ENGL 2311 - Technical & Business Writing ENGL 2311.401 Course Syllabus

ENGL 2311:

Description

Intensive study of and practice in professional settings. Focus on the types of documents necessary to make decisions and take action on the job, such as proposals, reports, instructions, policies and procedures, email messages, letters and descriptions of products and services. Practice individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and efficient documents.

Credits 3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours 0
Extended Hours
0
Contact Hours
48
State Approval Code
23.1303.51 12
Instructor Name
Jaynellen Wylie
Semester/Year
Fall 2024
Meeting Time and Location
Online—students are expected to spend at least 3 hours per week reading, reviewing, and participating in assigned activities for successful completion of this course.
Alternate Operations During Campus Closure

In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic, it may be necessary for Panola College to move to altered operations. During this time, Panola College may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management system (CANVAS), online conferencing, email messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Panola College's website (www.panola.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely, CANVAS for each class for course-specific communication, and Panola College email for important general information.

Student Basic Needs

Unexpected circumstances may arise, but Panola College offers various resources to support students. If you need mental health services or are facing challenges with transportation, affording class materials and supplies, or accessing food regularly—issues that may impact your class performance—please visit panola.edu/resources.

Class Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance of classes and laboratories is required of all students. When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities, he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up for the missed work. If a student has not actively participated by the census date, they will be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. This policy applies to courses that are in-person, online, hybrid, and hyflex.

Attendance in online courses is determined by submission of an assignment or participation in an activity. According to federal guidelines, simply logging into a distance learning course without participating in an academic assignment does not constitute attendance. Distance learning is defined as when a majority (more than 50%) of instruction occurs when the instructor and students are in separate physical locations. Students must engage in an academic activity prior to the course census date. 

When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the Vice President of Instruction that the student be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may seek to withdraw students for non-attendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences: 

Fall or spring semesters: 

3 or more class meeting times per week - 5 absences

2 class meeting times per week - 3 absences

1 class meeting per week -  2 absences

The student is responsible for seeing that he or she has been officially withdrawn from a class. A student who stops attendance in a class without officially withdrawing from that class will be given a failing grade; consequently, the student must follow official withdrawal procedures in the Admissions/Records Office.

Please note: Health Science and Cosmetology courses may require more stringent attendance policies based on their accreditation agencies. Please see the addendum and/or program handbook for further information concerning attendance.  

Pregnant/Parenting Policy

Panola College welcomes pregnant and parenting students as a part of the student body. This institution is committed to providing support and adaptations for a successful educational experience for pregnant and parenting students. Students experiencing a need for accommodations related to pregnancy or parenting will find a Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations Request form in the Student Handbook or may request the form from the course instructor.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Course Policy

There are situations throughout the course where you may be asked to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to explore how they can be used. Outside of those circumstances, you should not use AI tools to generate content that will end up in any student work (assignments, activities, discussion responses, etc.). Use of any AI-generated content in this course without the instructor’s consent qualifies as academic dishonesty and violates Panola College’s standards of academic integrity.

Student Learning Outcomes
Critical Thinking Skills – to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and syntheses of information
CT1: Generate and communicate ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing information

Communication Skills – to include effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
CS1: Develop, interpret, and express ideas through written communication

Teamwork – to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goa
TW1: Integrate different viewpoints as a member of a team

Personal Responsibility – to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making
PR1: Evaluate choices and actions and relate consequences to decision-making
Instructional Goals and Purposes
  1. Understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation.
  2. Understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communications choices.
  3. Participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding.
  4. Understand and apply basic principles of proficiency in the development of exposition and argument.
Learning Outcomes
  1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
  2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
  3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
  4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
  5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
  6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
  7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation
Course Content
  1. Analysis of the different needs of technical audiences and communicating with specific audience needs.
  2. Analysis of communication problems and creation of documents that address those problems.
  3. Creation of sound, logical arguments to support claims, findings, and recommendations.
  4. Development of visual representations that assist a reader in understanding a problem, a conclusion or recommendation.
  5. Proficiency in computer software adjunctive to successful written communication on the job.
  6. Research adjunctive to technical resources, primary and secondary, and technical documentary stylistic developmental probabilities
Methods of Instruction/Course Format/Delivery

English 2311 is taught in a writing lab for both face-to-face and on-line classes. Online English 2311 classes are delivered through the Canvas learning management system. Face-to-face classes include the use of Canvas as an enhancement to the course.

Instruction will include a blend of theoretical and practical methods. This includes lectures, interactive workshops, varied technical correspondence, and work place scenarios. Additionally, the use of peer reviews and collaborative projects will be assigned.

Students are instructed in methods of developing various types of business/technical compositions. Instructor-assisted writing in a computer lab is an essential component of the face-to-face versions of the course. Online students interact with the instructor and with other students through email, discussion boards, chat rooms, and peer editing exercises. Online instructors determine requirements and methods of submitting drafts of writing assignments/projects and of receiving feedback on assignments.

Course Grade
  1. Assignments – 60%
  2. Quizzes – 10%
  3. Mid-term and final exam – 30%

Major Assignments/Assessments

The following items are assigned and assessed during the semester and used to calculate the student's final grade.

Assignments

  1. Business letters, memos, and emails
  2. Quizzes
  3. Daily and homework assignments
  4. Individual and/or group project
  5. Resume
  6. Letter of application
  7. Create a LinkedIn account
  8. Midterm and final exams

Assessments

  1. The completion of assignments such as memos, business letters, emails, quizzes, and individual and/or group projects
  2. Quizzes requiring students to verify familiarity with syllabus, distinguish and correctly identify usage for commonly misused words, practice test to familiarize students with the Canvas test box and formatting within the test box prior to major test
  3. A midterm exam and a final exam that require the student to create a document and provide brief written answers to questions related to student goals and processes
  4. Punctuality in submitting assignments
  5. Student attention to interfacing assignment and the student’s response to the assignment
  6. Attention to detail
  7. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation
  8. Willingness to work cooperatively with other students as well as the instructor
Texts Materials, and Supplies

No text is required for English 2311.

Required Readings

The college supports the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) to ensure accessible and affordable learning. Required readings and resources are selected by individual instructors and may vary by course section. Instructors may choose from a range of OER materials or other resources that best support the course objectives.

Addendum

See "Course Information Sheet" in Canvas

Other