119 W22 Forrester

ENGL 119 - Communications in Math & Computer Science

The University of Waterloo in association with the Department of English Language and Literature

Instructor: Dr. Clive Forrester

Term: Winter 2022

Class times: Mon. & Wed. 8:30-9:50am (Sec. 001) / Mon. & Wed. 10:00-11:20am (Sec. 002)

Classroom: EV3406

Office hours: Room HH141, Mon. 2:30-3:30 pm (by appointment via MS Teams) Email:clive.forrester@uwaterloo.ca  ext: 37905

Course Description:

“Their bags are packed with calculators, protractors and new pencils, but the curriculum Ontario kids will learn in math class this fall might be what’s dragging down their math scores.” - Ashley Csanady, National Post Sept. 5, 2016 “Ontario’s math scores started declining as students took the new curriculum, according to EQAO data.”

Educators at the high school level are describing the current declining math scores in Ontario as a “crisis.” Some attribute this to general fear and discomfort with the subject, but also to intimidating and unengaging methods of communicating topics in mathematics. This course hopes to address the latter problem - how experts and practitioners of math communicate core principles in the subject area without alienating the layperson. We will draw on a variety of communication techniques, ranging from report writing, group and individual presentations as well as portfolio creation in an effort to develop a skill set needed to strengthen math enthusiasts as competent and effective communicators.

 

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course, participants should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the principles of critical thinking, reading, and writing
  2. Create original material for the communication of math concepts
  3. Present information in a professional and engaging manner
  4. Confidently execute an interview
  5. Understand the specific communication strategy(es) needed for a task

Week

Date

Module

Topic

Readings & Assignments

1

Jan 5

Intro. & Foundations

Introduction

  • Course structure and objectives
  • Methods of assessment
  • Expectations
  • Is there a “math crisis” in Ontario

Read: C.D. Howe Institute article

2

Jan 12

Communication Theory (cont’d)

  • What can we learn from communication theories?
  • Aspects of technical communication
  • Group formation

Handbook: Ch. 1, pp. 5-11.

Jan 19

Communicating with different audiences

  • Government/policymakers
  • General public
  • Media

Engl for Pres. Ch. 6, pp. 75-79

3

Jan 24

Analytical Report

Writing in Math & Computer Sci

  • Style and layout of scientific writing
  • Preparing reports

Handbook: Ch. 1, pp. 5-14

Jan 26

Report #1: Planning

  • Narrow topic for report
  • Gather data
  • Prepare draft

4

Jan 31

Presentation #1: Planning

  • Gathering content
  • Choosing style
  • Execution

Engl. for Pres.: Ch. 8, pp. 99-110

Feb 2

Presentation planning (cont’d)

  • Presentation using traditional presentation tools

Handbook: Ch. 11

5

Feb 7

Presentation #1 Due (Remote class)

Feb 9

Report #1 Due (Remote class)

6

Feb 14

Executive Summary

Writing an executive summary

  • Purpose and layout
  • Data gathering for exec. Summary
  • Drafting & assessing solutions

Engl. for Pres.: Ch. 9, pp. 111-118

Feb 16

Report #2: Planning

  • Putting together the exec summary
  • Using graphs and tables

7

Feb 21

Reading Week No Classes

Feb 23

8

Feb 28

Presentation #2: Planning

  • Software and tools to enhance presentations
  • Use in the professional setting

Mar 2

Fine-tuning technical writing skills

  • Technical writing for sensitive issues

9

Mar 7

Creating a multimodal presentation

  • Ideas for designing a video presentation

Mar 9

Presentation Skills Workshop Doing Research

  • Research writing in math and computer science
  • Creating short research outlines

10

Mar 14

Report #2 Due & Presentation #2 Due (Remote class)

Mar 16

Report #3 Planning

  • Design professional portfolio to showcase current work

Mar 21

Designing booth-style presentations

Engl. for Pres.: Ch. 12, pp.

11

Professional Portfolio

  • Using the tradeshow approach to presentation

149-155

Mar 23

Presentation planning

  • Research poster design and presentations in professional contexts

12

Mar 28

Presentation #3 Due (Remote class)

Mar 30

Report #3 Due (Remote class)

13

Apr 4

Course Review and Wrap Up

Recommended Texts (all readings are added to LEARN)

Higham, N. J. (1998). Handbook of writing for the mathematical sciences. Philadelphia: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Wallwork, A. (2016). English for presentation at International Conferences (2nd ed.). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Assessment breakdown

  1. Writing & presentation skills class activities (25%): For each module, you will be given in-class exercises to complete as a means of strengthening your skillset in this course. These activities will be done individually
  1. Report Writing (45% - 3 x 15% each): Each student will individually prepare three written reports based on different aspects of the math crisis throughout the course. Detailed instructions for this assignment will be given for each report.
  2. Presentations (30% - 3 x 10% each): This will be done in groups on specific topics related to the course material. Presenters will use a variety of presentation tools and styles to deliver the content.

Course Delivery Format

This course is scheduled to be delivered in a face-to-face format in the designated classroom. However, given the uncertainty about in-person delivery still facing the university, there is a possibility that we may have to switch to a remote delivery for a part of the term (or all of it in a worst-case scenario). If that should happen, that won’t be a problem. We will simply switch to having live classes via MS Teams on Wednesdays at 11 am. These live sessions would be a mix of lecture/seminar style and would be recorded in the event that the time clashes with one of your existing classes. Whatever is the decision about a full return to campus, the course content will be delivered with minimal disruption and maximum flexibility.

Keeping in Touch With Me

The primary means of communication for this course will be MS Teams. You will be automatically added to the Teams channel for this course, but if not you can click this link. It is important that you download this program to your device that way you will get important announcements and weekly updates about where we are in the course. Additionally, I will synchronize assignment due dates to the Teams calendar, that way you will get reminders to your device when something is due. Teams will also serve as a means of replacing email communication. If you have a question simply send me a message on Teams as you would in an email--start with a salutation like “Hello Prof. Forrester” and send your message. If I’m available, you’ll get a response within minutes.

 

Academic Integrity

In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integrity Webpage (https://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/) and the Arts Academic Integrity Office Webpage (http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/current-undergraduates/academic responsibility) for more information.

Discipline

A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing academic offenses and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offenses (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. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline (http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm). For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties (http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm).