General Engineering 661.630.

01
Improving Writing and Communication Skills for Scientists and Engineers
Spring 2021 (3 credits)
Instructor
Amanda Hilliard: ahillia5@jhu.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:00am – 12:00pm EST: https://wse.zoom.us/j/2863996211
Thursdays 10:30am – 12:00pm EST: https://wse.zoom.us/j/2863996211
***Please make an appointment for office hours through Google Calendar.
***Other times available by appointment. Please send an email or Slack message to schedule.
Teaching Assistant
Aniket Borole: aborole2@jhu.edu

Office Hours: Fridays 10:00am – 11:00am EST: (passcode: 3W7YgA)

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/81612632901?pwd=R0xOeHpUK0x0WGkvRUp3TXE2UGpzdz09
***Other times available by appointment. Please send an email or Slack message to schedule.
Class Meetings
Thursdays, 1:30 – 4:15 EST: https://wse.zoom.us/j/98274440277
Textbooks
Physical or Digital Copy Required: Writing Science: How to Write Papers that get Cited and Proposals that get
Funded by Joshua Schimel
o ISBN: 9780199760244
Physical or Digital Copy Required: Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, 2nd
Edition by Garr Reynolds
o ISBN: 9780321811981 (https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_5725247)
Physical or Digital Copy Required: Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020
o ISBN: 9780358074298

Online Resources
Please log in to Blackboard for additional materials related to this course.

Course Information
Few scientists, engineers, or economists think of themselves as professional writers, but in truth, working
professionals spend much of their days preparing reports, grants, email, proposals, presentations, and meetings.
Your communication skills – both written and oral—will determine how far and how fast you can build a
successful, interesting career in any industry or academic setting.

This course is designed to help engineers and scientists improve their communication skills in an immersive,
practice-intensive environment that includes simulation in a wide variety of scenarios, formats, and venues.
Throughout the semester, students will work on polishing a journal article or dissertation chapter while
simultaneously learning how to translate their research into a magazine article for a wider audience. Students will
also learn how to use that same material in a variety of public speaking modalities—job interviewing, department
talks, networking sessions, spontaneous “elevator pitch” opportunities, and other relevant scenarios. The course
emphasizes developing clarity, becoming more emotionally intelligent, honing a main message, developing

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effective slides, improving delivery skills and confidence, and translating technical expertise to a wide variety of
audiences.
Course Goals
Students will learn how to:
 Understand the role of metaphor in science and utilize metaphor to communicate specific concepts
 Analyze the needs, purposes, and expectations of your audience
 Identify the main message and craft an appropriate, “sticky” narrative for both written and spoken
contexts
 Write clear and concise documents for diverse audiences.
 Understand and apply principles of visual design to craft effective presentations for diverse audiences.
 Edit and revise your own work for clarity and readability
 Deliver and respond to feedback effectively.
 Tailor a CV and cover letter to fit a specific job listing.
 Apply effective communication strategies to job interviews and networking events
 Translate your research into writing and presentations that appeal to a wider audience
 Reflect on strengths/weaknesses as a communicator.

Course Topics
 Research and publication process
 English grammar, punctuation, and mechanics
 Principles of clear writing
 Public speaking and presentations
 Presentation visuals and document design
 Personal documents and communication skills for seeking employment/networking

Grading____________________________________________________________________
You will complete the following assignments this semester, aiming to familiarize you with different aspects of
scientific communication. All assignments and readings for this course with due dates will be posted on
Blackboard.

Assignment Points % of Grade

Audience Analysis 50
Written
Journal Article – Rough Draft and Final Draft 175
Assignments 50%
Scientific Magazine Article – Rough Draft and Final Draft 125

Job Application Materials 100

Final Course Reflection 50

Leading a Discussion 50
Oral 40%
“Elevator Pitch” on Your Research 50
Assignments
Department Talk 100

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 Alumni Talk under Worst-Case Scenarios 100

TEDx Talk 100

Participation Weekly BB Discussion Posts 50 10%

and Attendance
Participation 50

Grade Scale:
A = 94% or higher; A- = 90-93%; B+ = 87-89%; B = 84-86%; B- = 80-83%; C+ = 77-79%; C = 74-76%; C-= 70-
73%; D+=67-69%; D = 64-66%; D- = 60-63%; F = 59% or lower.
Course Expectations & Grading
The grades I assign to your work this semester reflect how successfully you have completed an assigned task.
Grades are not a measure of your potential as a scientist or your worth as a person. If you have any questions
about your grades after having carefully considered the feedback on your work, please do not hesitate to speak
with me during office hours.

 All assignments should be submitted via Blackboard/Turnitin unless otherwise noted. You are responsible
for ensuring your submissions to Blackboard are successful.
 Please note: I expect in-text citations (using numbers or parenthetical references) and a reference list for
assignments whenever you are discussing ideas/concepts that come from class readings and outside
sources. References do not count toward the word/page limit.

Late work
Assignments handed in at any time after the date and time stated on the assignment sheet will be penalized by
10% for each calendar day late, including weekends. No late work will be accepted more than a week after
the due date.

Extensions are available on request with proper justification and documentation. Please submit a written request
(hard copy or electronic) for an extension to me at least 48 hours before the assignment is due.

Written Assignments:________________________________________________________
Audience Analysis (5%)

For this assignment, you will choose a specific journal and scientific magazine you would like to write for. You
will analyze the journal and magazine’s audience and writing guidelines in preparation for writing your journal
and magazine article described below.

Journal Article – Rough Drafts and Final Draft (17.5%)

For this assignment, you will write a 4,000 - 5,000 word article for submission to a specific scientific journal of
your choosing. The article should follow the journal’s author guidelines, appeal to their audience, and be written
in a clear, academic style.

Magazine Article – Rough Drafts and Final Draft (12.5%)

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For this assignment, you will revise your article and make it accessible for the readership of a specific scientific
magazine. The article should be around 1,500 – 2,000 words, appeal to the magazine’s audience, and be written in
a clear and approachable style for the magazine’s readership.

Job Application Materials (10%)

For this assignment, you will be asked to research an academic job and to create a set of application materials for
it. This will include a cover letter, CV, and any other relevant materials required by your listing. We will use these
materials to stage “mock” interviews in class.

Final Course Reflection (5%)

For this assignment, you will reflect on what you learned in this course and how it applies to your academic and
professional career. You will also create a plan for continuing to apply the concepts from this course to your
writing and speaking skills in the future.

Oral Assignments____________________________________________________________
“Elevator Pitch” on Your Research (5%)

For this assignment, you will create a 60-90 second “elevator pitch” to sell yourself and your research. This is the
type of pitch you could use to introduce yourself at conferences, presentations, or networking events. Your pitch
should include at least one metaphor to make your research more comprehensible to a wider audience outside
your specific field.

Leading a Discussion (5%)

For this assignment, you will select an article from The Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology and
lead your peers in a discussion about the ethical, social, or cultural aspects it explores. You should also discuss
how the article uses storytelling and appeals to a wide audience.

The Department Talk (10%)

For this assignment, you will create a presentation that would be suitable to give to your entire department at
JHU. This speech should be addressed both to the experts in your same field and to other well-known
scientists/engineers who are experts in closely related fields but who may have little to no knowledge about your
specialized area of research.

The Alumni Talk with Worst Case Scenarios (10%)

For this assignment, you will revise your department talk and make it accessible for alumni/donors of JHU. The
goal of this presentation is to make your research scintillating, relevant to real world applications and experiences,
and easy-to-digest. Above all, you want to give these influential alumni/donors the impression that your research
is valuable and will help sustain JHU’s world-class image.

Shortly before you give your speech, you will draw a random scenario that will determine a worst-case set of
conditions you must endure while giving your speech. These could include a fire drill, a lack of slides, an
annoying expert, or other relevant interruption.

TEDx Talks (10%)

For this assignment, you will be asked to create your own short TED Talk based on the popular speaking series
archived online at http://www.ted.com. You need to pick an “idea worth sharing” about science or engineering.

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Your goal is to appeal to well-educated adults who are interested in STEM-based ideas and to attract young
people into studying STEM subjects at school.

Other Assignments_____________________________________________________
Participation/Attendance (5%)

This will be a dynamic, interactive course where you will be expected to be present and engaged during every
class session, talk frequently in class, give thoughtful feedback to your peers, reflect authentically on your own
progress, and pay full attention. In addition to participating in class, you should attend at least 2 office hours or
one ESL consultation to discuss your work outside of class time.

Blackboard Discussion Posts (5%)

To help prepare for our class, you will participate in weekly discussion forums on Blackboard. You should reply
to my original questions by Sunday and to a classmate’s ideas by Wednesday. In other words, you should post at
least 2 times each week.

Course Policies and Expectations___________________________________________

Attendance
Class attendance is mandatory. Your grade will be lowered by 5% for each absence after one (1). Furthermore,
if you do miss a class, it is your responsibility to make up missed work immediately and get any missing
documents provided by the instructor. If you must be absent on a peer review day, you must make arrangements
with me in advance to complete your peer review requirement outside of class. It is never the instructor’s
responsibility to remind you of the work you missed or to ask you for missing assignments. If you have a special
situation, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.

Participation & Zoom

It is necessary for the success of every student in this class to participate as much as possible in the classroom
activities of this course. Come to class ready to speak and to listen respectively. Since classes are conducted
through Zoom, you must have your camera on during the entire class. If your camera is turned off, I will
assume that you are not in class and mark you absent for the day. Classes on Zoom will be recorded and shared
with the class, so make sure that you are dressed appropriately. If you have a special situation that prevents you
from having your camera on during class, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.

Classroom Climate
I am committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives
that all students bring. Everyone here has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. I believe fostering an
inclusive climate is important because research and my experience show that students who interact with peers
who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. This will
remain true for your post-collegiate careers. Please join me in creating a welcoming and vibrant classroom
climate. Note that you should expect to be challenged intellectually by me, the CA, and your peers, and at times
this may feel uncomfortable. Indeed, it can be helpful to be pushed sometimes in order to learn and grow. But at
no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or
unseen part of their identity.
If you ever have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you
seek accommodations or resources, I invite you to share directly with me or the TA. I promise that we will take
your communication seriously and to seek mutually acceptable resolutions and accommodations. Reporting will

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never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with the department chair (Pam
Sheff, psheff@jhu.edu), the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion (Darlene Saporu, dsaporu@jhu.edu), or
the Office of Institutional Equity (oie@jhu.edu). In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as
possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).
Ethics
The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and
truthful; you must not misrepresent yourself falsely in any document you prepare or presentation you give, and
you must cite any other person’s ideas, images, diagrams, or other relevant material. Other ethical violations
include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices,
unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic
dishonesty, and unfair competition. Report any violations you witness to me immediately.
If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating, you will most likely receive an automatic “F” as your final grade in the
course. The incident will also be reported to the Ethics Board, and you may be expelled from the university.
You can find more information about university misconduct policies on the web at this website:
http://e-catalog.jhu.edu/grad-students/graduate-specific-policies/

Personal Wellbeing

If you are sick please notify me by email so that we can make appropriate accommodations should this affect
your ability to attend class, complete assignments, or participate in assessments. The Student Health and Wellness
Center is open and operational for primary care needs. If you would like to speak with a medical provider, please
call 410-516-8270, and staff will determine an appropriate course of action based on your geographic location,
presenting symptoms, and insurance needs. Telemedicine visits are available only to people currently in
Maryland. See also https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/student-life/student-outreach-support/absences-from-
class/illness-note-policy/
The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Call Center (JHCCC), which can be reached at 833-546-7546 seven days a week
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., supports all JHU students, faculty, and staff experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Primarily
intended for those currently within driving distance of Baltimore, the JHCCC will evaluate your symptoms, order
testing if needed, and conduct contact investigation for those affiliates who test positive. More information on the
JHCCC and testing is on the coronavirus information website.
All students with disabilities who require accommodations for this course should contact me at their earliest
convenience to discuss their specific needs. If you have a documented disability, you must be registered with the
JHU Office for Student Disability Services (385 Garland Hall; 410-516-4720; http://web.jhu.edu/disabilities/) to
receive accommodations.

Students who are struggling with anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health related concerns, please
consider connecting with resources through the JHU Counseling Center. The Counseling Center will be providing
services remotely to protect the health of students, staff, and communities. Please reach out to get connected and
learn about service options based on where you are living this fall at 410-516-8278 and online at
http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/counselingcenter/.
Student Outreach & Support will be fully operational (virtually) to help support students. Students can self-refer
or refer a friend who may need extra support or help getting connected to resources. To connect with SOS, please
email deanofstudents@jhu.edu, call 410-516-7857, or students can schedule to meet with a Case Manager by
visiting the Student Outreach & Support website and follow “Schedule an Appointment”.

Family Accommodations Policy

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You are welcome to bring a family member to class on occasional days when your responsibilities require it (for
example, if emergency childcare is unavailable, or for health needs of a relative). Please be sensitive to the
classroom environment, and if your family member becomes uncomfortably disruptive, you may leave the
classroom and return as needed.

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to February 5, 2021. They may drop courses up to March 7, 2021 provided they
remain registered for a minimum of 12 credits. Between March 8 and April 16, 2021, a student may withdraw
from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with
a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and then withdrew from the course.

For more information on these and other academic policies, see https://e-catalogue.jhu.edu/engineering/full-time-
residential-programs/undergraduate-policies/academic-policies/grading-policies/

The Writing Center

The Writing Center offers undergraduate and graduate students free, individual conferences with experienced
tutors, all of whom are trained to consult on written work in the humanities and social sciences. The Writing
Center welcomes all Johns Hopkins students in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School
of Engineering. A complete listing of the Writing Center’s services is available on this handout:
http://krieger.jhu.edu/writingcenter/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2015/09/Writing-Center-welcome-handout.pdf
Help for Non-Native Speakers
The CLE/PCP offers free, weekly ESL help for all JHU undergraduate students and WSE graduate students.
Their consultants can help you work on grammar, accent reduction, idiomatic expressions, cultural confidence,
and other aspects, and you are welcome to continue using the service as long as you are a student at JHU. You can
find out more information about the program and schedule an appointment through the CLE’s website here:
https://engineering.jhu.edu/cle/programs-minors/esl-consulting/

Contacting Me
If you cannot meet with me during office hours, you may email me at ahillia5@jh.edu, send me a message
through Blackboard, or text me through Slack and expect a response within 24 hours on course-related matters.
Reserve email and texting for questions that can be given brief (and therefore prompt) answers. I cannot respond
to drafts of your writing through email; this is the purpose of office hours and ESL consultations, and you should
feel free to schedule appointments with me as you desire.

When coming to office hours, please be prepared to guide the discussion by directing us to specific issues you’d
like to focus on. To be respectful of your time, I have made it possible for you to sign up for specific
appointments in advance through Google Calendar.

Class Schedule
(WS = Writing Science; PZ = Presentation Zen; BB = Blackboard)
***Readings/videos and assignments are due BEFORE class for each day listed.
***Schedule is subject to change. All changes will be announced in class and through course announcements.

Date Topics Readings Due Assignments Due

Th 1/28 Course Introduction Course Syllabus

Unit 1: Telling a Story

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Th 2/4 Science as Storytelling, WS pp. 3 – 7 “Writing in Science” Due: “elevator pitch”
Metaphor in Science WS pp. 8 – 15 “Science Writing as Storytelling” of your research
BB reading: “On the Problem and Promise of
Metaphor Use in Science and Science
Communication”

Th 2/11 Audience and Purpose WS pp. 189 – 194 “Writing Global Science”
PZ pp. 231 – 252 “Connecting with an Audience”
BASNW Article

Th 2/18 Making a Story Stick WS pp. 16 – 25 “Making a Story Stick” Due: Audience
PZ pp. 77 – 93 “Crafting the Story” Analysis
BB Video: Garr Reynolds “Why Storytelling Matters”
BASNW Article

Th 2/25 Story Structure and WS pp. 26 – 34 “Story Structure”

Presentation Visuals PZ pgs. 131-185, “Presentation Design: Principles and
Techniques”
PZ pgs. 187-209, “Sample Visuals: Images & Text”
BASNW Article

Th 3/4 The Opening and WS pp. 35 – 49 “The Opening” Due: Department

Challenge WS pp. 58 – 66 “The Challenge” Talk with ppt
PZ pp. 253 – 279 “The Need for Engagement”
BASNW Article

Th 3/11 Action and Resolution, WS pp. 67 – 82 “Action” Due: Rough Draft of

Journal Article Peer WS pp. 83 – 94 “The Resolution” Journal Article
Review Class PZ pp. 215 – 230 “The Art of Being Completely
Present”
BASNW Article

Unit 2: Presentation and Writing Style

Th 3/18 Organizing Sections WS pp. 95 – 103 “Internal Structure” Due: Alumni Talk
and Paragraphs WS pp. 104 – 111 “Paragraphs” with Worst-Case
BASNW Article Scenarios

Th 3/25 Basics of Clarity and WS pp. 112 – 123 “Sentences” Due: Rough Draft of
Grace WS pp. 124 – 132 “Flow” Magazine Article
BASNW Article

Th 4/1 Editing and WS pp. 145 – 157 “Words” ***Bring revised

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 Proofreading, WS pp. 174 – 179 “Putting it all together: Real rough drafts of
Peer Review Class Editing” journal article and
BASNW Article magazine article to
class.

Unit 3: Communicating with a Wider Audience

Th 4/8 Science for the Public, WS pp. 195 – 203, “Writing for the Public” Due: Final Draft of
Job Interviews and PZ pp. 115 – 130, “Simplicity: Why it Matters” Journal Article and
Networking BB: “The Lies We Tell During Job Interviews” Magazine Article
BASNW Article *** Bring two job
postings to class

Th 4/15 Multimedia and Online BASNW Article Due: Job Application

Communication, Materials
Interview/Networking
Practice

Th 4/22: Spring Break Day (No Class)

Th 4/29 Presenting for the Due: TEDx Talk

Public

Exam No final exam will be given during the final exam Due: Final Course
Days: time slot, but the final reflection is due. Reflection
May
5-13