Course Syllabus

UWP 104T  Technical Writing                                                                                                                                                                          Fall 2016                                                                                                                                                                                                     Section 001 (52279) MW 12:10-1:30 in Olson 1

Professor: Matt Oliver                                                                                                                                                                    Office: Voorhies 353                                                                                                                                                                       Office Hours: Mon 1:40 – 2:40, Tue 12:30 – 1:30, Wed 1:40 – 2:40, Thur 12:30 – 1:30, and by appointment                                                                                                                                                                                  Email: mjoliver@ucdavis.edu

Note: I have listed my office hours above, but I am in my office far more often than the listed hours. You can always find me during my listed hours, but if you send me an email you will likely find me there at other times.

Course Description

This course will involve working with iFixit, an Internet-based repair guide resource, to complete technical writing that will be published on their website. You will complete troubleshooting guides, repair guides and other technical documents accessible to a diverse audience. To accomplish this, you will complete both collaborative and individual assignments and will need to complete some technical work. This class will duplicate workplace technical writing as closely as possible.  

The University Writing Program requires that each student complete 6000 words of original, formal, graded writing in order to pass this class. Thus, you must complete and submit every formal assignment in order to pass the course. Students must earn a C- or higher in the class for it to meet the Upper Division Writing Requirement.

Texts and Materials

I uploaded a pdf copy of the MIT Guide to Writing in The Sciences and Engineering in the "files" section of Canvas. We will also refer to the Duke Scientific Writing Resources which you can access using the following link: https://cgi.duke.edu/web/sciwriting/.

Prerequisites

Completion of a lower division writing course and at least upper division status (84 units). The course assumes proficiency in standard English and interest in improving both your writing process and stylistic control.

Computer Classroom Info

Site attendants are strict about food and drink in the computer classrooms, so please do not bring any—even a water bottle or candy. I would appreciate it if you do not check your email or browse the Web during class time. I usually shut down computers not in use for class.

Canvas

Course materials will be available on Canvas: (https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/65037); you will turn in all major assignments, both first and final drafts, to me via Canvas Assignments. For assignments requiring peer reviews you will use email to exchange copies. Writers often find that they will catch editing mistakes when they print a document; it may be advisable to print a draft of your documents to proofread.

Note the following important aspects of our use of Canvas:

1. Turn in assignments using Canvas.
2. Always submit assignments as .pdf documents.
3. Assignments are due by the date and time indicated in Canvas.

Document Naming Conventions

Use your last name and the assignment name: smithprogressreport.pdf. If the document is a group document, use group name and assignment number: group1iFixitproposal.pdf. These document-naming conventions help me manage the large number of files I receive online.

Academic Integrity 

According to Fredrick Crews, plagiarism is the “taking of others’ thoughts or words without due acknowledgment.” This definition applies to printed, virtual, and unpublished materials. We are working for a real client that will need to ensure they don't publish plagiarized material on their website. Please be sure all sources are properly cited. University policy requires me to forward all suspected cases of plagiarism to OSSJA,

Student Services

The Student Academic Success Center offers a variety of services or students wanting to make the most of their study efforts. The following link provides more information: http://success.ucdavis.edu/academic/writing.html.

If you have a documented disability, I will be happy to make any necessary accommodations for you, but I will need you to provide documentation from the Student Disability Center before I can do so.  

Student Examples

Throughout the quarter, I will select student papers for use in my teaching. If you prefer that your work not appear as anonymous examples in current or future courses, let me know. 

Attendance and Participation

1. This is a workshop course. Group work and feedback make up a large part of our time together.
2. Even though you can access many of the course materials online, this is not a distance-learning course. Workshop classes like this one make regular attendance and turning in all drafts on time essential. Canvas is set to mark late submissions as late. Final grades for late papers lose 10 points.
3. Good writing involves rewriting. We will discuss revision strategies and the specific challenges of revising collaborative work in class.

Grade Scale

A         100-93

A-        92.9-90

B+       89.9-87

B         86.9-84

B-        83.9-80

C+       79.9-77

C         76.9-74

C-        73.9-70

D+       69.9-67

D         67.9-64

D-        63.9-60

F          59.9 or lower

 

All papers are graded equally; there is no curve. To pass the course (to receive a C- or higher) you must hand in all graded essays, and the final exam.