This course is offered through Oregon State University Extended Campus.

For more information, contact:

Web: ecampus.oregonstate.edu Email: ecampus@oregonstate.edu Tel: 800-667-1465


WR 327 Technical Writing

Instructor: Demaris E Garceau

Email: garceaud@onid.orst.edu

Credits: WR 327 combines approximately 90 hours of reading, activities, and assignments for 3
credits. WR 327 is a Writing II course.

Prerequisites: WR 121 or Placement Test

Texts: Essentials of Technical Communication, Elizabeth Tebeaux and Sam Dragga. 2
nd
ed.
Oxford University Press.

Textbook Information: NOTE: For textbook accuracy, please always check the textbook
list at the OSU Bookstore website (http://www.osubeaverstore.com/).

WR 327 Course Objectives:
Technical Writing (WR 327) will prepare you to produce instructive, informative, and persuasive
documents aimed at well-defined and achievable outcomes. Technical documents are precise,
concise, logically organized, and based on factual information. The purpose and target audience
of each document determine the style that an author chooses, including document layout,
vocabulary, sentence and paragraph structure, and visuals. To this end, this course will teach
processes for analyzing writing contexts and producing effective, clean, and reader-centered
documents in an efficient manner. You can expect to gather, read, and present the technical
content of your field to various audiences in attractive, error-free copy, as well as to learn
strategies for presenting that content orally.

Baccalaureate Core Outcomes for Writing II Courses:
Apply multiple theories, concepts, and techniques for creating and evaluating written
communication.
Write effectively for diverse audiences within a specific area or discipline using appropriate
standards and conventions.
Apply critical thinking to writing and writing process, including revision.

WR 327 Outcomes:
Successful students in WR 327 demonstrate their technical writing ability in the following areas:
Rhetorical Knowledge: Awareness of the importance of audience and purpose to the production
of effective documents, as demonstrated by reading, analyzing, and composing written and
visual texts.
Conventions: Understanding of technical and workplace conventions, as demonstrated through
the clean and clear design, style, and layout of written and oral materials.
Information Literacy: Ability to gather and apply researched information that is appropriate to
your field, as demonstrated by using technological tools to find information, reading and
analyzing documents, and citing sources correctly.
This course is offered through Oregon State University Extended Campus. For more information, contact:
Web: ecampus.oregonstate.edu Email: ecampus@oregonstate.edu Tel: 800-667-1465


Assignments:
Informational Writing: Assignments in this course will require you to gather information via
primary and/or secondary research and to apply that information in a common technical writing
genre so as to inform readers about a given topic. These assignments will reinforce your
information literacy skills and application of technical writing conventions.

Persuasive Writing: Assignments in this course will require you to create and support a proposal
related to a technical or workplace context. These assignments will deepen your rhetorical
awareness and savvy, as well as give you further practice with technical writing conventions.

Oral Communication: One assignment (the proposal) will require you to create and present
information in written form in combination with an oral presentation. This oral presentation will
be done electronically. This assignment will give you practice with the conventions of oral
presentations.

Introduction memo: 5 points
Research Topic and questions: 10 points
Persuasive proposal: 10 points
Oral Presentation: 5 points
Annotated Work Cited in MLA format: 10 points
Instructions (with graphics) and description: 5 points
Progress Report, sample & outline: 15 points
Prcis (summaries): 10 points
Group work: 5 points
Final Project: 25 points

Grades will be calculated on a 100-point scale:
94 to 100 = A
90 to 93 = A-
87 to 89 = B+
84 to 86 = B
80 to 83 = B-
77 to 79 = C+
74 to 76 = C
70 to 73 = C-
60 to 69 = D
0 & up to 59 = F

Unarranged-for late papers/assignments will be accepted up to ten days late; however, the grade
will be penalized 10% for each day it's late. For example, an assignment worth 10 points can
receive up to 9 points on the first day it's late, and up to 5 points if it's 5 days late, and 1 point if
it's 10 days late. Some assignments (such as the progress report and sample) cannot be turned in
late for credit. Also, you cannot submit any later assignments related to the report until you have
submitted your topic assignment and gotten confirmation from me that at least one of your topics
will work for the paper.

This course is offered through Oregon State University Extended Campus. For more information, contact:
Web: ecampus.oregonstate.edu Email: ecampus@oregonstate.edu Tel: 800-667-1465

Evaluation Methods: Student mastery and understanding of this material will be tracked in
weekly assignments and by the successful use of the online environment for research and
communication. Work is evaluated in four areas: Quality of thought; organization and coherence;
style and technique; conventions. You must also, of course, meet the particular requirements of
each assignment (in other words, your memos have to look like memos, your letters like letters,
and so on).

Instructional Format: As an online, distance learning course, this class will use a web site,
provided by OSU Distance and Continuing Education, to access the syllabus, schedule of
assignments and other course information. A work schedule posted in the course web site will
provide weekly reading and writing assignments. Please check these pages often. Written work
will be submitted through links in Blackboard. Questions should be emailed to the instructor.

Questions about assignments: Planning ahead and allowing time for revision is so important to
good writing. Therefore, I will not answer questions regarding assignments after noon on Friday
before an assignment is due. This means you must have read the assignment and started writing
before that time in case you have questions. Emailing me a question the morning an assignment
is due shows poor planning and won't be answered. You can also contact me during virtual
office hours.

Technical Requirements: Extended Campus students are expected to be familiar with
computers, the Internet, and email. If you are interested in knowing what is needed, you can use
the computer check available through the Ecampus Technical Help webpage. This check will
look at the computer you are currently using to see if it meets the minimum requirements needed
for Ecampus online courses. The check can be accessed by going to this page and clicking on
Check My Computer at the bottom.

Incomplete Policy: An incomplete will be given only if the student has done the majority of the
work and is passing the course but due to an emergency cannot finish. An incomplete will not be
given to a student who only does part of the work, or who contacts me just prior to the end of the
term. The decision to give an Incomplete is the instructor's to make -- merely requesting the
incomplete does not guarantee it will be given.

Statement Regarding Students with Disabilities: Accommodations are collaborative efforts
between students, faculty and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Students with
accommodations approved through SSD are responsible for contacting the faculty member in
charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations.
Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained
approval through SSD should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.

Academic Dishonesty: A plagiarized paper will receive an F and a report will be filed with the
Student Conduct Office. Two reports at OSU can lead to suspension or expulsion. Behaviors that
are disruptive to learning will not be tolerated and will be referred to the Student Conduct Office
for disciplinary action. In keeping with federal law, behaviors that create a hostile, offensive, or
intimidating environment based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, marital status
or sexual orientation will be referred to the Affirmative Action Office.


This course is offered through Oregon State University Extended Campus. For more information, contact:
Web: ecampus.oregonstate.edu Email: ecampus@oregonstate.edu Tel: 800-667-1465

Student Evaluation of Teaching
We encourage you to engage in the course evaluation process each term online, of course.
The evaluation form will be available toward the end of each term, and you will be sent
instructions through ONID. You will login to Student Online Services to respond to the online
questionnaire. The results on the form are anonymous and are not tabulated until after grades are
posted.

Final Comments: The selection and content of materials found here is the responsibility of the
instructor. If you have questions about the content, please contact the instructor. This web page
does not represent official statements or views of the Department of English at Oregon State
University.

If you have questions about Ecampus, please contact OSU Extended Campus at 1-800-667-1465.
E-Mail: ecampus@oregonstate.edu or visit the web page: Ecampus.oregonstate.edu