Form (10)

Course Specification
1. Course Data
Course Code: GN 101 Course Title: Scientific and Year/Level:First
Technical Report Writing
Specialization: Contact Hours: Lectures (3 ) Practical sessions ( - )
Computer Science (CS)
Information Systems (IS)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Bio Information(BI)

2. Course Aim The course aims at developing the students' English technical communication skills.
Focusing on technical writing, the course is designed to familiarize the students with
the rhetorical structure of the primary technical communication genres, namely, letters,
memorandums, emails, definitions, and descriptions. This is addressed hand-in-hand
with enhancing the students' language skills essential to technical writing and
familiarizing them with the research skills and conventions of source documentation.
Students will practice analyzing, editing, and producing technical documents of
various genres.
3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge
and By the end of the course the students will have developed knowledge of the
understanding following:
A (1) The stages of the writing process
A (2) The structure of the paragraph: topic sentences, support sentences, unity and
coherence
A (3) Grammar and punctuation rules necessary for achieving accuracy in technical
communication
A (4) Definition and attributes of technical communication
A (5) Technical paragraphs and sentences
A (6) The structure of the primary technical genres (letters, memorandums, emails,
technical definitions, and technical descriptions)
A (7) Conventions of source documentation
B. Cognitive By the end of the course the students will have developed the ability to:
Skills B (1) generating ideas, planning, and drafting their writing tasks
B (2) identifying topic sentences, support material, and concluding sentences in a
paragraph
B (3) analyze the structure of the primary technical genres
B (4) critiquing technical documents for their overall structure and mechanical accuracy
C. Professional/ Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
Practical Skills C (1) produce well-organized and mechanically accurate technical documents of
various sorts, individually or within a group
C (2) evaluate technical documents in terms of rhetorical efficiency
C (3) edit technical documents for appropriateness of style and mechanical accuracy
C (4) research for and document source material relevant to the various writing tasks
D. General By the end of the course, students will have developed the skills of:
D (1) working with others collaboratively
Skills
D (2) working independently to improve their performance in various respects
D (3) planning, organizing, and setting priorities for their learning
D (4) accomplishing assigned tasks carefully and punctually

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4. Course List of topics Week
Content I. Technical Communication: Introduction 1
• What is technical communication?
• Conventions and characteristics
• Understanding the rhetorical situation
II. The Writing Process
III. Sentence Structure (1) 2
IV. Introduction to the Paragraph (1)
Sentence Structure (2) 3
Introduction to the Paragraph (2)
V. Professional Style (1) 4
VI. Composition Skills
(QUIZ ONE)
Professional Style (2) 5
VII. Verb Tense System (1)
VIII. Punctuation Rules (1) 6
Verb Tense System (2)
IX. Common Document Types (1): Text messages and e-mails
Punctuation Rules (2) 7
X. Subject-Verb Agreement
Common Document Types (2): Memos and letters

Mid-term exam 8
XI. Passive Voice 9
XII. Building Vocabulary (1): Learning word forms
Common Document Types (3): Progress report
Building Vocabulary (2): Recognizing Collocations 10
XIII. Adjective Clauses
Common Document Types (4): Technical descriptions
Common Document Types (5): Technical definitions 11
XIV. Gerunds and Infinitives
Common Document Types (6): Writing instructions 12
Building Vocabulary (3): Understanding phrasal verbs
(QUIZ TWO)
XV. Source Documentation (1) 13
Building Vocabulary (4): Learning synonyms and antonyms
Recognizing negative prefixes
Source Documentation (2) 14
XVI. Transitional Words and Phrases for University Writers

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5. Teaching and Learning Methods
• Power-point presentations
• Class discussions
• Pair-work and group work exercises
• Assignments and self-directed learning
6. Teaching and Learning Methods for students with Special Needs
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7. Assessment
A. Method Quiz 1 Midterm Quiz 2 Final written exam
Exam
B. Date Week 4 Week 8 Week 12 At the end of the semester
Definite date set by the Faculty Council
C. Mark 15 20 15 50
Distribution
8. Textbook and references
A. Notes --------------------
B. Last, S., Neveu, C. & Smith, M. Technical Writing Essentials. University of Victoria:
Textbooks Victoria, British Columbia. An open textbook available at:
https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/scholarlycommunications/2019/08/07/technical
-writing-essentials/
C. Ewald, T. (2017). Writing in the technical fields: A practical guide(2nd ed.). Oxford
References University Press.
Graves, H., & Grave, R. (2012). Strategic guide to technical communication(2nd ed.).
Broadview Press.
Johnson-Sheehan, R. (2015). Technical communication today. (5th ed.). Pearson.
Markel, M., & Selber, A. A. (2018). Technical communication (12th ed.). Bedford/St.
Martin’s.
Riordan, D. J. (2014). Technical report writing today (10th ed.). Wadsworth/ CENGAGE
Learning.
Smalley, R. L., Ruetten, M. K., & Kozyrev, J. R. (2012). Refining composition skills:
Academic writing and grammar (6 ed.). Heinle/CENGAGE Learning.

D. An additional Resources for Technical Communicators:

http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/Paragraph%20Writing%20Exercises.htm

Nine exercises on paragraph writing followed by a test. Available at:

https://jjc.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/writing/structure/exmenu_structure.php

Guide to Grammar and Writing. This website offers comprehensive lessons on all aspects of
English grammar and writing. It can be used by students for self-directed learning. Available at:

http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/index.htm

Instructor (1): Prof. Maha El-Seidi Instructor (2): Dr. Nermin Ibrahim
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