Course Syllabus

Course Description:

In this course, you will learn effective presentation of technical and semitechnical information. ENC 2210 will introduce you to the types of writing you might be called on to do as a health scientist.  This course is writing-, reading- and production-intensive.

Course Objectives ✦ After this class, you will be able to:

• Target  professional communication for particular audiences including colleagues, officials, employers, clients, and the general public
• Gather and argue with technical information from primary and secondary sources
• Ethically design persuasive technical documents, presentations, and data visualizations
• Evaluate how technical communication practices shape workplace practices in the health sciences

Learning Outcomes ✦  You will achieve objectives by:

• Targeting resumes and cover letters while leveraging social media platforms to secure employment in the health sciences
• Researching and drawing on community resources and agencies to pursue funding for a real healthcare project
• Researching and effectively presenting materials related to real-time communication technologies
• Examining how technical communication works to order and execute practice in the healthcare setting
• Document client behaviors/activities and staff actions for clinical record keeping and reporting according to established policies (note: you’ll hit this one in your own case)

Course materials (Required)

• Book: Jennifer A. Duffy & Carol M. Cram’s (2012) Microsoft Word 2010 for Medical Professionals. 
• affiliated access code to Cengage SAM [ISBN: 9780619234515]

Major assignments and exams: 

Your grade in this course will be determined by your participation in class discussions and assignments, a series of Word labs, and your performance in three major projects. There will not be a final exam in this course; rather, your final grade will be weighted according the following breakdown:

Homework/ Classwork  Reading responses, participation, quizzes, completion of individual deliverables	Weeks 1-16	10%
SAM (Microsoft) Exams Performance in online task exams; supplemental training provided	Weeks 1-16	20%
Employment Project Deliverables: resume, cover letter, career community profile and memo	Weeks 1-4	20%
Real-Time Computing Project Deliverables: Backgrounder Research Report; Handout & Elevator Pitch; Policy, Procedure, and/or Regulation; Reflection Memo; Minutes	Weeks 5-10	25%
Grant Project Deliverables: Proposal, Oral Presentation, Minutes, Team Reflection Memo, and other deliverable specified in proposal	Weeks 11-16	25%
Total		100%

 

Grade Scale

The Canvas grading scale will be used for the mathematical breakdown on a 100-point scale to a letter-grade scale. Letter grades, including plus and minus grades, will be converted to points according to the Grade Point Average grading system, as follows:

Policies

Computer Lab Policies

• No food or drink allowed at anytime in the lab.
• Please log off the computer before leaving.
• Do not save your files on the computer, use your google or Canvas drive.
• Pick up after yourself before you leave; don't leave personal belongings, trash, etc.

Student Conduct Policy

A positive learning environment is important for students and instructors. Please observe common classroom courtesies:

• Turn off or silence your cell phone before class begins. There will be absolutely no texting, facebooking, or similarly distracting social activity during class.
• Conduct yourself in a cooperative, orderly, and professional manner.
• Observe appropriate email etiquette when contacting your instructor or classmates. Emails with shorthand will be deleted.
• If any behaviors interfere with instruction, whether in the classroom or online, your instructor will then follow policies regarding you conduct from the USF Handbook.

Disruption of Academic Process

Disruption of academic process is defined as the act or words of a student in a classroom or teaching environment, which in the reasonable estimation of a faculty member: (a) directs attention from the academic matters at hand, such as noisy distractions; persistent, disrespectful, or abusive interruptions of lecture, exam, or academic discussions, or (b) presents a danger to the health, safety, or well-being of the faculty member or student. Punishments for disruption of academic process will depend on the seriousness of the disruption and will range from a private, verbal reprimand to dismissal from class with a final grade of “W,” if the student is passing the course, shown on the student record. If the student is not passing, a grade of “F” will be shown on the student’s record.

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty

Plagiarism includes the use of a quotation, that is, the exact words of a text (interview, lecture, periodical, book, or website), without quotation marks and documentation; the paraphrasing of ideas or passages from a text without documentation; the inclusion from a text of information not generally known to the general public without documentation; and the following of the structure or style of a secondary source without documentation.

Disability Accommodations

Any student with a disability should be encouraged to meet with the instructor privately during the first week of class to discuss accommodations (see Student Responsibilities: http://www.asasd.usf.edu). Each student must bring a current Memorandum of Accommodations from the Office of Student Disability Services that is prerequisite for receiving accommodations. Accommodated examinations through the Office of Student Disability Services require two weeks’ notice. All course documents are available in alternate format if requested in the students’ Memorandum of Accommodations (see faculty responsibilities: http://www.asasd.usf.edu/faculty.asp)

Writing Center

The USF Writing Center is a phenomenal place to seek outside assistance in improving writing skills. The Center offers free tutoring from the brainstorming to revision levels. Rather than offering editing assistance, during a session in the Writing Center consultants and students work together to enhance the organization, development, grammar, and style of any type of writing across the disciplines. The USF Writing Center is located on the first floor of the library. Walk-ins are welcome dependent on availability, but students are encouraged to make an appointment by visiting the Writing Center during office hours or setting up an appointment online. The phone number is 813-974-8293. Additional feedback is available via SmartThinking, an online tutoring center, which is accessible via Canvas.

Emergency Plans

In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to Blackboard, Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, and e-mail messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the ENC 2210 student to monitor the Canvas site for each class for course-specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

Attendance

I'll take attendance daily. Bottom line: come to class. We need you there for discussion. You need to be there to do well. If attendance becomes a problem for the class, I will become very strict about it.

Here is my official policy: After two absences —EXCUSED OR NOT—one-third of a letter grade will be taken off your final grade. (For three absences, “B” becomes a “B-”; for four, the “B” becomes a “C+”).

Technology

We will use web resources frequently, but don't fear! None of them require a deep understanding of computer technologies, but they all require frequent access to a computer and the Internet. Weekly modules in the Canvas course can be considered "complete" by noon on the Friday before each week. Minor (homework and classwork) assignments will be turned in to Canvas. Groupwork will be completed using google docs and shared with me (through Canvas) upon completion. Your grades will be calculated on Canvas. You are required to check your Canvas inbox, which you can set to forward messages to your email inbox. If you are uncomfortable using Canvas, the university offers a number of avenues for mastering the LMS, including workshops, and a Walk-in Clinic in the library (open 10-3, M-F)

Please be aware of USF’s Security Policy and Network Access Agreement. As mentioned in the Policy: Students who come to the University without necessary computer skills are provided access to numerous free computer training classes. Training in various software applications and web languages is offered throughout the year, including the summer session. Students may find information about these valuable computer training opportunities at www.acomp.usf.edu/training.html.

Policy for Late and Missed Work

All assignments must be completed on time. I will not accept late assignments or projects.