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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Dear Technical Writing Colleagues—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">At Penn State, because many engineering and science students do not take technical writing until their senior year, we have a gap between what students have learned about
scientific or technical writing from general writing courses and what those students are expected to demonstrate in their laboratory courses, design courses, and summer internships. To address this gap, the Leonhard Center in the College of Engineering has
launched a site with ten online lessons on technical writing:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.craftofscientificwriting.com/lessons.html">http://www.craftofscientificwriting.com/lessons.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">You are more than welcome to use this resource at your institution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Although designed primarily for students who have not yet taken a technical writing course, you as a technical writing teacher might find value in these online lessons for
the three reasons given below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Make-up assignment for students who have missed one of your classes</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">.
The videos are less than 10 minutes, focus on one aspect of scientific (or technical) writing, and are anchored with professional examples. In addition, we are incorporating quizzes into the site so that you can check whether a student has learned the lesson’s
content.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Substitute guest lecture for laboratory course or design course</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">.
At your institution, students might have to write reports for laboratory courses and design courses before taking your technical writing course. If you do not have time to give guest lectures for all such courses, you might consider recommending the site’s
summary lesson (<a href="http://www.craftofscientificwriting.com/summary.html">www.craftofscientificwriting.com/summary.html</a>). In effect, we based this lesson on a guest lecture that I have developed for many such courses.
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Source of professional examples for use in your own lectures</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">.
I do not mind you using my professional examples in your lectures as long as you credit the source. Because I have taught professional workshops on technical writing at more than 100 companies, laboratories, agencies, and universities, I have had the opportunity
to collect a number of enlightening examples.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">During this academic year, we will gather feedback from the comments of these lessons to incorporate into a major revision next summer. Your input would be most appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Michael Alley<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Michael Alley<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Teaching Professor, Engineering Communication<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Pennsylvania State University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">201 Hammond Bldg<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">University Park, PA 16802<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">1-814-867-0251<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.assertion-evidence.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0563C1">http://www.assertion-evidence.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.craftofscientificwriting.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0563C1">http://www.craftofscientificwriting.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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