MSc: Communication

Communication

• Course name: Communication (Technical Writing)
• Course number: SE-
• Area of instruction: Computer Science and Engineering

Administrative details

• Faculty: Computer Science and Engineering
• Year of instruction: 1st year of MSc
• Semester of instruction: 2nd semester
• No. of Credits: 2 ECTS
• Total workload on average:
• Frontal lecture hours: 2 hours per week.
• Frontal tutorial hours: 0 hours per week
• Lab hours: 2 hours per week
• Individual lab hours: 2 hours per week
• Frequency: weekly throughout the semester
• Grading mode: letters: A, B, C, D

Course outline

This course is designed to help computer science and engineering students improve their technical reading and writing skills. Students will read texts analytically, identify and respond to persuasion and argument, assess the visual and textual elements of written presentations, and develop skills including skimming and scanning, reading for gist, and reading critically. Coursework will support students in recognising the structural and rhetorical elements of technical genres, as well as constructing a portfolio of sample workplace text-types. The processes of drafting, revising and incorporating feedback will both model and inculcate editing methods and procedures. Attention will be given to teamwork, meeting behaviour, and minute-taking. Case studies are used to bring the textual and lived dimensions of technical communication together. Student reflection on their own learning experiences is a significant means of consolidating learning gains, over the course of the semester. Ultimately, the course provides opportunities for students to develop effective technical communication skills.

Expected learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Recognize and describe the constituent elements of technical writing;
• Determine the needs and peculiarities (including cultural ones) of specific addressees of technical communication;
• Appreciate the roles of ethics, persuasion and teamwork in technical communication;
• Know how to read for information, gist and detail;
• Identify key features of different genres of technical writing;
• Organize, deliver and analyses effective and attractive presentations;
• Plan, prepare, write and edit a business proposal;
• Construct a job application package
• Design visual aids and instructional texts for specific audiences;
• Edit and proofread to produce documents without grammar or typographical errors
• Appraise effective sentences, paragraphs and whole-text cohesion for various technical documents;
• Manage the cross-cultural elements of technical communication.

Required background knowledge

Students must be familiar with how to access and use the Learning Management System. Students should have a level of English of B2 (upper intermediate) or above.

Prerequisite courses

There are no prerequisite courses.

Detailed topics covered in the course

• Technical Writing (Overview). Target Audiences, Sources, and Evaluation
• General strategies to work with the Tech Textual Corpus
• Organization of Information. Critical Thinking in TechComm or How to Avoid Bias and Fallacies
• Definitions, Instructions, and Notices
• User Manuals
• Job related documents
• Investor Documents
• Proofreading Techniques

Textbooks

• Paul V. Anderson. Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach / Wadsworth, Chengage Learning, 2011
• Alan S. Pringle and Sarah S. O'Keefe. Technical Writing 101. A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Content / Scriptorum Publishing Services Inc, 2009
• Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, Walter E. Oliu. Handbook of Technical Writing / Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009

Required computer resources

Laptop

Evaluation

• In-class assignments (90%)
• Exam (10%)