University of Waterloo
Department of department name
ENGL 210 J
Technical Editing
Fall 2020
Online, Learn
Instructor Information
Instructor: Christin Wright-Taylor
Zoom Office Hours: Email me, and we’ll arrange a time to talk!
Email: c33taylor@uwaterloo.ca
I am here to help support you through this term! I respond to all student emails within 24 hours Monday
– Friday and within 48 hours Saturday/Sunday. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions.
Course Description
In this course, you will be writing and editing, as well as learning theories related to understanding audiences, genres, ethics in communication, and research. When I was assigned this course many months ago, it was intended to be conducted in the classroom. I am adapting it to the online environment as we go*, but you need to keep in mind that you are responsible for your own learning. I am providing tools and guidance, but there is no "learning through osmosis" option for this course. You will need to be a self-motivated learner.
Learning Objectives:
- demonstrate effective communication and critical thinking
- develop inventing, drafting, and editing skills
- engage effectively in team learning
- show proficiency in genre specific writing and editing
- demonstrate capacity to give and receive feedback on writing for the purposes of revision
- show proficiency in planning and design of documents
- exhibit agility adapting to a virtual work environment and interacting with teams via digital software
Required Text
- Filak, Vincent F. Dynamics of Media Editing. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US), 2019.
This is an eText available through the Uwaterloo Bookstore or VitalSource.
Course Requirements and Assessment
Each week of the course will run from Tuesday – Tuesday. Assignments are due within the structure of these weekly units.
|
Assessment |
Weighting |
|
Discussions (x10) |
20% |
|
Chapter Exercises (x5) |
10% |
|
Editing Quiz (x2) |
10% |
|
Writing Assignments (x3)
|
20% |
| Editing Assignments (x3) | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
| There will be no final exam in this course. |
Discussion Boards (x10)
Over the course of this term, you will be asked to participate in 8 of 10 Discussion boards. Each discussion board is designed to help you internalize the content from the chapter assigned for that week’s reading by reflecting on key ideas from that chapter.
You will be required to make your initial post (100 words) on the discussion board by Friday of each week.
You are then required to respond (50 words) to at least 2 of your classmates posts by midnight the following Monday.
Chapter Exercises (x5)
Chapter exercises are low-stakes writing prompts that allow you to apply the ideas you have learned from the chapter to your editing practice.
These low-stakes writing prompts are not graded on polish or grammar but rather on originality of thought and demonstration of mastery of the content. They will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
Chapter Exercises are due at midnight on Monday of the week they are assigned.
Editing Quiz (x2)
You will have two separate Editing quizzes that will assess your understanding and mastery of basic punctuation and grammar. We will cover the elements of punctuation and grammat extensively in the course before you complete these quizzes.
These quizzes will be administered through Learn.
Writing Assignments (x3)
You will complete three writing assignments:
- a News Story (6.6%) for a UWaterloo news platform of your choice.
- a Social Media Campaign (6.6%) for 3 UWaterloo social media platforms to promote your story.
- a Press Release (6.6%).
These assignments will be assessed based on the conventions of each genre as outlined in the eTextbook. We will discuss and practice each genre before you submit your work for a peer to edit.
Editing Assignments (x3)
The culmination of your work in this course happens with these three editing assignments. You will practice all the skills we have covered throughout the course by acting as an Editor for your peer’s work.
You will edit three different classmate’s writing assignments: their news story, their social media campaign, and their press release.
There is no final exam in this course. These Editing assignments function as the cumulative assessment of your learning.
Course Outline
Please note: each week runs from Tuesday – Monday.
The Days within each week will be numbered as follows:
Tuesday = Day 1
Wednesday = Day 2
Thursday = Day 3
Friday = Day 4
Saturday = Day 5
Sunday = Day 6
Monday = Day 7
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Readings |
Activities and Assignments |
Due Date |
|
1 |
September 8–13 |
Unit 1: You as the Editor Editor as Manager and Leader |
Ch. 2 |
Discussion: Introduce Yourself Discussion: Chapter 2 |
Initial Post for Discussion Board due Day 4 Response to at least 2 classmates’ posts due Day 7 |
|
2 |
September 14–20 |
Audience- Centric Editing |
Ch. 1 |
Discussion Board: Ch. 1 Dropbox: Exercise Ch. 1 |
Initial Post due Day 4. Resonse to 2 posts due Day 7 Dropbox due Day 7 |
|
3 |
September 21–27 |
Ethics |
Ch. 4 |
Discussion Board: Ch. 4 Dropbox: Exercise Ch. 4 |
Initial Post due Day 4. Resonse to 2 posts due Day 7 Dropbox due Day 7 |
|
4 |
September 28–October 4 |
Unit 2: Editing for News |
Ch. 12 |
Assignment: Write a story for UWaterloo Discussion Board: Ch. 12 Dropbox: Exercise Ch. 12 |
Initial Post due Day 4. Resonse to 2 posts due Day 7 Dropbox due Day 7 |
|
5 |
October 5– 9 |
Punctuation |
Ch. 5 |
Dropbox: Punctuation exercise. |
Dropbox due Day 7 |
|
October 10–18 |
READING DAYS | ||||
|
6 |
October 19–25 |
Headlines |
Ch. 8 |
Dropbox: Exercise Ch. 8 Dropbox: News Story Peer Review Board: News Story |
Dropbox due Day 7 News Story due Day 7 Post News Story to Peer Reivew Board by Day 7 |
|
7 |
October 26– November 1 |
Unit 3: Editing for Social Media |
Ch. 13 |
Assignment: Create a Social Media Campaign for your News Story Discussion Board: Ch. 14 Editing Assignment #1 |
News Story Due Editing Assignment due Day 7 |
|
8 |
November 2–8 |
Using Proper Grammar |
Ch. 6 |
Dropbox: Exercise Ch. 6 | |
|
9 |
November 9–15 |
Photography |
Ch. 9 |
Peer Review: Social Media Campaign Discussion: Ch. 9 | |
|
10 |
November 16–22 |
Unit 4: Editing for Public Relations |
Ch. 14 |
Assignment: Press Release Discussion: Ch. 14 |
Social Media Campaign Due |
|
11 |
November 23– November 29 |
Editing for the Bigger Picture |
Ch. 7 |
Discussion: Ch. 7 Dropbox: Exercise Ch. 7 | |
|
12 |
November 30– December 7 |
Publication Design |
Ch. 11 |
Discussion: Ch. 11 Peer Review: Social Media Campaign | |
|
December 9–23 |
FINAL ASSESSMENT PERIOD | ||||
Late Work
Students who require
accommodations for any reason should contact me directly at c33taylo@uwaterloo.ca.
Accomodations may relate to:
- accessibility
- technology/internet issues
- time zone issues
- family/care issues
- work schedule
Students who make arrangements early may be eligible for a range of accommodations, however, last minute requests for schedule changes may not be possible.
This course will not have late penalties. The submission requirements are as follows:
- students who submit work by the posted deadline will receive a grade and feedback within one week.
- students who do not meet the deadline will not receive instructor feedback and grading may be significantly delayed.
- assignments more than one week late will not be accepted.
Institutional-required statements for undergraduate course outlines approved by Senate Undergraduate Council, April 14, 2009
Cross-listed course
Please note that a cross-listed course will count in all respective averages no matter under which rubric it has been taken. For example, a PHIL/PSCI cross-list will count in a Philosophy major average, even if the course was taken under the Political Science rubric.
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Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline if a ground for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals.
Other sources of information for students
Academic integrity (Arts) Academic Integrity Office (uWaterloo)
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located in Needles Hall Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.