COMM 2020 Syllabus 1

Technical Writing COMM 2020

Professor: Christine Pryce

Email: Christine.pryce@georgiancollege.ca
Phone: (705) 728-1968, ext. 6292
Drop-in: Webex Meetings Thursdays 12- 1 p.m.
https://georgiancollege.webex.com/georgiancollege/j.php?MTID=m3379b6074ab216a4d24363e
6482a4831

This course takes place entirely online, within the course shell on Blackboard. The 13 units in
include: Powerpoint slides, assigned textbook readings, supplemental readings, and evaluation
components. In this course there are a variety of online assignments that will require weekly
submissions.

Blackboard will be the main course-shell for Technical Communications COMM 2020.
Be sure to check E-mail and the following Blackboard sections on a regular basis throughout the
semester:
1. Announcements
2. Grade Center
3. Weekly Learning (Readings, lecture slides, Assignments, practice exercises, etc.)
4. Assignment

Contact Policy
Students are invited to send an e-mail message for the quickest response. I check my email
several times throughout each weekday (Monday-Thursday) and guarantee a response within
48 hours. No guarantees on 48 hour responses to weekend e-mails. If you send an e-mail on
Friday, you can expect responses before noon the following Monday. Also, I will be available
for one-on-one meetings during our weekly drop-in hour.

E-mail Etiquette
When sending an e-mail, please use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Include a
concise and clear description of the message in the subject line. Do not forget to address who
you are writing to (“Hello Christine or Professor Pryce”) and sign your email so I know who is
writing me.

More emailing tips:

• Check the course materials (e.g., the syllabus, Assignment instructions, faculty
information, etc.), to see if the answer is already provided
• Avoid using informal salutations and/or language
• Be sure to include your course section number (e.g. 500) ideally in the subject heading,
as well as, your full name and/or your student number at the end of your message
• Proof read your email to make sure you are being courteous and you are clear about the
information you are requesting
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 2

• Send your email well in advance of when a response is required

• Follow-up within two day if a response has not been received

Required Text
Writing in the Technical Fields: A Practical Guide (2nd Edition), Oxford University Press, Thorsten Ewald
ISBN-10: 019902149X
ISBN-13: 9780199021499

Recommended Text
 American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association  : the official guide to APA style (Seventh
edition.). American Psychological Association. ISBN 978-1-4338-3217-8 (Spiral)

Or
 APA Writing & Citing Guide, Georgian College. Retrieved from
https://library.georgiancollege.ca/citing

Textbooks are available at the Georgian College Bookstore. For more information about
the text book click on the Course Information link on Blackboard

For more options and information about the text book click on the About Course link on Blackboard

Course Outline
For a copy of the course outline please click on the Course Information link on
blackboard or visit the following link: www.georgiancollege.ca/course-
outlines/COMM/2020#

Syllabus Addendum
Please read the VPA-Protocol-05 Syllabus Addendum.pdf in the Course Information link
for important information regarding Emergency Evacuation, Lockdown, Sexual
Violence Procedure and Protocol, and Unscheduled Campus Closures.

Weekly Course Work

To access the Powerpoint slides or supplemental course material, click on “Weekly Learning”
link, and the appropriate weekly folder. There will be short answers, true-and-false quizzes,
and other assignments that you will need to complete for each week.

Powerpoint slides will introduce the readings and important concepts relating to the topic of
the week. The slides and assignments for each week will be posted on the scheduled Monday
by 8 a.m. unless otherwise indicated. More details regarding the schedule will follow.
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 3

Academic Integrity
The protection of academic integrity necessitates the appropriate use of reference materials.
Copying material from an article without using an in-text citation is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a
very serious academic offence. For more details, see Academic Rights and Responsibilities and
Academic Misconduct of the Academic Policies section in the Georgian College calendar.

Rules of the Game

1. In order to be successful, you must complete readings and assignments
weekly. I have included lecture notes and a reading schedule to help you keep
up-to-date (see below).
2. All tests and assignments must be submitted by the assigned date and time—late
submissions will not be accepted.
3. If you miss a test or assignment with no prior assignment deferral arrangements,
and have no documentation, you will receive a mark of ‘0’.

Assessment Descriptions and Submission

Below is information about evaluation and assignment submissions over the course of
the semester. The due date for submissions is usually Sunday at 11:59 p.m. unless
otherwise indicated on the semester schedule. Please note: Assignment submissions
through e-mail are not permitted and will not be accepted.

What are due dates?

Within this course, there are due dates to help you manage your schedule and keep
coursework from piling up. Due dates are the date on which assignments falls due. Due
dates and times are firm, there will be no extensions, and assignments will not be
accepted past their due dates and times. I have created a Blackboard calendar that tells you
the correct due dates and times. Please ignore other dates that may pop up on Blackboard .

Make up tests and major assignments deferrals are only permitted for documented
medical/family emergency situations or conflicting religious observance schedules. In
all cases documentation must be provided. In the case of religious grounds, students
must inform me within the first two weeks of the semester.

Please do not miss submitting your assignment and expect to reschedule the due date;
consideration of emergencies will occur only before due dates. If you cannot meet a
deadline and do not let me know, you will receive a mark of zero (0) for the assignment.

Or, in cases where the emergency happens on or slightly before the due date and time,
and you are able to provide medical/family emergency documentation, you should
immediately contact me to reschedule.
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 4

Assignments
In this course there are a variety of online assignments with instructions. All assignment
will be submitted through blackboard. You usually have 1 week to complete weekly
assignments from the day they are accessible on blackboard.

Major Assignment
You will be given access to major assignments 2-3 weeks in advance. Further
instructions for each assignment will be provided throughout the course.
Assignments are due on the dates and times specified. If you have an emergency before
a due date, please email me; usually we will be able to reschedule the due date for your
assignment.

Quizzes
There will be multiple-choice and True/false quizzes consisting of 10 or more
questions. Each quiz will assess your understanding of one week’s worth of material.
Think of these as “pop quizzes” you might get in class that are designed to check your
reading of the chapter and slides. Quizzes have a 20-30 minute time limit. Although
you may use your text during the quiz, please be aware of the time limit, which will
make it unlikely you will do well on the quiz unless you have prepared.

You will have from Monday at 8am to Sunday at 11:59pm to complete the quiz for that
week on Blackboard. All quizzes may be included in your final grade for the class. No
make-up quizzes will be permitted.

Group and Discussion Assignments

No extensions are allowed for group and discussion assignments.

Evaluation Schedule

Tests (25% of final grade)

1 Final Test 10%
8 Quizzes 15%
Major Assignments (50% of final grade)
Eportfolio Assignment 25%
Learning Activities (25% of final grade)
Weekly assignments (Due weekly) 40%
Participation Marks—Discussion Board 10%

Unofficial student grades are posted on Blackboard in the Grade Center section, and
your grade percentage in the course is best reflected under the Weighted Total column.
Learning Activities
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 5

In each weekly folder under the Weekly Learning section, in the Learning Activities
file, will contain readings, videos, articles, and assignments.

Important Technical Information for Submitting Assignments

Everything you complete for this class must be in the correct format in order to be accessed.
Your computer must possess software compatible with the College’s systems (Microsoft Word
2003, 2007 or 2010).

If you use another program (e.g. Wordperfect), you can choose to use the College’s computers,
located in the Library Commons (by appointment only) to complete and submit assignments.
OR you can save and submit your files in a .doc file, .docx or pdf document.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are submitting assignments and tests that can be
open and read by your instructor. Questions regarding technical aspects of the course should
be directed to IT (705-728-1968, x 1732), not your professor.

Semester Schedule
Below is the schedule for the semester. The schedule includes weekly topics, required readings,
a list of quizzes, text Chapters and major evaluations. Other weekly assignments will be
assigned on Blackboard as the semester progresses. Please note that
submission/completion deadlines for assignments and tests is Sundays at 11:59 p.m. Any
exception to this rule is marked red on the schedule.

Wk Week Topic Reading Evaluation and Due √

of… Dates
00  Introduction to Chapter 1-Pages 5 Bonus Assignment
Technical and 6 Syllabus Quiz (Bb)
Communication
1 Sept 14  Technical Chapter 1 (cont’d) Timeline Assignment 1 (5%)
Communication Appendix C Page Quiz 1 Due: Sept 20 @
Goals 297 11:59 p.m
 Ethical
responsibilities
2 Sept 21 • Recognize, Notes and video Quiz 2 Due: Sept 27 @
analyze, and provided 11:59 p.m.
accommodate
diverse
audiences
 Reader-centered
Research
3 Sept 28  Routine Chapter 5  Quiz 3
Correspondence  Steps 1 and 2
eportfolio
Due: Oct 04 @ 11:59 p.m.
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 6

4 Oct 05 • Concise Chapter 2 Quiz 4

sentences Appendix A Page Due: Oct 11 @ 11:59 p.m.
• Word choice, the 269 and
professional Appendix B Page
voice, Mechanics 284
and Conventions Glossary Page303
5 Oct 12 • Technical Chapter 3  Quiz 5
Paragraphs  Steps 3 and 4
• Section and eportfolio
chapter Due: Oct 18 @ 11:59 p.m.
organization
6 Oct 19 • Collaborative Chapter 8  Quiz 6
writing  Steps 5 eportfolio
• Document Due: Oct 25 @ 11:59 p.m.
control
7 Oct 26 • Notices, Chapter 12  Quiz 7
Definitions and  Steps 6 eportfolio
Descriptions Due: Nov 01 @ 11:59 p.m.

Nov 2-6 STUDY WEEK! None None

8 Nov 09 • Technical Chapter 6 & 7  Step 7 Eportfolio
Reports and  Eportfolio Assignment
Documents Due: Nov 15 @ 11:59 p.m.

9 Nov 16 • Instructions, Chapter 13 Quiz 8 Due: Nov 22 @ 11:59

Policies, p.m.
Procedures and
Manuals
10 Nov 23 • Layout—lists, Chapter 4 & 10 Instruction Manual
Graphics, Graph, Due: Nov 29 @ 11:59 p.m
Diagram and
Visuals
11 Nov 30 • Marketing Chapter 14 Information Architecture
Intelligence Due: Dec 06

12 Dec 07 • Peer Evaluation Script Presentation

• Critical Reflection Assignment and Peer
Evaluation
Due: Dec 13

13 Dec 14 • Final Test Online Test (10%)

Critical Reflection
Due: Dec 18
Note: The weekly schedule is tentative, and it could be adjusted as we proceed through the
course. Be sure to check the Learning Activities and Assignments Due Dates on Blackboard
and on the Calendar.
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 7

It is recommended that you retain a copy of this syllabus for your records, especially for use in
support of applications for employment, or for credit transferability reasons amongst post-
secondary institutions.

Netiquette Policy:
 In online courses, it is very important for every student to engage in appropriate and
respectable communications and interactions. I request that you all use your best
professional judgment at all times and follow basic netiquette practices.

Remember that your online comments will be seen by other students and the instructor
so keep all posts and dialogue related to the course and the specific task at hand so that
it is contributing to the class.

 Avoid negativity. You are encouraged to challenge ideas and content but you should
always remain positive and polite and treat others how you would want to be treated.
Avoid making emotional, outrageous, or sarcastic remarks online.

Keep in mind that writing can often convey the incorrect tone or intention, and try to
avoid misunderstandings by writing clearly. Profanity or offensive comments will
absolutely not be tolerated. ALL CAPS and repeated punctuation (???? or !!!!) should
always be avoided.

 An online class may seem more informal than your face-to-face class, but this is still an
academic course and professional communication is expected. Correct spelling and
grammar are required, and proper sentence structure and punctuation should be used
at all times. If you post work that uses outside material, be sure to reference your
sources.

Learning Online
Taking online courses and using the Internet offer students more flexibility and freedom to
adapt their learning to their needs, time constraints, and lifestyle.

Both technical and learning skills are important to ensure success in an online environment.

Technical Skills
 Be comfortable working with computers;
 Be able to manage and store files on your computer so that information is readily available
and doesn’t “disappear”;
 Possess a good knowledge of the Internet and be able to use software such as Internet
Explorer and Microsoft Word with relative ease;
 Have access to a computer and internet access that is reliable.
 COMM 2020 Syllabus 8

Again, your computer must possess software compatible with the College’s systems. This
means Microsoft Word. If you are using another program (i.e. Wordperfect) or a MAC
computer, you can submit your files as a PDF.

You can find tools to help improve your learning skills in the Success Strategies section.

Learning Skills
In addition, you must develop or have the personal attributes that are necessary for successful
online learning. Among these attributes are the following:
 You must be able to work independently: you will have no teacher standing over you
prodding you to answer questions or hand in your assignments.
 You must possess a high degree of self-discipline: even if you don’t “feel” like working you
must have enough motivation to spend several hours a week on course work. This course
will require approximately 5 hours of work per week.
 You must be well-organized and be able to manage a fairly complex workload without
difficulty.
 You must be able to read and write with relative ease (all the work in the course is text-
based and involves a lot of reading and writing).
 You have a genuine interest in the subject. Taking an online course simply because it’s the
best of a bad lot won’t provide you with the necessary motivation to be a contributing class
member.

If you are committed to doing well, you can be successful and enjoy your experience in this
course.

 Welcome to Technical Communication Online! 