Syllabus
Instructor: John R. Marks, IV
Email: jmarks@fsu.edu
Office: William Johnston Building (WJB 2027)
Information and materials for this course is always available at
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Offers practical hands-on experience with forms and practices of technical and professional writing, including documentation, correspondence, audience analysis, writing for social media, evaluation, and review. Emphasizes clear, concise, and effective writing in information technology settings, both within organizations and for user services.
The Liberal Studies for the 21st Century Program at Florida State University builds an educational foundation that will enable FSU graduates to thrive both intellectually and materially and to support themselves, their families, and their communities through a broad and critical engagement with the world in which they live and work. Liberal Studies offers a transformative experience; this course has been approved as meeting the Upper-Division Writing requirement and thus is designed to help you become a clear, creative, and convincing communicator within your discipline.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Write clear and concise documents for a variety of uses in information technology settings.
- Explain how to use IT services and software packages for both novice and advanced users in clear and easy-to-follow documentation.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of both their own and others’ technical writing.
- Rewrite materials effectively in response to the evaluation and criticism of others.
COURSE MATERIALS
No required textbook. A list of readings, as needed, will be provided on the course website.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
- Introduction to Writing for the Information Professions
- Peer Review Processes and Practices
- Conducting Audience Analysis
- Writing for Social Media I: Overview of Social Media Venues and Use
- Writing for Social Media II: Tailoring Content for Venue and Audience
- Documentation: Process and Accountability I
- Documentation: Process and Accountability II
- Proposal Development
- Documentation I: Needs of Novice Users
- Documentation II: Needs of Advanced Users
- Electronic Correspondence Types and Forms
- Institutional Policy Documents
University Attendance Policy:
Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.
Academic Honor Policy:
The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to "...be honest and truthful and...[to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University." (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy)
Americans With Disabilities Act:
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:
(1) register with and provide documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services; and
(2) request a letter from the Office of Accessibility Services to be sent to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type; and
(3) meet (in person, via phone, email, skype, zoom, etc…) with each instructor to whom a letter of accommodation was sent to review approved accommodations.
This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.
For the latest version of this statement and more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:
Office of Accessibility Services
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
oas@fsu.edu
https://dsst.fsu.edu/oas/
Free Tutoring from FSU
On-campus tutoring and writing assistance is available for many courses at Florida State University. For more information, visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Tutoring Services' comprehensive list of on-campus tutoring options - see http://ace.fsu.edu/tutoring or contact tutor@fsu.edu. High-quality tutoring is available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. These services are offered by tutors trained to encourage the highest level of individual academic success while upholding personal academic integrity.
Syllabus Change Policy
Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.
iSchool HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:
A list of all hardware and software requirements for students participating in the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) courses can be found at the following location:
http://slis.fsu.edu/academics/online/requirements/
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY FOR AN INCOMPLETE GRADE:
Incomplete (“I”) grades will not be assigned, except in the case of exceptional unforeseen circumstances that occur within the last three weeks of the semester and your work has otherwise been
satisfactory (C average).
Backlinks: Home:Miscellany:Staging-LIS4022