Wrtc 510 Syllabus

WRTC
510:
Seminar
in
Technical
and
Scientific
Communication
 
 This
document
outlines
the
main
class
policies.
For
information
about
specific
assignments
and
the
 class
schedule,
please
visit
the
class
website.
 Instructor
Information
 Dr.
Pavel
Zemliansky
 School
of
Writing,
Rhetoric,
and
Technical
Communication
 Office:
2285
Harrison
Hall
 Office
Hours:
TTh,
9.30am‐12.00pm,
and
by
appointment
 e‐mail:
[email protected]
(preferred
method
of
getting
in
touch)
 office
phone
number:
568‐7056
 class
website:
www.pz‐writing.net/wrtc510
 
 Course
Description
from
the
JMU
Graduate
Catalog
 
WRTC
510
is
a
foundations
course.
It
is
a
study
of
the
theories
and
history
of
technical
and
 scientific
communication
and
its
major
figures
and
issues.
The
course
introduces
students
to
 foundational
texts
in
the
field.
 
 Course
Goals
and
Objectives
 The
main
question
for
investigation
in
this
class
is
“What
is
Technical
and
Scientific
 Communication
as
a
Field
of
Practice
and
of
Study?”
Most
of
our
efforts
this
semester
will
be
 directed
at
exploring
this
question.
 This
class
is
a
seminar
and
the
word
"seminar"
implies
active
and
lively
discussion
of
important
 issues
by
everyone.
Therefore,
the
success
of
this
class
as
well
your
individual
success
in
it
 depends
heavily
on
the
level
of
your
engagement
every
time
we
meet.
For
more
information
on
 participation
requirements,
please
see
below.
 
By
the
end
of
the
course,
the
students
will:
 • Understand
the
main
theories
and
trends
in
contemporary
technical
and
scientific
 communication
 • Gain
a
historical
perspective
of
the
discipline
 • Engage
in
conversations
about
the
discipline
through
independent
research
and
writing
 
 Required
Texts
 • Datacloud:
Toward
a
New
Theory
of
Online
Work,
by
Johnson‐Eilola
 • Central
Works
in
Technical
Communication.
Eds.
Johnson‐Eilola
and
Selber.
Oxford
 University
Press,
2004.
The
book
is
available
at
the
JMU
bookstore.
 • Rhetoric,
Innovation,
Technology:
Case
Studies
of
Technical
Communication
in
Technology
 Transfers,
by
Stephen
Doheny‐Farina
 • Online
articles
which
I
will
post
on
the
class
website
as
needed
 
 



 Course
Projects
 For
detailed
descriptions
of
each
project,
please
visit
the
Units
and
Assignments
section
of
the
 website.
 • In‐class
and
online
participation
20%
 • 4
connected
exploratory
blog
posts
20%
 • Collaborative
case
study
report
30%
 • Final
Project
30%
 
 Evaluation
of
your
Work
 You
can
find
the
evaluation
criteria
for
each
project
in
the
Projects
section
of
the
website.
 However,
as
a
general
policy,
to
receive
an
"A"
in
this
class,
you
will
need
to
exceed
the
minimum
 standards
and
expectations.
Any
time
you
have
a
question
about
either
evaluation
criteria
for
a
 particular
assignment
or
about
your
standing
in
the
class,
please
do
not
hesitate
to
talk
to
me.
 
 Attendance
and
Participation
 Attendance
in
this
class
is
mandatory.
You
are
allowed
two
absences,
no
questions
asked.
Any
 more
absences
will
result
in
a
lower
participation
grade.
If
you
do
miss
a
class,
you
are
still
 responsible
for
doing
the
homework
and
coming
to
the
next
meeting
prepared.
 
 Academic
Integrity
 As
members
of
the
JMU
community,
we
must
follow
the
JMU
Honor
Code
.
Needless
to
say,
any
 attempts
at
plagiarism,
fabrication
of
data,
or
collusion
will
be
dealt
with
severely
and
swiftly.
 
 Late
Work
 
I
do
not
accept
late
work,
regardless
of
the
project,
unless
an
extension
has
been
arranged
with
 me
before
the
submission
deadline.

Late
work
will
receive
grade
deductions.
 

 Americans
with
Disabilities
Act
Information
 
If
you
require
special
accommodations,
please
provide
a
letter
from
JMU's
Office
of
Disability
 Services
during
the
first
week
of
class.
 

 Inclement
Weather
Policy
 
To
find
out
about
weather‐related
closings
and
delays,
please
visit
the
JMU
website
or
call
JMU
 weather
like
on
the
morning
of
the
class