SPRING 2003--DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH--UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
ENGLISH 2312 Literature and Technology
(Sec. 12330), T/TH 1-2:30 p.m.
Dr. Irving N. Rothman, Profess irothman@uh.edu
OFFICE: 232B-C, 743-2962, <irothman@uh.edu>; T/TH 11:30-12, 2:30-3, and by
appointment.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Perelman, Leslie C., James Paradis, and Edward Barrett. The Mayfield Handbook of
Technical Scientific Writing. London and Toronto: Mayfield Publishing Co.,
1998.. (Cited as TSW)
The Pushcart Prize XX: Best of the Small Presses. Ed. Bill Henderson with
the Pushcart Prize Editors. Wainscott, NY: Pushcart Press, 1995. (Cited as PP)
Rothman, Irving N. Engl. 2397: Technical Writing (Xeroxed workbook), 1998. (Cited as
RW)
Technology, Pessimism, and Postmodernism. Ed. Yaron Ezrahi, Everett Mendelsohn, and
Howard P. Segal. 1994, in Sociology of Science: A Yearbook, vol. XVII; Amherst: University
of Massachusetts Press, 1995. (Cited as EMS)
READING SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS:
JANUARY 2003 | |||
T | 14 | Introduction, Mechanics of the Language (RW 1-16); PP 55-56: The First Day |
|
TH | 16 | EMS 11-27: The Idea of Technology and Post-Modernism The Résumé (TSW 167-171); Writing to an Audience | |
T | 21 | PP: 330-34 When Words Became Windows Sentences (RW 1-2 to 1-11; TSW 230, 249, 252-3, 437-42) |
Mechanics Test Due. Familiarize yourself with TSW 229-40, RW 2-12 to 2-18. The Defoe Project--Info Sheet |
TH | 23 | EMS 29-37: Illusion of Escape from
Politics Readability formulas (RW 2-2 to 2-5) |
Résumé due. |
T | 28 | Technical Databases/Standards--Room 104Lib / Mr. Parkin | (Review TSW 325-74.) |
TH | 30 | Proofreading (TSW 285-305, 309-19; 475-476; RW 3-26, 6-21); EMS 53-75: Lightning Protection | |
FEBRUARY | |||
T | 4 | PP 40-54: Magic, Recommendations (RW 2-18 to 2-23; TSW 198-99, 107) MemosBegin / Middle / End (RW 4-1 to 4-3; TSW 41-4) |
|
TH | 6 | EMS 76-92: Bad Things Happen to Good
Technologies MemosIn-class exercise on flagpoles (RW 5-18 to 5-24) |
|
T | 11 | PP 131-43: My Fathers Chinese Wives A Memo Accident Report (RW 2-22) |
|
TH | 13 | Preparing and writing reports (RW 3-15 to 3-20) Graphs and figures (TSW 203-225); PP 170-71: 18th C EMS 93-113: On the Notion of Technology as Ideology |
Flagpole exercise due. (This is a recommendation for the design of a flagpole array.) |
T | 18 | PP 217-32: The More I Like Flies 217-32 The Vendor Surveillance Report. Product/insurance/etc. The Trip Report, (RW 5-1 to 5-7; TSW 105-7 |
|
TH | 20 |
The Optimization Report: Decision based upon choices. EMS 115-33: 20th-C German Conservative Intellectuals |
|
T | 25 | PP 241-55: Stillborn The Laboratory Report (TSW 56-57) |
|
TH | 27 | Study items on technology in The Gentlemans Magazine, 8th Floor Special Collections, UH Library | Fill in and turn in, before you leave, the GM form provided. |
MARCH 2003 | |||
M-St | 3-8 | Spring Vacation | |
T | 11 | PP 163-69: Sex The Feasibility Report (RW 6-1 to 6-8; TSW 80-91) |
|
TH | 13 | EMS 137-50: Time, Technology, Heideggers
Thought The Monthly Report (RW 6-9 to 6-20; TSW 92-95)) |
Surveillance Report due. (2 pp.) Submit a research topic related to project in which you are engaged. on a 4"x6" notecard. |
T | 18 | PP 233-34: Anaconda The Research Report (TSW 57-67; 175-80) |
|
TH | 20 | EMS 151-73: The Politics of Pessimism | |
T | 25 | PP 144-46: The Storm Chasers Technical documents, abstracts, definitions(TSW 181-84) |
Submit a CD-ROM datasearch of your research topic (at least 20 items). Use Compendex or sociological or political CD-ROM databases. (15. EPC task) |
TH | 27 |
EMS 175-216: Cultural Contradictions of High
Tech Body of technical documents (TSW 185-95) Results, discussion, end matter (TSW 195-200) |
|
APRIL 2003 | |||
T | 1 | Correspondence (RW 4-14 to 4-17; TSW 106-21; 133) | .Optimization Report due. (2pp.) |
TH | 3 | PP 400-29: False Water Society (selected
items) Inquiry (TSW 116-18; Technical information; TSW 118-20), Acceptance (TSW 112-13, Transmittal (TSW 116) |
|
T | 8 | PP 380-97: Milk Writing corporate procedures (RW 8-1 to 7-6; TSW 145-46) |
Three letters due |
TH | 10 | Playscript style (RW 7-7 to 7-9), (RW7-17, 7-18 to 7-23) | |
T | 15 | Preparing forms (RW 7-13 to 7-15; TSW 247-252) | Research Project due (6-8 pp. +) |
TH | 17 | Writing a work procedure. (RW 7-24 to 7-25, 7-26 to 7-28)) | |
T | 22 | Writing a management or operations procedure (RW 7-25) | Work procedure due (3pp. +) |
TH | 24 | Internal proposals (TSW 477-482); Government
proposals; sales proposals; construction proposal (TSW 482-500), PP 338-49: The Late Style |
|
MAY | |||
TH | 1 | Reading Period or Make-up Day for Official Cancellation of Classes | |
TH | 8 | Final Examination, 2:00-5:00 p.m. | Objective, essay, documentation |
DIRECTIONS
All assignments must be completed. Omitting one assignment will result in an
F in the course.
All assignments must be submitted on schedule. Late submissions will suffer a
reduction of a full grade.
Roll will be taken daily. Those with excessive absences may be dropped from the
course. In cases where the final evaluation hovers between a higher or lower grade, the
higher grade will be given if attendance is strong; the lower grade, if too many absences.
Readings from Technology, Pessimism, and Postmodernism will be handled as a
forum whereby two or three students will wrestle with an essay and state their opinions
about it for 25 minutes (1/3 class period).
Work must be typewritten in 10 pt. New York or 12 pt. Times.
EVALUATION
Writing Mechanics Test (Workbook) | Diagnostic; due Tues., January 21 |
Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (1 or 2 pages w/references) | 5 pts: Thursday, Jan. 23 |
Flagpole Exercise (begins as in-class
exercise). 1-page memo on the design of a flagpole array. |
5 pts: Thursday, Feb. 13. |
Vendor Surveillance Report (2
pp.)-single-spaced. Select a piece of equipment or sales itemor a serviceand survey pricing, marketing, and treatment by the sales force at 3 outlets. |
10 pts: Thursday, March 13 |
Gentlemans Magazine , 8th flr Library; (1-pg. form/1-1/2 hr). Select a volume in the 19th century and record any material you find on science or technology. |
5 pts: Thurs., Feb. 27 (in class) |
Optimization Report (2pp.)-single-spaced Discuss at least three options for completing a task, three concepts one wishes to advance, or three methods of completing a project, and recommend the optimum solution. |
10 pts: Tuesday, April 1 |
Three Letters (l page each.) A letter requesting assistance (1 p.) A letter providing needed assistance A letter expressing a complaint about a problem |
10 pts: Tuesday, April 8 |
Research project (6-8 pp. plus documentation)
double-spaced Introduction, Prior Research, Central Point of Study, Activity or Experimentation, Conclusions Submit a CD-ROM database search, as indicated. You must include in your bibliography two books and 4 articles from CD-Rom sources. You may also add 3 sources from the Internet, providing full URL citations. |
10 pts: Topic card, T, March 4 CD-Rom Search, T, March 25 Final Report, T, April 15 |
Work Procedure (3-4 pp., Playscript
methodology) List activities of workers and supervision for quality control. |
10 pts: Tuesday, April 22 |
Editing Projects | 20 points, as assigned |
In-class work at random | 5 pts: as reviewed |
Final Examination | 10 pts: , Thurs., May 8, 2-5 p.m. |