Course Requirements
Summer A 1998 (Section 1)

REQUIRED TEXT:
  • Lannon, John M. Technical Writing. Seventh Edition. New York: Longman, 1997.

RECOMMENDED TEXT:
  • Castro, Elizabeth. HTML For the World Wide Web. Second Edition. Berkeley: Peachpit, 1997.
This course's activities center around four major components:
For individual due dates, see the Syllabus. These major components, plus the others listed below, will be weighted as follows in determining students' final grades:

    Class Participation10%
    Class Assignments30%
    HTML Portfolio20%
    Group Project20%
    Final Exam20%
    Table 2: Grade Weights
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
Specific, weekly assignments are available on the Syllabus. There will be a minimum of two written assignments due each Friday of the course. The weekly conference will serve as a forum for evaluation and revision. Students must present all assignments professionally: word-processed, free of extraneous marks, and well-written.

HTML PORTFOLIO
Each student is required to construct and keep up-to-date an HTML Portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio will be to present yourself to a prospective employer by including the information below. Students may construct their class homepages in a format of their choosing, but they must be aware of aesthetic and stylistic concerns and include the following:
 Portfolios will be graded by content, organization, and aesthetics in that order of importance. This component of the course will require a strong familiarity with the World Wide Web. "Browsing" and "surfing" are integral for students to gain a knowledge of HTML aesthetics and design; this endeavor must begin immediately and should be continued independently and aggressively throughout the portfolio's development. A full multimedia page is encouraged.

Web design, like any other creative undertaking, requires a specific literacy and competency which should be displayed in each portfolio's design. An excellent starting place is The Kalamazoo Portfolio.

GROUP PROJECT
Develop a set of instructions that pertains to a particular product that the group chooses; this product may be invented by the group, but all products must be approved by me. As a minimum, your set of instructions will include the following subject headings:

  • Introduction
  • Theory or principles of operation
  • List of equipment and materials needed
  • Mechanism description
  • Warnings (these may be scattered throughout)
  • How-to instructions

In the course of fulfilling this assignment, address your audience as non-technical, render a consistent format, and write a mimumum of five hundred words (this requirement will remain flexible). Any illustrations must either be computer-generated or hand-drawn in ink. Include your rough draft and its critique.

Your group should decide on a medium of presentation: either a traditional paper document or a hypertext format (HTML or PDF).


CLASS PARTICIPATION
Regular class attendance and active participation in classroom discussion, class listserv, and group activities are required. Some assignments will occasionally count for participation: peer editing and other similar activities. Additional assistance can be obtained from the instructor during office hours or by appointment.

Listserv, MUDs, MOOs, and DAEDALUS: Various form of electronic discourse will be utilized by the class. Participation in the class listserv, MUD and MOO meetings, and Daedelus interchanges will be required. Specific assignments dealing with each of these activities will be prompted by the instructor, usually in class. See Listserv for directions on subscribing.


FINAL EXAM
The final will be a cumulative exam based primarily on class discussions, assignments, and reading. A more detailed explanation will be forthcoming.


ENC 2210



 25 May 1998; 2.0