NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COMPUTER & EMERGING SCIENCES

SS 2007- Technical and Business Writing

FALL 2023

COURSE CODE SS 2007

COURSE TITLE Technical and Business Writing

CREDIT HOURS 3

COURSE TBW is a technical and scientific writing course focusing on important

DESCRIPTION areas such as technical reporting, information collection skills, appropriate
exposition techniques, skills of organization, generating solutions, and
electronic communication. Some other areas covered are: types of reports
and electronic documents, document design and structure, formats and
formatting, research and bibliography, style and refinement,
professional/business communication

MODE OF  Lectures
INSTRUCTIONS  Presentations
 Case studies
 Group discussion
 Tutorials
 Writing practice
 Self-assessment and peer reviews
COURSE LEARNING Students will be able to:
OBJECTIVES 1. Analyze and evaluate audience/purpose/situation as they apply to
business writing contexts.
2. Practice the unique qualities of professional rhetoric and writing
style, such as sentence conciseness, clarity, accuracy, honesty,
avoiding wordiness or ambiguity, using direct order organization,
readability, coherence and transitional devices.
3. Incorporate process (research, invention, writing, revision, and
editing) into all writing tasks and, through multiple drafts, create
document fluency.
4. Analyze multiple writings from appropriate business professions.
5. Adapt tone and style for appropriate rhetorical business purposes.
6. Conduct primary and secondary research relevant to topic;
integrate appropriate sources using APA style
7. Incorporate analytical /technical data in the form of charts, graphs,
etc.
8. Design accurate and visually appealing documents.
9. Develop strategies to facilitate communication across ethnic and/or
business cultures.

 Business Communication Today, Courtland L. Bovee & V. Thill,

TEXT BOOKS Pearson Education Singapore.
 Business Communication, P.D. Chutervedi, Pearson Education,
Singapore
 Technical Report Writing Today, Pauley and Riordan
Fifth Edition, A.I.T.B.S Publishers Dehli.*
 Technical Communication, Paul V Anderson, Fifth Edition,
Thomson Wadsworth, Singapore, UK.*
(*only relevant chapters and topics from these books)
 Technical Writing Process and Product, Sharon J. Gerson, Steven
M. Gerson, Third Edition
 Technical Communication, Mary M lay et al. Second Edition,
Mcgraw-Hill Irwin
 Business Communication Design Pamela A. Angell Mcgraw-Hill
Irwin

 Mid-Terms (2) 30
GRADING CRITERIA  Quizzes 10
 Assignments 05
 Class Participation 05
 Final Exam 50
CLASSROOM  Dress code: Formal
COURTESIES  Attendance is compulsory
 Deadlines must be observed
 All work submitted must be the student’s own work. Cases of
PLAGIARISM / plagiarism shall be sent to the Disciplinary Committee. The research
ACADEMIC format is expected to follow standard documentation APA guidelines.
DISHONESTY

Program Learning Outcomes:

PLOs PLO Titles PLO Statements
PLO 2 Problem Analysis Identify, formulate, research literature, and analyse complex computing
problems, reaching substantiated conclusions using first principles of
mathematics, natural sciences, and computing sciences.
PLO 6 Society Apply reasoning informed by contextual knowledge to assess societal,
Responsibility health, safety, legal, and cultural issues relevant to context of complex
computing problems.
PLO 8 Ethics Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics,
responsibilities, and norms of computing practice.
PLO 9 Individual and Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader in
Team Work diverse teams and in multi-disciplinary settings.
PLO Communication Communicate effectively on complex computing activities with the
10 computing community and with society at large.
PLO Life Long Recognize the need for, and have the preparation and ability to engage in
12 Learning independent and life-long learning in the broadest context of
technological changes.
Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

S. CLO Domain Taxonomy PLO Assessment

No level Tools

1. Analyze and evaluate Cognitive 3, 4 & 6 2, 6, 8, S-I

audience/purpose/situation as they apply 10, 12 A-I
to business writing contexts. A-II
Practice the unique qualities of
F-I
professional rhetoric and writing style,
such as sentence conciseness, clarity,
accuracy, honesty, avoiding wordiness or
ambiguity, using direct order
organization, readability, coherence and
transitional devices.

2. Incorporate process (research, Cognitive 4 2, 6, 9, S-I

invention, writing, revision, and editing) 10, 12 Q-I
into all writing tasks and, through A-II
multiple drafts, create document fluency.
A-III
Analyze multiple writings from
appropriate business professions. F-I

3. Adapt tone and style for appropriate Affective 2&6 9, 10, S-II
rhetorical business purposes. 12 Q-II
Conduct primary and secondary research F-I
relevant to topic; integrate appropriate
sources using APA style
Incorporate analytical /technical data in
the form of charts, graphs, etc.

Design accurate and visually appealing A-IV

4. documents. Affective 5&6 9, 10, S-II
Develop strategies to facilitate 12 F-I
communication across ethnic and/or
business cultures.

Course Contents:

Week Topics CLOs Assessments

Week 1 Introduction to Technical writing Case Study 1
 Definition, purposes, characteristics and
examples of technical writing, ethics. 1
Week 2 Technical writing style: (language aspect) Assignment 1
 The seven Cs, organization, tone.
 1

Week 3 Technical writing style: (language aspect) Assignment 2

 The seven Cs, organization, tone. Quiz 1
1

Week 4 The technical writing process. Case Study 2

 Letters format & Styles
1&2

Week 5 Types of Letters & Memos Assignment 3

 Positive / Routine
 Negative / Bad-News
 Persuasive 2&4

Week 6 Reports & Proposals: Quiz 2

 An Introduction & Classifications
Sessional-I 2, 3 &
4
Week 7 Types of Reports 2, 3 & Assignment 4
 Explanatory 4
 Expository
 Exploratory Reports
 Planning Reports & Proposals
Week 8 Researching: 2, 3 & Case Study 4
 Sources, Methods, and Guidelines for making 4
Questionnaires,
 Structuring Interviews and making
Observations (Participant & non-participant).
Week 9 Structure of Informational & Analytical 2, 3 & Assignment 5
Reports 4
Week Drafting Reports & Proposals: 2, 3 & Assignment 6
10  Introduction 4
 Body
 Closing
Week Use of visuals in reports. 2, 3 & Assignment 7
11 Different kinds of graphics 4

Week  MID TERM II

12
Week Revising Reports & Proposals 2, 3 & Quiz 3
13  Components of Formal Reports, 4
 Prefatory Parts of Formal Reports
Week  Supplementary Parts of a Report 2, 3 & Case Study 5
 14 (documentation, bibliography/ references, 4
style-sheets )
 Proofreading
Week Other Types of Professional Writings 2, 3 & Assignment 8
15  Statement of purpose 4
 Resumes
 Brochures & Leaflets
 Manuals
Week Project/Presentation 2, 3, 4
16
FINAL EXAMS

Mapping PLOs with CLOs

Communication

Project Mgmt.
Sustainability
Modern Tool
Investigation

Team Work
Knowledge
Computing

Life Long
Solutions

PLO 10

PLO 11

PLO 12

Learning
Analysis
Problem
PLO 1

PLO 2

PLO 3

PLO 4

PLO 5

PLO 6

PLO 7

PLO 8

PLO 9
Society
Design

Ethics
CLO 1 - ✔ ✔ - ✔ ✔ ✔
- -

CLO 2 ✔ - ✔ - ✔ ✔ ✔
- - - - -

CLO 3 - - ✔ ✔ - ✔
- - - - - -

CLO 4 - - ✔ ✔ - ✔
- - - - - -

Rubric for Assessing Students Writing Assignments:

Criteria 4 3 2 1 0 Assmt.
Score
Audience and The purpose is The purpose and audience There is a weak There is a poor The purpose and
purpose evident for the are not fully developed. understanding of the understanding of the audience of the
appropriate document’s purpose and document’s purpose and document is not
audience audience. audience. identified.
Structure, The document is The document is less well The document is not well The document is not well- There is no evidence of
organization, and formatted, well- developed and organized developed and organized developed and organized transitioning,
format developed, and and has three to four and has five formatting and has six to ten intro/conclusion,
organized correctly formatting errors: 1. errors: formatting errors: 1. development, nor
with two or fewer Headings ______ 1. Headings ______ Headings ______ organization and has ten
errors: 2. Sequence ______ 2. Sequence ______ 2. Sequence ______ or more formatting
1. Headings ______ 3. Transition ______ 3. Transition ______ 3. Transition ______ errors.
2. Sequence ______ 4. Intro/con ______ 4. Intro/con ______ 4. Intro/con ______
3. Transition______
4. Intro/con______

Mechanics There are fewer There are between three There are five of the There are between six and There are more than ten
than two of the and four of the following following mechanical ten of the following critical errors such as
following mechanical errors: errors: mechanical errors: errors in dosages, data
mechanical errors: 1. Spelling ____ 1. Spelling ____ 1. Spelling ____ analysis, formulas,
1. Spelling ____ 2. Grammar ____ 2. Grammar ____ 2. Grammar ____ chemical or drug
2. Grammar ____ 3. Punct. ____ 3. Punctuation ____ 3. Punctuation ____ names, liability issues,
3. Punct. ____ 4. Sent. Struct. ____ 4. Sentence structure ____ 4. Sentence structure ____ equations, etc.
4. Sent. Struct. 5. Word choice ____ 5. Word choice ____ 5. Word choice ____
 ____ 5. Word
choice ____
Discipline specific The document is The document has two or The document has three The document has four There are significant
(referencing) cited appropriately fewer errors with the errors with the citation errors with the citation citation errors or the
with either MLA, citation style or there are style or there are errors on style or there are errors on citations are incomplete
APA, How 12, (for errors on the works cited the works cited page, the works cited page, or missing.
Business courses), page, endnotes, reference endnotes, reference page, endnotes, reference page,
and/or Investigating page, or footnotes. or footnotes. or footnotes.
Biology Lab
Manual, by Judith
Morgan and M.
Eloise Brown
Carter (for life
science courses).
There are no errors
on the works cited
page, endnotes,
reference page, or
footnotes.