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This schedule represents the ideal outline for our study this semester. Yet, like all best-laid plans, we will probably not be able to keep up with our agenda. Please be flexible and try to look and read ahead whenever possible. We will do our best to stick by this schedule, but we will inform you verbally whenever there is a change in or an addition to an assignment. Getting these updates is solely your responsibility. Therefore, this syllabus is tentative and subject to change contingent upon the needs of the students and the professors, and dictated by time and other constraints which may affect the course. This syllabus reflects only an overview of the assigned reading and other major course assignments. It does not indicate other specific class session assignments or activities.
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Week 1, Meeting 1: August 24
- Course introduction
- 202
- Technical and technological literacy
- The state of technical writing today
- Visual rhetoric; subject, purpose, and audience
- Homework: Introduction; read Turkle “Forward” (Haynes and Holmevik ix); familiarize yourself with this web site and its resources; read Selber “Technical Writing in a Technological Age”
Week 1, Meeting 2: August 26
- Begin discussing Selber
- Tile
- LitMUSE Introduction
- MOO session
- Homework: Read Barrios and Wilkes-Gibbs “How to MOO without Making a Sound” (HH 45)
Week 2, Meeting 3: August 31
- Discuss Selber, Barrios, and Wilkes-Gibbs
- HTML and CSS
- Homework: Read Castro Introduction (13-22), skim chapters 1 through 12 (23-220) and take notes. You might want to begin working on your own web site following Castro’s tutorials, or find another tutorial; see assignment 3.
Week 2, Meeting 4: September 2
- Discuss Castro
- HTML Lecture and Workshop (bring whatever you may have started on disk)
- Homework: Read Castro Chapter 13 (221); continue to read Castro for reference (Chapters 3-12); Assignment 2
Week 3, Meeting 5: September 7
- Discuss Projects
- HTML Questions
- MOO Questions
Week 3, Meeting 6: September 9
Week 4, Meeting 7: September 14
- Discuss Bruckman and Schweller
- Homework: TBA
Week 4, Meeting 8: September 16
- Library Research Day. No class meeting, but an assignment will be forthcoming.
- Homework: Assignment 4
Week 5, Meeting 9: September 21
Week 5, Meeting 10: September 23
- HTML: Meta Tags
- Homework: Assignment 5; read Castro Chapter 10
Week 6, Meeting 11: September 28
- HTML: Intro to Frames
- Homework: MOO Report. Visit a MOO other than LitMUSE and explore for a while keeping two goals in mind: (1) what can I learn here that will help me construct my space for my audience in LM; (2) how effective is this MOO in communicating to an audience? what is that audience? what rhetorical methods does it use to speak? Write a one-page memo addressing your observations. Due Thursday, printed on paper.
Week 6, Meeting 12: September 30
Week 7, Meeting 13: October 5
Week 7, Meeting 14: October 7
Week 8, Meeting 15: October 12
Week 8, Meeting 16: October 14
- Research Day
- Assignments 2-8 due before mignight tonight
Week 9, Meeting 17: October 19
- Discuss Project 2
- Group Organization
- Homework: Find five job ads for technical writers — bring to class 10/26
Week 9, Meeting 18: October 21
- Discuss Assignments 1-8
- LitMUSE Server Accounts
- log in
- home directory
- TinyFugue
- tech directory
- Homework: Assignment 9
Week 10, Meeting 19: October 26
- Application Letters
- Homework: Begin working on a letter of application that addresses one of the job ads for found for today’s class. Due 10/21
Week 10, Meeting 20: October 28
- Web Site Critiques
- Homework: Assignment 10; eat candy and have fun for Halloween
Week 11, Meeting 21: November 2
- Letter Workshop
- Group Work
Week 11, Meeting 22: November 4
- Instructions
- Homework: Assignment 11; Find at least two different instruction manuals and bring them with you to class on 11/9.
Week 12, Meeting 23: November 9
- Instruction Manual Exercise
- Homework: Begin working on a résumé. Due 11/16
Week 12, Meeting 24: November 11
Week 13, Meeting 25: November 16
- Résumé Workshop
- Homework: TBA
Week 13, Meeting 26: November 18
Week 14, Meeting 27: November 23
Week 14, Meeting 28: November 25
Week 15, Meeting 29: November 30
Week 15, Meeting 30: December 2
- Assignments 9-15 due before midnight tonight
- Wrap Up
- Show off projects; final projects due before midnight, 12/7
- Pizza
Week 16, Meeting 31: December 7
Week 16, Meeting 32: December 9
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