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Posts from September 2017

#WednesdayWrite: Website Audience Analysis

#WednesdayWrite: Website Audience Analysis published on

Reminder of how today’s posts work
#WednesdayWrite posts ask you to consider how you would handle a specific situation in the workplace. As an example, you might consider an ethical scenario and discuss the various options available.
 

The Activity

Many of you have probably already seen the XKCD comic below, titled “University Website.” Beyond being a funny reflection on what you see on college websites, it’s a great example of what goes wrong when composers fail to think about what their audience needs. The people who decide what goes on these websites are meeting someone’s goals, but not all of the people who go to the site for information. I haven’t compared all the items in the comic to the Virginia Tech website, but I suspect that a lot of the details are quite true.

XKCD comic: University Website
Permanent link to this comic: https://xkcd.com/773/

You can participate today in two ways: adding a comment that analyzes a university webpage, OR replying to someone else’s comment and explaining why you agree (or disagree) with their analysis. The details on the two options are below:

1. Add a Comment Analyzing a Webpage

Our activity this week is to complete a similar analysis of another webpage. Find a page on the Virginia Tech website, and compare what shows on that page to what you would look for when you go to that page. I have some guidelines for you:

  • Choose a page that is in the vt.edu domain. You can look at a page for your major, a course, resources you use on campus, and so forth.
  • OR choose a page that is clearly related to Virginia Tech, such as a page for a club, Greek organization, and so forth. If you’re not sure, send me the link and ask me.
  • You may NOT use any page that I have written or that is about me. That just gets weird and awkward.

Once you choose a page, do this:

  • Tell us the name of the page (for instance, English Dept homepage).
  • Share the link in your comment.
  • Talk about what you see there.
  • Talk about what you think people would go there for.
  • Draw some conclusions about how well the page fits the needs of its audience.

Finally, you are just making a comment. You’re not trying to write a formal comparison-contrast essay. Use short lists or fragments, whatever will make sense to people who read your comment.

2. Reply and Discuss Someone Else’s Analysis

You can reply to a comment someone else has made (or even several people if you want). Your goal would be to think about whether you agree with that commenter’s analysis and explain the reasons for your response.


 
Last updated on Wednesday, September 20, 2017

#TuesdayTutorial: Using Parallel Structures

#TuesdayTutorial: Using Parallel Structures published on

Reminder of How Today’s Posts Work
#TuesdayTutorial posts demonstrate or tell you how to do something. It may be how to write a specific thing (like a memo) or how to revise something you have already written (like revising for concise phrasing).
 

The Tutorial

The columns of information in your Analysis project should use parallel grammatical structures. I’m sure that you all know what the word parallel means. You probably encountered it before you came to Virginia Tech in a geometry course.

You have probably seen the concept in courses here at Tech as well. Consider these examples:

  • A mechanical engineering major is likely to be aware of parallelism control and parallelism tolerance.
  • A building construction major surely knows that various parts of a building need to be parallel. (Imagine how annoying a staircase would be if the steps weren’t parallel.)
  • A computer science or computer engineering major knows all about parallel processing.
  • A finance major would probably be familiar with parallel portfolio optimization, parallel loans, and parallel markets.
  • A business major may know about organizational parallelism, including parallel leadership and parallel learning.

In all these examples, parallel generally means that two or more things match in some way. That is essentially what parallelism means in a writing course as well. When you are composing your Analysis table, choose parallel phrasing for the information in each column. For example, you might start everything in the purpose column with infinitive verbs (verb phrases that start with “to,” such as to explain or to provide).

You can find out more about parallelism in the Lynda.com video on Parallel Structures (6m40s). The video begins with details on parallelism within a single sentence. At 4m50s into the video, the video discusses parallelism in bullet lists, outlines, and headings. That section of the video is closest to the kind of parallelism you will use for the columns of your Analysis table.

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

Screenshot of the Parallel Structure video

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 
Last updated on Monday, September 18, 2017

Focus on Writing in Your Field

Focus on Writing in Your Field published on

This is the post for the week of September 18, 2017.

This week, you will turn in your Professional Bio project and move on to the second major project, which asks you to consider the kinds of writing that people in your field do. This week there is a lot of prep work to do—primarily reading the pieces that will help you complete the different columns in your table. You will also need to conduct some research on writing in your field.

Readings for the Week

Tasks for the Week

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, September 18, submit your Professional Bio Statement in Canvas. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 21.
  2. Read the Analysis assignment. You will create a table of the kinds of writing in your field. The project is due on Monday, October 9. The grace period for the project ends on Thursday, October 12.
  3. Ask any questions you have about the Analysis project.  If you have any questions, check in #general in Slack to see if they have already been answered. If they have not, post your question there, and I will answer when I check in. Asking a question is not required.
  4. Compose your Analysis project in Microsoft Word. Google Docs and Excel will not allow you to format the contents within the table cells in the same way.
  5. Begin work on the Analysis assignment. Use the suggestions in Step 3 of the Analysis assignment (Research writing in your field) to begin work on your project. Your research can include looking at business writing and/or technical writing textbooks, thinking about things you have written during internships and other related jobs, and interviewing people in the field or professors who can tell you about writing in your field.
  6. Read the relevant information that will help you with specific parts of your project:
    1. Find info to help with the Audience column in your project in Audience Analysis: Primary, Secondary, and Hidden Audiences (from Writing Commons). The missing image for Table 1 is available at http://writingcommons.org/images/Audience_Analysis.JPG. For additional information on audience, read the appropriate chapter below:
    2. Find info on ethics. If you are focusing on ethics in your table, check out Ethics in Technical Writing, Chapter 9 (9.1–9.6) of Technical Writing, OR Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 2 (2.1–2.8) of Exploring Business. Choose the chapter that matches the course you are taking, though you are welcome to read through both if you desire. For either chapter, you need to click through to access all the sections of the chapter.
    3. Find info on intercultural and global issues. If you are focusing on intercultural and global issues in your table, check out Practicing Intercultural Communication from Writing Commons. The Worldwide Cellphone Etiquette Infographic demonstrates all the intercultural considerations that can go into something as simple as a business phone call. For additional information on intercultural and global issues, read the appropriate chapter below:
    4. Check any of the textbooks for information on the specific kinds of writing you will include in your table. The textbooks can especially help with describing the characteristics of kinds of writing.
  7. By 11:59PM on Friday, September 22, write your 09/22 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, September 25.

 

 

Note: Today’s infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 
Last updated on Monday, September 18, 2017

#WeekendWatch: Create Information-Rich Signposts

#WeekendWatch: Create Information-Rich Signposts published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

Thursday, you read about the CRAP design principles, and yesterday, you read about the F-shaped reading pattern. Today’s #WeekendWatch expands on those ideas by looking at a specific document design and organization strategy.

Our #WeekendWatch video discusses how including clear headings, subheadings, and links helps readers navigate your document by providing information-rich signposts. Listen for a reference in the video to the F-shaped reading pattern, which these document features support.

The video refers to online documents specifically, but most of these features are useful in printed documents as well. Obviously links are not helpful in printed work. Headings and subheadings certainly are.

Learning to Write for the Web by Chris Nodder (video, 5m22s)

After you watch the video, you can discuss the ideas in the comments.


 
Last updated on Friday, September 15, 2017

#FridayFact: F-Shaped Reading Pattern

#FridayFact: F-Shaped Reading Pattern published on

Eye-tracking studies show that people read online documents in an F-shaped pattern, shown here:

Heatmaps Showing F-Shaped Reading Pattern

They scan across the top of the page and then down the left side of the page until they find another significant word or phrase that catches their attention. At that point, they scan across the page a bit and then resume scanning down the page a bit. People rarely read everything on the page. They scan and decide in a matter of seconds what action to take next. They may never scroll down the page.

If you are writing documents that people will read online—whether email messages, attached files, or webpages—you need to use document design elements that will put your most important information in the path of the F-shape pattern.

As you consider this study, think about the design strategies that would help readers find the significant information in your messages, and share your ideas in the comments.

Read more

 

Photo Credit: Jakob Nielsen’s F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content


 
Last updated on Friday, September 15, 2017

#InfographicInspiration: Put CRAP in Your Document Design

#InfographicInspiration: Put CRAP in Your Document Design published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

One of my favorite ways to talk about strong document design is the CRAP method. CRAP stands for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. Using all four of these elements helps give your work a polished appearance and catches readers’ attention.

This week’s #InfographicInspiration gives you a quick overview of all four elements. It is worth saving for future use, and try applying it to your professional biography assignment before you turn it in on Monday.

For a more detailed explanation of the CRAP elements, watch the Lynda.com video, Understanding the PARC system (Lynda.com was apparently afraid to say CRAP, so they spell it backwards).


 
Last updated on Friday, September 15, 2017

#WednesdayWrite: Consider Your Code of Ethics

#WednesdayWrite: Consider Your Code of Ethics published on

Reminder of How Today’s Posts Work
#WednesdayWrite posts ask you to consider how you would handle a specific situation in the workplace. As an example, you might consider an ethical scenario and discuss the various options available.
 

The Writing Activity

Ethics CC BY-SA 3.0 Nick YoungsonFind the codes of ethic for your profession. For instance, an electrical engineer would focus on the IEEE Code of Ethics, and a biologist might focus on the Code of Ethics for the Society for Conservation Biology. Once you identify the principles for your field, consider the following questions:

  • Where do you find principles explicitly related to writing or communication in the code of ethics for your field?
  • Where are connections less obvious?
  • Are there ideas about writing and communication that you think they are missing?

After you analyze the code for your field, share what you have found in a comment on this post. Be sure to identify your field and link to your code, and then talk about anything interesting or surprising that you found about writing and communication in your field’s ethical code. Alternately, you can consider anything that is missing from your field’s code.

 

Photo credit: Ethics CC BY-SA 3.0 Nick Youngson.


 
Last updated on Wednesday, September 13, 2017

#TuesdayTutorial: Managing Your Online Reputation

#TuesdayTutorial: Managing Your Online Reputation published on

Reminder of How Today’s Posts Work
#TuesdayTutorial posts demonstrate or tell you how to do something. It may be how to write a specific thing (like a memo) or how to revise something you have already written (like revising for concise phrasing).
 

The Tutorial

As you are working on your professional bios this week, you should also be thinking about how your online presence. Everything you put online has the potential to influence potential employers and colleagues. You probably already know that you should google your name to make sure there are no unfortunate messages found.

Today’s tutorial is included in the infographic (below) from a Swiss digital reputation management and security company. A related article, Protecting Your Online Reputation: 4 Things You Need to Know, is available from Mashable.

Steps 1 and 2 in the infographic explaing why managing your online identity is important, and Steps 3 and 4 explain what you should do. In addition to commenting on the ideas in the infographic, you can try some of the suggestions to find out what your online reputation is like and decide if you need to make changes. You can tell us what you find in the comments, if you like.

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 
Last updated on Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Peer Review & Submission of Professional Bios

Peer Review & Submission of Professional Bios published on

This is the post for the week of September 11, 2017.

Note for This Week

  • Assignment change. I accidentally scheduled an assignment on the Friday of Fall Break. As a result, I have canceled the October 13 Labor Log. The October 20 Labor Log will cover both weeks, from October 7 through October 20.

Readings for This Week

Tasks for This Week

Here’s what you need to do for this week:

  1. Review the resources that can help you improve your Professional Bio:
    1. The advice articles
    2. The examples
    3. The LinkedIn Summary article. Your professional bio, with light revision, can frequently do double duty as the summary for your LinkedIn profile.
    4. The Word Choice in the Job Search infographic. These same tips apply to your bio.
  2. Finish the draft of your Professional Bio, using the examples and advice on the assignment as well as the readings (above) on this post.
  3. By 11:59PM on Wed, September 13, post a rough draft of your bio to your Writing Group in Canvas in the Group Feedback on Professional Bios Discussion. Additional instructions are in the Discussion.
  4. By 11:59PM on Fri, September 15, post feedback in Canvas to all your group members in the Group Feedback on Professional Bios Discussion. Remember to provide constructive feedback, following the advice on the Writing Groups page and the information in the #WeekendWatch video, Peer Review: Commenting Strategies. Additional instructions are in the Discussion.
  5. By 11:59PM on Friday, September 15, write your 09/15 Labor Log in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, September 18.
  6. Revise your bio during the weekend and Monday, following the advice of the members of your group.
  7. By 11:59PM on Monday, September 18, submit your Professional Bio and your Professional Bio Self-Assessment in the Assignment in Canvas. If you need additional time, submit your work by the end of the grace period, at 11:59PM on Thu, September 21.

 

 

 

Note: The infographic in today’s post needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 
Last updated on Monday, September 11, 2017

#WeekendWatch: Peer Review Commenting Strategies

#WeekendWatch: Peer Review Commenting Strategies published on

Reminder of How Today’s Posts Work
#WeekendWatch posts are published every weekend post (usually on Saturdays). They will share a video that presents something relevant to what we are covering in class or something else related to writing in the workplace.
 

The Video

Next week, you will share a draft of your professional bio with your writing group, and then you’ll provide feedback on the drafts of the others in your group. This video from the University of Minnesota Writing Studies program will help you figure out how to provide constructive and helpful feedback.

The MIT video on our Writing Groups page gives you some overarching suggestions for what peer review looks like. This University of Minnesota video gives you six very specific ways that you can give your writing group members feedback. If you are unsure how to make constructive comments, spend five minutes on this video. You’ll know exactly the kind of comments I’m looking for once it’s finished.

Peer Review: Commenting Strategies (video, 5m4s)

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 
Last updated on Saturday, September 9, 2017

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