English 410: 002
Classes meet Fridays from 10:30-1:15 in Innovation 318
Course Description
English 410 (Technical and Report Writing) is an intensive study and practice in various forms of technical writing, including formal and informal reports, proposals, and technical correspondence. Students will write for a variety of audiences, technical and non-technical, within various professional and organizational contexts.
Students in this class will write several short reports, a set of instructions, and one formal recommendation report. In addition, there are several short assignments, including a presentation at the end of the semester.
Text: Houp, Pearsall, Tebeaux, & Dragga. Reporting
Technical Information. 11th edition.
Oxford UP. ISBN 0-19-517879-3.
PowerPoint® chapter notes (from Oxford University Press; will open in new window)
Assignments:
Customer Letter: 10%
Instructions: 10%
Literature Review: 15%
Research Proposal: 10%
Progress Reports (3): 5% each
Peer Review:
10%
Recommendation Report: 20%
Visual Presentation: 10%
Course Policies
Grading: Grades on the essays will be based primarily on the quality of the writing. I value clear, focused writing with plenty of examples. The audience for the essays will vary, but I expect all assignments to be written for a specific audience.
Late Assignments: Late papers will
lose one-half letter grade per day unless you make prior arrangements with
me.
Revision Policy: The essays may be revised for a higher grade,
but they must be substantially revised. You cannot lose a grade by
revising, but a higher grade is not guaranteed. I have found that "B" papers
(or higher) are often more difficult to revise, since serious revision
requires thoroughly changing the essay's structure, and "B" papers
usually have a fairly good structure. "C" papers (or lower) often
respond more dramatically to revision, since the major changes they require
are often more straightforward. I recommend revising "C" papers
or lower only. If you plan to revise a "B" paper, please
see me beforehand so we can discuss a revision strategy.
All revisions must be turned in by December 1st.
Plagiarism: The GMU
Honor code is available online. I will report suspected cases of plagiarism
to the Honor Committee.