Course goals and learning outcomes support the Foundational Component Areas defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Course goals are linked to the respective Core Curriculum Competencies: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and Teamwork. Specific competencies are identified in designated course goals and learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences by
1. describing writing for nonacademic audiences, purposes, and occasions.
Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre by
1. applying principles of writing as a process;
2. adjusting language based on audience, purpose, and occasion;
3. employing appropriate skills consistent with Standard Edited American English;
4. employing appropriate rhetorical modes;
5. demonstrating mastery of composition principles;
6. demonstrating mastery of technical writing principles;
7. producing writing consistent with instructions for final submission.
Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication by
1. using information ethically in technical documents.
Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information by
1. identifying needed material;
2. compiling material from a variety of sources.
Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate by
1. planning an appropriate technical writing project;
2. outlining the material in an appropriate order;
3. planning an oral report;
4. performing an oral presentation effectively;
5. identifying appropriate type of visual aid;
6. creating the visual aid;
7. integrating the visual aid appropriately within the document.
Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling by
1. distinguishing elements of clear sentences that are standard in documents for business and technical fields;
2. identifying mechanical, grammatical, and spelling errors in instructor generated materials, peer produced texts, and other texts;
3. revising to correct own work for errors;
4. revising to correct mechanical, grammatical, and spelling errors.
Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation by
1. identifying characteristics of appropriate document design;
2. creating documents for nonacademic audiences, purposes, and occasions;
3. creating documents that are standard for business and technical fields;
4. creating documents with appropriate document design;
5. creating documents with visual typographic cues, such as headings, bulleted lists, and visual aids;
6. using visual typographic cues to organize a document.
Critical Thinking Skills: Demonstrate critical thinking skills by
1. differentiating between broad, general topics and narrow, focused topics;
2. identifying purpose or rhetorical occasion;
3. reading and responding to course materials in a way that demonstrates ability to apply, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize material effectively;
4. discerning the validity, value, and strengths and weaknesses of information, assessments, statements, or evidence provided, and providing a solid, evidence-based explanation of such a critique.
Communication Skills: Demonstrate communication skills by
1. selecting appropriate topics for technical and business projects;
2. utilizing various technologies as they relate to competent communication;
3. demonstrating ability to analyze audience and writing appropriately for that audience;
4. using appropriate diction, including precise word choice and varied vocabulary.
Teamwork: Demonstrate teamwork by
1. applying small group communication skills including problem solving, group roles, leadership styles, and cohesiveness;
2. working effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.

ENGL 2311

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ENGL 2311 - Technical and Business Writing