CV
Professional
and
Technical
Communication,
Fall
2010



ECS
3390.HN1:
TR
5:30‐6:45
•
JO
4.502



Instructor:
Lisa
Bell
 Office
hours:
TR
2:00‐4:00

Email:
lisa.bell@utdallas.edu1
 and
by
appointment
(www.tungle.me/lisabell)

IM:
LBellVOH
(Google2)
 Virtual
(IM)
office
hours:
ping
me

Office:
972.883.2052
∙
JO
5.608E
 


There
is
no
satisfactory
explanation
of
style,
no
infallible
guide
to
good
writing,
no
assurance
that

a
person
who
thinks
clearly
will
be
able
to
write
clearly,
no
key
that
unlocks
a
door,
no
inflexible

rules
by
which
the
young
writer
may
shape
his
course.
He
will
often
find
himself
steering
by
stars

that
are
disturbingly
in
motion.


–
William
Strunk,
Jr.
and
E.B.
White,
The
Elements
of
Style



General
Course
Information

ECS
3390
requires
you
to
have
credit
for
RHET
1302.

As
an
upper‐level
class,
you
should
have
at

Pre‐ least
college‐level
writing
skills
and
both
written
and
oral
proficiency
in
English.

The
course
moves

requisites,
 at
a
fast
pace
and
assumes
that
you
begin
the
course
understanding
basic
skills,
such
as
language

Co‐ mechanics
and
Microsoft
Office
functions.

The
course
instead
emphasizes
developing
a
sense
of

requisites,
 professionalism
and
responsibility
to
produce
high‐quality
documents
and
presentations
both

&
other
 individually
and
in
teams.

However,
you
also
need
sufficient
technical
knowledge
to
contribute
to

restrictions project
design
and
to
write
and
speak
knowingly
about
technical
content.



Technical
and
professional
communication
skills
are
critical
tools
for
success
in
the
“real
world”
of

engineering
 and
 computer
 science
 professions.
 
 Therefore,
 Professional
 and
 Technical

Communication
 will
 help
 you
 develop
 skills
 and
 competency
 in
 both
 oral
 and
 written
 communi-
cation
as
they
occur
in
engineering
and
technology
work
environments.
You
will
have
opportunities

to
 determine
 audiences’
 information
 needs,
 assess
 what
 information
 is
 correct,
 reliable
 and

responsive
to
those
needs,
and
present
that
information
in
a
form
that
helps
the
audience
process

and
 use
 it.
 
 You
 will
 determine
 technical
 communication
 needs,
 develop
 professional‐quality

Course
 documents,
 and
 make
 formal
 presentations
 on
 technical
 topics
 to
 technical
 and
 non‐technical

Description audiences.



Engineering
and
programming
are
collaborative
activities;
therefore,
this
course
uses
a

collaborative‐learning
environment
where
you
will
work
in
teams
to
practice
the
fundamentals
of

collaborative
decision‐making
and
communication
in
professional
contexts.

Course
activities
also

raise
related
professional
issues,
such
as
meeting
deadlines,
carrying
out
instructions
as
specified,

organizing
your
time
so
that
you
can
work
productively
on
more
than
one
activity
at
a
time,
and

developing
an
increased
commitment
to
doing
accurate
work.



1

You
will
have
the
best
chance
of
a
quick
response
if
you
email
me.

2

I
do
not
monitor
the
associated
Gmail
address.

Send
all
email
to
lisa.bell@utdallas.edu.




Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 1

 Using
 team
 and
 individual
 technical
 writing
 and
 presentation
 assignments,
 this
 course
 meets
 the

following
SACS
and
ABET
Objectives:


SACS ABET
• Students
will
be
able
to
write
effectively
 d:
An
ability
to
function
on
multidisciplinary

using
appropriate
organization,
 teams

mechanics,
and
style.

f:
An
understanding
of
professional
and

• Students
will
be
able
to
construct
 ethical
responsibility

effective
written
arguments.

g:
An
ability
to
communicate
effectively

• Students
will
be
able
to
gather,

j:
A
knowledge
of
contemporary
issues
incorporate,
and
interpret
source

material
in
their
writing.


Learning
 • Students
will
be
able
to
write
in
different

Outcomes ways
for
different
audiences.
Students
who
successfully
master
these
objectives
will
develop
the
ability
to:



• Enhance
credibility
through
communication
that
adheres
to
professional
and
ethical
norms



• Adapt
to
different
purposes,
constraints,
and
audiences



• Develop
arguments
with
frontloaded
claims
and
appropriate
evidence


• Use
visual
rhetoric
to
enhance
message
effectiveness


• Collaborate
in
a
team
to
research,
plan,
and
present
information


• Research,
draft,
and
edit
documents
that
adhere
to
technical
and
professional
standards



• Prepare
organized
speeches
and
present
them
with
appropriate
verbal
and
nonverbal

delivery


This
course
requires
two
textbooks,
which
you
may
purchase
at
the
campus
bookstore
and
both
off‐
campus
bookstores:



L.
Finkelstein,
Pocket
Book
of
Technical
Writing
for
Engineers
and
Scientists,
3e.


McGraw‐Hill,
2007.

ISBN:
9780073191591


Finkelstein’s
book
provides
examples
that
will
guide
you
through
many
of

the
assignments
this
semester,
but
he
uses
barebones
examples
and

simplistic
writing
to
emphasize
specific
qualities
of
the
genre.
Your

assignments
should
follow
his
structure
but
also
demonstrate
more

Required
 complex
argument
development
and
a
smoother,
more
active
writing
style.

Texts
&

Materials Sun
Technical
Publications,
Read
Me
First:
A
Style
Guide
for
the
Computer
Industry.


Pearson
Custom
Publishing,
2010.
ISBN:
9780558324759


• McDermott
Library
also
offers
an
electronic
version
of
the
complete
Sun

book
if
you
don’t
wish
to
buy
it.



• If
you
choose
to
buy
the
complete
book
from
another
source,
buy
the

second
edition.


I
will
also
place
both
textbooks
and
the
suggested
text
on
reserve.


You
should
complete
the
assigned
reading
before
coming
to
class
to
benefit
from
class
activities.

We


Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 2

 will
not
use
class
time
to
reiterate
what
you
can
learn
from
the
text
–
to
do
so
would
waste
your
time

and
money.

Instead,
we
will
use
class
time
to
master
skills
and
concepts
through
a
variety
of
learning

exercises
that
depend
on
your
comprehending
and
remembering
what
you
have
read.

Although
I
may

occasionally
have
you
respond
to
the
readings
in
class
exercises,
I
will
assign
regular,
graded
written

responses
if
I
sense
you
are
not
reading.



Finkelstein
has
also
written
a
book
that
focuses
on
grammar
and
mechanics:

L.
Finkelstein,
Pocket
Book
of
Grammar
for
Engineers
and
Scientists.

McGraw‐Hill,
2005.


Suggested

ISBN:
9780073529462

Text
You
may
want
to
consult
this
book
if
you
struggle
with
writing
mechanics.

You
may
buy
it
at
the

campus
bookstore
or
either
off‐campus
bookstore.














Assignments
&
Academic
Calendar



The
following
table
lists
course
assignments
and
their
due
dates.

You
can
find
a
more
detailed
course
schedule,
including

reading
assignments
and
daily
class
topics,
on
the
course
website.



ASSIGNMENT VALUE DUE
DATE
Literature
Review/Book
Review
 125
 September
27


*
Team
Reports 
 120
 As
scheduled

Team
Presentations*
 120
 As
scheduled

Team
Presentation
Delivery
 100
 As
scheduled

Team
Collaboration
 75
 November
19

Individual
Presentation
 150
 As
scheduled

Individual
White
Paper
 150
 December
6

Communication
Competency
 60
 Daily

Final
Writing
Assignment
 100
 December
9

TOTAL
POINTS 1000


Low
Impact
Assignments
(class
exercises
and
homework
assignments)
allow
me
to
give
you
brief
feedback
as
you
master

concepts
and
practice
communication
skills
as
we
introduce
them
throughout
the
semester;
therefore,
you
will
not
receive

credit
for
any
of
these
assignments
that
you
miss
or
fail
to
submit
punctually
or
properly.

These
points
contribute
toward
your

Communication
Competency
grade.


*
Team
Report
and
Presentation
grades
will
be
allocated
equally
across
each
round,
either
three
rounds
worth
40
points
each
or
four
rounds

worth
30
points
each,
depending
on
class
enrollment.

Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 3



Course
Policies

All
work
should
demonstrate
the
same
professional
and
ethical
standards
expected
of
you
in
the

workplace,
including
proofreading
and
editing
carefully
all
work
you
submit
in
this
class.


Professionalism
also
means
that
you
use
appropriate
source
citation
wherever
and
whenever

necessary
so
that
you
avoid
violations
of
copyright
–
even
if
you
make
those
violations

inadvertently.
Remember:
your
work
reflects
upon
you
and/or
your
group
as
a
member
or

members
of
technical
professions.


You
may
consult
with
the
writing
center
on
any
assignment
(call
972.883.6707

to
schedule
an
appointment),
but
don’t
expect
them
to
copyedit
your

documents.

Similarly,
you
should
not
expect
(or
ask)
them
to
predict
what

grade
your
work
might
receive.

They
help,
but
they
cannot
guarantee
results.


You
bear
the
responsibility
for
the
work
that
you
submit.





I
use
a
criteria‐based
rather
than
norm‐based
(curved)
grading
system
and
do
not
award
extra

points
at
the
end
of
the
semester
to
raise
final
grades.

Each
assignment
includes
specific

criteria,
but
I
generally
assess
your
work
according
to
the
resourcefulness
with
which
it:


• fulfills
the
criteria
set
out
in
the
assignment
specifications,

• accomplishes
its
multiple
purposes,

• responds
to
its
audience's
needs
and
orientations,

• uses
the
opportunities
and
adapts
to
the
constraints
of
its
professional
and
technical

environment,

• employs
rhetorical
strategies
that
develop
logical
arguments,
strong
claims,
and

adequate
supporting
evidence,
and


• meets
the
usage
conventions
and
uses
the
expressive
range
of
the
verbal,
visual,
and

Grading
Criteria technical
language.



I
will
assign
final
grades
according
to
the
2008‐2010
UTD
Undergraduate
Catalog
scale:

B+
 870‐899 C+
 770‐799 D+
 670‐699
A
 930‐1000 B
 830‐869 C
 730‐769 D
 630‐669 F
 0‐599
A‐
 900‐929 B‐
 800‐829 C‐
 700‐729 D‐
 600‐629
The
following
descriptions
may
help
you
understand
how
I
view
the
different
grade
levels.





A
–
Outstanding
work.

Your
supervisor
or
manager
would
be
impressed
with
your
superior
work

and
remember
it
when
discussing
performance
evaluations
and
promotions.
These
impressive

qualities
include
a
sense
that
the
work:

• Shows
a
superior
completion
of
the
assignment.



• Exhibits
a
fluent,
polished
style
that
strengthens
the
message’s
impact.



• Fits
the
rhetorical
needs
of
the
particular
situation.



• Has
few,
if
any,
mechanical
errors.



• Makes
skilled
use
of
professional
visual
elements.



• Shows
insight,
perceptiveness,
originality
and
thought.





B
–
Good
work.

Your
manager
would
be
satisfied
with
the
work
but
not
impressed.

If
asked
to

describe
your
work,
your
manager
might
say
the
assignment
rises
above
the
minimum

requirements
but
contains
minor
problems
that
a
superior
assignment
would
not
have.
However,

it
remains
strong
work
because
it
is
prepared
skillfully
enough
that
it
does
not
detract
attention

from
the
intended
message.

Good
work:

• Shows
judgment
and
tact
in
the
presentation
of
material
appropriate
for
the
intended


Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 4

 audience
and
purpose.



• Has
a
thorough,
well‐organized
analysis
of
the
assignment.



• Supports
ideas
well
with
concrete
details.



• Has
an
interesting,
precise
and
clear
style.



• Is
free
of
major
mechanical
errors.


• Includes
visual
aspects
in
the
document
design
but
not
as
effectively
as
outstanding
work.






C
–
Meets
all
basic
requirements.

Your
manager
would
be
disappointed
in
your
work
and
would

ask
you
to
revise
sections
before
allowing
anyone
outside
of
the
department
or
the
organization

to
see
the
work.

This
work
product
shows
reasonable
competence
in
style,
but
it
contains

repeated
problems
that
detract
from
the
assignment’s
effectiveness
although
they
don’t

constitute
serious
errors.

Adequate
work
meets
the
minimal
assignment
requirements
and
also:

• Demonstrates
a
satisfactory
analysis
of
the
task,
subject
and
audience.



• Accomplishes
its
purpose
with
adequate
content
but
supporting
evidence
may
lack

sufficient
detail.



• Contains
repeated
mechanical
or
grammatical
errors.


• Uses
visual
elements
that
meet
basic
requirements
but
may
have
minor
problems.



• Demonstrates
an
understanding
of
concepts
discussed
in
readings
and
class
discussions

but
fails
to
implement
them
effectively.



D
–
Meets
the
assignment
but
is
weak
in
one
of
the
major
areas.

Your
manager
would
be

seriously
troubled
by
the
poor
quality
of
your
work
because
it
contains
significant
problems
in

content,
organization,
style
or
mechanics.

Your
work
could
trouble
your
manager
if
it:

• Lacks
a
strong
sense
of
the
rhetorical
situation,
often
from
a
vague
sense
of
audience
or

purpose.

• Seems
generally
substandard
but
has
some
redeeming
features.




• Contains
major
stylistic
or
argumentation
problems
that
distract
the
audience
and/or

interfere
with
its
reception
of
the
intended
message.




F
–
Unacceptable
work
in
one
or
more
of
the
major
areas.

Your
manager
would
start
looking
for

someone
to
replace
you.

The
assignment’s
style
and/or
content
detract
from
its
effectiveness
and

undermine
your
attempts
to
present
yourself
as
a
credible
professional.

Work
may
be
considered

unacceptable
if
it:

• Fails
to
meet
one
or
more
of
the
basic
assignment
requirements.


• Lacks
adequate
organization
or
shows
confusion
or
misunderstanding
of
rhetorical

context.


• Uses
an
inappropriate
tone,
poor
word
choice,
excessive
repetition
or
awkward
sentence

structure.



• Contains
frequent
and
distracting
mechanical
or
grammatical
errors.

• Fails
to
develop
and
support
strong
arguments.

• Fails
to
cover
essential
points,
or
may
digress
to
nonessential
material.



There
are
no
exams
in
this
class.

However,
we
do
in‐class
work
for
“low
impact
assignments”

and
homework
assignments.

You
may
not
make‐up
any
of
these
assignments
except
for

university‐specified
reasons,
such
as
religious
holidays.




Make‐up
Exams Because
of
scheduling
constraints
and
the
logistical
problem
of
creating
an
audience,

presentations
cannot
be
rescheduled,
extended
or
made
up.

You
must
deliver
your

presentations
on
the
day
when
you
are
scheduled
to
speak.

If
you
do
not
present
on
your

scheduled
day,
you
will
receive
a
zero
for
that
assignment.

If
your
scheduled
day
presents
a

problem,
you
should
contact
classmates
to
ask
them
to
switch
days
with
you.



Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 5

 I
do
not
curve
individual
items,
nor
do
I
offer
“special
consideration”
to
allow
students
a
chance

to
raise
their
grade.

Extra
credit
opportunities
may
arise
during
the
semester.

If
so,
I
will

announce
them
in
class
and
publish
them
in
eLearning.



Extra
Credit
If
a
personal
situation
arises
during
the
semester
that
may
affect
your
classroom
performance,

please
talk
to
me
sooner
rather
than
later.
If
you
wait
until
the
end
of
the
semester,
I
won’t
be

able
to
help
you.
I
can
work
with
you
more
easily
if
you
speak
to
me
when
the
situation
arises.

I

can’t
help
you
if
I
don’t
know
you
need
help.


Late,
incomplete,
or
improperly
submitted
work
is
not
acceptable
in
this
course.

Deadlines
in
the

professional
world
are
a
serious
matter.
Missed
deadlines
mean
lost
contracts,
delayed
product

releases,
skyrocketing
expenses,
and,
in
some
cases,
the
loss,
quite
literally,
of
millions
of
dollars

in
revenue.
Missed
deadlines
also
compromise
professional
reputations
and
careers.



Work
that
does
not
meet
the
assignment’s
constraints
(including
file
naming
conventions
and

timely
submission
to
eLearning)
is
unprofessional
and
creates
administrative
headaches.


Technological
problems
–
including
the
vagaries
of
the
eLearning
clock
and
Waterview
wireless
–

do
not
excuse
late
work,
so
plan
accordingly.
Late
submissions
of
major
assignments
will
lose

25%
of
the
possible
assignment
points
each
day
the
assignment
is
late,
tolled
as
the
24
hour

Late
Work period
following
the
submission
deadline.


• I
do
not
accept
work
submitted
by
any
means
other
than
the
eLearning

assignment
module,
except
in
situations
where
I
explicitly
indicate
in
the

assignment
(such
as
the
team
merit
review
or
presentation
booklets)
that

you
should
submit
the
assignment
differently.



• While
I
require
you
to
submit
some
assignments
to
Turnitin
to
check
your

citation
accuracy,
I
grade
only
the
version
that
you
submit
to
the
eLearning

assignments
module.

If
an
assignment
does
not
appear
there,
I
consider
it

missing
or
late.


You
must
attend
class
regularly,
prepare
the
assigned
readings,
and
actively
participate
in

class.
Work
assigned
for
this
class
carries
no
less
priority
than
work
you
may
have
to
complete

for
any
other
class
or
job.

Classroom
lectures,
discussions,
and
activities
do
not
generally
lend

themselves
to
summary
after
the
fact.

I
post
slides
on
eLearning
for
your
reference,
but
they
do

not
convey
the
full
range
of
information
covered
in
class.
Moreover,
class
participation
is
a
vital

part
of
your
learning
process.
Based
on
past
experience,
students
rarely
do
well
in
this
course
if

they
fail
to
attend
class
regularly
and
participate
actively.
Please
see
the
“Communication

Competency”
section
for
further
explanation
of
my
expectations
in
terms
of
class
participation.


I
allow
up
to
two
absences
for
any
reason
without
penalty.
Your
third
absence
(and
each

Class
Attendance
absence
thereafter)
will
decrease
your
Communication
Competency
grade
by
10
points.


Excessive
absences
and
tardiness,
including
repeated
absences
that
affect
your
group’s
ability
to

take
full
advantage
of
in‐class
work,
may
result
in
larger
penalties
to
the
Communication

Competency
grade.

However,
I
reward
attendance
and
participation.

Perfect
attendance
will

add
20
points,
and
missing
only
one
class
will
add
10
points
to
your
Communication
Competency

grade.





Notice
that
no
adjectives
modify
“absences.”

I
make
no
distinction
between
“excused”
and

“unexcused”
absences.

Unless
you
have
a
disability
or
other
university‐specified

accommodation,
the
excellence
of
your
excuse
is
not
a
factor
–
you
either
attend
class
or
not.


Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 6

 In
keeping
with
this
course's
professional
communication
mandate,
students
are
expected
to

use
every
opportunity
in
the
course
to
practice
communicating
in
a
civil
and
professional

manner.
Civility
in
all
course
communication
and
behavior
is
explicitly
part
of
our

Communication
Competency
assignment,
and
civil
and
professional
communication
underlies

many
of
the
policies
on
this
page
and
of
the
course's
assignments.



I
assess
your
communication
competency
based
on
how
well
you
played
the
role
of
an

employee.

Two
general
questions
frame
the
communication
competency
grade:
Would
I
hire

you?

If
so,
how
would
I
rate
your
ability
to
function
in
a
professional
environment?


In
this

definition,
professionalism
includes
respecting
others’
opinions,
working
together
in
a
spirit
of

cooperation,
and
actively
listening
to
those
who
are
speaking.

I
expect
you
to
be
considerate

and
demonstrate
integrity.

Some
of
the
ways
you
can
demonstrate
your
skills
in
this
area

include
(but
certainly
are
not
limited
to):

• Keeping
the
class
in
the
foreground
of
your
attention.

Multitasking
inhibits
focused

concentration,
disrupts
communication,
and
may
distract
your
peers.

Therefore,

while
you
may
bring
technical
devices
to
class,
you
should
only
use
them
to
facilitate

course
goals.

If
you
relegate
class
to
the
background,
your
communication

competency
grade
will
suffer,
and
you
will
receive
an
absence
for
the
day
if
I
find
the

backgrounding
activity
excessive
or
distracting
to
your
fellow
students.


Backgrounding
activity
may
include
sleeping,
texting
or
IMing,
social
networking,

listening
to
headphones,
or
attending
to
material
not
related
to
class
content
–

including
working
on
assignments
for
other
classes.


Communication
 • Showing
respect
to
your
peers
and
to
the
instructor
in
your
listening
and

Competency communicating
behaviors.



• Participating
actively
in
class
rather
than
simply
waiting
to
be
called
on.

In
the
work

place,
it
is
the
assertive,
strong,
and
appropriate
communicators
who
get
noticed
and

promoted.

If
this
is
in
conflict
with
your
natural
style,
this
is
the
time
to
begin
to

practice
speaking
up.

• Bringing
interesting,
topical
information
to
share
with
the
class
(e.g.
attend
campus

lectures
and
provide
a
review
of
the
speakers
strengths,
weaknesses,
and
personality

type;
topical
articles;
or
relevant
real
world
examples).

• Taking
responsibility
for
the
consequences
of
your
choices
and
actions
(the
employee

who
“always
has
an
excuse”
as
to
why
something
did
not
get
done
is
not
a
welcome

addition
to
any
office).



• Taking
the
time
to
develop
a
relationship
with
me
and
your
teammates.

Evaluate

your
contacts
with
me
–
do
you
only
talk
to
me
to
complain
about
an
assignment
or

to
give
me
an
excuse
for
an
absence?

Is
this
the
way
you
want
me
to
remember

you?



By
participating
actively
in
class,
asking
thoughtful
questions,
and
demonstrating
your

commitment
to
success,
you
will
make
a
much
better
impression
on
me
and
on
your
future

boss.

In
addition,
the
most
successful
team
projects
are
developed
by
teams
that
take
the
time

to
get
to
know
each
other
outside
of
class.

By
investing
in
these
relationships,
the
work
is

completed
more
efficiently
and
effectively.

Invariably,
the
reports
and
presentations
reflect
the

strength
of
the
team
relationships.

Reliable
and
frequent
internet
connectivity
is
indispensable
for
this
course
–
not
having
internet

Technology
 access
will
make
your
group
projects
more
difficult
and
will
not
serve
as
a
valid
excuse
for

Requirements shortcomings.

You
should
make
a
habit
of
checking
eLearning
for
announcements,
assignments,

grades,
and
helpful
references.
Additionally,
to
protect
your
privacy
rights,
I
will
only
send
email


Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 7

 through
your
official
UT
Dallas
email
address.



• Do
 not
 tamper
 with
 or
 destroy
 any
 of
 the
 computers,
 printers,
 Smart
 Board,
 white

boards,
 networks
 or
 wiring
 in
 the
 classroom.
 Violations
 will
 result
 in
 a
 disciplinary

referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.

Classroom
and

Equipment
Use
 • Silence
 electronic
 device
 notification
 settings
 before
 class
 begins
 and
 refrain
 from

Policies accepting
calls
in
class.


• Use
 the
 classroom
 and
 equipment
 only
 for
 ECS
 3390‐related
 activities.
 Violations
 will

result
in
a
disciplinary
referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.



You
should
also
familiarize
yourself
with
the
UT
Dallas
Syllabus
Procedures
and
Policies
available

at
http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus‐policies





These
descriptions
and
timelines
are
subject
to
change
at
the
discretion
of
the
Professor.




Fall 2010 ECS 3390 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 8