WR 227Z Technical Writing

Lecture Hours: 4
Credits: 4

WR 227Z introduces students to producing instructive, informative, and persuasive technical/professional documents aimed at well-defined and achievable outcomes. The course focuses on presenting information using rhetorically appropriate style, design, vocabulary, structure, and visuals. Students can expect to gather, read, and analyze information and to learn a variety of strategies for producing accessible, usable, reader-centered deliverable documents that are clear, concise, and ethical.

Prerequisite: WR 121Z, WR 122Z, or BA 214; or consent of instructor. (All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.)
Student Learning Outcomes:

Apply key rhetorical concepts through analyzing, designing, composing, and revising a variety of deliverable documents for technical/professional contexts.
Engage in project-based research, applying appropriate methods of inquiry for clearly defined purposes (e.g., user experience research and client/organization research).
Collaborate with various stakeholders to develop and apply flexible and effective strategies for managing projects.
Develop and adapt document design and composition strategies to meet the demands of diverse clients, organizations, and multicultural audiences.
Examine and respond to individual and professional ethical responsibilities across organizational contexts.
Navigate norms of format, style, citation, and other context-specific conventions

Statewide General Education Outcomes:

Read actively, think critically and write purposefully and capably for academic and, in some cases, professional audiences.
Locate, evaluate and ethically utilize information to communicate effectively.
Demonstrate appropriate reasoning in response to complex issues.

Content Outline
Introduction to Technical Writing

Definition of technical writing
Objectivity versus subjectivity
Ethical considerations
Practicality - essential, accurate, timely information
Purpose: information, recommendation, instruction, definition, process analysis
Collaboration
Document design and format

Document Design and Usability - Making Effective Use

Computer technology
Specific, concise language
Lists (bullets, numbers)
Parallel constructions
Appropriate diction
Organizational and sequencing techniques
Visual elements (tables, figures)

Avoiding Common Technical Writing Errors

Ambiguity
Redundancies
Offensive or inappropriate usage

Report Writing

Instructions, narration, process
Description
Definition
Summaries/abstracts
Proposals/feasibility studies
Research with documentation
Formal
Informal (including email)

Research and Information Literacy

Determine nature and extent of information needed
Access relevant information (print and electronic)
Evaluate information and its sources
Integrate research with appropriate documentation