- short-response assignments: 5 @ 5 points each = 25 points
- client-based projects:
- group agreement: 5 points
- short-term project (due around midpoint): 20 points
- long-term project (due at end of semester): 20 points
- final group presentation: 10 points
- project proposal: 20 points
The short-response assignments will gauge student progress in writing and in the craft of technical communication as a broad concept. Topics will be posted below. All work should be submitted on the Google Drive unless otherwise indicated.
dates updated for spring 2024
Collaborative pieces will form the foundation of much of the client-based work students complete throughout the semester. While these projects will differ based on specific client needs, some requirements will be common among all groups. Unless otherwise noted, group assignments will be assessed as such, with all members sharing the same grade.
Group profile (2.5 points): due 2 February, class time (preliminary draft), 5 February, 11:59pm (final draft)
Assignment 1 (5 points): job application package, due 18 January (peer review draft, class time); 1 February (final draft, 11:59pm)
Compose a 1-2 page cover letter to apply for a job in the broadly defined field of technical writing and/or an application to graduate school. The end result must meet the standards of a business letter intended for mailing. You might find it helpful to respond directly to a job posting you're able to find online or to generate a letter for your "dream job" in your future as a writer.
Place your letter, resume/CV, and job ad as a single pdf in the Google Drive folder shared with your instructor by class time.
Assignment 2 (5 points): client project memo, due 28 January, 11:59pm.
Compose a single-page memo, using the appropriate headings and formatting, to indicate your interest and qualifications for the client projects. Please list both a first and second choice. Memos should be written to me, your project manager. I will use these written appeals to shape the groups and the focus of the projects for the proposed clients.
Place the memo on the Google Drive folder you've shared with me.
Assignment 3 and 4 (5 points each): progress report memo, due 1 March and 5 April
Compose a single-page memo, using appropriate headings and formatting, to indicate the progress you and your group have made thus far. Provide specific details in multiple paragraphs about the effectiveness of your communication, the progress you are making toward your short- and long-term projects for the client, and an evaluation of the contributions you and your peers are making toward those goals.
Assignment 5 (5 points): final assessment memo, due 30 April
Compose a single-page memo, using appropriate headings and formatting, to indicate your evaluation of the client-based project you and your group engaged in this semester. What does this kind of project require that you didn't expect? How could the process be improved? Aside from the final proposal that you'll be presenting to the client and the handful of deliverables you produced over the past few months, what will you take away from this project?
Collaborative pieces will form the foundation of much of the client-based work students complete throughout the semester. While these projects will differ based on specific client needs, some requirements will be common among all groups. Unless otherwise noted, group assignments will be assessed as such, with all members sharing the same grade.
To solidify the identity of the teams working on each project, the first collaborative assignment requires these newly formed consulting groups to articulate their visual and verbal identity. Deliverables for this assignment will include the following:
Group agreement (2.5 points ): due 3 February, class time (preliminary draft), 5 February, 11:59pm (final draft)
- a team/group name, logo, and letterhead to use for official correspondence with the client.
- profile paragraphs (photos optional) describing the expertise of each team member
- a new group google folder, shared with Dr. Dillard and each of the members of the team
The group agreement will be a contract of sorts governing the operations of your new collaboration. Include here such headings as mission statement, group roles, responsibilities, and procedures. Be sure to use your letterhead as part of the final product.
Using the chapters from Richard Johnson-Sheehan's book Writing Proposals, prepare a document to present to your client at the end of the semester. Consider the following sections:
- Introduction
- Current Situation
- Project Plan
- Qualifications
- Costs and Benefits
- Conclusion
This 6-8 page report will convey your understanding of the current situation faced by the client and forward viable solutions to address these needs beyond the scope of the semester. Document design should be given equal consideration with written content. This proposal, due Sunday, 21 April, will be delivered to the client during the last week of class.
The presentation should be 10-15 minutes long, each member of the group must speak, and each group must have a digital visual aid. Presentations will be delivered at the Department Showcase on Thursday, 25 April during class time.
