Technical Writing - Syllabus

Overview of the course and unit, introducing students to the concept of technical writing.

Exploring the role and responsibilities of a technical writer, and how students can identify with this profession.

Defining the key characteristics that distinguish technical writing from other forms of writing.

Comparing and contrasting technical writing with other types of writing, such as creative writing or journalism.

An overview of the importance of understanding audience and purpose in technical writing, and how it sets the foundation for effective communication.

Understanding the audience's requirements, expectations, and preferences to tailor the content and ensure it meets their needs.

Defining the purpose of the document, including its goals, objectives, and key takeaways.

Determining the boundaries and limitations of the document to ensure it stays focused and relevant.

Choosing the most suitable medium for the document, such as print, digital, or online, based on the audience and purpose.

Overview of the technical writing process and its importance in communication.

Understanding the technical writing process as a series of stages.

Defining goals, identifying audience, and gathering information for technical writing.

Creating and refining content to effectively communicate technical information.

Reviewing and refining content for accuracy and clarity, and preparing for publication.

Effective strategies for working with others to produce technical writing.

This topic covers the origins and development of Artificial Intelligence as a field of study, including key milestones and contributors.

This topic explores how computers can store, organize, and retrieve knowledge, including data structures and formats used to represent knowledge.

This topic examines how humans process information, reason, and solve problems, including cognitive biases and heuristics.

This topic introduces search algorithms and strategies used in Artificial Intelligence, including uninformed and informed search methods.

This topic covers the design and development of expert systems, which mimic human expertise in specific domains.

This topic provides a foundational understanding of neural networks, including their structure, function, and applications in Artificial Intelligence.

The principles of formatting and organizing brief correspondence, including headings, paragraphs, and white space. This topic covers how to make your message clear and easy to read.

The process of writing a clear and concise message, including crafting a strong opening, using active voice, and editing for clarity. This topic covers how to write an effective brief correspondence.

This topic introduces the importance of document design in technical writing, covering the basics of effective document layout and visual communication.

This topic explores the principles and best practices of designing a document, including page layout, typography, and white space management.

This topic discusses the importance of considering the target audience when creating graphics, including their needs, preferences, and limitations.

This topic covers the principles and techniques of designing effective graphics, including visual hierarchy, color, and image selection.

This topic provides guidance on constructing graphics, including choosing the right tools, creating diagrams, and editing images.

An overview of the importance of writing for the web and the unique considerations involved in this medium. This topic sets the stage for the rest of the unit.

The basics of creating a web page, including planning, structuring, and building a web page from scratch.

Principles and best practices for organizing and designing effective web pages, including layout, navigation, and visual design.

The unique considerations and techniques involved in writing text for the web, including writing style, tone, and format.

The unique characteristics and requirements of special types of web pages, such as home pages, landing pages, and FAQs.

An overview of computers and their significance in today's world. This topic sets the stage for understanding the basics of computers.

Understanding the difference between digital and analog computers, their characteristics, and applications.

Exploring the key characteristics of computers, including input, processing, storage, and output.

A brief history of computers, from their inception to the present day, highlighting key milestones and developments.

Understanding the different generations of computers, including their features, advantages, and limitations.

Categorizing computers based on their size, functionality, and application, including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

An in-depth look at the components of a computer system, including hardware and software.

This topic covers the fundamental concepts of object-oriented databases, including object identity, structure, and type constructors, encapsulation, type and class hierarchies, and inheritance.

This topic explores the integration of object-oriented and relational database concepts, including the SQL standard, object-relational features, and extended type systems.

This topic introduces the concept of active databases, including the generalized model, design and implementation issues, and potential applications.

This topic covers the representation and management of time in databases, including time dimensions, tuple versioning, and attribute versioning.

This topic explores the nature of multimedia data and applications, including spatial database concepts and architecture.

This topic introduces deductive databases, including Prolog/Datalog notations, clausal form, and horn clauses, as well as query processing techniques.

This topic introduces the concept of programming languages, their importance, and brief history. It sets the foundation for understanding the basics of programming.

This topic covers the different types of programming languages, including procedural, object-oriented, functional, and scripting languages. It explains the characteristics and uses of each type.

This topic explains the role of a language processor, including compilers, interpreters, and assemblers. It discusses how they translate source code into machine code.

This topic discusses the different types of program errors, including syntax, runtime, and logical errors. It explains how to identify, debug, and fix errors.

This topic outlines the characteristics of a good program, including readability, maintainability, efficiency, and reliability. It provides guidelines for writing good programs.

This topic explores different programming paradigms, including procedural, object-oriented, functional, and declarative programming. It explains the principles and applications of each paradigm.

This topic covers the stages involved in the software development life cycle, including planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. It explains the importance of each stage.

This topic introduces various system design tools, including flowcharts, data flow diagrams, and UML diagrams. It explains how to use these tools to design and develop software systems.

Learn how to design relational databases using ER-to-relational mapping, including mapping of regular entities, weak entities, relationship types, multivalued attributes, and N-ary relationships.

Understand informal design guidelines for relational schemas, including semantics of attributes in relations, redundant information in tuples and update anomalies, NULL values in tuples, and generation of spurious tuples.

Study functional dependencies, including definition, inference rules, Armstrong's axioms, attribute closure, equivalence of functional dependencies, and minimal sets of functional dependencies.

Explore normal forms based on primary keys, including First Normal Form, Second Normal Form, Third Normal Form, and their general definitions.

Learn about Boyce-Codd Normal Form, a higher normal form that ensures a relational schema is in a good structure.

This topic introduces the concept of programming languages, their importance, and brief history. It sets the foundation for understanding the basics of programming.

This topic covers the different types of programming languages, including procedural, object-oriented, functional, and scripting languages. It explains the characteristics and uses of each type.

This topic explains the role of a language processor, including compilers, interpreters, and assemblers. It discusses how they translate source code into machine code.

This topic discusses the different types of program errors, including syntax, runtime, and logical errors. It explains how to identify, debug, and fix errors.

This topic outlines the characteristics of a good program, including readability, maintainability, efficiency, and reliability. It provides guidelines for writing good programs.

Understanding the significance of software quality and its impact on software development. This topic covers the importance of quality software and its benefits.

Exploring various strategies and approaches to develop high-quality software. This topic covers best practices and techniques for software development.

Understanding the role and implications of contingent workers in software development. This topic covers the benefits and drawbacks of using contingent workers.

Examining the role and implications of H-IB workers in software development. This topic covers the benefits and drawbacks of using H-IB workers.

Understanding the concept of outsourcing in software development. This topic covers the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing and its implications on software development.