Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders

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Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders

Coursera (CC)
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Description

When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan

  • Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
  • Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.

About this course: Engineering leaders must write extensively for their jobs, and their writing needs to be professional, reader-focused, and error-free. What leaders write in particular can affect productivity and the bottom line, so the written communication that leaders create must be clear and concise. In this course, you’ll learn essential writing skills that you can apply in your daily activities on the job as an engineering leader. You’ll learn key principles in • Approaching various engineering genres • Using the writing process to create quality documents • Making your writing structured • Making your writing clear and concise • Handling style, tone, and voice

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Didn't find what you were looking for? See also: Reading & Writing, Engineering, Software / System Engineering, Exam Preparation, and Water Engineering.

When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan

  • Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
  • Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.

About this course: Engineering leaders must write extensively for their jobs, and their writing needs to be professional, reader-focused, and error-free. What leaders write in particular can affect productivity and the bottom line, so the written communication that leaders create must be clear and concise. In this course, you’ll learn essential writing skills that you can apply in your daily activities on the job as an engineering leader. You’ll learn key principles in • Approaching various engineering genres • Using the writing process to create quality documents • Making your writing structured • Making your writing clear and concise • Handling style, tone, and voice

Who is this class for: This course is geared toward practicing engineers who are early in their careers, especially those who are either in or approaching their first leadership role.

Created by:  Rice University
  • Taught by:  Gayle Moran, Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communication

    Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
  • Taught by:  Beata Krupa, Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communication

    Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
Basic Info Course 3 of 3 in the Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization Level Beginner Commitment 5 weeks of study, 3-5 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.8 stars Average User Rating 4.8See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Rice University Rice University is consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the U.S. and the top 100 in the world. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Specialization Introduction - Communication for Engineers



3 videos, 4 readings expand


  1. Video: Meet the Professor - Dr. Gayle Moran
  2. Video: Meet the Professor - Dr. Beata Krupa
  3. Reading: Course Icon Legend
  4. Video: Introduction to the Specialization
  5. Reading: Required Materials and Other Info
  6. Reading: Personal Communication Plan - Specialization Level Activity - Introduction
  7. Reading: Pre-Course Survey


Course Introduction - Writing Skills for Engineers



1 video, 6 readings expand


  1. Video: Introduction to the Course
  2. Reading: General Course Information
  3. Reading: Peer Review Guidelines
  4. Reading: Discussion Forum Guidelines
  5. Reading: Accessibility and Accommodations Statement
  6. Reading: Resources
  7. Reading: Using, Editing, and Submitting Documents in This Course


Week 1: Things to Know Before You Begin



There are many components to good writing, and we'll focus on those that give you a foundation for building the skills that you are most likely to need in the engineering workplace. In this module, we'll talk about how to plan and begin writing, the importance of following the writing process, and formatting for readability. Then we'll look at the type of writing that engineers do every day: email.


8 videos, 4 readings expand


  1. Video: Introduction and Objectives
  2. Discussion Prompt: Introduce Yourself
  3. Reading: Think About It
  4. Video: Strategy Refresh
  5. Video: The Writing Process
  6. Video: Formatting for Readability
  7. Video: Figures and Tables
  8. Reading: "What to Use When" Template and Graphics Checklist
  9. Discussion Prompt: Pet Peeves About Email
  10. Video: Email: Thinking and Planning
  11. Discussion Prompt: Email Quality Discussion
  12. Video: Email: Writing Your Message
  13. Discussion Prompt: Tiger Oil Memos
  14. Video: Email: Finishing and Sending
  15. Reading: Resources
  16. Reading: Personal Communication Plan – (Course 3) Week 1: Diagnose Your Skills

Graded: Writing Sample - Baseline
Graded: Emails
Graded: Module 1 Quiz

WEEK 2


Week 2: Developing Paragraphs and Writing Reports



Paragraphs play an important role in your writing. If your paragraphs are poorly written, your readers can't follow your thoughts. In this module, we'll talk about what makes a powerful paragraph and how to develop your paragraphs so readers understand your ideas. We'll also talk about what goes in to writing good engineering reports.


9 videos, 4 readings expand


  1. Video: Introduction and Objectives
  2. Reading: Think About It
  3. Video: Topic Sentences and Unity
  4. Video: ABCs of Paragraph Development
  5. Reading: Map a Paragraph
  6. Video: Organizing Principles 1
  7. Video: Organizing Principles 2
  8. Video: Cohesion 1 (Echo Words, Transitions)
  9. Video: Cohesion 2 (Known To New)
  10. Reading: Review of Writing Sample
  11. Video: Paragraph FAQs
  12. Discussion Prompt: About Reports
  13. Video: Reports
  14. Reading: Personal Communication Plan – (Course 3) Week 2: Diagnose Your Skills

Graded: A Report or a Proposal
Graded: Module 2 Quiz

WEEK 3


Week 3: Clarity and Conciseness



You need to make sure that your writing is clear and concise so your readers can understand what you are saying to them. Clear sentences help engage readers. In this module, we'll talk about what makes good sentences: Strong verbs, specific information, choice of clear words, and active voice. We'll also talk about what goes in to writing good proposals.


8 videos, 3 readings, 1 practice quiz expand


  1. Video: Introduction and Objectives
  2. Reading: Think About It
  3. Video: Clear Sentence Structure
  4. Video: Using Strong Verbs
  5. Video: Vague to Specific
  6. Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz
  7. Video: Voice
  8. Video: Word Choice
  9. Discussion Prompt: Jargon and Acronyms
  10. Video: Wordiness
  11. Video: Proposals
  12. Reading: Review Writing Sample
  13. Reading: Personal Communication Plan - (Course 3) Week 3: Diagnose Your Skills

Graded: Module 3 Quiz

WEEK 4


Week 4: The Finishing Touches



It takes conscious effort and discipline to work through the writing process--to plan, write a draft, revise the draft to make sure your content suits your purpose and your audience, edit for conciseness and clarity, and finally to proof for quality. When you follow the process, your writing will be stronger. But there are still some finishing touches that will make your documents even better. In this module, we'll talk about writing introductions and conclusions, writing executive summaries, writing as a team, and writing for electronic media.


9 videos, 6 readings expand


  1. Video: Introduction and Objectives
  2. Reading: Think About It
  3. Reading: "What You Read Matters Than You Might Think ..."
  4. Discussion Prompt: "What You Read Matters Than You Might Think ..."
  5. Video: Writing Introductions and Conclusions
  6. Video: Executive Summary
  7. Discussion Prompt: Writing as a Team
  8. Video: Writing as a Team
  9. Video: Writing for Electronic Media
  10. Reading: TED talk
  11. Discussion Prompt: TED Talk
  12. Video: FAQs - Sentences
  13. Video: FAQs - Pronouns
  14. Video: FAQs - Punctuation
  15. Reading: Review Writing Sample
  16. Discussion Prompt: Writing Samples - Peer Feedback
  17. Reading: Personal Communication Plan - (Course 3) Week 4: Diagnose Your Skills
  18. Video: Course Completion!
  19. Reading: End of Course Survey

Graded: Module 4 Quiz
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