Dr. Bill Williamson | Professor of Technical Communication | SVSU

RPW 520 Writing in Scientific & Technical Contexts

Workshop + Designing Documents

This page describes the objectives, activities, submission guidelines, and on-going work required for the Designing Documents workshop.

Workshop Overview

This workshop begins our consideration of document design, and establishes standards for technical knowledge, and classroom procedures required for this course. During the workshop, you will design a professional profile, convert the file to portable document format (pdf), and submit the profile through Dropbox.com.

Workshop Objectives

Workshop Details

This workshop requires you to complete and submit a one-page professional profile. Completing these tasks requires that you demonstrate understanding of some of the core processes for the course. Each of the stages described here sets a standard for work in this course.

During this workshop, you will complete four tasks.

Designing Your Profile with Microsoft Word

Use Microsoft Word (or an equivalent word-processing package) to design a professional profile according to the guidelines provided in the file Williamson_DesigningAProfile.pdf (see SVSU Canvas: Files: Workshop 1). Use the sample profile posted in that same folder as a guide (Williamson_SampleProfile2018.pdf). The guidelines suggest that your profile should be one page long, and that it should follow the design specifications described in that document. Note that some of the content is required; provide all of those details. If that material does not provide you with enough content to make one full page, begin developing additional content using the optional categories. Your profile is not complete until your content comes within one physical line from the bottom margin of the page. (In other words, do not go under or over one page.)

Convert your profile to portable document format. (If you are not sure how to do this, research the process. It is simple and straightforward.) Title your document using this formula: Lastname_Profile.pdf. That is, replace the text Lastname with your last name.

I provide a video walk-through of the formatting requirements in Microsoft Word in the workshop folder. See Williamson_MSWordDemo.swf. (Note that you may need to tell your browser how to view an SWF file. For some browsers, you may need to save the file to your desktop, and then open the file from within the browser.)

Note that you cannot provide the Screencast.com share link to your profile (as the specs require) until after you have recorded the video. Thus you will have to go back into your profile after you record your screencast, and add the share link to the file.

Setting Up a Dropbox.com Account

Dropbox.com has become a widely used workplace file-storage and document-sharing solution. We will use this service for project submissions and feedback this semester. Dropbox.com is a free service that offers additional at-cost options. For our purposes, you will need only a free account.

You can create an account directly from the company's main web page: Dropbox.com. Note that you can add copies of the linking software to other machines and devices, including computers, tablets, and smart phones. Those locally stored copies link directly to your online storage, allowing you to sync files from any device or location where you have the software installed.

I provide step-by-step instructions for all required Dropbox functions in the document "Core Processes" (see Canvas: Files: Course Files). Refer to that guide during this workshop.

Creating a Shared Class Folder on Dropbox.com

Refer to "Core Processes" when you are ready to create your shared class folder on Dropbox.com. (Tutorials linked off of the Sharing screen in Dropbox itself also instruct you in how to set up and share a folder.) As the instructions explain, once you have successfully shared this folder with my SVSU.edu address, you will not have to use the SHARE function for the rest of the semester. Every document you or I place in that folder will be viewable by the other.

Your home screen at Dropbox.com lists several choices of action, including Sharing. Create a folder called RPW520 - Lastname. (Again, replace the word Lastname here with your last name.)

Share your new folder with my campus account: wwilliam @ svsu.edu. (Note that you need to remove the spaces from this character string for the address to function properly.)

Note. Be sure to share the folder with the proper address. If you share the folder with any other address, I will not be able to see the contents of the folder. Also, there are multiple addresses that are close to mine, but that are associated with other faculty and staff. The one listed here is the only one that will connect with me.

Create a folder called Workshops inside that space.

Submitting Your Profile Through Dropbox.com

Once you have completed your final professional profile, convert it to PDF, and upload it to the Workshops folder.

Note: Do not share the file with me (using the SHARE option on Dropbox.com). By placing your profile in your RPW520 folder, you have already granted me access to the file.

Evaluation Standards

This section describes the standards by which your work will be evaluated for this workshop. Attend carefully to these details. If you do so, you will earn full credit for the workshop.

Evaluation Summary

There are 50 possible points for this workshop. I will award points according to this standard.

A Note to Instructors, Colleagues, and Others

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