ACIT4910 User Diversity and ICT Barriers Emneplan

The course introduces students to the topics of effectives structure and style in engineering communication. Special emphasis is given to the differences between correct grammar and stylistic choices. Close attention is paid to the kinds of linguistic choices writers need to learn to make in order to create effective, actionable, readable, and ethical texts.

This course is designed and run in collaboration with Louisiana Technology University.

No formal requirements over and above the admission requirements.

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student has:

• understanding of the difference between grammar and style, particularly between the prescriptive nature of the former and the selective nature of the latter.

• knowledge of typical structures of engineering genres and texts
• knowledge of typical stylistic features of engineering genres and texts
• strategies for making decisions about style and readability while designing technical texts.

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• effectively structure specialized engineering texts to meet their purposes and reach their intended audiences
• effectively select and use elements of appropriate writing style in engineering texts
• consciously use stylistics feature and choices for readability, ethics, and actionability of texts

General competence

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• demonstrate awareness and understanding of the role of writing style and style-related decisions in creating effective texts and in effective communication

• develop a broader understanding of the limited importance of grammar and other mechanics for effectiveness of writing.

This course is run in collaboration with Louisiana Technology University. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the course will be offered online (digitally). The majority of the instruction will take place asynchronously (in Canvas), with periodic 1-hour long synchronous meetings, in Zoom or Teams.

In line with best teaching practices from the field of professional communication, the following teaching methods will be used (listed here in order of priority and frequency of use):

• Active learning and flipped classroom methods
• Peer review and peer-learning

• Short lectures and presentations by instructor(s), followed by discussions and informal assessments

The role of the teacher is to be a facilitator and an expert-coordinator of course work, who guides the students through the content of the course.

1. Three written assignments

1. Weekly reading response and peer-review assignments. A minimum of 75% (9 out of 12) out of the reading response and peer-review assignments must be approved.

Detailed description of all assignments will be provided to the students in Canvas.

For å fremstille seg til eksamen må følgende være godkjent:

• Minimum 80 prosent tilstedeværelse i timeplanfestede seminarer og ferdighetstrening
• Individuell flervalgstest i akuttmedisin, inntil 1 time etter nærmere gitte kriterier

All aids are permitted for the project, provided the rules for plagiarism and source referencing are complied with.

For the oral exam, students will not have access to computers or other aids.

All aids are permitted, provided the rules for plagiarism and source referencing are complied with.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

One internal examiner. External examiners are used periodically.

The content of the course will include the following topics: difference between grammar and writing style; effective linguistic choices for successful engineering communication; achieving readability and actionability in engineering documents; basic techniques for technical editing. The course will also cover the methods, strategies, and techniques for analyzing stylistic features of typical engineering texts.