ENG 122 Page 1

COURSE SYLLABUS

DELAWARE TECHNICAL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

TERRY CAMPUS
100 CAMPUS DRIVE
DOVER, DELAWARE 19904

DEPARTMENT: English

COURSE SYMBOL & NO.: ENG 122

COURSE TITLE: Technical Writing and Communication

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An advanced college-level course designed to

enhance skills in the creation of professional
communications and reports through interpretation
and analysis of empirical and print data.

PREREQUISITE (S): ENG 121

COREQUISITE (S):

CLASS HOURS: 48

LAB HOURS: 0

SEMESTER CREDITS: 3

INSTRUCTOR: Margaret Opsata

DEPARTMENT CHAIRPERSON: Lois G. Johnson

NAME SIGNATURE DATE

DEAN OF INSTRUCTION: Frances H. Leach

NAME SIGNATURE DATE
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Required Textbook: Technical Communication: Mike Markel, 6th Edition

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm/content.htm

COURSE OUTLINE

Technical Writing and Communication, ENG 122, is designed to provide the student
with experience in the application of techniques involved in the writing of expository
essays, business and professional communication, and informal and formal reports. The
course emphasizes modes of composition most often encountered in both academic and
professional settings.

CORE COLLEGE OBJECTIVES

Technical Writing and Communication, ENG 122, is an advanced college-level course

designed to enhance skills in the creation of analytical and professional communications
and reports through the interpretation of empirical and print data. Its core objectives
include the following:

1. Composing professional correspondence for a culturally diverse audience.

2. Researching, organizing, writing, and documenting essays, proposals, and

reports for a culturally diverse audience.

3. Conducting empirical research.

4. Designing and integrating primary source data, secondary source data, and
graphics/visuals into professional reports.

5. Revising documents for correctness, clarity, completeness, and

conciseness.

Measurable Objectives

Following are the measurable objectives for this course. All competencies must be
demonstrated at a mastery level of 75% before any average is taken. By the end of the
course the students will be able to do the following:

1. Students will compose a unified and coherently structured expository essay on a

personal or professional experience which changed their lives.
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2. Students will compose a letter of application and a professional resume for a job
opening in their technology for which they qualify. Professional standards of
correctness, completeness, and conciseness will be adhered to in both completed
forms.

3. Students will compose a logically argued persuasive letter based on their

research paper projects.

4. Students will compose an informative/evaluative summary of an article in a

professional journal based on their research report topics. The summaries are to be a
minimum of 3 paragraphs and should include the principal facts and conclusions of
the article and judgment of the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of the
information.

5. Students will compose a concisely worded and logically organized progress

report related to their final research paper projects.

6. Students will compose a concisely worded and logically organized field report
based on personal interviews with successful professionals whose careers employ
the skills of the students' technologies or with individuals whose knowledge and/or
experience can be used in the students' final reports.

7. Students will compose a concisely worded and logically organized investigative

report on a change or problem that currently affects their technologies. The report
will analyze possible causes and effects of the change or problem and, where
applicable, suggest analytically based solutions.

8. Students will compose a concisely worded and logically organized 4-6 page research
proposal which formally declares their intention to research and write an extended
technical research report on an approved topic from their technology. The proposal
must indicate the student's intention to rely on both primary and secondary sources
in gathering information for the report. References to the intended use of
graphics/visuals in the final report is also a mandatory component of this
assignment.

9. Students will compose a concisely worded and logically organized

technology-related report of 20-25 pages in length. The report will represent a
culmination of technique and report strategies employed in earlier report assignments.
Students are expected to demonstrate expertise in the following areas:

A. The gathering and use of primary research data

B. The gathering and use of secondary research data, both print and electronic.
C. The use of visuals in the presentation of research data.
D. The proper formatting for a professionally acceptable technical report.
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E. The proper use of APA methods of documentation for a professionally

acceptable technical report.
F. The proper use of the conventions and rules of standard grammar.

10. Students will compose a progress memorandum detailing the progress made toward
the completion of their final report. Students will be referred to earlier progress
assignments for strategies in progress reporting.

11. Students will study, practice and compose a formal abstract which will be included
in the final research report known as the preliminary matter. This abstract will be
informative in nature.

12. Students will present a 5-minute oral summary of the successes and difficulties
encountered in the implementation of the research strategies employed in
ENG 122.

Writing Assignments

1. Expository essay
2. Letter of application and accompanying resume
3. Persuasive Letter
4. Informative/evaluative summary of article found in a
professional journal
5. Progress report on on-going project
6. Field report and investigative report
7. Extended research proposal
8. Research progress report
9. Formal research abstract
10. Formal research report

Course Evaluation

Final grades for ENG 122 will be computed as follows:

In-class Written Assignments - Short Reports 1-9 60%

Final Research Paper - Assignment 10 40%

Students will earn grades according to the following criteria:

A (92-100%) Student meets measurable objectives in an

outstanding manner
B (83-91%) Student meets measurable objectives in an
above average manner
C (75-82%) Student meets measurable objectives
R (0-74%) Student does not meet measurable objectives
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WEEKLY TOPICS

Week One: Course introduction and diagnostic assessment. Chapter 1

Week Two: The principles of expository writing with emphasis on use of

personal observation and experience as primary source for
analytical content of a five-paragraph essay. Chapter 13

Week Three: Business communication with emphasis on strategies for effective

letter and resume writing. Chapters 18, 19

Week Four: The principles of persuasion and argumentation. Chapter 8,

pp. 195-229

Week Five: The principles of critical thinking and critical analysis of articles
found in professional journals, either print or electronic. Reading
assignments will be chosen by students and based on their final
research report topics.

Week Six: Continuation of discussion begun in week five with additional

assignments in application of the principles of critical analysis.

Week Seven: Short technical report writing with emphasis on uses of empirical
reporting. Accessing and evaluating electronic sources will also be
discussed. Chapter 16

Week Eight: Progress and field reporting. Chapter 16, pp.500-506

Week Nine: Investigative reporting and proposal writing. Chapter 15

Week Ten: Extended research proposal writing. Chapters 15,17

Weeks Eleven -
Thirteen: Discussion of research techniques and bibliographic research
strategies with emphasis on primary and secondary
source gathering and the use of graphics/visuals as
supplemental data. Chapters 7, 10 - 12

Week Fourteen: Formal abstract writing as it applies to the final research paper.
Chapter 10, pp.274-276

Week Fifteen: Application of the principles of editing and proofreading the

formal technical report with emphasis on proper document layout,
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contemporary nature of content, APA documentation style,

conventions of standard grammatical usage, completeness of
development, and conciseness of presentation while using graphics and
visuals as supplemental data. Research paper due. Chapters 10, 11, 12

Week Sixteen: Final Examination and oral presentation. Chapter 15

Revised 9/02