Topic outline

  • Welcome to LC-1111 Online Writing Skills for Engineers 2! (1 ECTS)

    Course teacher: Laura Humphries
    Contact details: laura.humphries@aalto.fi

    freaking writing

    Image source: https://pixabay.com/en/laptop-woman-education-study-young-3087585/

    This course introduces typical patterns for organising information within a text at macro level, such as topic sentences, problem-solution pattern, extended definitions, and approaches to comparing and contrasting information. You will also learn approaches to using connectors and complex-sentences to maintain readability of texts. At a micro level, the course also offers (as an optional task) the common rules for using (or not using) articles (determiners, such as the/a/an) in writing.


    Unlike LC-1110, this course will involve much fewer interactive exercises and videos. Instead, LC-1111 emphasizes the writing process as well as improvement of your writing through peer and teacher feedback.


    For each week, you will independently study material, such as handouts, videos and/or interactive exercises that support the writing process of a short feasibility report. Although most feedback will come from the teacher, at one point (Week 3), you will exchange your text with another student to see what others are writing about and also to gain a peer’s reaction to your writing communication (peer feedback).

    Deadlines for the writing assignments:

    Assignments Due by the end of the day, Mondays. So this weeks assignments will be due by the end of the day on the 26th of April. 

    I will be sending out weekly emails every Monday with details and reminders for the coming weeks assignments. 

     

    Week

    Dates

    Theme

    Writing Assignment

    Feedback

    1

     April 19-26

    Introduction to writing short reports

     

    WA1: Outline

    Approval of topic by teacher

    Work Load: 6-7 h

    2

     April 27-May 3

    Describing the problem and solution (PSP)

     

    WA2: Problem-solution text: Introduction section

    Teacher feedback via Panopto video

    Work Load: 6-7 h

    3

     May 4-10

    Defining technology/ concepts + Topic sentences (paragraphing)

     

    WA3: Definitions section (added to Introduction)

    Peer feedback via Forum

    Work Load: 7-8 h

    4

     May 11-17

    (Compulsory) 4A. Evaluating the solution

     (Optional) 4B: Use of Articles

    WA4: Evaluation of solutions section (added to previous sections)

    -Work Load: 5-6 h

                       8-10 h

    5

     May 18-24

    Receiving feedback and revising report

     

     

    Teacher feedback face-to-face on WA4

    Work Load: 2-3 h

    6

     May 25-30

    Revising your report

     

    WA5: Final complete feasibility report (All other sections plus conclusion)

    Final grade on your report

    Work Load 2 h

     

    Course assignments and tasks

    Course description:

    - Completion of weekly online exercises (15 %)

    - Assignments (45 %)

    - Final report (40 %)

     

    Exercise modules (Tablet computers): 15 pts

    · Different stages of writing the feasibility report:

    o WA1 Outline 10 pts

    o WA2 Problem-solution text (intro) 10 pts

    o WA3 Definitions text + peer review (review 2 students’ texts) 15 pts

    o WA4 Evaluation of solutions text 10 pts

    o WA5 Final report: 40 pts

     

    In this course, we follow a writing process: you will write your report on your selected topic in sections, but most sections will be reviewed and rewritten. By the end of the process, you will have written a complete (but short) feasibility report which will include in-text citations as well as a References list.