- Time Required
- 6 to 8 hours, including reading time
Technical writing is any kind of writing you might be called upon to produce for an audience in your particular workplace. The term refers not only to complex, lengthy, heavily-illustrated documents like reports and user guides, but also to shorter pieces of writing like memos, letters, and progress reports.
But guess what? Technical writing can take place outside the workplace as well: Did you ever
- write down a recipe for someone?
- tell someone how to get somewhere?
- describe the exact tool to use for a project?
- persuade someone to buy a particular item?
- outline the rules for a particular D&D setting?
All of these kinds of communicating are technical writing—and I bet you have a lot of experience with that kind of technical writing.
This week’s activities introduce you to the ethical and legal considerations that influence technical writing.
Holidays & Events This Week
Here‘s what‘s coming up this week:
- Imbolc, which marks the beginning of Spring in Ireland, takes place on Saturday, February 1.
- All of the following take place on Sunday, February 2:
- Vasant Panchami, which honors the Hindu goddess Saraswati and the coming of Spring.
- Candlemas, a Christian celebration of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, 40 days after his birth.
- Setsubun, an Asian festival marking the end of winter and beginning of spring.
- Groundhog Day, a cultural holiday in the U.S. and Canada.
- The Super Bowl is Sunday, February 9. I know it’s not an actual holiday, but I do realize it may influence your work. Fortunately no work is due on Monday.
- Black History Month in American and Canada continues through the entire month of February.
If any of these holidays will interfere with your work in the class, send me a message with Canvas Inbox and let me know how you need me to adjust your due dates.
Objectives for this Module
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to perform the technical writing tasks defined by the learning objectives for the course:
- Assemble and analyze research from diverse sources appropriate to problem solving (e.g, literature review, evaluation of online resources, interviewing, and site inspection) [CLO 1]
- Analyze the context; determine appropriate audiences for or users of planned communications; assess needs of global audiences and people with disabilities. [CLO 2]
- Practice workplace genres related to specific fields (e.g., proposals, instructions, correspondence, reports, technical specifications and slide decks); illustrate how genre conventions can serve as heuristics and as principles of arrangement [CLO 3]
- Practice team and collaborative work in all phases of project management: planning, researching, writing, revising, and presenting information; include genres associated with team work (e.g., meeting minutes, summaries, poster presentations; pitches) [CLO 4]
| Event | Date | Work Effected |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Day Grace Period | By 11:59 PM on Wednesday, February 12 | Week 2 Try-Its and the Check-in Survey |
| Target Due Date for Weekly Activities | By 11:59 PM on Friday, February 7 | Week 3 Try-Its, the Introduce Yourself Discussion, & the Check-in Survey |
| Target Due Date for the Major Project | By 11:59 PM on Friday, February 7 | Survey of Website Writing Assignment and the related Self-Check |
| 3-Day Grace Period | By 11:59 PM on Wednesday, February 12 | Week 3 Try-Its, the Introduce Yourself Discussion, and the Check-in Survey |
See the information on Target Due Dates and Checkpoint Deadlines for additional details on these dates. The full list of course due dates and deadlines is listed in the Technical Writing Dates and Deadlines.
Activities to Complete
📚 To Read This Week
- Week 03 Readings on Ethics
📝 To Do This Week
- Finish work on the Survey of Website Writing In Your Field Informal Report Assignment, using these resources:
- Introduce Yourself (Project Group Discussion)
- Try out strategies from the course by submitting these activities:
- Try-It #5: Your Discipline‘s Code of Ethics discussion post
- Try-It #6: The Ethical Dilemma of the Absent Team Member discussion post
💬 To Ask Questions (Optional)
- Post public questions in the General Q&A Discussion in Canvas if it can be shared with the class.
- If you have a private question, send me a message with the Canvas Inbox.
- Ask a question or make a suggestion anonymously with the Anonymous Questions & Suggestions form.
📓 To Check-In This Week
- Fill out the Week 3 Check-In Survey to let me know how the week has gone for you.
Photo credit: null by Beryl Chan on Flickr, used under public domain.