Apologies for the delay in today’s post. I’ve been sick all weekend. Glad we’re not meeting in the classroom, because I don’t want to share these sneezing, sniffling, coughing germs with you. I’m working to get graded work back to you, but this virus has me behind.

Today, you read about how to choose and document graphics that you use in your writing. Tomorrow, we’ll do peer review and submission of Project 5.

Readings for January 12

For today’s session, please read the following:

• Tips on Choosing and Using Graphics.
• Chapter 2 of Markel (“Understanding Ethical & legal Considerations”).
• Chapter 8 of Markel (“Creating Graphics”).
• Appendix A of Markel (“Documenting Your Sources”).

Work for January 12

• Continue work on your fifth project.
• Be sure to complete the reading quiz on Chapters 14 of Markel by 11:55 PM tonight (1/12).
• Go to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapters 2 and 8 of Markel by 11:55 PM on Tuesday, January 13.
• If you have any questions about the assignment, go to the Questions about Project 5 in the forum and add them.

Many of you have already turned in your first project. If you are taking advantage of the grace period, you should have your work in my 11:55 PM tonight, December 31. Today we move on to Project 2, which is due Friday night at 11:55 PM.

Readings for December 31

For today’s session, please read the following:

• The assignment for Project 2.
• Information on using Google’s spreadsheet tool.
• Details on document design and chapter 7 of Markel.
• Information on kinds of correspondence and chapter 9 of Markel.

Work for December 31

• Get started on your second project.
  • Think of your audience for this project as yourself, and your purpose is to learn about the characteristics of the kinds of writing you will typically do in the workplace. A year from now, if you were in the workplace, you should be able to come back to this analysis to remind yourself of the features to include in whatever you are writing.
  • Don’t panic if you find that you have an empty slot on your spreadsheet. If one of the columns is irrelevant for one of the documents you have listed, that is okay.
  • Likewise, if you cannot find an example of the document online to link to, that’s okay too.
  • Remember however that you need to account for those empty spaces in your reflection memo when you submit your project.

• Go to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapter 7 and Chapter 9 of Markel by 11:55 PM on Friday, January 2. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page, and see the Announcements in Scholar for details in the change of due dates for this first week of classes.

Optional: Discussing the Example Memos

The example memos included on on the Project 2 assignment page were written by students who were analyzing a piece of technical writing in their field using the six characteristics of technical writing that are explained in Markel, Chapter 1. If you are aiming for an A, these memos are similar to what you need to write.

If you are aiming for an A on Project 2, this activity will help you with your writing:

1. Read through the Example Analysis Memos. You don’t have to read every word, but look at them well enough to get a sense of how they work, what they do well, and what they could improve on.

2. Go to the Discussion of Example Memos topic in the forums and weigh in on which of the examples seemed more effective. You can quote someone else’s post or just start in on your own ideas. You will find some guiding questions in the forum post.

The choice of a spreadsheet for Project 2 demonstrates how design choices can make information more readable and useful to an audience. Spreadsheets (or tables in a Word Processor) are frequently used in the workplace to present information that the audience will compare. For instance, you might create a spreadsheet for benchmarking purposes, to compare different features of competitor’s websites, or to compare contractors for a project to find the best choice.

As you read chapter 7, pay attention to the CRAP design principles, the details on designing documents (such as using layout, columns, and typography), and the information on analyzing page designs.

Reading Quiz

After reading the chapter, complete the reading quiz in Scholar for Chapter 7.

Photo: This is C.R.A.P. by Matt Katzenberger, on Flickr