Course Syllabus SCBSIT0810 Technical Writing Fundamentals: ENG 221
Course Start Date: 03/08/2011 Course End Date: 04/05/2011 Campus/Learning Center: Schaumburg
Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference.
Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is considered the ruling document.
Copyright
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Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix© editorial standards and practices.
Facilitator Information
Susan Smillie smillies@email.phoenix.edu (University of Phoenix) srsmillie@yahoo.com (Personal)
630-833-5758 (CST)
Facilitator Availability
I will be available in the afternoons from 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and all day Saturday after class. I want you to know that, should you need to contact me outside these time frames, you should not hesitate to do so.
For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System (OLS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.
For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System (OLS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.
For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System (OLS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.
Where to Go to Class: Your Course Forums
Main: This is the main forum for the class and is where you may ask questions between class meetings. It has read-and-write access for everyone.
Chat-Room: This is a read-and-write access forum. It is designed as a place to discuss issues not related to the course content.
Course-Materials: This is a read-only forum, which means you can read messages here but cannot send any. This is where I will post the course syllabus and materials.
Learning-Team-A, B, C, D, E and F: These six Learning Team forums will be used as workrooms for the learning teams. You will be assigned to one of these learning teams.
Individual Forum: You will see one forum with your name on it. This is a private forum, shared only by you and me, the facilitator. Your classmates will not have access to this forum. You can ask questions here. However, if you have general questions about instructions of assignments, please post those in the Main forum, since other students may benefit by that exchange as well.
Where to Submit Your Assignments
Assignment Section: This is where you will submit all formal assignments. Navigate to the Assignments link on eCampus. Locate the link to submit your assignment as an attachment.
Policies
For class policies, please see the "Policies" link on the left side of the Materials page for the course on eCampus. Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within that link. University policies are subject to change so please be sure to read them at the beginning of each class as it may have changed since your last class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities it is important you read the policies governing your current class modality.
Learning Teams
University of Phoenix students are expected to work effectively in diverse groups and teams to achieve tasks. They must collaborate and function well in team settings as both leaders and followers. They should respect human diversity and behave in a tolerant manner toward colleagues and peers. If you experience difficulties working with your team, you are expected to resolve them within the team if possible. However, please feel free to contact me for guidance if you have concerns in this area. Because Learning Team projects are outcome-based, all members of your Learning Team will generally earn the same grade for Learning Team projects. However, I reserve the right to report different grades for different Learning Team members if I see a substantial imbalance in individual contribution.
Learning Team Charters and Peer Evaluation forms are required. Please see the instructions in the weekly sections for more information.
It is expected that you will actively participate with your learning team and contribute to the team discussions by a) contributing original work that is accepted and used by the team with proof of originality b) participating in the project from assignment organizing through meaningful final review of the team project for submission, and c) ensuring to your team that your contributions are your original work and properly quoted, cited, and referenced.
Classroom Management Policies
All classes begin on time. If you come late or leave early, points will be deducted from your participation points. All papers will be due on the date assigned. If a paper is turned in one day late, 10% of the grade will be deducted; if turned in two days late, 20% of the grade will be deducted; if turned in three or more days late, the grade assigned will be a 0. There will be two or three breaks during class for 10-15 minutes, depending on the specific activities of each class time, or we will have a 30 minute break for dinner from 7:30-8:00, whichever the class as a whole prefers.
Technical Support
Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 1-877-832-4867, or use the e-mail support form.
Answers to the most common issues are found in the Knowledge Base by clicking Help, found at the top of every student Web site.
Feedback
Each week, I will provide grades or scores and comments on assignments within 3-5 days of when they were submitted. You may check your grades and comments under the Gradebook.
Grading - Grades represent demonstrated learning expressed through thought and communication --- in other words, effort does not equal performance. The following standards apply:
A = Incorporates synthesis and evaluation with excellent performance that is outstanding and worthy of emulation by others. Student attends all sessions and constructively and substantially contributes to the learning environment.
B = Incorporating application with above average performance. All assignments are complete and exhibit a comprehensive understanding and an ability to apply concepts.
C = Incorporates understanding and knowledge, while meeting minimum requirements. Oral and written communication is at an acceptable level for a graduate or undergraduate student.
D = A rudimentary understanding and minimally passable.
F = Work is not passing, characterized by incompleteness, lateness, unsatisfactory demonstration of understanding and application or excessive absences.
For group presentations, each member of the team should participate in the presentation; visual aids (such as PowerPoint, flip charts, relevant objects) are strongly encouraged. The presentation will be graded on content development, conciseness, organization, creativity and presentation. The points here will be awarded on a group basis, in other words, everyone in each team will receive the same points for each project.
Grading Expectations For Written Assignments
If there are assessment rubrics provided they will govern. If no rubrics are provided all written assignments will be graded using the following criteria:
• CONTENT (60%) - includes choice of subject, depth of vocabulary, and link to key concepts discussed in the text and class.
• MECHANICS (30%) - includes clear communication through accepted use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• ORGANIZATION (5%) - includes logic of argument, clear thinking, use of supporting facts, and conclusion.
• FORMAT (5%) - includes having clearly and appropriately designated sections, subsections, and page numbers. The physical layout of the paper assists the reader and reinforces the content and organization. Includes the proper use of APA guidelines.
Points and Letter Grades
|100-95 |A | |76-74 |C |
|94-90 |A - | |73-70 |C- |
|89-87 |B+ | |69-67 |D+ |
|86-84 |B | |64-66 |D |
|83-80 |B- | |60-63 |D- |
|79-77 |C+ | |0-59 |F |
Course Description
Students explore the components and theories of interpersonal conflict and various conflict resolution models. Formal and informal third party interventions including mediation and negotiation are examined as methods of effective conflict resolution practices. This course is designed to examine conflict issues present in human services work. Students will apply conflict resolution skills related to human service situations.
Course Topics & Objectives
Week One: The Technical Writing Process
• Identify how writing methods are used in the corporate environment. • Compare differences between technical and expository writing.
Week Two: Technical Writing in the Corporate Environment
• Identify intellectual property issues in the corporate environment. • Design a memo with appropriate formatting for the corporate environment.
Week Three: Writing Reports and Proposals
• Implement effective document design in technical writing. • Develop a request for proposal.
Week Four: Writing Technical Instructions and User Manuals
• Determine criteria for writing a user manual. • Develop a user manual with appropriate visual elements. • Design effective written communication for user manuals and technical instructions.
Week Five: Preparing Presentations
• Implement effective layout and design in presentations. • Develop a professional slideshow presentation.
.
Course Materials
Dobrin, S., Keller, C., & Weisser, C. (2010). Technical communication in the twenty-first century (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Gerson, S. J,, & Gerson, S. M. (2008). Technical communication: Process and product (6th ed.). Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
All electronic materials are available on your student website.
Article References
Albers, M. (2009). Design for effective support of user intentions in information-rich interactions. Journal of Technical Writing & Communication, 39(2), 177–194.
Anonymous (2008). 66: PowerPoint rules. Businessline.
Braster, B. (2009). Controlled language in technical writing. MultiLingual, 20(1). 50.
Brophy, B. (2008). Seeing them with their clothes on: Oral communication myths exploded! Accountancy Ireland, 40(1), 56.
Carliner, S. (2010). Designing better documents: Information design professionals attempt to understand what makes documents usable and to apply that knowledge in preparing functional documents and records. Information Management Journal, 36(5), 42.
Venkataramanan, D. (2009). Technical writing and crossing boundaries. ICFAI Journal of Soft Skills, 3(2), 48.
Warrier, B. (2008). Technical writing: What is special about it? The Hindu.
Weidenhammer, J. (2008). ABCs for RFPs. Government Procurement, 16(1), 22.
Welander, P. (2010). Protecting intellectual property. Control Engineering, 57(4), 46.
Whiteside, J. (2009). How to present a technical paper. AACE International Transactions, DEV.06.1-DEV.06.9.
Whiteside, J. (2009). How to write a technical paper. AACE International Transactions, DEV.01.1–DEV.01.9.
Recommended Weekly Point Values
| | |
|Week One | |
|Individual Assignment: Workplace Communication Comparison |10 |
|Week Two | |
|Individual Assignment: Web-Conferencing Programs Research Memo |20 |
|Week Three | |
|Individual Assignment: Request for Proposal |10 |
|Week Four | |
|Individual Assignment: User Manual Critique |10 |
|Week Five | |
|Learning Team Assignment: User Manual |20 |
|Learning Team Assignment: User Manual Presentation |10 |
|All Weeks | |
|Participation & Discussion Questions |20 |
|Assignment Totals | |
|Individual |70 |
|Learning Team |30 |
|Point Total |100 |
| | |
Week One
The Technical Writing Process
• Identify how writing methods are used in the corporate environment. • Compare differences between technical and expository writing.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
• Read Ch. 1, “An Introduction to Technical Communication,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 2, “The Communication Process,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 3, “The Goals of Technical Communication,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Individual Assignment: Workplace Communication Comparison
• Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Workplace Communication Comparison located on your student website.
Note. This Week One assignment is recommended as an in-class activity for local campuses.
3. Discussion Questions
• Based on the Warrier (2008) article, what are the differences between technical writing and other forms of writing with which you might be familiar? Which is more persuasive: technical or expository writing? Explain your answer. Which type of writing have you seen used more often in the corporate environment?
Warrier, B. (2008). Technical writing: What is special about it? The Hindu.
• Based on Venkataramanan’s (2009) article, why do some people assert that technical writing subsumes other skill types? Which of these skills would you like to improve to make yourself a better technical writer?
Venkataramanan, D. (2009). Technical writing and crossing boundaries. ICFAI Journal of Soft Skills, 3(2), 48.
• Why is it important to develop good technical writing skills? What are some issues that could occur in a corporate environment that lacks strong technical writing skills? Describe situations that you have witnessed or heard about where poor technical writing skills have harmed an organization.
Weekly Reminders
Summary of Week 1 Deliverables
|Assignment |Individual or Learning Team |Due |
|Workplace Communication Comparison |Individual |March 10, 2011 |
| | |Thursday at midnight |
| | | |
Week Two
Technical Writing in the Corporate Environment
• Identify intellectual property issues in the corporate environment. • Design a memo with appropriate formatting for the corporate environment.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
• Read Ch. 4, “Audience Recognition and Involvement,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 6, “Routine Correspondence–Memos, Letters, E-mail, and Instant Messaging,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 4, “Ethics and the Workplace Writer,” of the Dobrin et al. text. • Read Ch. 6, “Researching and Evaluating Source Materials.” of the Dobrin et al. text . • Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
4. Individual Assignment: Web-Conferencing Programs Research Memo
• Read the following scenario:
Your manager wants to use web conferencing to hold weekly status meetings, but has not decided on a program. You have been assigned to do some basic research on available web-conferencing programs.
• Research and compare different web-conferencing programs using the Internet. • Write a memo to your manager that describes which web-conferencing program you believe is the best choice. Explain why you selected this program. • Include a list of all web-conferencing programs you reviewed. Consider using a table to present your references. Format the memo properly for management review using the course texts as a resource. • Include a minimum of two citations from your research.
5. Learning Team Instructions: User Manual and Presentation
• Begin preparation for completing the Week Five Learning Team assignment: User Manual and Presentation. Select one of the following topics as the focus of your User Manual and Presentation:
o eCampus student website o University Library o Virtual Organizations o Online discussion forums
6. Discussion Questions
• Based on Whiteside’s (2009) article, what formatting, organizational, and legal issues must a writer consider when writing a technical paper? What have been your biggest challenges in formatting and organizing your writing?
Whiteside, J. (2009). How to write a technical paper. AACE International Transactions, DEV.01.1–DEV.01.9.
• Based on Welander’s (2010) article, what intellectual property issues must you be concerned about as a technical writer? In what situations do most intellectual property violations occur for the technical writer? Why? Is material copyright protected if it does not list a copyright notice? Explain your answer.
Welander, P. (2010). Protecting intellectual property. Control Engineering, 57(4), 46.
• Conduct online research to find an example of plagiarism. What material was plagiarized in the example? What were the consequences faced by the plagiarizer? What are some methods you can use to prevent plagiarism issues?
Weekly Reminders
Summary of Week 2 Deliverables
|Assignment |Individual or Learning Team |Due |
|Web-Conferencing Programs |Individual |March 15, 2011 |
|Research Memo | |Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. |
Week Three
Writing Reports and Proposals
• Implement effective document design in technical writing. • Develop a request for proposal.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
• Read Ch. 8, “Document Design,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 9, “Graphics,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 17, “Proposals,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 15, “Short, Informal Reports,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 16, “Long, Formal Reports,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 20, “Proposals and Requests for Proposals,” of the Dobrin et al. text. • Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
7. Individual Assignment: Request for Proposal
• Read the following scenario:
You are a manager or supervisor of a company and you need to acquire trainers to train your staff on using Microsoft® Office® programs. You must request proposals from various training companies and trainers to fill this need.
• Write a 3- to 5-page request for proposal (RFP) and include the following:
o Introduction to the company
• Description of your company • Your company’s business goals
o Introduction to the project
• Project goals • Time allocated to complete the project • Budget for the project • Description of the training that is needed
o Administrative information
• Desired qualifications • Requirements for formatting and submitting proposals • Confidentiality notice of all proposal submissions • Employer and organizational reference requirements • Contact information for clarification or questions • Deadline for proposal submission • Timeframe for vendor selection • Selection criteria
o Other items that may be important for inquiring candidates
• Format the RFP using examples from your text or additional research. The following must be included:
o Cover page o Page numbers o Headers and footers o Headings
8. Discussion Questions
• Based on Weidenhammer’s (2008) article, what guidelines for developing an RFP might you use in your organization? What is your greatest challenge in designing documents and specifically, RFPs?
Weidenhammer, J. (2008). ABCs for RFPs. Government Procurement, 16(1), 22.
• According to Carliner’s (2010) article, why should a technical writer be conversant with the information the document contains, as well as with the document design? Find one example of a web page that has poor content organization. How could the content of this web page be improved?
Carliner, S. (2010). Designing better documents: Information design professionals attempt to understand what makes documents usable and to apply that knowledge in preparing functional documents and records. Information Management Journal, 36(5), 42.
• For what purpose has your company, or one you are familiar with, created RFPs? What individual or department creates RFPs in this company? What is one issue or situation in your workplace that would be appropriate for the creation of an RFP, such as acquiring a new housekeeping contractor, adding appliances to the break room, better parking and so on?
Weekly Reminders
Summary of Week 3 Deliverables
|Assignment |Individual or Learning Team |Due |
|Request for Proposal |Individual |March 22, 2011 |
| | |Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. |
Week Four
Writing Technical Instructions and User Manuals
• Determine criteria for writing a user manual. • Develop a user manual with appropriate visual elements. • Design effective written communication for user manuals and technical instructions.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
• Read Ch. 11, “Technical Descriptions and Process Analyses,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 12, “Instructions,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 18, “Technical Instructions,” of the Dobrin et al. text. • Read Ch. 19, “Manuals,” of the Dobrin et al. text. • Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
9. Individual Assignment: User Manual Critique
• Write a 2- to -3 page critique of an online user manual. You can download manuals for various products from www.safemanuals.com or other websites of your choice. Include the manual link in your submission.
• Identify and describe the criteria you used to critique the selected manual. Provide at least five criteria in your critique.
• Include positive and negative examples from the online manual that represent each aspect of your designated criteria.
10. Discussion Questions
• Based on Braster’s (2009) article, describe the dangers of complex and ambiguous technical instructions. What can you do to avoid this problem?
Braster, B. (2009). Controlled language in technical writing. MultiLingual, 20(1). 50.
• Based on Albers’ (2009) article, what are some techniques for developing effective, interactive, and visual web-based user manuals? What are the benefits and challenges of developing interactive user manuals?
Albers, M. (2009). Design for effective support of user intentions in information-rich interactions. Journal of Technical Writing & Communication, 39(2), 177–194.
• Why is it important to establish the necessary criteria before writing a user manual? What criteria are frequently missing or vague in user manuals and instruction? Provide examples of missing or vague criteria you have recently seen.
• What are some challenges of incorporating visual elements in technical instructions or manuals? Why are visuals important? Are there times when it would be inappropriate to include visuals? Explain your answers.
Weekly Reminders
Summary of Week 4 Deliverables
|Assignment |Individual or Learning Team |Due |
|User Manual Critique |Individual |March 22, 2011 |
| | |Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. |
Week Five
Preparing Presentations
• Implement effective layout and design in presentations. • Develop a professional slideshow presentation.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
• Read Ch. 18, “Oral Communication,” of the Gerson & Gerson text. • Read Ch. 5, “Technical Communication in a Transnational World,” of the Dobrin et al. text . • Read Ch. 23, “Presentations,” of the Dobrin et al. text. • Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
11. Learning Team Assignment: User Manual and Presentation
• Write a 15- to 20-page user manual for one of the following tools:
o eCampus student website o University Library o Virtual Organizations o Online discussion forums
• Provide effective clear, concise, accurate, and coherent written communication that introduces first-time students to the tool you selected. • Include the following items in your manual:
o Table of contents o Headers and footers that include page numbers, copyright information, and other necessary information o Headings o Appropriate font o Written instructions for accessing, navigating, and using the selected tool o Visual elements, such as images, flowcharts, tables, and screenshots o Effective page layout, including the order of information, use of whitespace, and highlighting o Terminology definitions, a key to define any symbols or diagrams used, and any other necessary information to help the user navigate the manual
• Create a 7- to 10-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation that could be presented in a student orientation to introduce your team’s selected tool. Include the following in your presentation:
o Speaker notes o Introduction slide o Conclusion slide o Headings o Graphics o Easy-to-read fonts o Appropriate contrast o Effective slide design and layout including amount of information and use of white space
12. Discussion Questions
• Based on the Businessline (2008) article, what are the benefits and challenges of developing and giving Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations? How can these challenges be overcome?
Anonymous (2008). 66: PowerPoint rules. Businessline.
• Based on Brophy’s (2008) article, how can Microsoft® PowerPoint® be used to compensate for any oral communication deficiencies of the presenter? Have you seen presentations where the presenter used Microsoft® PowerPoint® effectively or ineffectively? What happened?
Brophy, B. (2008). Seeing them with their clothes on: Oral communication myths exploded! Accountancy Ireland, 40(1), 56.
Weekly Reminders
Summary of Week 5 Deliverables
|Assignment |Individual or Learning Team |Due |
|User Manual |Learning Team |April 5, 2011 |
| | |Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. |
| User Manual Presentation |Learning Team |April 5, 2011 |
| | |Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. |
Addendum
Welcome - "The world is an incomparable classroom, and life is a memorable teacher for those who aren't afraid of her." - John W. Gardner, Self-Renewal
You will get out of this class what you put in. When we were all in elementary school, middle school and to a great extent even in high school, we were being “taught.” There was a “teacher” who kept order --- well, generally kept a semblance of order! --- and who was for all intents and purposes “the sage on the stage,” in other words, who imparted his or her wisdom to us. We were expected to “receive” that wisdom as learning and then provide some form of “proof” of our learning, usually through so-called “objective” tests --- we loved those true / false ones! --- and sometime through “essay” tests --- yuk! Perhaps this is an over-simplification, but what we were expected to “invest” in that traditional learning endeavor was more or less limited to our undivided (and passive) attention.
It’s an entirely different ballgame here at UOP: because what you get out of your college experience is pretty much directly proportional to what you are willing to put in. What does that mean? It’s like any other investment you might make, for example, in the stock market. If you make a minimal investment, perhaps a few bucks a month, your return will also be minimal. However, if you invest more, then your return will be more.
As facilitators / faculty, we set out our minimum expectations for a class like this one, that’s only fair. And if you meet those expectations you will receive your grade. But if that is all you do, if you simply meet the minimum requirements, then to a very real extent you have cheated yourself. Many people, myself included, hated high school because it was so over-structured. Many people, myself included, loved college because we were encouraged to explore our own ideas and concepts, rather than just parrot back what that “sage on the stage” had told us.
As my quote from John Gardner above is intended to suggest, open your vision, see your life and job and family and community and educational experiences as a rich treasure trove of feelings and ideas and insights you bring to this class. Invest yourself in this class; it has been my experience that those who do put in more than the minimum seem to have a lot more fun and seem to learn a lot more than those who put in only what they have to.
Instructor Bio – With a love for writing and as an instructor for writing for the fourth consecutive year, I am Susan Smillie, your facilitator for this class for the next five weeks. I am presently an adjunct professor for Moraine Valley Community College, teaching in the Intensive English Language Program with Internationals world-wide. I have a M. A. degree in TESOL/Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College in 2007. In addition, I write short stories and am working on writing a novel, as a hobby so far, with hopes of publishing in the future.
I have been teaching English in colleges for the past 12 years and also was a consultant for the College of Du Page to rewrite the training materials and manual to train all volunteers to teach English. I have taught several courses in Theology, English for Theology, Bible, pedagogy, and music theory and practice in the Bible college in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, West Africa for five years to train pastors, while serving as a missionary for the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Africa for 10 years with my husband, Gene Smillie, and three children. In the Bible College, I also served as the Director of the Women’s Program for four years and as the Academic Dean of the College for two years. More recently, my husband and I served in Spain as missionaries, teaching Bible conferences in all of our churches in Spain in the French, Spanish, and English languages. These experiences in addition to several years as professional staff in churches while I was single and several years as a pastor’s wife were an excellent use of my Master of Divinity received in 1983, along with nomination for Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities.
With respect to business experiences, I helped manage the motel owned by my parents, sold books door-to-door for the Southwestern Publishing Company earning their Gold Award for persistence, and received 40 hours of training in marketing with the Dalby Educational Institute in Westminster, Colorado to buy and sell real estate notes. While trying to succeed in the note finding business as a cash flow specialist, I was asked by Senator Tom Cole, President of the Republican Congressional Committee, to serve on the National Business Advisory Council in Washington D.C. I joyfully served on this council from 2007 to 2008. I received the Presidential Commission Award in 2008 for my service on the National Business Advisory Council.
I also taught Business English for the Berlitz Language School one year and for Arthur Andersen one year, applying teaching principles to business networking, discussions, meetings, negotiations, conflict resolution, giving presentations, etc. More recently, I have trained several international business professionals, who have MBAs, in Business English for the Executive Language Training Company. I love learning, research, and teaching in addition to writing. Preparation for classes and teaching is fun for me and I look forward to working with each one of you. I live in Elmhurst, Illinois with my husband, Gene Smillie, and our two sons, Matthew and Malcolm, who are both looking for jobs. My middle son, David, is studying full-time at the Columbia International University in Colombia, South Carolina. I prefer classical music and enjoy some music of all kinds and play the piano and guitar a little. I also love to swim, play tennis, read, and watch movies.
These web-based forums provide you with:
1. a common area solely for our class group (the Main forum) where you can post questions between our on-campus workshop meetings; 2. a Chat Room forum which you can use for non-class interactions with classmates (be sure to honor the Student Code of Conduct in this, and every, forum!); 3. electronic access to the course syllabus which will be used in this class (see the syllabus in the Course Materials forum); 4. electronic venues for Learning Team meetings and team paper drafts to use as each team deems best (I will assign a specific Learning Team forum for each team’s use during our first on-campus workshop meeting); and • a personalized electronic drop-box – Classroonm/Assignments - for completed assignments. Each student will not be able to see or access any private forum except the one created for him or her individually.
There are no online attendance or participation requirements during this course. All attendance and participation activity will occur only during our on-campus workshop meetings.
If you have any questions about the class forums, please let me know during our on-campus class time or by posting your question(s) in the Main forum.
Laptops closed, please - This class emphasizes in-class discussion / interaction. There will be only minimal lectures. When there is a lecture, there will be a handout of the slides with space for note-taking. Therefore, I ask that you leave your laptops closed during class time. The one time you may use your laptop in class is for in-class writing.
Questions - If at any time an assignment is not clear to you, I encourage you to contact me either in the classroom, via e-mail, or by phone for clarification. Please make sure you read each assignment carefully, in plenty of time to get any clarifications you may need. “I did not understand what you wanted,” is not an acceptable excuse for an off-topic paper. If you have questions, ask them.
Deadlines (Procrastination Is Deadly) -
Please remember, you do not have to wait for the last minute to submit your assignments. You have the option of submitting your assignments early. I encourage you to plan for emergencies and have a back-up plan in place should you experience a technology failure or other technical difficulty. It is best to finish your assignments early; if you submit them to the Plagiarism and Grammar Check through the Library Tab, it will take two days to receive comments and an evaluation. After that you submit them to your OLS forum to the instructor.
Formatting Requirements - All written assignments should be formatted in the following manner:
▪ Use 12 pt. Times New Roman of Courier typeface ▪ Double-spaced ▪ Flush left, ragged right ▪ Indent the first line of paragraphs five spaces ▪ Do not skip a line between paragraphs ▪ One inch margins at the top, bottom, left and right ▪ The first page should include a title, the class / course title, which assigned project it is and the name(s) of the author(s)
APA Citations - You are submitting academic papers in this class. All sources of information must be acknowledged and appropriately cited. The University of Phoenix uses the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines for citations and references for all written assignments. These are our “rules of the road.”
Academic Honesty / Plagiarism - Academic honesty is highly valued at the University of Phoenix. You must always submit work that represents your original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in a class posting or assignment submission do not represent your original words or ideas, you must cite all relevant sources and make clear the extent to which such sources were used. Representing the work of others as your own may be considered plagiarism and may result in losing credit for that assignment, as well as other more serious consequences. Words or ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when the content of such communication clearly originates from an identifiable source. Please see the UOP Catalog for more information about academic honesty, including consequences of academic dishonesty.
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