Course Description

This introductory course helps students develop skill sets for writing for diverse audiences in various technical fields.

Rationale

Global employers need competent writers who can communicate organizational mission and processes to a variety of audiences internal and external to the organization. By developing the student’s understanding of document types, formatting, editing, audience, purpose, writing ethics, and effective argumentation, this course will provide students with technical writing fundamentals to enable them to communicate effectively in a range of workplaces.

Measurable Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Analyze and write for a target audience using American Psychological Association (APA) style.
2. Evaluate and implement research resources appropriate to the writing task.
3. Develop grammatically-correct college-level writing and editing competence at the sentence and conceptual levels.
4. Produce documents that demonstrate an appropriate balance between format and content.
5. Deploy presentation software for specific purposes.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview at Liberty University

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in three discussions, each requiring the student to provide an original post of approximately 300 words, which must demonstrate comprehension of and engagement in course content. Original posts must be well-reasoned responses to instructor questions posed, with supporting documentation from course readings, presentations, and other carefully evaluated sources. Students must cite and reference all borrowed words and ideas in original- and follow-up evaluations of other students’ postings using APA formatting. Students must also write one 300-word evaluation of a classmate’s thread. Evaluations of other students’ postings must demonstrate critical engagement with the ideas and writing of others — not merely nods of approval such as “good job!” (MLOs A, B, C).

Inquiry and Response Letter Assignment

The student will write a practice query to a reservation manager at a hotel for a quarterly meeting for research managers. The student will then respond to his/her own query as if he/she were the reservation manager at the hotel. (MLOs A, C, D).

Recommendation Report Assignment

The student will write a recommendation report about an upcoming research project. The report must be 10 pages long, and creative, with at least 3 authoritative sources cited and referenced in the current APA format. (MLOs A, B, C, D).

Memorandum Assignment

The student will write a professional memo containing negative information to the employees of a company. The memo but be professional, with all required headings, and in the “bad news format.” (MLOs A, C, D).

Oral Presentation and Powerpoint Assignment

The student will create a 15-minute PowerPoint extemporaneous presentation on his/her formal recommendation report. The PowerPoint must have at least 5 slides. The student will also prepare a full outline for the presentation. (MLOs A, D, E).

Cover Letter and Resumé Assignment

The student will write a one-page Word document job application (or cover) letter for a position after graduation. The student will also include a 1–2 page resume in the same Word document. (MLOs A, C, D).

Quiz: Midterm Exam

The student will have 1 hour and 30 minutes to choose the correct answers to 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions.

Quiz: Final Exam

The student will have 1 hour and 30 minutes to choose the correct answers to 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions.