Technical Writing Training Course for Engineers

Fall 2015
Instructor

Ms. Cristina Marban

Office Hours

11-12:30pm Mondays and Wednesdays and by appointment

Office Location

General Academic Building 543

Email Address

CristinaMarban@my.unt.edu or marbancrlt@gmail.com

Textbook(s)

-A Guide to Writing as an Engineer

May 3, 2013
By David F. Beer and David A. McMurrey
-Pocket Book of Technical Writing for Engineers & Scientists (McGrawHill's Best: Basic Engineering Series and Tools) 3rd Edition (Use this
pocket book as a guide when you are writing your technical documents.)
-Supplemental readings will be available on Blackboard.

Course Purpose

This course prepares engineers to write technical documents in a

professional manner independently and collaboratively when they go into
the workforce.
This course is required for undergraduate and graduate engineers.

Course Objectives

In this course engineers will learn to:

Assignments

demonstrate clear, concise, and appropriate writing

practice how to plan, draft, and edit documents for use in
professional settings
modify writing to different audiences, purposes, and background
describe and apply the various forms of professional writing,
including professional correspondence, progress reports, proposals,
formal reports, and lab reports
demonstrate application of word processing and graphics software to
create effective technical documents
practice writing collaboratively with other colleagues

The course assignments will help you demonstrate your

knowledge and skills on writing technical documents. Submit your
assignments to Blackboard, or e-mail them to me incase Blackboard is
not working properly by 11:59pm on the due date.
The assignments below include one major exam; one major group project
and the rest are individual projects.

Business Correspondence (memo, e-mail, or letter), 5%

Informal progress report, 5%
Style Exam, 10 %
Instructions, 5%
Proposal Group Project and Individual Reflection, 20%
Feasibility Report, 15%
Formal report, 15%
IMRaD Genre Report, 15 %
Homework and Professionalism , 10%

An overview of the assignments is provided below. I will hand out

a document with more specific instructions about each assignment
and I will also upload them to Blackboard.

Assignment
Style Exam

Business Correspondence

Informal Progress Report

Instructions

Proposal Project and Individual Reflection

Feasibility Report

Short Description
Take the Style exam online on Blackboard and
you will have one week to complete it (MondayFriday) due at 11:59pm on Friday. The exam
will contain short answer questions; you will
identify the problems that are in the sentences
and rewrite the sentences to eliminate the
problems, and revise a few short passages.
Create and send me a professional message
(200-300 words) about your major, career goals,
and your writing experiences in e-mail, memo,
or letter format.
Write an informal progress report (1-2 pages) in
memo format on a project you are working on at
your current workplace to me as if I was your
manager, or I will give you a scenario in case
you are currently not working.
Create clear and concise instructions for a tool,
process, or task. The instructions need to contain
descriptions, visuals, and specifications;
warnings, protection and troubleshooting
advice; any other information the user might
need to use the device, complete the process, or
accomplish the task.
Get into groups of three and create a business
document that outlines the groups plan to solve
a problem for the UNT campus, or local
community. Each group can choose their own
topic, but I will need to accept it before each
group can start working on their proposal
project.
Write an individual reflection (1-2 pages) on the
proposal project.
Create a feasibility report and include a cover

page, table of contents, executive summary,

introduction, methods and criteria selections,
results, and recommendation in your feasibility
report.
I will give you a list of scenarios of a different
client that includes information on a product
your client needs recommended to him or her,
what technology/access they currently have, and
a few personal characteristics. Above all, you
will use this information to research 3 possible
products and then write a report that details your
results and final recommendation. The
recommendation must be feasible and based on
criteria that you establish and evaluate all
potential products against.
Create a formal report that presents and analyzes
the data you collected on a project you are
working on at your workplace, or on an
engineering project you would like to work on.
Create a research question, devise a method of
gathering original data, collect the data, and
write it in IMRaD format
(Introduction/Methods/Results/and Discussion).

Formal Report

IMRaD Genre Report

Homework and Professionalism

Complete assigned readings, homework

assignments, in-class individual or group
activities (participation), the way you behave in
class, and attendance.

Grading Evaluation of Assignments

"A" (90-100%): A manager would be very impressed and would
remember the work when a promotion is discussed. In this course, that
means work that is a pleasure to read, with excellent content, grammar,
sentence structure, mechanics, and visual design. In addition, work is
thorough, complete, coherent, well organized, supported sufficiently,
and demonstrates a superior understanding of audience, purpose, and
rationale.
"B" (80-89%): A manager would be satisfied with the job, but not
especially impressed. This means that documents are well written and
well produced, and demonstrate a substantial addition to the learning
process. Work is sufficiently developed, organized, and supported, and
demonstrates a solid understanding of audience, purpose, and rationale.
"C" (70-79%): A manager would be disappointed and ask you to revise
or rewrite sections before allowing clients and others to see the work. In

other words, the document may have clear, but underdeveloped ideas, or
it might not engage or affect the reader. The documents may contain
some errors in grammar, mechanics, or logic.
"D" (60-69%): A manager would be troubled by the poor quality of
work. This level of work forces the reader to work too hard to
understand the main ideas. The documents may contain incomplete
information, have serious grammar and mechanical problems, lack clear
organization, or are conceptually unclear.
"F" (0-59%): A manager would start looking for someone to replace
you. In particular, work fails to address the tasks of the assignment, is so
underdeveloped as to demonstrate incompetence, and is mechanically
and grammatically incomprehensible. This grade will also be assigned
for any evidence of plagiarism.

Class Policies

You must attend class regularly. I will only allow 3 unexcused

absences before your grade will be affected. After 6 unexcused
absences, I will drop you from the course with a grade of
F.http://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/15.2.5_Attenda
nce%20Policy.pdf
If you come to class more than 15 minutes late, I will count you
absent for that day. However, if you e-mail me an hour before class
that you are going to come to class late for a good reason, I will not
count you absent.
You must have cell phones, tablets, and other electronics turnedoff during class. Please respect your classmates by following this
policy.
Turn off your monitor during class unless I direct you to do
otherwise. Do not hack, surf the net, send/read personal e-mails, or
complete work for other courses during class time. Students who use
the computers during class for anything unrelated to this course will
receive an F for class professionalism for the semester.
I will take 5 points off an assignment every day that it is submitted
late. If you are unable to attend class or turn in an assignment
because of an emergency, please e-mail me before class.
If you do not format, organize, and style arrange an assignment
according to my instructions then that assignment may receive a
grade of F.
You may receive a grade of incomplete only if you are severely ill or
an immediate family member is severely ill. To receive the
incomplete, you must have completed and earned an 80% or higher
on at least half of the course work.
November 2 is the last day for a student to drop a course with
consent of the instructor with either W or WF.
Check your UNT email address for communication from me. I use
only UNT email address to communicate with students.

Acceptable Student
Behavior

Student behavior that interferes with an instructors ability to conduct a

class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and
disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT.
Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the
classroom and you may be referred the student to the Center for Student
Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct
violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for
student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university
and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The
Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr.

Academic Integrity

I follow UNTs policy for academic dishonesty. You can access

these guidelines and the UNT policies at
http://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/pdf/7Student_Affairs-Academic_Integrity.pdf. You are
responsible for knowing and following the student standards
for academic integrity.

Accommodations

Any student who, because of a disability, may require special

arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact me on
the first week of class to make necessary accommodations.
UNTs Office of Disability Accommodations offers a variety of services
but require qualified students to follow an application process. Please
check their Web site for more information on these procedures and their
deadlines.
http://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/6.8.1.2_Americans%20
With%20Disabilities%20Act.pdf
Students needing to miss class due to the observance of an officially
recognized religious holy day are asked to consult with me in advance so
we can schedule missed work accordingly.

Schedule

The course schedule is subject to change during our progress this Fall
2015 semester.

Date

Agenda

Readings Due

August 24

Introduction to
Technical Writing
Training Course for
Engineers; Submit a
short essay on Why
writing skills are
important for
engineers? (100-200

Ch. 1 (David F. Beer

and David A.
McMurrey)

Week 1

Assignments Due

August 26

words to Blackboard.
How to produce
effective engineering
documents that are
clear and concise to
the readers; Audience
Importance

Ch.3 (Beer and

McMurrey)

Week 2
August 31

September 2

Go over half of the

exercises on Ch.2 as a
class; style, grammar,
and language
correctness
Discuss the last half
of the exercises on
Ch.2 as a class; Finish
lecture and activities
on style, grammar,
and language
correctness;
Organizing
information; Business
Correspondence
lecture and the
Business
Correspondence
Assignment and
assessment

Ch.2 (Beer and

McMurrey)

Ch.4

HW: Half of the

exercises on Ch.2
(Submit to
Blackboard before
class)
HW: The last half of
the exercises on Ch.2
(Submit to
Blackboard before
class)

Week 3
September 7
September 9

No Class
Finish business
correspondence
lecture; Individual
activity on evaluating
different samples of
correspondence;
Informal Progress
Report assignment
and assessment

Supplemental reading
on Correspondence

Business
Correspondence
Assignment due
(Submit to
Blackboard on
Sunday September 13
by 11:59pm)

Week 4
September 14

September 16

Lecture on writing
ethics and the ethics
of honest research
Lecture on progress
reports

Ch. 11

Ch. 5

HW: Ch.5 exercises

(Submit to
Blackboard before

class)

Week 5
September 21

September 23

Lecture on
instructions; group
activity on writing
clear and concise
instructions for a tool;
Instructions
assignment and
assessment
Finish working on the
group activity on
writing clear and
concise instructions
for a tool and submit
the instructions to
Blackboard; Lecture
on proposals; group
activity on evaluating
a few proposal
documents and share
findings with the
class; Style Exam
Review

Supplemental reading
on how to write
instructions and how
to write proposals

Supplemental reading
on how to write
proposals

Informal Progress
Report Assignment
due (Submit to
Blackboard on
Sunday September 27
by 11:59pm)

Proposal Project and

Individual Reflection
Assignment and
assessment; the
students will get into
their proposal groups
to introduce
themselves and begin
brainstorming for the
proposal project; short
lecture on feasibility
reports.
Finish lecture on
feasibility reports;
Discuss and evaluate 3
samples of feasibility
reports as a class;
Feasibility report
assignment and
assessment; students
will get into groups of

Supplemental reading
on feasibility reports
and how to collaborate
effectively with other
colleagues.

You can begin taking

the Style Exam on
Blackboard on
Monday September
28 at 7am. The Last
day to take the exam
is on Friday October
2nd due at 11:59pm.

Ch.7

Each group will email

me their topic for the
proposal project on
Sunday October 4 by
11:59pm so I can
accept, or reject it
before each group
begins working on
the project.

Week 6
September 28

September 30

4 and create a
recommendation
report based on a
different scenario due
in class on October 7.

Week 7
October 5

October 7

Work on Feasibility
group report (30
minutes); lecture on
how to deliver a
presentation
individually and as a
group and what to
include in a
presentation
Complete Feasibility
group report and
submit it to
Blackboard; write a
short progress (100200 words) report on
what you have
accomplished on your
instructions
assignment, what you
need to complete, and
submit it to
Blackboard; short
lecture on formal
reports

Ch.9

Finish lecture on
formal reports; Formal
report assignment and
assessment
Lecture on basic
search strategies,
sources of engineering
information, and
internet search tools

Supplementary
reading on formal
reports

Ch. 6

Instructions
Assignment Due
(Submit to
Blackboard on
Sunday October 11
by 11:59pm)

Week 8
October 12

October 14

Week 9
October 19

October 21

Ch.8

Lecture on the IMRaD Supplementary

Genre Report;
reading on the
Analyze the sections
IMRaD report
of the IMRaD report
IMRaD report

HW: Ch. 8 exercises

due before class
(Submit to
Blackboard)

Proposal Project

assignment and
assessment;
Workshop: you can
work on your Proposal
Project and Individual
Reflection
assignment, feasibility
reports, formal
reports, or get started
on your IMRaD
reports

and Individual
Reflection
assignment due
(Submit to
Blackboard on
Sunday October 25
by 11:59pm)

Week 10
October 26

October 28

Optional presentations
on Proposal
Project(The groups
that present will get
10 extra points on the
assignment); Lecture
on how to write an
engineering resume,
cover letter, etc
Finish Ch. 10 lecture;
Ch. 12 Engineering
your online reputation
lecture

Ch. 10

Ch. 12

Feasibility Report
Due (Submit to
Blackboard on
Sunday November 1
by 11:59pm)

Week 11
November 2
(Last day for a
student to drop a
course.)

November 4

Bring your current

resume and cover
letter to class to
evaluate them with a
partner to improve it;
If you do not have a
current resume and
cover letter, you can
evaluate a copy of a
resume and cover
letter that I will hand
out in class
Workshop

Week 12
November 9
November 11

Workshop
Workshop

Formal Report Due

(Submit to
Blackboard on
Sunday November 15

by 11:59pm)

Week 13
November 16

November 18

No class; Come to my
office during my
office hours, or e-mail
me to make an
appointment to ask me
questions about the
assignments, or
feedback on your
drafts of your
assignments
(November 16December 9).
No class

Week 14
November 23
November 25

No class
No class

Week 15
November 30
December 2

No class
No class

Week 16
December 7
December 9

No class
No class

IMRaD Genre
Report Due (Submit
to Blackboard on
Wednesday
December 9 by
11:59pm.)