Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	09/13/2024
Top Code	060700 - Technical Communication
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S),  Pass/No Pass (B)

Course Description

Technical Writing introduces students to professional communications for subjects and careers that may include vocational trades, business, health and medical, the sciences, computing, gaming, and more. Participants compose and edit reports, descriptions, instructions, specifications, memos, and other documents. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Produce informational documents, covering multiple subjects and careers, that are clear, precise, organized, grammatically correct, and audience-oriented.
2. Evaluate, interpret, and summarize technical readings from varied genres, modes, industries, and academic subjects.

Course Objectives

• 1. Design and produce communications tailored to audiences who have diverse educational, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds along with varying levels of expertise.
• 2. Expand technical definitions for non-technical audiences.
• 3. Edit documents for clarity, grammar, usage, style, and mechanics.
• 4. Read and comprehend technical information from a variety of genres, modes, industries, and academic disciplines.
• 5. Construct a logical outline of a technical document.
• 6. Write using expository modes such as definition, classification, causal/process analysis, description, report, memo, letter, feasibility study, proposal, and specification.
• 7. Design an effective format and layout for a technical document.
• 8. Determine a suitable writing style for the occasion that considers audience, document layout, diction, sentence and paragraph structure, and visuals, among other factors.
• 9. Gather and apply researched information that is appropriate for an academic subject or professional field, as demonstrated by reading and analyzing documents and citing sources correctly.
• 10. Analyze data and other information to support effective decision-making.
• 11. Define, design, and compose processes specific to an academic discipline or occupation.

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Lecture Content

Formats and writing styles for technical and professional communications APA, MLA, CSE, and other style guides as needed for vocational trades, business, health and medical, science, computing, gaming, and other disciplines and occupations Documentation of sources Primary vs. secondary sources In-text citations Audience analysis Communicating with diverse, multicultural readers Readability Document design Outlining Bullet points and numbering Section headings, headers, footers Table of contents Dynamics of collaborative work Researching Critical reading and interpretation of technical materials Summarizing Keywords Plagiarism and intellectual property Cycle of creation and revision Brainstorm Gather data Plan Write Proofread Edit Revise Editing Sentence-level and paragraph-level organization Precision Active vs. passive voice Clarity Grammar Punctuation Diction Tone Suggestive vs. definitive terminology Incorporation of graphics Tables, diagrams, and graphs Legal and ethical matters in technical and professional communications Copyright law Section 508 compliance overview Abstract and Executive Summary Technical writing modes and genres Research article vs. review article White Paper E-mail and memo Technical report Social media writing overview Description Description of screensho t for digital forensics Classification Instruction Causal/process analysis Specification (specs) Proposal Feasibility study Other modes particular to students' academic disciplines or occupations Publication process overview

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)
• Text, One Way (61)
• Video one-way (ITV, video) (63)

Instructional Techniques

Deliveries that appeal to different learning styles will be used to teach Technical Writing, including lectures, group work, and peer-editing. Instructor will assign reading and writing tasks. Instructor will assess learning with feedback and rubrics for writings, quizzes, and exams.

Reading Assignments

Students read technical and non-fiction texts, including selections from the course materials and passages from varied disciplines and trades.

Writing Assignments

Students write and rewrite sentences and paragraphs as they produce memos, descriptions, reports, and other technical documents.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students complete reading and writing assignments for homework.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Students' technical writing on the sentence and paragraph levels will display systematic, ordered thought, and will use evidence as support.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Technical Writing instructors assign sentence-level exercises and extended paragraphs that culminate in memos, descriptions, process analysis reports, and other technical modes and genres. Writings are marked for precision, clarity, punctuation, grammar, and organization. There may be both graded and ungraded assignments.

Eligible Disciplines

English: Master's degree in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR bachelor's degree in any of the above AND master's degree in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Pope, A. Open Technical Writing: An Open-Access Text for Instruction in Technical and Professional Writing, 1st ed. OER - Creative Commons, 2019

Other Resources

1. Coastline Library