Schedule
Instructor:
Cathlena Martin
Section: 1743
Times: MWF 5(11:45-12:35)
Classroom: Turlington 2354
Email: cathlena@ufl.edu
Office: Turlington 4413 or Image Lab on the 5th floor of Rolfs
Hall
Office Hours: Period directly following class or by appointment
Mailbox: Turlington 4th floor
Class Website: www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cmartin
Class Gradebook: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/~cmartin/gradebook/
Class Listserv email: s05-1743@clas.ufl.edu
sign up on the class listserv by emailing s05-1743-request@clas.ufl.edu
with "subscribe" in the body text
Week 1: 1/5-1/7
Block 1
Course overview; what is tech writing?;
Assignment: Markel chapters 1 & 15
Block 2
Student introductions; discuss chapters 1 & 15, rhetorical approach,
and memo format
Assignment: Read Markel chapter 3; introductory memo; sign up on class
listserv by Sunday night 9PM by emailing s05-1743-request@clas.ufl.edu
with "subscribe" in the body text. Then follow the instructions
on the reply email.
______________________________
Week 2: 1/10-1/14
Block 3
Introductory memo rough draft DUE
Discuss chapter 3;
Assignment: Read Markel chapter 16; Find and bring in an example of
a possible job or classified listing
Block 4
Introductory memo DUE
Quiz; discuss chapter16 and introduce job application package;
brainstorm about possible target jobs
Assignment: Begin brain storming what needs to be included on your personal
resume
Resume
Help from the UF Career Resouce Center
Block 5
Discuss job examples students found. Discuss Resume superstructure and
guidelines; relevancy and memorableness.
Assignment: Read Markel chapter 21
_______________________________
Week 3: 1/17-1/21 (MLK Day 1/17—No Classes)
Block 6 & 7
Guest lecturer from the CRC on resume
Assignment: study samples in Markel and packet
Block 8
Lecture on cover letters (review chapter 16).
Critique packet samples in technical writing handbook;
prep for writing workshops
Assignment: Markel chapters 10 & 11, Williams Lessons 3 & 7
________________________________
Week 4: 1/24-1/28
Block 9
cover letter and resume rough drafts due
Writing workshop for resume and cover letter
discuss Markel chapters 10
Writing Helps
Assignment: work on the first draft of your
job application packet
Block 10
QUIZ over the reading
Complete drafts for job application package DUE
Writing workshop for memo
Discuss Markel chapters 11, Williams lessons 3 & 7
Assignment: polish job application packet. Monday you will turn in the
three parts, plus the introductory memo I handed back, in a pocket folder.
DO NOT staple the letter, resume and memo together. This will be due
at the beginning of class.
Block 11
No class
Assignment: polish job application packet; read pages 55-73 in the Technical
Writing course packet (not Markel and not the Style book)
___________________________________
Week 5: 1/31-2/4
Block 12
Job application package DUE: grading rubric
for job application
Quiz
Discuss writing for cases using example of Farnsworth case
Introduce case studies and the Four Oaks
Assignment: read packet information on Four Oaks case study (85-94),
you will complete Assignment 4 on page 94 in the packet over the next
two weeks
Block 13
Go over Farnsworth step by step
Discuss Four Oaks case
Assignment: re-read Four Oaks case and think specifically about audience
Block 14
Discuss Four Oaks case
Role play about rhetorical situation and invent for recommendation report
Assignment: read Redish et al. article in packet
______________________________________
Week 6: 2/7-2/11
Block 15
Accessibility; setting the context
Discuss examples of good and bad accessibility:
VW
Gardening
W-4
Video Game Walkthroughs, FAQs
User Friendly
Manual
Assignment: Markel chapters 18 & 19; work on draft of Four Oaks
proposal based on the format presented in Chapter 19: A Formal Recommendation
Report
Block 16
Rough draft due
Report Superstructure and Guidelines; peer review with rough drafts
Assignment: Get together with your group/partner or email each other
your Four Oaks assignment. Finish the peer review by class time Monday.
You may just email papers and comments back and forth with your group
or physically meet together to do the peer review.
_______________________________________
Week 7: 2/14-2/18
Block 17 - Happy Valentine's Day (no class)
Assignment: polish Four Oaks proposal/informal report; email me if you
have any questions regarding the Four Oaks case.
Block 18
Four Oaks report DUE; Four Oaks grading
rubric
introduce Heated Sidewalk case
Assignment: read packet information on Heated Sidewalk case
Block 19
No class due to Transforming
Encounters conference. You are welcome to come hear me present on
children, science and video games from 11:30 to noon instead of coming
to class, but I understand if you just want to take the day off.
_______________________________________
Week 8: 2/21-2/25
Block 21
Discuss rhetorical situation and ethical dilemma related to Heated Sidewalk
case
Invent for letter/memo
Assignment: read Williams Style chapter on Ethics and Markel chapter
2
Block 22
Discuss Ethics of technical communication
Assignment: Work on rough draft
_________________________________________
Week 9
2 /28-3/4 SPRING BREAK—NO CLASSES
_________________________________________
Week 10: 3/7-3/11
Block 23
Rough Draft DUE
Writing workshop for Heated Sidewalk assignment
Assignment: Polish Heated Sidewalk assignment
Block 24
Heated Sidewalk assignment DUE; sidewalk
grading rubric
introduce proposal and instructions assignments; proposal superstructure
and guidelines
Assignment: read Markel chapter 17
Block 25
No class
Assignment: read Markel chapter 4
_________________________________________
Week 11: 3/14-3/18
Block 26
Problem statement exercise; invent for introduction and problem sections
Assignment: Markel chapter 13 & 14
Block 27
Invent for solution and management sections; designing and integrating
visuals
Block 28
Attend one panel or keynote speech of Playing
the Past Conference instead of today's class
Assignment: Markel chapters 7 & 8
_________________________________________
Week 12: 3/21-3/25
Block 29
Coherence/cohesion
Block 30
Proposal due; review instructions assignments; instructions superstructure
and guidelines
Assignment: Markel chapter 20
__________________________________________
Week 13: 3/28-4/1
Block 31
Task analysis; invent for step-by-step and troubleshooting sections
Block 32
Document design and visuals (focus on figures)
Assignment: packet; Markel chapter 13 (review)
__________________________________________
Week 14: 4/4-4/8
Block 33
Thumbnail sketches and grids
Block 34
Grids due; verbal and visual clarity; legal and ethical considerations
Assignment: study samples in Markel and packet
Block 35
Critique samples
_____________________________________________
Week 15: 4/11-4/15
Block 36
Instructions due; self and peer evaluations; introduce user testing
Assignment: Markel chapter 10, exercises 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Block 37
User testing; groups invent user test guides
Block 38
Invent user test guides
Assignment: user tests
______________________________________________
Week 16: 4/18-4/20
Block 39
User test reports due; discuss revision
Block 40
Revision of instructions due; course evaluations
______________________________________________