In addition to this description, explain why this particular type of writing or writer interests you: What do you already know about this type of writer or writing? What intrigues or intimates you about this writing or writer? What would you like to know more about? It might seem early, but now is a good time to begin thinking about your major research and writing projects for this course, so please choose to explore a type of writer or writing that you think has enough depth to research and write about for the next three months. The idea here is for you to take up the topic we began discussing on day one—what are the types of writing we do in our daily lives, and what’s the purpose or significance of that writing—and to begin asking that question of a specific profession or professional context. Team Charter (5%) As Joanna Wolfe explains, a team that spends time at the beginning of a project “discussing goals, expectations, and team norms can save substantial time and stress later on in the project.” This assignment aims to give you the time and space to have such a focused discussion. You will create a brief, relatively informal document that describes your larger, “big picture” goals and priorities for the collaborative research and writing projects and also describes the norms or expectations for group activity that you can use to resolve any problems or confusion that might arise later in the project. This project gives all team members a chance to explain their goals, expectations, and commitment level to the project, and it gives the team a chance to talk about how to resolve or work through or around any differences before work begins on the project. Your team charter should include your description and explanation of the following: Overall, broad team goals for the project Measurable, specific team goals Each team member’s personal goals Individual level of commitment to the project Other information about team members that may affect the project Statement of how the team will resolve impasses Statement of how the team will handle missed deadlines Statement of what constitutes unacceptable work and how the team will handle it. Please draw on Joanna Wolfe’s Team Writing, Chapter 3, “Getting Started with the Team Charter,” to frame your group discussions about these subjects and to guide your drafting of the team charter.
1 1/25 Topics: Course overview. Personal introductions. 2 1/30 & 2/1 Topics: What are the boundaries, artifacts, and identities of technical communication? How can technical communicators develop as both students and professionals? Composing the Exploratory Essay. Reading Due: SPTC, Ch. 1 (Selfe and Selfe), pp. 19-49, and Ch. 4 (Cook et al.), pp. 98-120. Topics: What are the work patterns of technical communication? Composing the Exploratory Essay. Reading due: SPTC, Ch. 2 by (50-74). 3 2/6 & 2/8 Topics: Peer review of the Exploratory Essay. How can technical communicators fit into contemporary organizations? Writing due: Draft of Exploratory Essay. Reading due: SPTC, Ch. 3 by Henry Topic: Selecting research sites and drafting the Letter of Inquiry. Studying writers in contemporary organizations (cont.).
4 2/13 & 2/15 Topics: Forming writing teams and planning collaboration. Designing Effective Project Management Strategies. Creating a Team Charter and Task Schedule. Selecting research sites and drafting the Letter of Inquiry (cont.). Writing due: Final draft of Exploratory Essay Reading due: Team Writing, Chs. 1-4 (3-48). Topics: What do technical communicators need to know about collaboration? Writing due: Draft of Team Charter. Reading Due: SPTC, Ch. 18 by Burnett, Cooper, and Welhausen (454-78). 5 2/20 & 2/22 Topics: How can technical communicators manage projects? Peer review writing workshop: Letter of Inquiry, Team Charter, Task Schedule. Writing due: Draft of Letter of Inquiry. Draft of Team Charter and Task Schedule. Reading due: SPTC, Ch. 13 by Dicks (310-32). Topics: Project management (cont.). Understanding what ethnographic research is and how it can lend insight on the practice of professional writing. Reading: From FieldWorking: “Understanding Fieldwriting” (65-92, posted to Canvas). 6 2/27 & 3/1 Topics: How can technical communicators study work contexts? Understanding what field notes are, why they are important, and how to compose them Writing due: Writing due: Letter of Inquiry, Team Charter, and Task Schedules (NOTE: Upload as separate files to Canvas.). Reading: SPTC, Ch. 11 by Spinuzzi (262-84). From FieldWorking: “Field Topics: Data collection methods: Gathering and analyzing texts. Drafting the Ethnographic Research Proposal. Reading: From FieldWorking: “Understanding Texts” (117-139, posted to Canvas).
“Revisiting Your Stories” (302-306, posted to Canvas). 11 4/3 & 4/5 Topics: What do technical communicators need to know about genre? Organizing and analyzing your research portfolio. Reading: SPTC, Ch. 14 (Henze), pp. 337-61. From FieldWorking: “The Research Portfolio: Definition and Purpose,” “Establishing a Voice,” and “Reflection” (56-58, 58-63, uploaded to Canvas). Topics: Revising and contextualizing documents. Recognizing Communication Styles and Valuing Team Diversity. Defining, Evaluating, and Solving Team Problems. Analyzing professional writing genres (cont.). Reading: From FieldWorking: “Options for Reading,” “Learning from Your Data,” “Reflective Documentation,” and “Synthesis” (167-169, 220-232, 300-302, 352-354, posted to Canvas). Team Writing, Ch. 7 and 8 (80-123). 12 4/10 & 4/12 Topic: What do technical communicators need to know about information design? Analyzing data and writing it up. Writing due: Annotated Research Portfolio, URL posted to Canvas Readings: SPTC, Ch. 16, pp.386-427 (Schriver). From FieldWorking: “FieldWriting: From Down Draft to Up Draft” (419-46, posted to Canvas). Topic: Rhetorical strategies for composing ethnographies. Reading: From FieldWorking: “Published and Unpublished Sources” and “Culture on the Page” (169-173, 447-459, posted to Canvas). 13 4/17 & 4/19 Topic: How can rhetorical theory inform the practice of technical communication? Rhetorical strategies for composing ethnographies (cont.). Topic: Rhetorical Theory in Professional Writing (cont.). Peer review writing workshop. Writing due: First draft of Professional Writing Ethnography.
Reading: SPTC, Ch. 5 (Porter), 14 4/24 & 4/26 Topic: What do Technical Communicators need to know about new media? Peer review writing workshop. Writing due: Second draft of Professional Writing Ethnography. Reading: SPTC, Ch. 17 (Wysocki), Topics: Getting feedback: responding to and revising portfolios. Writing due: Professional Writing Ethnography 15 5/1 & 5/3 Topic: What is the Future of Technical Communication? Adding to and reshaping your research and writing e-portfolio. Writing due: First draft of Professional Writing E-Portfolio. Reading: SPTC, Ch. 8 (Mehlenbacher), 187-208. Writing workshop 16 5/8 & 5/10 Writing workshop Last day of classes Course wrap-up and student evaluations. Writing due: Annotated Research and Reflective Essay