Review Meetings
Dec. 3 Mon. – Dec. 7 Fri.
- Individual Meetings to check progress of Technical Writing Projects
Week 16: Final Meetings
Last Regular Class Day
Dec. 10 Mon.
- writing effective project cover letters
Final Exam Meeting
Dec. 12 Wed. (10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
- final project due
- course online evaluation
- project class luncheon
- Project Delivery Letter Due