Below will appear the text of the assignment sheet for the Technical Instructions (TInst), adapted for online presentation. This version is to be considered authoritative, superseding any previously published information regarding the TInst.
Per the course packet, the TInst will need to lay out in detail a method for carrying out a process in which the student-writer has expertise. Students will need to perform and document the performance of the task as they draft instructions and will need to integrate visual aids into the text they produce. Students will also need to identify an appropriate rhetorical context for their work and respond adequately to it.
Completing the assignment will require performing a number of individual tasks, per the course packet:
Select a Topic
The course packet recommends four basic guidelines for identifying a topic to treat; as listed therein, the guidelines are
Choose a systematic process that involves approximately 30 steps. Organize those steps into 2 to 3 separate sections.
Use subject matter in which you have a high degree of expertise.
Consider choosing a process that you can perform and document as you go.
Use primarily original material produced specifically for this project.
It might be better to work from the second listed point, identifying those areas in which you have expertise through engagement in coursework, extracurricular activities, professional life, and/or personal interest (e.g., hobbies). Selecting an activity from among those in which you have expertise will likely work well; the existing expertise will do much to tell you what processes you can repeat and document (creating original material as you go), as well as which ones will take the requisite number of steps.
Fundamentally, the topic should be one with which you are comfortable and familiar, and one which you can effectively teach to others.
This information will be submitted as the TInst Proposal (TInst Prop) via D2L as a single document in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format before the beginning of class time on 9 March 2015. The TInst Prop will need to take the form of a standard memorandum, no more than one page in length, with appropriate formatting, caption, and transmission blocks in place. The recipient should be the instructor; the required subject line is "TInst Prop." Information and explanation thereof should be provided for the following, one paragraph to each and in the order noted:
Name of the process and context in which it is likely to occur
Sections into which the process can be divided, with explanations of the divisions
Writer's prior engagement with the process (i.e., how does the writer know to do the process, and well enough to be in a position to teach others)
A copy of the grading rubric that will be appended to the TInst Prop when it is returned to the student appears below. Scoring of the TInst Prop as a 10-point daily assignment will be determined according to the following criteria:
Format (3 points)
Does the memorandum display appropriate type-face, interlinear and inter-paragraph spacing, and captioning and transmittal information as indicated in the course textbook? Does it conform to the length and distribution requirements expressed above? Is it submitted in one of the requested file formats?
Content (5 points)
Does the memorandum contain the requested information, as noted above? Is that content sufficient to address the needs of the reader (i.e., determining the nature and scope of the process and the appropriateness of it for documentation as a project for the course)? Is the required subject line in place?
Mechanics (2 points)
Does the memorandum adhere to the conventions of academic American English expressed in the course textbook and discussed during class time? Does it observe diction, register, and tone reasonably appropriate to professional discourse, such as can be reasonably expected of students in an upper-division English class?
Projects deemed inappropriate are subject to rejection, independent of the grade issued for the TInst Prop. That is, an excellent proposal may treat a process unacceptable for documentation as part of the course.
Note that culinary projects (i.e., how to make a meal or a given dish) will not be deemed appropriate. Projects concerning food production must concern earlier stages than kitchen preparation to begin to be considered acceptable, and they will be subject to close scrutiny even then.
Describe the Rhetorical Situation
Effective writing, technical or otherwise, requires an understanding of the contexts of writing and of reading. Answering the following questions as amended from the course packet (which follows Kostelnick and Roberts) will likely be of help in developing that understanding (and the order matters):
What group of users needs or logically expects a detailed set of instructions about your selected topic (i.e., who would be the primary readers for the instructions)? What demographic and psychographic qualities accrue to those users (think in terms of socially constructed groups)?
Why will the identified group need the instructions, and what specific information will they need or expect to find within the instructions? Why will they need that particular information?
In what environment will the instructions likely be used by the target audience? In what circumstances will they likely be used?
What strategies do you intend to use to convey the necessary information to the target audience? What types of writing will be most effective? What types of visuals will be most effective? What formatting and design will be most effective? What sections will be particularly useful in addition to the instructions themselves? Why?
Complete Planning Documents
The course packet recommends a series of planning documents, including a sketch or flowchart of the selected process, an outline or plan of the introductory sections, an outline or plan of the body sections, and an outline or plan of the concluding sections. Please follow the recommendations in the course packet; if you have questions about them, please address them during class time and/or during my office hours.
The preceding two sections will be submitted as the TInst Planning Document (TInst PlanDoc) via D2L as a single document in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format before the beginning of class time on 23 March 2015. The TInst PlanDoc will need to take the form of an extended memorandum, no more than three pages in length, with appropriate formatting, caption, and transmission blocks in place. The recipient should be the instructor; the required subject line is "TInst PlanDoc."
A copy of the grading rubric that will be appended to the TInst PlanDoc when it is returned to the student appears below. Scoring of the TInst PlanDoc as a 10-point daily assignment will be determined according to the following criteria:
Format (3 points)
Does the memorandum display appropriate type-face, interlinear and inter-paragraph spacing, and captioning and transmittal information as indicated in the course textbook? Does it conform to the length and distribution requirements expressed above? Is it submitted in one of the requested file formats?
Content (5 points)
Does the memorandum contain the requested information, as noted above? Is that content sufficient to address the needs of the reader (i.e., determining the nature and scope of the instructions and the presumed appropriateness of their content to the needs of the described target audience, as well as the nature of that audience)? Is the required subject line in place?
Mechanics (2 points)
Does the memorandum adhere to the conventions of academic American English expressed in the course textbook and discussed during class time? Does it observe diction, register, and tone reasonably appropriate to professional discourse, such as can be reasonably expected of students in an upper-division English class?
Write a Final, Comprehensive Set of Instructions
As adapted from the course packet, the final set of instructions, which will be submitted as the completed TInst, should consist of several sections and sub-sections (identified through appropriate use of first- and second-level headings):
Introduction, establishing context and rhetorical situation:
State the purpose of the instructions
Identify the intended readers (per the “Rhetorical Situation,” above)
Outline organization of the document (perhaps as an explicit table of contents, perhaps as in-text discussion)
Explain iconography and jargon (offering definitions for all pieces of jargon used)
Motivate the reader
Identify the time for completion
Advise the readers of beginning safety information needed for the process
List necessary materials, equipment, and conditions for the process to occur.
Note that the order of items is flexible; your rhetorical situation may call for adjustments thereto. Note also that a minimum of one appropriate graphic and one definition or description must appear in the introductory section.
Body, detailing the actual instructions and offering the following:
Action-oriented, descriptive section and sub-section headings.
Section introductions providing transitions from previous sections and asserting the context and scope for their own sections. Taking as a start-state the end-state of the previous section is a useful method.
Step-by-step directions within each section, phrased in the imperative mood.
Explanations of jargon and descriptions of unusual materials or methods; at least one is required per section.
Appropriate graphics illustrating the materials in each section; at least one graphic is required per section.
Safety information as needed, highlighted appropriately.
Notes and troubleshooting tips as needed, highlighted appropriately.
Conclusion, providing other needful information that does not fit in the earlier discussions: the course packet notes that the contents of the conclusion will vary, but should at a minimum indicate the total end-state of the process, offer general troubleshooting advice, and address likely frequent questions. Consultation with me and with the OSU Writing Center is strongly encouraged for more detailed work on the conclusion.
The TInst is to be submitted via D2L dropbox as a single .doc, .docx, or .rtf file before 5pm CDT on 3 April 2015. It is a 200-point major assignment.
A copy of the grading rubric that will be appended to the completed TInst when it is returned to the student appears below. Scoring of the TInst will be determined according to the following criteria:
Format (60 points)
Does the TInst display appropriate type-face, interlinear and inter-paragraph spacing as indicated in the course textbook, class discussions, and above directions? Does it conform to any distribution requirements expressed above? Is it submitted in one of the requested file formats?
Are the required sections and subsections labeled appropriately? Are the required graphics? Do the labels call sufficient attention to themselves to facilitate easy navigation without being obnoxious, offensive, or distracting?
Are any necessary subsections labeled appropriately and in a way that indicates their relative subordination to higher-level sections?
Content (100 points)
Does the TInst contain each of the sections listed above? Does each section contain the requested materials?
Are the required graphics in place? Are they easily read and understood? Are they accompanied by appropriate text?
In a general sense, does the TInst adequately identify and respond to its rhetorical situation?
Mechanics (40 points)
Does the TInst adhere to the conventions of academic American English expressed in the course textbook and discussed during class time? Does it observe diction, register, and tone reasonably appropriate to professional discourse, such as can be reasonably expected of students in an upper-division English class?
Note that the TInst is an individual assignment; students are each expected to submit their own original work. Note also that outside reference may occur in the TInst, and any outside material must be appropriately attested; failure to do so will be investigated as provided for in course, program, department, College, and University policy and may have a detrimental effect on student grades for the group as a whole.
A copy of the grading tables that will be appended to the TInst Prop, TInst PlanDoc, and TInst when they are returned to the student appears here.
A list of previous topics used for the TInst appears here. Examples of student work on the TInst appear here and here, if in large files.
More information is forthcoming. Check back for updates.