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WRIT 313.101
Writing for Information Systems

NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester.

Welcome!

This is a course about thinking clearly and communicating clearly. The course is designed to help you develop practical skills in professional and technical writing. We will talk about principles of good writing, and we will also explore additional skills that you will find useful in technical communication, such as principles of document design, usability, audience adaptation, clarity, and visual design. For most of your writing projects, you will need to integrate simple graphics and text effectively. Learning and practicing these techniques will make your writing more effective and more professional.

Writing assignments will include cover letters, resumés, software reviews, technical specifications, a usability test report, technical presentations, proposals and procedure manuals. This work will culminate in a professional portfolio that showcases your various writing projects.

Because most professional writing is done collaboratively, much of your work will be done in pairs and groups. You've probably had frustrating experiences with collaboration in the past, but donÍt be intimidated—successful collaboration involves skills and strategies that can be developed and practiced. We will explore various collaboration techniques in order to make your group projects as productive as possible.

Required Reading:

Technical Communication, 6th ed., by Mike Markel

Course website:

Our class site can be found at http://prom.eduprise.com/ubalt/. You should have your username and password, which you will use to access the site (if you should lose or forget your password, the login screen has a ñget passwordî option). The website contains the most up-to-date course information, along with detailed descriptions of assignments. You are responsible for checking the site often, as the syllabus is subject to change.

Course policies

All your projects will be graded and will receive comments for revision. Revised work will be resubmitted in a final portfolio, which is worth 25% of the course grade.

All homework is due at the beginning of class, unless otherwise noted on the syllabus.

Since we only meet once a week, missing class is not cool. You will lose credit for all in-class activities, plus you will miss the lecture for that week. If you miss class more than twice, your grade will drop significantly and I may drop you from the class. For group projects, you are responsible for making sure that you meet all your group responsibilities reliably.

Course Grades:

software review 10%

technical specification 10%

letter, resume 10%

process instructions 10%

class activities (including peer workshops, reading quizzes, collaboration activities) 10%

usability test report 15%

oral presentation 10%

portfolio of revised work 25%

Session 1

Introduction to technical communication

Session 2

Audience adaptation, organizing information, workshop software reviews

Readings: Chapters 1, 5, 8. Check links on Prometheus for examples of software reviews

Due: Typed draft of software review

Session 3

Document design, graphics/visual communication

Readings: Chapters 13,14,19

Due: Final software review

Session 4

Definitions, technical descriptions, drafting and revising documents

Readings: Chapters 10,11

Due: Draft of technical specification

Session 5

Resumes, cover letters

Readings: Chapter 16

Due: Technical specification

Session 6

Introduction to usability testing, collaboration

Readings: Chapter 4, usability handout

Due: Cover letter, resume drafts

Session 7

Writing process instructions graphics

Readings: Chapter 20, review 13, 14

Due: Final cover letter, resume—get process approved

Session 8

No class—process instructions testing at home—must document, see website

Readings: online usability reading, see website to download

Session 9

Usability test scripts, screeners

Readings: online readings—examples of test scripts, screeners

Due: Final process instructions

Session 10

In-class usability testing

Due: Test screener, test script

Session 11

Analyzing usability test results, writing the report

Readings: online reading—analyzing results

Due: Draft of test results

Session 12

Creating a portfolio

Due: Final usability reports

Session 13

Oral presentation lecture

Reading: Chapter 22

Session 14

Workshop portfolios, presentations

Due: Bring assignments to workshop, work with groups on presentations

Session 15

Group usability presentations