EGL 1340 Weekender
Breakdown of Major Writing Assignments

I.    The 6 Individual Writing Assignments (62.5%)

1.      Description w/Definition (Research-supported) Report (4-6 pages) (25%) 

2.      Instructions Memo (3-5 pages) (22.5%) 

3.      Employment Communication (5%)

a.       Résumé (2.5%)

b.       Application Letter (2.5%) 

4.      Correspondence (memo & letter) (10%)

a.       Routine Request Message (5%)

b.     Progress Report Memo (for Term Project) (5%)

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II.  Term Project Description (Team) (22.5%)

1.     User's Manual (15%) 

2.     Project Proposal (5%)

3.     Oral Presentation (2.5%)

For your term project, you will work with one or two partners. You and your team member(s) will create (not revise) a User’s Guide for a novice user – a beginner. This is a collaborative assignment, and you will be graded both on the quality of your work and on the quality of your collaboration.

You may choose to write a manual for a software program. For this choice, choose a freeware program, a shareware program, or a trial version of a program. It can be an application, such as a word processor or spreadsheet, or a game, such as Minesweeper, or a utility, such as a Disk Compression utility. Another option is to choose to write a User’s Manual for a piece of electronic equipment (VCR, DVD, etc.) or machinery (i.e., hydraulic nail gun). I must approve your choice. At least one team member must be in possession of the product.

Once you have selected your product, you and your group will prepare a hard copy User’s Manual.

Your focus will be to include the necessary content, including descriptions, definitions, safety and warning notices, instructions, and graphics. Be sure to use appropriate language for the audience, and any necessary supplemental sections. The goals of the manual are to introduce the program to the reader, and teach the reader how to use the basic features of the program. You will have to determine what is “basic,” as opposed to intermediate or advanced. 

In addition to the FORMAL document, you (and your group) will give an oral presentation (2.5% of your course grade) of this project to the class at the end of the term (last day of class). The length of the project will depend upon its scope. Most projects range from twelve to fifteen pages of body text, including graphics, with supplemental material added at the end. However, the project cannot be comprised of collections of visual aids alone. You must produce substantial text to guide or instruct the readers. 

Please note that, as a group, you will also prepare a Project Proposal (worth 5% of your course grade). 

You must also complete a Collaborative Project Evaluation Form, where you will evaluate each of your group members, including yourself. You will complete this form prior to submitting your Term Project. Anyone who does NOT complete the form will receive a “0” on the Term Project.

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