Module One

Due: 15 January by 11:59pm Points: 10 Weight: 6% Readings -Chapter 1 -Chapter 14, with particular emphasis in pages 387-90 Summary of Responsibilities -Email rationale (Task One) to drichar3@mail.usf.edu (your instructor) by module due date. -Submit technical document analysis (Task Two) to Module 1 dropbox in Blackboard by due date. -Complete Module 1 Quiz on Blackboard by due date Detailed Description of Responsibilities Task One: Professional Email I am aware of the fact that ENC 3250 is a general education course and, as such, fullls the requisite writing course line many of you, as non-English majors, need. By extension, I am also aware that this is not a course you necessarily chose. Despite having you as a captive audience, I still believe in having students articulate why they should indeed remain in this course. Your rst task this semester, then, is to write a rationale for why you should remain in the course. Having completed this weeks readings about the nature and scope of professional and technical communication, and also having thought about to some extent your future as a professional, I want you to make a case for why you should remain in this course. Your case will be written in the professional email format outlined in chapter 14 of the text. You will be assessed on the degree to which your writing meets the required elements of a professional email (see Figure 14.13 for list of required elements). Your email must be sent to me, Professor Daniel Richards, at drichar3@mail.usf.edu, by the module due date. Important Note: This represents First-Day Attendance. Failure to send email by due date will result in you being dropped from the course. Total: 4 points

Task Two: Technical Document Analysis The best way to really grasp the nature of professional and technical communication is to actually engage with real professional and technical documents. Technical documents are essentially any text or visual or combination of both that aims at facilitating a shared meaning or extending another persons understanding of a concept or practice. Examples of technical documents include instruction manuals, disaster reports, brochures, memos, tutorialsthe list goes on and on. Having read chapter 1, you should have at least a cursory knowledge of what makes a technical document effective. On page 6, Markel outlines the characteristics of a technical document and, on page 12, he describes a series of measures of excellence in technical communication. With those ideas in mind, I want you to apply your knowledge to an actual document that you might come across. I have chosen this document for you: USF Systems Strategic Plan 2010-2015, accessible by clicking here or by perusing the USF Systems Website here. Look at the document closely and complete the following:

-Describe the aspects of the document that illustrate the characteristics and measures of excellence of technical communication discussed in chapter 1. You need not cover all the elementsonly a few you nd most relevant. -Evaluate the effectiveness of the document.

Write your response in memo format (see Figure 14.12 for formatting guidance no header image necessary). The memo should include: a title; contact information; brief statement of purpose; at least two subheadings of your choice (i.e., you might choose to organize according to Describe and Evaluate or by selected individual characteristics in chapter 1, such as Design and Audience); and a brief recommendation. The memo itself should be single-spaced and be one full page in length. Total: 6 points