Spring 2020 - CMPT 376W D100

Technical Writing and Group Dynamics (3)

Class Number: 6738

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2020: Mon, Wed, Fri, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 22, 2020
    Wed, 3:30–6:30 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    CMPT 275 or CMPT 276.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Covers professional writing in computing science, including format conventions and technical reports. Examines group dynamics, including team leadership, dispute resolution and collaborative writing. Also covers research methods. Students with credit for CMPT 376 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course will introduce students to a range of writing processes and styles. It will emphasize writing to understand disorganized ideas more clearly, writing to persuade others, and writing to draw conclusions. The course will include both informal and formal writing approaches. Assignments will generally have an initial draft, then a finished draft. This is a W course. Written work for this course will be submitted via Turnitin, a third party service licensed for use by SFU. Turnitin is used for originality checking to help detect plagiarism. Students will be required to create an account with Turnitin, and to submit their work via that account, on the terms stipulated in the agreement between the student and Turnitin. This agreement includes the retention of your submitted work as part of the Turnitin database. Any student with a concern about using the Turnitin service may opt to use an anonymous identity in their interactions with Turnitin. Students who do not intend to use Turnitin in the standard manner must notify the instructor at least two weeks in advance of any submission deadline. In particular, it is the responsibility of any student using the anonymous option (i.e. false name and temporary e-mail address created for the purpose) to inform the instructor such that the instructor can match up the anonymous identity with the student!

Topics

  • Informal writing to generate material
  • Drafting and revising
  • Types of technical documents (genres): Explanations, recommendations, emails, and others
  • Clarity of sentence structure
  • Style and voice
  • Arguing from performance data
  • Rhetorical situation: Audience, message, author, and context

Grading

NOTES:

To be discussed the first week of classes

Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to obtain a clear pass (C- or better).

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace
  • Joseph M. Williams
  • Longman
  • 2017
  • 12th Edition

ISBN: 9780134080413

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/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