Advanced Technical Writing

Rebecca Penrose, California State University, Bakersfield
April 2022

Project Abstract:

The primary goal of this redesign was to offer a no-cost textbook option that highlighted more practical and user-friendly examples for course assignments in a fully online, asynchronous, graduate-level business writing course. A secondary goal was to ensure that all course materials were accessible for users of screen readers and assistive technology. There was no need to significantly change or replace the existing course assignments, only to offer more thorough and relatable instructional materials to guide students through completing the requirements. Due to the ever-increasing costs of print textbooks and handbooks, students often choose not to purchase them, sacrificing key instructional materials that would benefit their coursework, grades, and the ultimate completion of their degree program.

Background on the Redesign

Purpose

• Course Characteristics: The ADM 5100 course focuses on fundamental types of business communication, using real-life workplace scenarios as the basis of course assignments. This pedagogical framework allows students to take a variety of approaches to assignments, tailoring them to their unique individual jobs and experiences. In structuring this course redesign project, there was no need to change or replace the existing course assignments, only to offer more thorough and relatable instructional materials at a significantly reduced cost. Additionally, I wanted to make the necessary changes to ensure that all materials were accessible and ADA-compliant.
   
• The Learning Problem: The greatest barrier for students in this course has been the high cost of the previously used textbook/handbook ($94.50). Some students would choose not to purchase the textbook, which would result in their incomplete understanding of the course assignments and subsequent failure to meet assignment objectives.

Course History/Background

• ADM 5100 Advanced Technical Writing is a required course in the Master of Science in Administration program. It is usually taken at the beginning of a student's program, preferably in the first term, but students can choose to postpone it. Among other writing and research skills, this course emphasizes APA documentation, which is the formatting style required in all other MSA courses, so it is most helpful for students to have this practice early on, especially if they are entering the program with little (or outdated) experience with APA format.
   
• Schedule: This course is offered twice each academic year—one section in the fall and one in the spring semesters. Students usually have bachelor's degrees in business-related fields, though this is not always the case. Students usually also have business experience, which is beneficial in this course because the assignments involve real-life workplace situations.

Syllabus from previous course here.

Student Characteristics

• Students in this course have been admitted into the Master of Science in Administration program. This program is fully online, so students are able to live all over the world, and they have a wide variety of backgrounds. Many students are in the military or law enforcement. Some have been out of college for several years, now pursuing this MSA degree to promote within their current employment. Others have just finished a bachelor's degree and are moving directly into graduate school to be more hirable.

Advice I Gave My Students to be Successful

• In introducing the new textbook, I introduced students to OER resources and the goal of this project. I provided students with the eBook link and instructions for navigating the chapters. I also aligned the textbook chapters with the corresponding course activities and projects.

Impact of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) on Course Redesign

The Course SLOs remained the same:

• Students will demonstrate college-level reading skills.
  
  Outcome G-1: Students will evaluate how effectively a writer’s rhetorical choices (e.g., bias, rhetorical modes, organization, diction, etc.) and logic meet the needs of a particular rhetorical context.
   
• Students will demonstrate college-level writing skills.
  
  Outcome G-2A: Students will create effective thesis statements for various types of writing tasks.
  Outcome G-2B: Students will effectively use discourse-appropriate prose.
  Outcome G-2C: Students will use logical reasoning, at the appropriate level, to develop and organize ideas.
   
• Students will demonstrate college-level research skills.
  
  Outcome G-3A: Students will find and evaluate diverse, reputable sources for a specific writing task.
  Outcome G-3B: Students will effectively and correctly use summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes to synthesize sources.
  
  

Assessments Used to Assess Students' Achievement of SLOs

Students demonstrate SLOs by completing major course assignments:

• Library skills/research activities
• Business memos, letters, and emails
• International communication
• Visuals and graphics
• Presentations
• Formal proposals
• Instructional manuals

Accessibility, Affordability, and Diversity Considerations

Accessibility

• The technologies employed are part of the regular class enrollment Learning Management System, Canvas.  It is free to enrolled students and is compliant with accessibility guidelines in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C § 794 D). The newly integrated eBook also adheres to these compliance and accessibility guidelines.

Affordability

• I cannot presume that all of my students have access to the same technology (for example, digital tablets or smart phones); however, they are all enrolled in a fully online MSA program, so they are expected to have access to digital tools required for virtual communication. The new textbook introduced is widely accessible online and free of cost.

Diversity

• Due to the fully online nature of the MSA program, students come from all over the world, and my classes reflect broad diversity in cultural, racial, socio-economic, gender, and ability factors.  

About the Instructor

• Rebecca Penrose, MA, MLIS
  My research involves the use of instructional technology and tools to increase information literacy and improve student retention and persistence rates in higher education. My current focus is on accessibility barriers for students with physical disabilities, particularly in online environments.

Course Redesign Teaching and Learning Resources

Course Redesign ePortfolio Exemplar
An example of an ePorfolio created by faculty at CSU East Bay to exhibit their course redesign project and their findings.

CSU Course Redesign Website
Review the description of the CSU system-wide initiative supporting faculty redesigning their courses to improve student success.

MERLOT's Pedagogy Portal
The MERLOT Pedagogy Portal is designed to help you learn about the variety of instructional strategies and issues that could help you become a better teacher. The resources you'll find in the Pedagogy Portal should apply to teaching a variety of disciplines.

MERLOT
MERLOT is a collection of free and open online teaching, learning and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community. The MERLOT collection of open resources spans across a wide variety of disciplines and education levels. What sets MERLOT apart is a combination of peer reviews, member comments, learning exercises and other valuable information and metadata associated with the materials.

Implementing the Redesigned Course

Redesigned Aspects

Previous Textbook
The Business Writer's Handbook, 12th edition
by Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu

New Adopted OER Textbook
https://open.library.okstate.edu/technicalandprofessionalwriting
Technical and Professional Writing Genres: A Study in Theory and Practice
by Michael Beilfuss, Staci Bettes, and Katrina Peterson

• Assignment instructions were provided in written format, with occasional video tutorials. Examples of some assignments were provided to give students a better understanding of the expected product.
• Redesigned features incorporated more video tutorials specifically involving the eBook, and instructional handouts were revised and reformatted to be more fully accessible and ADA-compliant.

Supplemental Resources
Additional materials were introduced or reinforced to emphasize multiple means of instruction and a variety of perspectives, adhering to principles of Universal Design for Learning. Some of these online materials included the following:

Videos

• Choosing Appropriate Data for Visual Aids
• How to Quit Your Job with Class
• How to Apply for a Job that Doesn't Exist
• Elon Musk on Millennials and How to Start a Business
• Adam Grant on the Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers
• Will Stephen on How to Sound Smart in a TED Talk

Resources

• Padlet
• Guide for Designing Graphics
• How Not to Create a PowerPoint

Professional Development and Consultation

• I have participated in multiple interdisciplinary faculty Professional Learning Communities over the last few years, focusing on foundational skill reinforcement throughout all course levels—undergraduate and graduate. I have also attended several accessibility conferences, webinars, and workshops, exploring the barriers to students with disabilities and their assistive technology.
• In examining student retention and persistence data from the CSU Student Success Dashboard and the AHEAD surveys, all students have struggled with virtual instructional methods, and students with disabilities face unique challenges that often go unaddressed. All of these factors were taken into consideration during this course redesign.

Syllabus from revised course here.

Course Redesign Impact on Teaching and Learning

• This course redesign provided me with multiple new approaches to instruction, giving students additional guidance for assignments. Most importantly, it gave students a free alternative to purchasing the very expensive previous textbook/handbook.
• Some of the assignments needed supplemental instruction, in addition to the descriptions in the new OER text. (Every textbook has its strengths and weaknesses.) These supplemental instructions were easy to provide, and often students' questions were answered by providing a sample assignment as a model.
• The only significant assignment revision involved creating visuals. Previously, students submitted this assignment as a Word doc or pdf containing three visuals and corresponding explanations. In the course redesign, this assignment became a PowerPoint presentation, requiring specific visuals on each slide and corresponding explanations in the "Notes" sections. This gave students relevant practice in designing presentations and using slides to present data to an audience.
  • Student Example—previous format
  • Student Example—new format

Student Feedback

• Students greatly appreciated the opportunity to save money by using free resources. Students were given the option to purchase the previously used handbook as well, if they so desired. Most opted not to do so.

Challenges My Students Encountered

• Students did not encounter any particular challenges; however, adding excessive supplemental material to a course always presents the potential for students to "skim" or "skip" material that they determine to be repetitive or irrelevant. All changes or additions were thoughtfully considered in order to promote student engagement and avoid overwhelming them.

Lessons Learned & Redesign Tips

Teaching Tips

• Consult your campus IT and accessibility experts to ensure that you are fully aware of the capabilities and limitations of your institution's adopted LMS, particularly when teaching fully online courses.
• Engage students in discussion and collaboration as much as possible in preparation for assignments. The exchange of ideas increases creative approaches to the assignments and helps to clarify instructor expectations.
• Provide handouts and worksheets in both doc and pdf formats.
• Use a Color-Contrast Analyzer to optimize design for low-vision students and information users. These two are very reliable and can be downloaded:
  • https://www.tpgi.com/cca-download
  • https://www.downloadcrew.com/article/35257/colour_contrast_analyser
• This is a good web-based color checker:
  • https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker

Strategies I Use to Increase Engagement

• Supplemental videos and multimedia allow multiple methods of instructional delivery and are best when interactive.
• Weekly discussion prompts allow students to communicate and collaborate asynchronously.

Instructor Reflection & Sharing

This was a fantastic opportunity to rethink the requirements of my course and consider the most effective strategies for achieving quality student work. The cost of print textbooks continues to increase as does the availability of Open Access online resources. It is prudent and respectful to consider the students' finances when selecting and requiring course materials. As this particular course is fully online and asynchronous, there was no way for the instructor to confirm students' purchase of a print textbook; however, students who opted not to buy it were always at a disadvantage, missing key assignment details and examples. It was such a relief to find a high-quality OER substitute.

I have shared about this experience with my colleagues in the Writing Program and with fellow attendees at recent professional development conferences. Additionally, my participation in recent accessibility conferences and webinars has greatly informed my decisions in revising the existing course materials and ensuring their compliance with assistive technology, especially for blind and low-vision users.

This course is a mandatory part of our MSA program, and I am currently the only professor teaching it each semester; however, I share my teaching strategies and course revisions with the other professors in the program during our meetings. I am also available to share my experiences and/or provide faculty training workshops upon request.