Professional Writing Technologies (Eng 3410)


October 28th, 2006

English 3410 is one of two gateway classes into the Professional Writing Major in the English Department. The focus of the class is on rhetorical design skills in relation to image manipulation software and web design editors. Students are tasked with designing a web-based portfolio of their work, on which they will build until they take the Capstone class as seniors. Students are required to earn a B- or better to enter the major.

Fall 2004 semester summary
This class was a new prep since I was a new faculty member at the time. The students encountered problems with the technology because we had limited numbers of software licenses for the first half of the term, which made demo-ing the programs (Adobe and Macromedia Suites) in class and having students complete homework outside of class very difficult. Mid-term we got more licenses, which significantly helped the students’ learning and engagement in the class. Besides software, the students encountered many hardware problems because I was (unknowingly, at the time) asking them to design and save documents that the hardware couldn’t handle. As a class we discovered these problems and came up with some work-arounds, but the students were generally aggravated at the lack of technological resources.

  • sections taught in department this term: 1
  • number of students enrolled: 21*
  • numeric evaluations

*(I accidentally over-enrolled the class, which caused computer-access issues that we accommodated by having the extra student use the instructor’s computer workstation.)

Fall 2005 semester summary
Fall 2005 was the second time I taught this course, and much of the technological problems encountered the first time I taught it were ameliorated. In addition to the web-portfolio project, I instituted several new assignments for this class, which I discuss below.

  • sections taught in department this term: 1
  • number of students enrolled: 17
  • numeric evaluations

teaching innovations
I changed the way I teach this class in the Fall of 2005 to include more instruction (albeit self-guided) in software programs since students had requested such instruction in this class the last time I taught it. (Students request direct instruction in software in most all of their professional writing classes because they believe that is what the class is about. They learn fairly quickly in most classes that professional writing is more about rhetoric, design, usability, etc., than having an instructor step them through a particular software program. They can get direct instruction in other departments such as Business and Instructional Technology.)

To accommodate their desires, however, I created approximately twenty tutorials that would help them learn programs such as those in Microsoft Office Suite, Macromedia Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, and also other programs including WS_FTP and CD-burning software, all of which they will use at some point in their professional writing courses and employment. These tutorials give basic instructions on how to create a product in that particular program (and for what purpose). I have constructed these tutorials so that the product students create directly ties in to the parts of their web portfolio they will need to construct during their time in the 3410 class.

For example, they complete a set of tutorials on Adobe ImageReady and Macromedia Fireworks in which they learn how to slice a large image/web-interface (created in a previous tutorial) and add a pop-up navigational menu to one (or multiple) slice(s) of the interface. Typically students will implement the slicing and pop-up menu techniques for their web portfolio. In addition, students are required to write a contextualizing introduction (required in the Reflective Letter portion of the portfolio assignment) to each finished product, which doubles as an introduction to the artifact in their final web portfolio should they choose to use it.

narrative evaluations

  • “Cheryl tried to help each person individually in class and tried to make time for each student.”
  • Cheryl was “easy to talk to and learn from” and had “good enthusiasm for the course content.”
  • “I really liked how enthusiastic Cheryl is about her job. She really cares about the students and wants them to do well.”
  • “She responds well to the needs of her students.”
  • “I feel like everything Cheryl presented to us was relevant. I’ve learned so many new things that are going to be especially helpful when I graduate. She is an excellent teacher! I feel like she has been one of the best new additions to this department.”
  • “Great class, Cheryl! One of my best this semester. I really liked the one-on-one attention that I (and others) got. It helped the students to help each other toward the end of the portfolio construction. I liked the personal, active interaction with you.”
  • “I feel like I am walking out of this class with a tremendous amount of knowledge and skills. I learned so much in this class, and that knowledge will be a great foundation for the rest of my classes.”
  • “Cheryl is an excellent teacher! Her teaching theories (praxis) are some of the best I’ve seen.”
  • “We didn’t just learn how to make a website, we learned good design and how we want to present ourselves to exmployers.”

accompanying materials

teaching |

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