Time Required
3 hours, including reading time

Welcome to Technical Writing. Information on all assignments, weekly activities, and related resources for this course will be posted here on Canvas. Check this site regularly for the details on what to do for the course.

As noted in the Course Manual, this course is designed to acquaint you with the concepts and modes of writing that you will encounter in the workplace. In terms of what you will be writing about and the genres you will be learning, you should expect this course to be very different from first-year writing (composition) and other courses in which you have produced written work.

This first module is designed to introduce you to the structure and the expectations for this course and to make you aware of resources that are available to you as a student.

Objectives for this Module

After completing this introductory module, you will be able to

Identify the course policies, schedule, and expectations.
Describe the course grading policies and standards.
Identify the technology requirements for the course.
Understand what learner support services are available to you, as well as identify privacy and accessibility policies and resources.

📚To Read for the Week of January 19

These readings are designed to orient you to the course plan, expectations, and grading standards, as well as to provide you with information about technology requirements, learner support, and privacy.

A Short Guide to Technical Writing
This guide explains how the course works. It provides details on the typical course schedule, the assessment and feedback system, and advice on how to do well in the course.
Course Manual (Canvas Page, Google Doc—recommended, PDF)
This manual includes all the details, requirements, and policies for the course. The links below take you to the specific section of the Google Doc. It may take a moment for the section to scroll into view:
- - Course Syllabus
  - Course Teacher
  - How to Contact Me
  - Course Schedule
  - Requirements & Course Expectations
  - Grading Policies & Standards
  - Policies & Resources
    - Accessibility
    - Communication Guidelines
    - Honor Code
    - Late Policy (Grace Period)
    - Learner Support
    - Privacy
    - Religious Holidays & Events
    - Technology Requirements

📝To Write and Do for the Week of January 19

Due Dates:

All work is due by 11:59 PM on Friday, January 22, 2021.
The grace period for these activities ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, January 25.

Note: You must earn credit for the Syllabus Verification Quiz and Course Schedule Plan before you can access Module 2: Intro to Technical Writing.

Take the Syllabus Verification Quiz (10 points), after reading the material for the week.
- This quiz asks you to confirm that you have read the introductory guide, policies, and requirements for the course.
Fill out the Course Schedule Plan (10 points), after reading the information on the schedule and work in the Short Guide.
- This quiz asks you to create a work plan for the term so that you can be sure you have time to do your work.
Complete the Group Preferences Survey (10 points).
- This survey asks you when and how you tend to work on projects. Are you an early bird? a night owl? I use this information to set up small groups of people who like to work at the same time of day. In my previous classes, this setup is more successful than random groups.
Participate in the Resources on How to Use Canvas Discussion (10 points).
- This Discussion provides links to Canvas help files that relate to the tools we will use in the course. After looking at the documentation, you’ll add a reply about what you found.
Complete the Week of 01/19 Self-Assessment quiz.
- This quiz allows you to claim the points you earn for activities in the course that Canvas cannot grade automatically.

Photo Credit: Typer by Caleb Roenigk on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.