English 322: Technical Writing
Course Assignments--Fall
2007
Dr. Gian Pagnucci
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occasionally fall behind in updating this page. It is therefore highly
important that you attend class regularly in order to get the most
current assignments which I always discuss at the end of each class
session.
Current Assignment(s)
Final Project Deadlines & End
of Semester Schedule
Dec. 3-7
in Sutton 355 (Dr. Pagnucci's office)
-
Individual Project Review Meetings
- Meetings will be held in Sutton
355 not our regular classroom
- Bring $2 for our Business Luncheon
- If you did not turn in your job
application materials yet, please bring them to your project review
meeting
Dec. 10 Mon.
on your own
- Last Regular Class Day
- No meeting
- Use this time to work on final
revisions to your project
Dec. 12 Wed. (10:15
a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)
in Leonard 213 Computer Classroom (our regular classroom)
- Final Exam Meeting
- Final Project Due
- Bring $2 for our Business Luncheon
(don't get labeled a freeloader!)
- Class wrap up activities (no
written exam)
Course Unit
Assignments
Week
1
Assignment: Technical Writing
Sample
due Aug. 29 Wed.
Find a 1 page example of something you
believe to be technical writing:
- Type a paragraph
explaining why you selected this sample.
- Make enough xerox
copies of your sample and your explanation
for all class members and the instructor (about 15 copies).
Assignment: None
for Aug. 31
Fri.
- No assignment due for this coming class.
Week
2
Sep. 3 Monday
Labor Day
NO CLASS
- No regular class meeting.
- No assignment due for this coming class.
Assignment: Definitions
of Terms
due Sep. 7 Fri.
- Pick 3 complicated terms
related to your major.
- Write an elaborated definition for
each of these terms. Use the most basic characteristics and
categories to define these terms.
- Use the
Basic Definition Pattern
of:
- X term is a category Y with
characteristics A, B, and C.
- IUP is a university which is
public and state funded.
- Include illustrations if needed to
help define your terms.
- Each of your definitions should be
about 1 full paragraph in length for a total of 3
paragraphs for the 3 definitions.
Week
3
Assignment: Get a Magazine
due Sep. 10 Mon.
- Bring a magazine to class with you.
We'll be analyzing graphic images in class, so bring along a magazine to
use as a resource. Don't worry, we won't be cutting up the magazine!
(And yes, that really is all you have to do for this assignment:
remember to bring some type of magazine along with you to class.)
Assignment: Magazine Ad Review
due Sep. 12 Wed.
Find two ads, one that follows a basic
graphic design principle and one that breaks one of the main graphic
design principles. Label the pages for these ads and be ready to
discuss what you found in class.
Week
4
Assignment: Graphic Ad Redesign
due Sep. 17
You will need to select 1 poorly designed ad
for this assignment.
- Find 1 ad that has
poor graphic design. Make a xerox of this original ad to turn in
(or tear the original out of your magazine; make sure the magazine
belongs to you and not someone else!). Do NOT use the ad you were
working on in class. Find a different ad to redesign.
- Redesign this ad to
make it better:
- It is preferable to use
Microsoft Publisher to create your redesigned ad. Publisher
is available in many of the campus computer labs, though not
all of them.
- If you
can't get access to Publisher, try working in Microsoft
Word. Another option is to make a xerox copy of your ad, cut
it apart, then paste
it back together using your redesigned
format.
- Print out a copy of your
redesigned ad.
- Type an explanation
why you made your various changes to the original
poor ad.
- Turn in the original ad, your
redesigned ad, and your explanatory page. Make sure you put your
name on all three items.
Assignment: Poorly Formatted Text Examples
due Sep. 21 Fri.
- Find 3 examples of text that is
poorly formatted
- To figure out the problems with
your text examples, refer to the following guidelines:
- Make sure the examples are mostly
text (rather than graphics)
- On a separate sheet of paper, type
the following:
- your name
- a title and brief description for
each problem document you found
- for example: English Department
Agenda (information for department meeting on Jan. 31st)
- after each item name, type an
explanation of what formatting problems you see in each example
Week
5
Assignment: Textual Redesign
due Sep. 24 Mon.
The goal of this
assignment is to see how well you can put into practice
the rules of effective page design that we’ve been
talking about in class. To complete this first project,
follow the steps outlined below:
1. Click the link below to pull up a poorly designed textual example:
2. Copy and paste the sample text into
Microsoft Word.
3. Next reformat the text by applying the principles of
effective textual design we discussed in class.
4. On a separate page, type a list of the improvements
you made to the original text. List these improvements in
an organized fashion.
5. When you are finished, turn in both pages (your
redesigned text example and your explanatory
page).
Assignment: None
for Sep. 26
Wed.
- No assignment due for this coming class.
- We'll be working on the
Recruitment and Retention Proposal writing project collaboratively
in class.
Assignment: None
for Sep. 28
Fri.
- No assignment due for this coming class.
- We'll be working on the
Recruitment and Retention Proposal writing project collaboratively
in class.
Assignment: None
for Oct. 1
Wed.
- No assignment due for this coming class.
- We'll be working on the
Recruitment and Retention Proposal writing project collaboratively
in class.
Week
6
Assignment: Technical Writing Project Proposal
due Oct. 3 Wed.
NO CLASS
on Oct. 5 Fri. & Oct. 8 Mon.
Dr. Pagnucci has to give 2 conference
presentations which will take him out of town. So there will be NO CLASS
on Oct. 5 and Oct. 8.
Week
7
Assignment: Technical Writing Project
Background Research
due Oct. 10 Wed.
Find 3 models of projects similar to
your own project. On a sheet of paper to be turned in, type the
following information:
- Technical Writing Project
Background Research
- Your Name
- Model #1, #2, or #3 (record the
information below for each of your 3 models)
- Title of model
- Brief description of the model
- Web address for the model if
applicable
- 3 elements of the model which you
could make use of for your project
- 2 elements of the model you will
want to avoid with your own project
Assignment: Technical Writing
Project Introductory Statement
due Oct. 12 Fri.
- Write a 1 page of Introduction/Overview
for your Technical Writing Project. Your introduction should be 2
to 4
paragraphs long and should explain the purpose of the document,
who it is intended for, what's in the document, and how the
document should be used. In other words, this is the first thing a
person will read when they visit your web site or open your
manual. It's the welcome statement. Be sure to pick a writing style suitable to your audience.
For instance, a Stock Accountant's Guide would probably have a
very serious, business style, whereas a Day Care Center
Information Handbook for Parents would probably be written with
light, happy style. (We'll be discussing writing style more in
class.)
- Email the Introduction to yourself
or save it on a USB flash drive. Bring this electronic version of
your Introduction to class. We'll be doing some
electronic analysis of your writing during class.
- Also bring a printout of your
Introduction to hand in.
Week
8
Assignment: Continue Working on
Technical Writing Project
for Oct. 15
Keep doing work on your Technical Writing
Project.
Assignment: Technical Writing
Project Style Sheet
due Oct. 17
- Create a Printed Style Sheet or Web Style Sheet
for your Technical Writing Project depending on whichever format
you are working in:
- Be sure to include a sample
paragraph in your style sheet and give the readability statistics
for this sample paragraph so that it will be clear what type of
writing style you want for your project
- Revise your sample paragraph as
necessary so that the statistics match the grade level and
readability level you want for your document (revise so you get the
correct language style, whether you are after a casual, moderately
formal, or highly formal style)
Week
9
Assignment: Technical Writing
Project-Instructional Writing
due Oct. 24
- For your Technical Writing Project, write up
one set of instructions for doing some task/procedure that relates to
the project
- If you project does not require this
sort of instructional writing, then pick a process/procedure related
to your major and write instructions for doing that process/procedure
- Bring a printed copy with you to
class so we can critique it
Assignment: Campus Directions Project Team
Meetings (No Regular Class)
for Oct. 26
There will be no regular class meeting for this day. Instead your
assignment is to use our regular class time to meet with your team
and post your Campus Directions Project materials:
- Arrange a time for your team to
meet and walk the path of your directions project.
- Check your directions for
accuracy.
- Make necessary corrections to your
directions. They will be evaluated in part based on accuracy.
- Once you have edited your
directions, post 3 copies of both your directions and your
quotes.
Week
10
Assignment: The Campus Directions Project
BEFORE class on Oct. 29
This can be a really fun project, but
it really sucks when people don't do their share and forget to post
their part of the directions. PLEASE be responsible and get your
materials posted correctly BEFORE class time.
Write directions for navigating
among the buildings you've been assigned by your team.
- Print 1 copy of your directions to
turn in; make sure your name is on this copy.
- Post 3 envelopes at each
location your team has assigned you (each envelope should contain
a part of your quotation and a set of directions to the next clue).
You need to post enough copies for all the other teams in the class
to try out your directions.
- People who have not posted their
assigned envelopes will be penalized!
- Make sure your team brings 3
copies of its starting set of directions to class. Make sure every
team member has a copy of the starting directions. It's a good idea
to email the starting directions to all team members. Do not allow
your team to get derailed because the team member with the starting
directions was sick! Make sure you have backup copies of the
starting directions (and make sure ALL the other directions
get posted before the class meeting)!!!
- Bring an umbrella with you to
class if it
looks like rain because you will be walking and following the
other teams' clues during class.
Assignment: Continue Working on
Technical Writing Project
for Oct. 31
Keep doing work on your Technical Writing
Project.
Assignment: Continue Working on
Technical Writing Project
for Nov. 2
Keep doing work on your Technical Writing
Project. Bring a draft of your project with you to work on it in
class.
Week
11
Assignment: Progress Report
due on email by Nov. 5
- Please prepare a progress report
that updates me on how your Technical Writing Project is going. You
can send me your progress report on email once you complete it:
Assignment: Resume Draft
due Nov. 5 Wed.
- Create a rough draft of your
resume:
- Include as much information as
possible
- Use only real information (do
NOT make anything up)
- If you already have a resume,
that's great; just look it over and add to or revise it as
necessary
- Make 16 copies of your
resume so that you can give a copy to every member of the class
(16 copies are required)
Assignment: Continue Working on
Technical Writing Project
for Nov. 9
Keep doing work on your Technical Writing
Project. Bring a draft of your project with you to work on it in
class.
Week
12
Assignment:
Job Application Letter
due Nov. 14 Wed.
Write a Job Application Letter
for a real job advertisement.
- Base the letter on your own real
background (don't make anything up)
- You can write a letter to apply
for
- an entry level job (the type
of job you might apply for when you graduate from IUP)
- a Graduate Assistantship or
Teaching Assistantship position (the type of job you might apply
for in graduate school)
- an internship or co-operative
experience
- a campus job
- a summer job
- any other type of real job to
which you might want to apply
- do not select a job for
which you are not qualified (in other words, don't try to apply
for a Vice President job which requires 10 years of work
experience; go after a job you would have a chance of getting
once you graduate)
- Make a copy of the Job
Advertisement
- Make 2 copies of your job
application letter to bring to class
for peer review
Technical Writing Project
Work Day
NO CLASS
for Nov. 16 Fri.
- Use class time to
work on your Technical Writing Project
- No regular class
meetings
Week
13
Thanksgiving Break (NO Class)
for Nov. 19-23
- Use class time to
work on your Technical Writing Project
- No regular class
meeting
Week
14
Assignment:
Working Copy of Technical Writing Project Draft
due Nov. 26
Mon.
- Keep working on your Technical
Writing Project
- Bring a current draft (either
printed or stored online) of your Technical Writing Project to class. We'll
be doing critiques of these drafts in class.
Assignment: Job Application
Packet--Final Version
due Nov. 28 Wed.
Revise all your job application
materials based on the class lectures and your peers comments. You
will need to turn in the following Job Application Packet:
- your resume
- a job advertisement
- a job cover letter applying for the
job in the advertisement
Treat these as REAL job
application materials. Appearance counts! Points will be deducted for
crumpled or badly printed pages. In the real world, sloppy looking
application materials usually end up in the waste basket!
Assignment:
Working Copy of Technical Writing Project Draft
due Nov. 28
Wed.
- Keep working on your Technical
Writing Project
- Bring a current draft (either
printed or stored online) of your Technical Writing Project to class. We'll
be doing critiques of these drafts in class.
Assignment: FULL Technical Writing Project Draft
DUE Nov. 30 Fri.
Final Project Deadlines & End
of Semester Schedule
Dec. 3-7
in Sutton 355 (Dr. Pagnucci's office)
-
Individual Project Review Meetings
- Meetings will be held in Sutton
355 not our regular classroom
- Bring $2 for our Business Luncheon
- If you did not turn in your job
application materials yet, please bring them to your project review
meeting
Dec. 10 Mon.
on your own
- Last Regular Class Day
- No meeting
- Use this time to work on final
revisions to your project
Dec. 12 Wed. (10:15
a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)
in Leonard 213 Computer Classroom (our regular classroom)
- Final Exam Meeting
- Final Project Due
- Bring $2 for our Business Luncheon
(don't get labeled a freeloader!)
- Class wrap up activities (no
written exam)
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