English 4181/5181-090
Writing User Documents
Spring 2011

Course Description and Purpose

The purpose of this course is to introduce theories, principles, and practices of writing effective user documentation. In an environment of more electronic information technology than ever before, writing effective tutorials/user manuals for computers and other devices is essential. In this course, you will be encouraged to apply technical communication theories to solve a variety of writing problems, including planning, drafting, and publishing print and electronic tutorials and reference manuals. You will be introduced to heuristics and techniques for considering the user's experience and approach to documentation. Additionally, you will have to consider the specific (and variable) rhetorical situations in which users may find themselves when using instructional documentation. We will discuss the design of interfaces, tutorials, reference manuals, user tests, issues of legal liability, intercultural issues of design, and the software of computer-aided publishing as well. While knowledge of advanced software helps students create their assignments, students do not have to be experts in such software to do well. Additionally, this class will critique the notion of a technical communication course being simply a course preparing students to use software or hardware that will be obsolete in 12-18 months. A portfolio approach will be used as a large component of your evaluation.

Text and Materials

Expectations

I expect students to be prepared to participate in class—activities, workshops, discussions, etc. Therefore, students should finish all reading before the class meets. In addition to the three major assignments, students must maintain a basic web page throughout the semester that demonstrates some understanding of the techniques and theories of user document design and human-computer interaction (HCI). Unless otherwise stated, hand in all work to me. Please do not e-mail me any attachments—I will not accept attachments. Please do not beg for an exception. You are solely responsible for backing up your work and getting hardcopies to me. The potential for computers crashing and Internet connections failing calls for backing up your work and avoiding procrastination. If last minute “issues” come up, you may upload your assignment to a webpage—this does not mean e-mailing an attachment—but you must also bring a hardcopy to me on the next class meeting. Do not expect me to provide printing resources. Alternative assignments and extensions are given at my discretion. If you are unwilling to fulfill these expectations, please reconsider your enrollment in this course.

Prerequisites

Students must have completed ENGL 2116 Introduction to Technical Communication or have had equivalent workplace experience before enrolling into this class.

Work Requirements

Students in this course are expected to be able to complete unified, coherent documents nearly free of mechanical, logical, or structural errors. Additionally, students must strive to write using inclusive language including, but not limited to, gender neutral/ inclusive language, nontechnical language (where appropriate), and interculturally aware language. The ability to read advanced college-level texts critically is also a requirement. Students will write an essay, take a final exam, do a presentation, and create well-designed users documents aimed at lay audiences individually and in groups. The user documents will be portfolio assessments. The major user document assignments are below:

• Individual User Document #1
  Students will create a small-scale user document aimed at instructing a lay audience on how to perform a task with a technology. Search engines will be our primary concern, but see me about alternatives if you want to choose a different “instrument.” Students must propose what they plan to investigate by doing the following: 1) writing a brief description of the instrument, 2) explaining how they will approach their set of instructions for an end user, and 3) offering a way to test their draft. The final document should be revised for the student’s final portfolio.
• Individual User Document #2
  Students will create a medium-scale user document aimed at instructing a lay audience on how to perform a task with a technology or technologies. The best assignments will come from finding a technology close to your educational background or career. Please consult with me early if you have trouble settling on an “instrument.” Students must propose what they plan to investigate by doing the following: 1) writing a brief description of the instrument, 2) explaining how they will approach their set of instructions for an end user, and 3) offering a way to test their draft. The final document should be revised for the student’s final portfolio. Any gamers out there?
• Individual or Group User Document #3
  Students will create a large-scale user document aimed at instructing a lay audience on how to perform a task with a technology or technologies. The best assignments will come from finding a technology close to your educational background or career. Please consult with me early if you have trouble settling on an “instrument.” Also, choose your partner or group members wisely, paying close attention to your potential members’ levels of commitment to class. Students must propose what they plan to investigate by doing the following: 1) writing a brief description of the instrument, 2) explaining how they will approach their set of instructions for an end user, and 3) offering a way to test their draft. This assignment’s testing must include a sound user-centered approach for testing the document’s effectiveness. We will most likely not have access to an audience outside of this class with whom you’ll “test” your documents; however, if the chance arises, I will update the syllabus calendar to accommodate such an activity after scheduling a session with another colleague. Please be aware that I’m more than willing to accept a user test done on a population outside 4181/5181; just let me know in advance. Depending on the class time available and computer lab access, the final document may or may not be revised for the students’ final portfolios—we might be cutting it close at the end of the semester.
• Persona Research
  Students will prepare a final report on the attitudes, values, practices, and demographics of three personas (personas are discussed in Cooper’s book). This assignment is the culmination of semester-long research into what are generalizations about types (not stereotypes) of users. Class discussions will expand on this assignment’s details, but I encourage students to gather information about types of users throughout the semester. Having a running log or daybook might help. Your final research will be assembled into a report that includes a Cover Sheet, Abstract, Table of Contents, Illustrations/Images, Discussion, References, and a basic Index. This isn’t an assignment that a student can do well in one night; on the contrary, it will require a semester-long commitment to research. Your final research will include three personas in the following categories: 1) your perception of your group, 2) the opposite of you, and 3) a user of a (sub)culture other than your own (but different from #2). The goal of this assignment is to have you think critically and explore the needs of users.

In addition to the above assignments, students will contribute to career-oriented discussions online and in class. All students must present their reflections on usability testing for the entire semester to class in a time-limit presentation.Students enrolled in ENGL 5181 will have an additional 4-5 minute presentation early in the semester on Degani’s HAL. These students will also have to complete a 10-page bibliographic essay that reviews academic research on usability testing, HCI, pedagogical issues related to user documentation, or technical/professional writing scholarship. All students should expect a reading quiz for every reading asigned. Although I will not give out reading quizzes for every reading, students should be prepared for them. The final exam will cover our readings and class activities/discussions and will be on our final exam day: Monday, May 9, 2011 from 6:30-9:15 pm..

All of these assignments must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course. Just because the assignments have percentage values associated with them does not mean you will pass the course if your missing assignments do not drop you below 60%.

Assignments/Grade Distribution

Grading Policy

Your final grade is supposed to reflect your entire work for the semester and will be based on the percentages below:

Definition of A, B, C, D, and F Grades

Remember, your final grade is a combination of the four areas above in the assignment percentage table. An 'A' means your work was excellent—not mediocre, average, or just good. A 'B' means your work was good—not quite excellent but definitely above average and thoughtful. A 'C' means your work was barely adequate enough to satisfy the assignment—showing a lack of effort or thought for the assignment guidelines. A 'D' or 'F' usually means assignments were late, missing, or incomplete—often this work does not demonstrate appropriate college-level work for a 4000/5000-level course.

Late Work

An assignment is due at the beginning of the class for which it was assigned. Honestly, there is no excuse for assignments being late in a 4000/5000-level class, but I have a policy anyway: All late work will reduce the assignment by 10% for each class period it is late. Therefore, an assignment worth 100 points that is one class meeting late will not be able to have a grade higher than 90. If a portfolio assignment is late, your overall grade will be 4% less. Therefore, if you turn in a portfolio assignment a day late, your final grade begins at 96%. If you will not or cannot be in class on the day an assignment is due, you should make arrangements to get the paper to me via another student, put it in my mailbox, or upload the paper online and e-mail the link to me. Of course, you must still bring in a hardcopy (if required) of the assignment on the next class meeting. Again, you must still bring in a hardcopy (if required) of the assignment on the next class meeting. Remember, I will not accept assignments attached to e-mails. Please discuss any problems you may have regarding attendance or late work before class if at all possible. Remember, you are responsible for making up all work missed. Something I've learned from past semesters is that if you don't turn things in on time early in the semester, you end up not turning other things in on time (or at all). Do your best to get all your work in to me on time. If you are absent, get the information from another student. Do not expect me to e-mail the class notes to you. Of course, never e-mail me and ask, "so...like, Dr. Toscano, man...did we...like...you know...do anything the other day in class?"

Participation

Although this course is more of a hands-on or applied course, there are several days where we’ll do more discussion. Because separating one’s theories and practices is artificial (if not impossible), we will discuss theories behind the rhetorical strategies of writing user documents. However, unlike a course dominated by theory, we will not stress participation daily. On days where heavy participation is expected, you must participate thoughtfully during class discussions. Therefore, you'll want to actively participating early on in the semester because not all class days will have heavy participation components. Merely showing up will not get you participation credit—you must speak. If you’re not in class, you can’t receive credit, so your participation grade will be affected. I will note your participation (or lack thereof) on important days (normally when we begin a new reading—IRA and HAL, specifically). Thoughtful participation means that you engage critically in our discussions or ask engaging questions about the subject. Simply making jokes or telling the class an irrelevant story about last night’s American Idol does not warrant thoughtful participation.Doing work for another class or distracting other students will lower your participation grade—even to the point of falling below 15% (meaning, you can have a negative participation grade).

Please see me ASAP if you’re concerned about your participation grade because you’re shy or if you don’t understand these requirements. Telling me at the end of April that you didn’t participate because you’re the quiet type or because you didn’t understand what “thoughtful” meant will be too late. Even worse, e-mailing me after the semester is over to complain that participation isn’t a “valid” class assignment is too late. The purpose of discussions is for students to have control over their own learning and to reinforce critical thinking generally and “critical technological awareness” specifically. I am willing to provide a quasi-alternative to supplement a student’s participation grade, but please note that discussion, which allows speakers to exchange ideas, is an extremely important component of critical thinking. One alternative is to do class reflections you post online. Please discuss this alternative with me early in the semester...like today!

Attendance

I will take attendance every day. It is very important that you attend every class in order to keep up with the work and reading. Your grade will be lowered after missing 2 classes. Your final grade will be lowered by a full letter grade for each day missed beyond 2 absences. After 4 absences you will receive a failing grade for the course. Please make an effort to come to every class on time. Don't just skip class because you feel you have two "free" days. Save your absences for emergencies. There are no such things as excused absences. Only students participating in UNCC sponsored activities (with the proper documentation) will not be penalized for missing class. I will ask you to request a meeting with the Dean of Students if you have situations that you feel should allow you an exception to missing more than 2 classes. Cars break down, parking is limited, students get sick, and traffic is brutal, but class still happens. Your participation may also be lowered for excessive tardiness.

Important Dates and Administrative Information

The syllabus schedule below has important dates marked.  Students are responsible for not only knowing course deadlines but also knowing UNCC deadlines (drop/add, billing, vacation, etc.). Please visit the following link for the registrar's calendar: http://registrar.uncc.edu/calendars/Spring_2011_Calendar.pdf.

Academic Integrity

All UNC Charlotte students have the responsibility to be familiar with and to observe the requirements of The UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity. This Code forbids cheating, fabrication, or falsification of information, multiple submission of academic work, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials (such as Library books on reserve), and complicity in academic dishonesty (helping others to violate the Code). Any further specific requirements or permission regarding academic integrity in this course will be stated by the instructor, and are also binding on the students in this course. Students who violate the Code can be punished to the extent of being permanently expelled from UNC Charlotte and having this fact recorded on their official transcripts. The normal penalty is zero credit on the work involving dishonesty and further substantial reduction of the course grade. In almost all cases, the course grade is reduced to "F." If you do not have a copy of the Code, you can view it on UNC Charlotte's Academic Integrity Web site at http://integrity.uncc.edu/. Standards of academic integrity will be enforced in this course. Students are expected to report cases of academic dishonesty they become aware of to the course instructor who is responsible for dealing with them.

If you try to pass off any work in full or part as your own without proper credit being given to the original source, you will receive an 'F' in this course.

In addition to the above identification of Academic Dishonesty, students should be aware of technology-mediated concerns related to Academic Integrity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "integrity" as "The condition of having no part or element taken away or wanting; undivided or unbroken state; material wholeness, completeness, entirety." A second definition states that integrity means "The condition of not being marred or violated; unimpaired or uncorrupted condition; original perfect state; soundness." Therefore, anything that draws students' attention away from course activities and goals is a violation of academic integrity because it corrupts the soundness and condition of learning. For instance, engaging in critical thinking/awareness is a sound, perfect state activity for this course; on the other hand, devoting attention to facebook, instant messaging, non-class-related Web surfing or e-mailing, etc. violates or corrupts the learning goals of this course. Although we may point to the Internet in general and social media sites specifically in our discussions of 21st-Century communication, engrossing oneself in them during class to "catch up with friends" divides your attention and may be distracting to members of this class. This violation is as serious as plagiarism and will result in an 'F' in participation the first time and an 'F' in this course for a subsequent violation. This syllabus section is your warning.

You may also receive an 'F' in the course for other academic integrity violations specified on the UNCC Integrity Web site. Do not expect another warning--this is it. Please see me if you need further clarification regarding cheating, fabrication or falsification of information, multiple submission of academic work, plagiarism, complicity in academic dishonesty, or other violations of academic integrity. Again, so there's no confusion, you will most likely fail the course if you violate any part of the academic integrity code.

A Note to Students from UNC Charlotte's English Department, Statement on Diversity (April 2009)

The English Department strives to create an academic climate that respects people of varied cultural backgrounds and life experiences. As a community of scholars and teachers who study language, literature, and writing, we are committed to nurturing intellectual and aesthetic diversity. In all our activities, we invite participation by diverse groups, including, but not limited to, those who define themselves in the following terms: race and ethnicity; gender; political orientation; sexual orientation; special health needs; age; religion; country of origin; and socio-economic status. Finally, by fostering multiple perspectives in our coursework, we can help our students prepare to participate in our increasingly diverse society, as well as in the global community.

Disabilities Modification Statement

Students who have a condition that may impair their ability to complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria are encouraged to meet with me to identify, discuss, and document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations. Please inform me about circumstances no later than the second week of the semester or as soon as possible after a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest. For information and assistance, contact the Disabilities Resource Center.

Statement of Academic Freedom

I strongly encourage students to use class as a place for free inquiry and intellectual growth. Although we as a class will not always agree or be comfortable with the views of others, every student has the right to his or her own tastes and convictions. I promise to be fair and always support your right to look at the world from your own position, but I encourage all students to branch out and consider multiple perspectives. I will not tolerate any harassment or abuse (emotional or physical) or any instance where others adversely affect students' learning.

Fretwell has an A/C problem. Occasionally this building gets closed and classes are canceled because it is too brutally hot to remain inside. If the A/C 'issue' (or other climate related control system) cancels class, continue to keep up with the class webpage, readings, and assignments. The library has lots of space and many computers. Also, Barnard 105 is a 24/7 computer lab you may use. We'll pick up where we left off on the syllabus when we return to class. This also goes for inclement weather. It's possible the one "snow day" of the year could fall on a day when we have class, so just continue with the readings and we'll catch up when we return to class.

Right to Make Changes

I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus when necessary to meet learning objectives, to compensate for missed classes, or to make our lives easier.

Schedule for Readings and Assignments
(have readings and assignments done before class)

March 7-12 Spring Break

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