Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2018 - ENSC 105W D100

Process, Form, and Convention in Professional Genres (3)

Class Number: 6657

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Mon, Fri, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Wed, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Corequisites:

    CMPT 106, ENSC 100 or ENSC 106.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The course teaches fundamentals of informative and persuasive communication for professional engineers and computer scientists in order to assist students in thinking critically about various contemporary technical, social, and ethical issues. It focuses on communicating technical information clearly and concisely, managing issues of persuasion when communicating with diverse audiences, presentation skills, and teamwork. Students with credit for CMPT 105W, ENSC 102 or MSE 101W may not take ENSC 105W for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

1.0 Introduction

Welcome to ENSC 105W. This course provides a general introduction to the principles of effective communication with special emphasis on the writing process, informative and persuasive writing, research papers, oral presentations, and resumes and cover letters. In conjunction with ENSC 100W, the course also explores current social and ethical issues in Engineering.

1.1 Topics Covered

During the semester, we will cover the following topics:


• Rhetorical principles and strategies
• Netiquette and computer security
• Critical and creative thinking
• Referencing conventions
• Technical writing styles
• Research strategies
• Academic integrity
• Writing processes
• Form and format
• Punctuation
• Oral presentations
• Poster presentations
• WHMIS certification
• Engineering conventions
• Resumes and cover letters
• Teamwork and professionalism
• Engineering Science orientation
• Study skills and time management

1.2 Co-requisite

ENSC 100W (Engineering, Technology, and Society) is co-requisite with ENSC 105W. ENSC 105W shares teaching assistants, design labs, and some assignments with ENSC 100W, and it provides support for the written and oral assignments undertaken for ENSC 100W. ENSC 105W also provides a general orientation to university studies, SFU, and to the School of Engineering Science. This blended course has both face-to-face and on-line components. You are required to log on to Canvas at least three times per week and check your SFU e-mail daily. As well, regular attendance to lectures is required, and both on-line and lecture participation is graded.

Note: If you are not registered in ENSC 100W but only in ENSC 105W, please drop by and see me during the first two weeks of class so that I can outline some of the issues of which you need to be aware.


2.0 Recommended Text

Stevenson, S. and S. Whitmore. 2002. Strategies for Engineering Communication. John Wiley and Sons.
Copies are available for purchase at the SFU Bookstore or for 4 hour loan at the SFU library.

3.0 Study Groups

I strongly recommend that you get together on a regular basis with one or two of your classmates, or with members of your design lab groups, to review and discuss the course material. People have different strengths in different parts of the course, so having someone to work with can be very helpful.

4.0 Grading Criteria

ENSC 105W is a graded course. The assignments and weighting for each assignment are provided in the table
below. Note that you MUST pass all pass/fail assignments to pass this course.


Assignments   Weighting Due Dates*
Copyright & Plagiarism Canvas Modules Pass/Fail On-line reading and quizzes must be completed by DTBA1.
Preliminary Assignment 1:
Research Question & Audience Definition		 05% Bring 3 copies to your DTBA ENSC 100W/105W design labs. Submit one copy to Canvas by 11:59 PM of the same day.
Preliminary Assignment 2:
Draft Introduction & Reference List		 05% Bring 3 copies to your DTBA ENSC 100W/105W design labs. Submit one copy to Canvas by 11:59 PM of the same day.
Informative Research Paper 20% Bring 1 printed copy to your DTBA ENSC 105W class.
Integrity/Safety/Security Quiz 10% Completed DTBA in 105W class.
Submission to Turnitin.com for both informative and persuasive paper Pass/Fail Must be submitted to Turnitin service by DTBA at 23:59 and DTBA at 23:59.
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Pass/Fail On-line quiz must be successfully completed by DTBA at 23:59.
Bridging Online One: Participation, Cover Letter, and Resume 15% On-line participation from DTBA-DTBA; all submissions must be completed by DTBA.
Persuasive Research Paper 25% Bring 1 printed copy to your DTBA ENSC 105W class. Attach the graded version of your informative paper
On-line Participation (Discussion Groups) 10% Completed throughout semester.
In-class Participation 10% Completed throughout semester.


Please Note: All late assignments will be penalized 10% per day (or part thereof) late. This policy is strictly enforced. If you are going to be away, you are more than welcome to hand your assignment in early. No make- up assignments will be given. In the event of extenuating circumstances (illness or accident), supporting documentation will be required and will be verified.

All assignments must be successfully completed to pass the course. Anyone who does not fulfill all requirements will receive an N, which is considered an F for scholastic purposes. At the discretion of your instructor, an N can be changed to a letter grade if course requirements are completed and evaluated prior to the fifth day of classes of the following semester.

If you believe the grade you have received for an assignment to be unfair, you should first talk with your TA. If the issue is not resolved, you may bring the assignment to your instructor for reassessment within 2 weeks. Please note that the instructor may raise, lower, or maintain your grade.

The following table provides the grade equivalencies at SFU:

Letter Grade Definition GPA Percentage
         A+ Excellent Performance 4.33 96-100
         A 4.00 91-95
         A- 3.67 86-90
         B+ Good Performance 3.33 81-85
         B 3.00 76-80
         B- 2.67 71-75
         C+ Satisfactory Performance 2.33 66-70
         C 2.00 61-65
         C- Marginal Performance 1.67 56-60
         D 1.00 51-55
         F Unsatisfactory Performance 0.00 00-50


Grading

  • Preliminary Assignment 1 - Research Question & Audience Definition 5%
  • Preliminary Assignment 2: Draft Introduction & Reference List 5%
  • Informative Research Paper 20%
  • Integrity/Safety/Security Quiz 10%
  • Bridging Online One: Participation, Cover Letter, and Resume 15%
  • Persuasive Research Paper 25%
  • On-line Participation (Discussion Groups) 10%
  • In-class Participation 10%

NOTES:

5.0 Academic Integrity

Academic Dishonesty is a form of misconduct that is subject to disciplinary action and includes collusion, cheating, fabrication, fraud, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. The University has very clear policies on academic dishonesty. Further information can be found at the following website: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html. Note that you are responsible for reading, understanding, and following this policy.

Any student found guilty of any form of academic dishonesty in this class will receive a written report that will be placed in the student's files in the ENSC department and the SFU Registrar's Office. As well, the student will receive a grade of zero on that particular assignment or quiz. Note that if you are found to have been academically dishonest with the persuasive paper you will receive a grade of zero for the assignment in both ENSC 100W and ENSC 105W. Given the weighting of the marks associated with these assignments, you will likely fail both courses.

In ENSC 105W, you are encouraged to have other people read your documents and make suggestions, but you should decide what advice to take. For example, if someone points out a spelling error, and you are unfamiliar with the word, look it up rather than simply accepting that the other person is correct. Similarly, if someone suggests a change in grammar or style, do not accept their advice without ensuring that it is correct or in keeping with what is being taught in the course. The same is true of content. Take all advice as suggestions and think before you make a change. Having someone else write or revise for you, either for payment or as a favor is considered academic dishonesty. One approach is to have several people read and respond to your work so that you have no choice but to make your own decisions as to what sort of revisions to make. If you are in doubt about what help is allowed, please contact me.

Materials

RECOMMENDED READING:

Stevenson, S. and S. Whitmore. 2002. Strategies for Engineering Communication. John Wiley and Sons.
Copies are available for purchase at the SFU Bookstore or for 4 hour loan at the SFU library.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS