drah
Technical communication refers to the process of using technology to create, design, edit, and deliver technical information so that the users can use it effectively and safely. This process is a complex process that involves multidisciplinary knowledge such as writing skills, rhetorical theory, design theory, digital theory, and use of technology. Technical information refers to writings at workplace that communicate scientific, technological, and business messages such as reports, proposals, memos, business letters, emails, user's guide, websites presentations, job application

documents, etc. So, students who take this class will learn how to create and complete the above-mentioned genres of writing. They will also learn rhetoric theory so as to be able to create effective and persuasive documents. They will learn how to do research to find the data they need and how to evaluate the sources to be used, and how to organize the information into a coherent and cohesive text. In addition, student will also learn how to use technology such as software applications like Dreamweaver CS5 and other applications. Teaching approaches include lecturing, demonstrating, and class discussions. Assessments include paper writing, projects, sample critique, group discussion, presentation, quizzes, and final examination. The course is both challenging and interesting.                       About Me
prof
This course aims at training and developing students’ necessary skills they need when working as a professional writer on the job. Specifically speaking, students learn how to apply rhetorical theories such as those on audience, purpose, ethos, logos, and the five canons to writing, how to evaluate and organize data and  information in an effective manner, how to do research that helps students collect the data they need for their writing, how to organize collaborative writing effectively, how to improve their writing style, and how to cope successfully with the common writing genres at workplace. Major assignments include a proposal,a report, a brochure of instructions,

five short documents of business letters, informative reports, and a memo report. In addition, students will learn how to do an oral presentation and design a website. Teaching approaches include lecturing, class discussion, online technical document critiquing, group projects, and group presentations. The course is challenging. However, writing is a good activity to train your thinking ability. Through the process of writing, you lean how to think critically, systematically and creatively, and your thought is constantly stimulated. Gradually, you become a mature thinker through this process. Also, writing well provides you with many chances for promotion and brings you a bright future. The ability to represent yourself well on paper will help you secure a job. Similarly, your good proposals and reports will give you more credibility and win you more trust. Writing well, thus, opens the door to advancement in almost any field. Please love writing.
writing
English 5310 prepares students with the necessary theories and skills for cross-cultural writings. With the rapid growth of globalization, cross-cultural communication is becoming increasingly important. Companies that want to expand their business scope and sales need to aim at international markets. Writing effectively across cultures definitely help companies win more markets abroad. As a technical writer, you will be able to help the companies achieve their purpose; therefore, commanding the theories and skills to write effectivelyacross cultures will be of importance to you for your future career. This course consists of three parts: 1) how to write
effectively acrosscultures by following cross-cultural audience's values, beliefs, conventions, and assumptions, 2) how to write effectively to accommodate their language conventions, and 3) how to write persuasively in light of their rhetoric patterns and means. Students will first learn important theories and skills that enable them to write in an linguistically and rhetorically appropriate manner for their cross-cultural audiences. They will also learn how to target the cross-cultural audiences appropriately in terms of their cultural values, customs, and beliefs by following the general guidelines of important cultural models. They will focus on language differences at the semantic, syntactical, and textual levels so as to use the target language effectively. Finally they will also learn conventional rhetoric patterns and persuassive means in different cultures so as to write persuasively.
visual
The world today is full of visual images. Mass media such as television, cinemas, films, magazines, advertisements, internet, billboards, advertisement, books, videocassettes, etc., are all inalienable from visuals. In technical communication, use of visuals is even more important. Few technical documents or presentations could be considered as effective without visual elements. Naturally, it is important that we learn how to use visuals effectively. The goals of English 5313, Visual Rhetoric, are to develop students' visual intelligence and train their visual literacy so that they are able to properly interpret, critically analyze, and effectively use visuals both in technical communication and other fields.
Specifically, students will learn principles of visual perceptions such as Gestalt theories, the use of rhetorical theories, semiotic theory to interpret, analyze, and create effective visuals. They will also understand the rhetoric of images and designs, rhetoric devices used in visuals, and design principles. Topics cover the study of document layouts, typographic applications, and interpretation and analysis of images. Teaching approaqches include lecture, class discussion, papers o, editing images with Photoshop, and quizzes. Assessments include projects like document design, short movie creation, and a long term paper. On the whole, the course will be interesting and practical. I hope you will enjoy yourself immensely by taking this course.
dt

The world today has entered a great digital era. Wherever we go and whatever workplace we visit, we see digital means and electronic devices used. The great change definitely has a great impact on the traditional role of a technical communicator. No matter it is in the creation, transferation, storage, designing, writing, managing or publishing technical information, technical writers see their conventional role undergoing an evolution; they seem to be working as IT workers. They find they either have to adapt to the change or to be culled out in the digital revolution. To help them out of this dilemma, this course prepares students or current technical writers

with the necessary digital theories, knowledge, design principles, and skills to cope with the situation. Specifically, students will learn theories about the rhetorical nature of technology and their impacts on our future career, use of important digital means such as Dreamweaver, Flash, and Photoshop CS5, XML, and Movie Maker to create a website that is rhetorically effective, professionally pleasing, and user-centered. They will complete projects like shooting a shot movie, creating a flash animation, editing images with Photoshop, and using audio and video files on their websites. They will write reading responses, participate in theoretical discussions, and critique web designs and the use of digital media in light of the theories learned. They will create a website that is well designed with good audience awares and a clear purpose, is interactive and dynamic, and has good usability. They will also write a long term paper on web design.
dc
Discourse analysis is a qualitative research method; it has come to have different interpretations for scholars working in different disciplines. Normally, they approach discourse analysis from either linguistic perspective, or philosophical perspective, psycholinguistic perspective, or computational perspective. In our case, we approach it from a social linguistic perspective. For a sociolinguist, it is concerned mainly with the structure of social interaction manifested in conversation, a way to understand power relationship, identities and institutions. The purpose is to understand how forms of language are used in communication, and text is used to serve different purposes. The principal concern is to examine how any language produced by man, whether spoken or written, is used to create identities, feelings, and
different socialrelationships, and power, which will enable students to do social reserch to understand different social phnomema. In the part of conversation analysis, students will learn how to transcribe conversations, how to produce data, and how to analyze data. Finally, students will apply theories and methods they have learned to solving practical problems. The course is a hybrid course. We have three face-to-face class meets in Round Rock: possibly on 1/20, 3/3 and 4/28. Therest coursesare conducted online by using Connect. The course is discussion-based. Students will do small projects and exercises, as well as write analytical papers throughout the semester. The course is of practical significant to students who seek to do social research and understand social phenomena and language use through text analysis.
intern
International technical communication refers to technical communication between nations or across cultures. English 5314 prepares students with the necessary theories and skills for international technical communication. It mainly consists of three parts: understanding intercultural communication theories and cultural differences, internationalization and localization of technical information, and language translation theories and techniques. Our focus is on website localization. XML learning will be included or as an optional part if time permits. XML will help students do web localization and internationalization. Students will first learn important models for understanding cultural differences
and other theories regarding how to communicate effectively with cross-cultural audiences ethically, verbally, non-verbally, visually, and technologically. They will also learn how to analyze international audiences in terms of their values, cultural needs, and their communication styles. In the translation part, students will learn principles that will guide their translation. The course may also introduces the use of technology such the use of XML and Trados for the purpose of web localization if it is conducted in a long semester such as in the fall or spring semester. With globalization of economy gaining more momentum, most of companies will go global and need people who understand cross-cultural communication skills. Thus, the course is of practical value to students who want to work in this area.
soft
English 5314 develops students’ expertise in creating technical manuals for software applications. Students learn the management and production of writing for both print and online media that supports the efficient and effective use of software in its intended environment. Major genres include software and hardware manuals such as tutorials, procedures, and references. Students will learn how to manage projects, and how to address issues of user analysis, text design, graphics design, task orientation,  translation, and usability test reports. Class activities will
include exercises, projects, and presentations focused on student project work. The course is online, but we do meet twice through the semester: one at the beginning when I give you the course introduction and the other at the end of the semester when you give a presentation of your semester project. In order to ensure students’ smooth progress along the semester, I require students find any software application to documented for at the beginning of the semester. The software applications should not be too complex for s student to manage. My websites have listed URLs that will help you to get some suitable ones. Please visit the course web pages.
r2
Rhetoric for Technical Communication is a course that focuses on the study of rhetorical theories from classical to modern era, as well as their application to solving problems in technical communication. Students will understand important rhetorical theorists of different time periods and their representative works. By reading some selected classic works and contemporary works, students learn how rhetoric has been defined as socially and culturally situated in different times and its status in the then society. In addition, students will also learn some rhetorical devices that help create effective writing. Emphasis will be also laid on how to look at science and technology from different rhetoric perspectives and the rhetorical nature of digital media and its influence on the future work
 

of technical communication. Throughout the course, students will be expected to involve themselves in a four-part dialogical process of reading-writing-discussing-practice. While going through this process, students are required to pay attention to how rhetoric is defined in different periods, how different definitions affect rhetoric status and the attitude the society takes toward it, and how varied definitions may affect the way of solving technical communication nowadays. Consideration should be also given to how rhetoric is related to the following subjects such as philosophy, politics, psychology, science, religion, dialectics, knowledge, technical communication, truth, and composition as the reading goes, in addition to the major theories or arguments expounded by the great rhetoricians under study. In each case, students should consider how to make use of the knowledge (theories, findings, principles. etc) from the readings to serve the purpose of technical communication ( mainly problem-solving oriented), or how to relate the part of the knowledge to our reality and careers. In each class, students prepare questions for discussion. The class is both reading and writing intensive.

college
University Seminar is a course designed to help meet transitional needs of new Texas State University students. The course encourages reflection upon the value and nature of a university education, as well as helping students to develop strategies for life-long learning. Specifically, students learn the differences between high schools and universities, different learning styles, a set of skills to manage EQ and IQ, skills to do well in exams, ways to take notes for different types of courses, the use of university’s how to accommodate diversity.
There are also different common experience events for students to participate in all kinds of academic  talks that help them understand the current situation and civic responsibilities. Course content includes class discussion, student participation, and involvement in the university community. University departments, speakers, and events are commonly used resources for US 1100. Class discussion, guest speakers, oral reports, and lectures are the most common format of the class.
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