WR 227 - Technical Writing

4 Credit(s)

Students in WR 227 will produce instructive, informative, and persuasive documents aimed at well-defined and achievable outcomes within a variety of technical/professional contexts. The purpose and target audience of each document determine the style that an author chooses, which includes document layout, vocabulary, sentence and paragraph structure, and visuals. Students can expect to gather, read, and analyze information and learn a variety of strategies for presenting such information in attractive, carefully edited deliverables designed for specific audiences.

Prerequisite: With a grade of C- or better or pass in  WR 121  or WR 121_H   or placement test.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Reflect on individual and professional-ethical responsibilities within an organizational context. 

2. Apply key rhetorical concepts through analyzing, designing, and composing a variety of deliverable documents for a professional/technical context. 

3. Effectively read and evaluate complex texts and synthesize information for specific rhetorical situations and audiences; design and compose deliverables that meet the needs of specific users/clients. 

4. Engage in project-based research applying appropriate methods of inquiry for clearly defined technical/professional contexts (including but not limited to user experience research and client/organization research). 

5. Plan, design, and compose deliverable documents using a variety of media and communication strategies.

6. Collaborate effectively with various stakeholders (e.g. peer group members, instructor, users, clients, subject matter experts) to develop and apply flexible and effective strategies for project management, including: planning, research, composing, design, and revision. 

7. Demonstrate appropriate, intentional, and flexible strategies for managing multi-stage, collaborative projects. 

8. Accurately and effectively incorporate information from a variety of sources, including visuals and other non-linguistic texts. 

9. Develop and adapt document design and composition strategies to meet the demands of different organizations and contexts. 

10. Navigate norms of format, style, citation, and other context-specific conventions. 

11. Thoughtfully design and articulate an approach to achieving a document’s purpose and user/audience needs. 

12. Reflect on individual and professional-ethical responsibilities within an organizational context.