COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN

Intramuros, Manila
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education
LANGUAGES AREA
School Year 2005-2006
2nd semester
I.
II.
III.

Course Number : English 106

Course Title
: Technical Writing and Scientific Writing
Course Description :
The course is designed to introduce the students to the written conventions of technical writing and their applications in the field of education.
Structured for students majoring in English, this course emphasizes the elements, methods, and format necessary for producing well-organized, clear
and concise writings. Special emphasis is placed on techniques which technical writers employ and which Education students will find useful, both
academically and professionally.

IV.

Rationale :
Writing is an essential activity that is required of both students and professionals. As a student, one finds writing as an indispensable tool for a
majority of his learning tasks, such as note-taking, composition writing, research writing and many other writing activities. As a professional, one
realizes that the ability to write effective correspondence and documents is not only a job requirement, but a plus factor as well. In either case,
knowledge and skill in technical writing are both essential and beneficial.

V.

Course Objectives :
General Objective:
At the end of the semester, students are expected to have full comprehension of the fundamentals of technical writing and to be able to apply them in
actual writing activities.
Specific Objectives:
Cognitive:
Affective:
Psychomotor:

Think through writing situations and create written reports and technical literature that will effectively present
information to meet the readers needs.
Appreciate the values and significance of effective technical writing.
Apply the standards of good technical writing style in creating reports, documents and a variety of technical literature.

Specific Objectives

Subject Matter

Values
Integrated

Strategies
Teaching
Methodologies

Instructional
Materials

Evaluation

Time
Frame

Expected Outcome

Understand the nature Definition and

of technical writing.
characteristics of
technical writing.

Awareness of the
significance of
technical writing
in the field of
education.

Lectures
Class
discussion

Reference
book

Written
examination

Week 1

Understood fully
the nature of
technical writing

Comprehend the
basic principles on
which good technical
writing is founded

Basic principles of
technical writing.

Appreciation of
the principles on
which technical
writing is
anchored.

Lectures
Group
discussions

Reference
book
Visual Aids

Oral
presentation

Week 2

Comprehended the
basic principles on
which good
technical writing is
founded.

Determine the
properties of
technical writing and
the ways of achieving
them

Properties of
technical writing.

Knowledge of
the properties
that characterize
technical writing

Classroom
activity

Worksheets

Oral
examination

Week 3

Determined the
properties of
technical writing
and the ways
through which they
can be achieved

Understand how the

scope of technical
writing is divided
into two basic aspects

Basic aspects of
technical writing.

Awareness of the
distinction
between the two
basic aspects of
technical writing

Lectures
Class
discussion

Reference
book

Written
examination

Week 4

Understood the
basic aspects of
technical writing

Identify the different

types of technical
reports/ literature that
are commonly
required of teachers
and education
students

A. Technical
literature (end
products of technical
writing)

Awareness of the
different
technical papers
that are most
commonly used
in the academe

Develop skills that

require particular
attention in the
preparation of
technical papers

B. Skills needed in
the preparation of end
products
1. Outline
2. Organization
1. Style
2. Format
3. Graphic aids
4. Special
techniques

Clarify the problem

of what should be
defined in technical
writing, methods of
defining what needs
to be defined and
where definitions can
be most effectively
placed

a. Definition
- what to
define
- method of
definition
- rules to
follow
- where to
place
definition

Lecture
Class
discussion

Samples of
technical
reports/
literature

Oral
presentation

Week 5

Identified the
different types of
technical
reports/literature
common in the
academe

Skills in
Oral report
preparing
Class
technical reports/ discussion
literature

Hand-outs

Written
examination

Week
79

Developed the
skills on the
accuracy and
conciseness in
preparing technical
papers out of given
data

Competence in
defining terms
and expressions

Hand-outs

Written
examination

Week
10

Clarified the
problem of what
should be defined in
technical writing,
methods of defining
what needs to be
defined and where
definitions can be
most effectively
placed

Oral report
Class
discussion

Understand the
fundamentals and
classifications and
partition and identify
the rules to follow in
presenting a
classification

b. Classification and
Partition
- when to use
- rules to
follow
- writing
procedures

Ability to
analyze things in
the environment
using accurate
bases for making
judgments

Oral report
Class
discussion

Handouts

Written
examination

Week
11

Understood the
fundamentals and
classifications and
partition in
presenting a
classification

Learn how to
organize details of
description, manner
of presenting and the
use of illustrations to
reinforce textual
description

c. Description
- parts of the
presentation
- principles of
organization
- illustrations

Creativity in
organizing and
presenting
details of
description

Oral report
Class
discussion

Handouts

Group
writing
activity

Week
12

Learned how to
organize details of
description, manner
of presenting and
the use of
illustrations to
reinforce textual
description

Learn when to use

Process I and Process
II, how to present the
description of the
process and what
style to use

c. Process I and
Process II
- parts of the
presentation
- Style (mood
and voice)

Accuracy in
giving
instructions

Oral report
Class
discussion

Handouts

Graded
board work

Week
13-14

Learned when to
use Process I and
Process II

Apply fundamentals
and techniques of
technical writing to
actual process of
writing and
presenting technical

Writing technical
reports/ literature
A. Research paper
B. Lesson plans
C. Modules
D. Formal reports

Appreciation of
the writing
activities in the
academe

Lectures
Guided writing
Activities

Reference
book
Samples of
technical
reports/
literature

Output of
writing
activities

Week
15-18

Applied
fundamentals and
techniques of
technical writing
with emphasis on
organizatuion and

papers with emphasis

on organization and
mechanics

E. Business letters

mechanics

References:
Magpayo, Erlinda et.al. Contemporary Technical English. Manila: Adamson Press, 1996.
Mills, Gordon H. and John A. Walter. Technical Writing. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishing Company, 1981.
Nem Singh, Rosario P. and Jovita A. Calixihan. Fundamentals of Technical Writing. San Juan: MG Reprographics, 1994.
Pauley, Steven E. Technical Report Writing Today. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989.
Romero, Perlita P., Violeta A. Llanes and Romulo M. Ricafranca. Techno-Business Report Writing. Quezon City: Katha Publishing Company, 1985.
Vicente, Corazon, Wenceslawa Soria and Ernani Mogol. Technical Writing. Manila: Technology Supply Inc., 1976.
Villamin, Araceli, et.al. Innovative Strategies in Communication Arts. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., 1994.

Requirements:
Attendance
Quizzes and long exams
Class participation
Oral report
Assignment
Writing activity report
Modules

Grading System:
Midterm Grade:
Class Standing
Quizzes
Mid-term Exam

Pre-Final Grade:
- 30%
- 30%
- 40%
100%

Class Standing- 30%

Quizzes
- 30%
Final Exam - 40%
100%

Final Grade = (Mid-term Grade + Pre-Final Grade) / 2