ENGL 308: Professional Writing Technologies
Prerequisites: ENGL 111 and ENGL 112.
Credit hours (3)
In this lab-based, hands-on course, students will produce and critique genres for
professional (i.e., public or workplace) audiences using a range of digital platforms,
tools, and technologies. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be
able to use technology critically, efficiently, and effectively to produce documents
primarily for digital environments. In doing so, students will gain skills that employers
value, particularly those in professional and technical writing fields.
Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.
Detailed Description of Course
In comparison to creating print-based documents, composing and consuming texts for
web- or screen-based environments demands different expectations of writers and audiences.
Writers must combine text, graphics, moving images, color, hyperlinks, etc., using
various digital platforms, tools, and technologies. Many of these programs require
skills that surpass a basic grasp of word processing programs. To this end, students
in the course will learn how to navigate the rhetorical, formal, ethical, and technological
demands of composing in digital spaces. Topics addressed in the course may include
writing and designing basic web pages and blogs using 鈥淲YSIWYG鈥� (鈥渨hat you see is
what you get鈥�) editors; designing and writing about usability testing for websites
and blogs; using and managing social media sites on behalf of an organization and/or
to develop one鈥檚 professional, digital presence; creating screen captures and online
tutorials; making online forms; optimizing graphics and images; creating infographics;
and adapting professional writing genres (e.g., flyers, newsletters, white papers)
for web- or screen-based consumption, including on mobile devices. In exploring these
topics, students will broaden and deepen their understanding of professional writing
technologies. In addition, technologies that support remote and face-to-face collaboration
will be addressed. Although English 308 is intended to be a skills-based course, some
historical and theoretical readings on topics such as participatory culture, online
harassment, viralilty, search engine optimization, and the web 2.0 may be assigned
to contextualize the technologies and genres discussed in the course.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The class will take place in a computer lab, and curriculum largely will be hands-on:
students will learn through 鈥渄oing鈥� in an instructor-supported atmosphere. As a professional
writing course that focuses on using advanced technologies to plan, compose, and publish
public/workplace documents, the course offers instruction and practice in using programs
that include but are not limited to Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat
Professional, etc.); Wordpress and other WYSIWYG website/blogging builders; Twitter,
Instagram, and other social media sites; Camtasia; and Google Drive and Slack. In
addition, the course may offer instruction in the advanced features of familiar programs
like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Instruction in fair use policies, including Creative
Commons licenses, also will be addressed. Significantly, professional writing technologies,
like most technologies, are dynamic and ever-evolving. The course, therefore, also
will emphasize learning for transfer so that students can apply their skills to other
contexts beyond those that are or could be addressed in the course. In addition to
active, lab-based learning, the course will incorporate a variety of instructional
strategies such as lecture, discussion, case studies, and problem-based learning.
One or more collaborative projects may be assigned so that students will have practice
in using technology to facilitate team-based work. At the instructor鈥檚 discretion,
experiential learning activities in which students produce documents for a real-world
client also may be included in the course. Reflective writing assignments in which
students describe and analyze their own processes may be assigned at any point in
the course to aid metacognition or learning 鈥渢ransfer.鈥�
Goals and Objectives of the Course
Having successfully completed the course, students will be able to:
1) Identify various digital professional writing genres and be able to produce
them
using the most appropriate tool, medium, and/or method of delivery
2) Demonstrate competency in technologies that are used by professional and
technical writers to produce digitally mediated texts for a variety of audiences
3) Produce documents that reflect the rhetorical, design, and stylistic needs
and
sensibilities of readers in electronic environments
4) Use technology and others鈥� intellectual property ethically and legally
5) Use technology to facilitate remote and in-person collaboration
Assessment Measures
A variety of assessment measures will be used. Students will plan, write, revise,
or edit documents for public/workplace audiences using professional writing technologies,
and both their work and processes will be evaluated. Students also may be asked to
improve existing documents using professional writing technologies and reflect on
their processes. Additionally, they may be asked to critique the strengths and weaknesses
of existing documents. Collaborative projects and presentations may be assigned, and
students may be asked to produce corollary documents such as a progress report and/or
performance review. When theoretical, historical, or other readings are assigned,
students may be asked to participate in face-to-face or online discussions using various
professional writing technologies. When needed, quizzes and homework will be assigned.
At the instructor鈥檚 discretion, students may create a portfolio with work from the
course and/or the professional writing concentration or minor to demonstrate mastery
of course learning objectives and/or aid the job search.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
March 27, 2017
March 01, 2021