ENGL 301 is an online 3-credit course designed to improve technical writing skills by distributing the workload independently, working with the instructor and in groups with other students. The course aims to be able to distinguish between the different elements involved in technical and professional writing through the means of various assignments and projects which promote interactions between classmates. The course will ultimately lead to students updating and improving their LinkedIn profiles and forming online portfolios which may substitute, and even complement, their resumes once they have developed self-reflection and self-editing skills.

The process of resume building will span across the length of the course with the initial foundations being set up in the first couple of weeks. Since the course spans across 3 months in total, it is divided into four units, each three weeks long with set assignments and tasks each week. The four units are as follows:

Unit 1. Principles, Practices and People in English 301 – The first unit will allow students to get acquainted with the course as well as the instructor and fellow students.

Unit  2. Designing a Report Proposal; Defining Terms with the Audience in Mind – Students will be assigned their teams and will begin working on their report proposals.

Unit  3. Designing a Report Outline & draft; Building your resume and job application skills – Further work on the Report Proposal drafts will be required. Students will peer review each other’s work.

Unit 4. Drafting the Formal Report; Peer Review of the Formal Report Draft – Students will be expected to perfect their proposal drafts into Formal Reports for submission.

I am looking forward to this course because technical writing is very important to the further development of my professional career.  As a software developer in the future, technical communication is critical in our workspace. We are supposed to communicate correctly, professionally and efficiently through several ways, such as emails, documentations, etc.  However, English is my second language, and I met many challenges to learn English. I hope I can learn how to improve my writing skills through this course. I am also looking forward to the Linked In session which could make my Linked In profile much more professional.