Course Syllabus

ENGL 2100 Intermediate Technical Writing

Course Description

This writing-intensive course builds on ENGL 1010 with a focus on research and writing purposeful arguments in technical and professional contexts. It advances student skills and knowledge related to effective processes, awareness of context and purpose, collaboration, and inquiry. ENGL 2100 serves as an equivalent to ENGL 2010 (E2) with an emphasis on technical and professional writing, but it is not, by itself, designed to prepare students for a career as technical writers.

Justification

ENGL 2100 meets a General Education requirement (E2) for graduation and offers a technically oriented alternative to ENGL 2010. Like ENGL 2010, this course provides students with the opportunity to develop research and written communication skills necessary for a successful college experience and critical thinking skills that can apply to all areas of study; however, ENGL 2100 provides a special emphasis on technical writing and professional contexts, which can benefit students who are preparing for technical and STEM-related careers. Equivalent courses are also taught at other USHE schools.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students will investigate workplace and professional cultures and conduct research in technical and STEM-related fields while composing technical texts.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students learn to locate, evaluate, interpret, and respond to peer-reviewed and other research both in print and online for use in technical writing.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will engage with multidisciplinary knowledge through their research and writing on various topics related to technical and STEM fields.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students will develop critical thinking and reading skills. especially as they evaluate and synthesize research from technical and STEM fields.
5. A student who completes the GE curriculum can communicate effectively through writing and speaking. Students will develop productive writing processes for producing intentionally structured, rhetorically effective texts for technical and professional contexts.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Students will research an appropriate topic for a major project, finding credible evidence, integrating that evidence in their writing, and documenting that evidence in an appropriate style, such as APA. Students will research an appropriate topic for a major project, finding credible evidence, integrating that evidence in their writing, and documenting that evidence in an appropriate style, such as APA.
2. Genre Awareness: compose texts in multiple genres, demonstrating intentional application of genre conventions and document design principles  Students will compose writing in various genres such as correspondence, instructions, recommendation reports, etc., paying attention to appropriate style and document design principles for each genre.
3. Context and Purpose: compose texts for a range of purposes and audiences and in a range of modalities in order to make meaningful contributions to a field of knowledge and/or practice, including a major research-supported argument  Students will prepare documents for various audiences and stakeholders and in various modalities (e.g., presentations, reports, user documentation).
4. Language Awareness and Usage: demonstrate intentional application of stylistic linguistic knowledge in various rhetorical situations   Students will apply principles of document design, plain style, and register in preparing documents that are suitable for various contexts and audiences.
5. Recursive Writing Processes: demonstrate the development of flexible, iterative processes for inquiry (e.g., developing research questions, synthesis, etc.) and composition (e.g., invention, planning, responding to feedback, revision, etc.)  Students will conduct a major, multi-phase research project and develop process strategies involving idea development, collaboration, research, and preparation of final documents.

Course Content

With the support of instructor-chosen texts and electronic media (which may include OERs, handbooks, or technical writing guides), students will study the following as they apply to technical writing contexts:
• research methods and inquiry processes (including evaluating sources and information)
• proper documentation and integration of sources and data
• synthesis of ideas from various sources
• communicating complex ideas in clear and informative ways
• applying critical thinking to solve practical problems
The content will be delivered through a combination of lecture, small group discussion, and peer review activities. As with all composition classes, students in ENGL 2100 are required to engage critically with a variety of perspectives in their writing, including those that differ from their own.