1

Course Overview
Course Number
Course Code ENG 301
Descriptive Title Technical Writing
Credit Units 3
School Year/ Term AY 2020-2021/ 1st Semester
Mode of Delivery Online/offline Learning
Instructor Early Dugos
Course Description Technical writing is a course that introduces the most
important aspect of writing technical or scientific paper. As
future professionals, the students must be equipped with the
fundamental principles of writing a technical paper. From this
course, they will learn to effectively put into writing what they
think, plan or wish to accomplish. They are also taught to write
with dignity or proper acknowledging their sources of
information. At the end, when students leave the school and
hopefully get a job where some writing is done, they will
realize that what was learned in this course will be of great use.
Course Outcomes At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
A. analyze technical and scientific paper to display necessary
for information and communication across discipline; and
B. demonstrate proficiency in the written communication by
writing and revising different technical reports using global
language.
SLSU Vision A high quality corporate University of Science, Technology,
and Innovation
SLSU Mission SLSU will develop science, technology and innovation leaders,
produce high-impact technologies from research and
innovations; contribute through sustainable development
through responsive community engagement programs, and
generate revenues to be self-sufficient and financially viable.
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MODULE GUIDE

Welcome to Technical Writing!

The entire module will walk you through the Nature and Requirements of
Technical Writing which will serve as your spring board for you to accomplish the
next sets of modules.

This module consists of three lessons. The nature Technical Writing, which
is vastly different from ordinary writing, are discussed in Lesson One. Lesson Two
deals with basic aspects of Technical Writing according to Mills & Walter. Lastly,
Lesson Three presents the basic principles of good Technical Writing. Each lesson
has objectives, which you could use to measure your accomplishments after every
lesson.

As this is the 1st module, before going to the first lesson you will need to
answer a Pre-test. Don’t worry because it is a non-graded assessment tool that will
be used to determine your pre-existing subject knowledge.

Next to the pretest will be Lesson 1. You must remember that every lesson
starts and ends with an activity or series of activities so don’t forget to finish them
first before proceeding to the next part of the module.

At the end of the 4th module is a Post test. At this point, you are expected
to answer more questions correctly based on an increase in knowledge and
understanding.

Lastly, remember to have fun throughout the entire learning process.

Enjoy!
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Module 1:

NATURE AND
REQUIREMENTS OF
TECHNICAL
WRITING
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MAJ-ENG 301: TECHNICAL WRITING

Lesson 1:

Nature of Technical Writing

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this Module, you must be able to:

1. Define technical writing and discuss its characteristics;

2. Distinguish technical writing in terms of the following criteria:
a. Purpose
b. Subject Matter
c. Readers
3. Differentiate technical documents from creative writing.

Technical Writing is an audience-centered means of communication that

provides a reader with clear and easy access to information. It is communication
in any field which aims to convey a particular piece of information for a particular
purpose to a particular reader or group of readers. Technical writing is objective,
clear and accurate; it is concise and unemotional in its presentation of facts.

Finish the two tasks below in order for you to have a grasp the
lesson.
Activity 1
Directions: Read the following brief passages and categorize them as either
Technical Document (if you think it was taken from technical documents) or
Personal/Creative Writing (if you think it is an example of personal/ creative
writing. Use the table below.

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS PERSONAL / CREATIVE WRITING

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1. Management must be incorporated in the context of the culture, values,

mores, and idiosyncrasies of the people wherein it is applied and practiced.

2. Instructional tasks are the core of the learning setting. Most teachers
maintain control over instructional tasks by making the decisions about
what is to be taught, what materials and methods are to be used, and how
much students are allowed to interact.

3. The most common measure of position and of central tendency is the

Arithmetic mean (usually called simply the mean). This is nothing more
than the average learned in elementary school. But average is a general
term and may refer to any measure of central tendency. The mean is the
preferred measure to general use with test scores.

4. Clouds are classified according to how they are formed. There are two basic
types: a. Clouds formed by rising air currents are piled up and puffy. They
are called “cumulus”, which means piled up or accumulated, b. Clouds
formed when a layer of air is cooled below the saturation point without
vertical movement are in sheets or fog like layers. They are called “stratus”,
meaning sheet like or layered.

5. And this life lasted for ten years. At the end of ten years, they had paid
everything, with the rates of usury, and the accumulations of the
compound.
Activity 2
Directions: This time identify the purpose, the subject matter, and the readers of
the passages that you identified as technical documents. Use the table provided
below.

Passage Purpose Subject Matter Readers

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Let’s talk about your Activity 1. You categorized the

passages as Technical Document and Personal/
Creative Writing Respectively. What were your basis on
your categorization?
Let me know your thoughts!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
In your Activity 2, how important is knowing the purpose, the subject matter, and
your readers in writing a technical document? Why?
Write your thoughts here!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________.

Let’s Delve in!

Now I want you to comprehensively read the text below for
you to fully understand the lesson.
What is Technical Writing?

 Technical writing is not literature; it’s neither prose which recounts the
fictional tales of characters nor poetry which expresses deeply felt,
universal emotions through similes and metaphors. !
 Technical writing is neither an expressive essay narrating an occurrence
nor an expository essay analyzing a topic. !
 Technical writing is not journalism, written to report the news. ! Technical
writing does not focus on poetic images, describe personal experiences, or
report who won the basketball game.
 Instead, technical writing is: —an instructional manual for repairing
machinery —a memo listing meeting agendas —a letter from a vendor to a
client —a recommendation report proposing a new computer system
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Why is it so important?
Purposes of Technical Writing:
1. It gives information that leads to the accomplishment of specific
tasks and in the making of needed decisions.
Example:
Technical writing gives information on:
a. what to do during earthquake
b. how to use safety devices to avoid fire and burns
c. how to operate a new equipment
2. It analyzes events and their implications like:
a. the failure of certain educational, socio-economic, or political
systems
b. needed social changes
c. how to save the dying bodies of water in the country
3. It persuades and influences decisions.
Example:
a. By showing how a business or industry succeeds because of just and
fair treatment to laborers
b. By explaining how an agency like the NAPOCOR can improve the
energy situation
c. By pointing out how the educational system can be improved
through the implementation of the recommendations of the
Educational Commission to Survey Philippine Education (EDCOM).
What is its subject matter?
 The content of technical writing is objective information that is
accurately and clearly presented. Readers need to know exactly what to
do, how to do it, and under what conditions to do it.

 Technical writing records data in business, science, engineering,

industry, and other professional areas. It presents factual data,
statistics, and measurable elements.

 Technical writing can be analyzed logically and evaluated scientifically.

It gives explanations to support plausible conclusions. It is highly
specific and detailed. It gives no room for conflicting interpretations. In
general, technical writing leaves its readers specific knowledge, while
creative writing leaves its readers a powerful feeling or emotion.
Creative writing is subject to the different interpretations of the
readers. Read the two examples.
 8

Who will read them?

The readers of technical writing read for particular purposes. These
readers may be experts of their field, or are individuals who are interested
in other disciplines. They may be managers, supervisors, secretaries, engineers,
scientists, sociologists, psychologists, or technicians.
Understanding who the readers are, why they are reading, what they
already know, and how much they need to know about the subject is necessary to
technical writers to know what to include in their documents.
In many ways, readers of technical materials often know what they are
looking for in reports; they recognize the value of the information. Generally, these
readers read technical materials for any of the following reasons:
1. They need to read the material to prepare for an assignment, conference,
or a report.
2. They want to read the material to get informed about a topic or to reject or
affirm information.
3. They already know something or a great deal, about the subject.
4. They read for information, not for pleasure.

Let’s check what you have learned!

Directions: Pretend that you are one of those employers who decided to
dive into online selling due to the current world-wide pandemic. Choose one from
the products below and sell it to the consumers applying the learning that you
have gained from this lesson. Don’t forget to identify the purpose and the type of
readers of your technical writing output.
1. Cellphone
2. Laptop
3. Bag
4. Shoes
5. Clothes
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References:
1. Alcantara, R. and Espina, F. (2010) Technical Writing for Filipino Students.
KATHA Publishing Co.,Inc.
2. Gerson, S. (2001) Writing that works: A Teacher’s Guide to Technical
Writing. Retrieved: July 16, 2020 from
https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/CSAS/CSAS%20Home/CTE%20Home/
Instructor_Resources/Writing.pdf.
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Lesson 2:

Basic aspects of technical writing

(Mills & Walter 1976)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this Module, you must be able to:

1. Identify the aspects of technical writing; and

2. Provide samples of technical materials.

Technical Writing may be subdivided into two

parts. In this lesson you will recognize the two
general parts of technical writing and its sub-parts.
Directions: I have grouped the aspects of technical writing into two. What you
need to do is to provide its title or its general name based on how they are
categorized. Write your answer on the topmost row in each column.

a. Various kinds of written report

a. Definitions
b. Oral reports
b. Descriptions of mechanisms
c. Business Letters
c. Descriptions of processes
d. Articles for Technical
d. Classification
Journals/books
e. Interpretation
e. Abstracts
f. Style
f. Instructional Manuals
g. Introductions
g. Graphic Aids
h. Transitions
h. Handbooks
i. Conclusions
i. Brochures
j. Outlines for Organizations
j. Specifications
k. The layout, or format of
k. Memoranda
reports
l. Proposals
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We’re on our way!

How were you able to do your categorization? What were your basis?

Let me know your thoughts!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________.

Let’s Delve in!

This time I want you to read the texts below for you to fully grasp
the lesson.
Technical Writing may be subdivided into two parts or aspects:
1. The “final products” such as reports and letters, usually the specific
material presented;
2. The skills that are used in the preparation of the final product.
Below are the “final products” or technical materials usually written:
a. Various kinds of Written Reports

Report Writing Format

Here are the main sections of the standard report writing format:

 Title Section – This includes the name of the author(s) and the date of
report preparation.

 Summary – There needs to be a summary of the major points,

conclusions, and recommendations. It needs to be short as it is a general
overview of the report. Some people will read the summary and only skim
the report, so make sure you include all the relevant information. It would
be best to write this last so you will include everything, even the points
that might be added at the last minute.

 Introduction – The first page of the report needs to have an

introduction. You will explain the problem and show the reader why the
report is being made. You need to give a definition of terms if you did not
include these in the title section, and explain how the details of the report
are arranged.
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 Body – This is the main section of the report. There needs to be several
sections, with each having a subtitle. Information is usually arranged in
order of importance with the most important information coming first.

 Conclusion – This is where everything comes together. Keep this section

free of jargon as most people will read the Summary and Conclusion.

 Recommendations – This is what needs to be done. In plain English,

explain your recommendations, putting them in order of priority.

 Appendices – This includes information that the experts in the field will
read. It has all the technical details that support your conclusions.
Remember that the information needs to be organized logically with the
most important information coming first.

b. Oral Reports

ORAL REPORT
Today I would like to talk to you about the field of health care known as physical
therapy. My name is Sharon Granville, and this area is very familiar to me as I am a practicing
physical therapist here in Austin, Texas. This report is mainly for prospective physical therapy
patients with minor to moderate bone, joint, or muscle injuries, also called musculoskeletal injuries,
who may be looking for an alternative to surgery, medication, or other forms of health care. I will
first attempt to give you some background on the field and some current information about physical
therapy. I will then highlight some of the important and interesting parts of my recent
report, Physical Therapy: A Guide for Prospective Patients. I will try to give you an idea of the
treatment involved with therapy, along with some benefits and disadvantages of therapy. I hope that
after this report, you will have enough information to decide if physical therapy is the right course
of treatment for your illness or injury.
So what is physical therapy? It is the field of medical care that uses physical agents such as
heat, light, water, and massage coupled with exercise to treat certain physical disabilities, according
to The Manual of Physical Therapy Practice. Among its objectives are the relief of pain caused by
surgery or by medical problems, the improvement of muscle strength and mobility, and the
improvement of such basic functions as standing, walking, and grasping.
The field is relatively new, entering into the medical scene during World War I in military
hospitals. The American Physical Therapy Association, the national organization that monitors
therapists and their practice, estimates that there are 70,000 active physical therapists in the United
States today, and the profession is growing at such a rapid rate that the demand for therapists far
exceeds the supply.
Many individuals want to know what treatment they can expect when they visit a physical
therapist. During the first visit, a patient will usually undergo an initial evaluation in which the
therapist may inquire about the patient's medical background, how the illness or injury occurred,
and how long the patient has had the problem. The physical therapist will also perform different
tests to diagnose the patient's condition. After the therapist completes the patient assessment, he or
she will form a treatment plan and therapy will then begin. The physical therapist can perform a
variety of techniques used in conjunction with different equipment to treat the patient. A few
common techniques include the use of heat, massage, and manipulation. There are many other
forms of treatment that your physical therapist will decide to use specifically for your condition.
Although there are different forms of equipment used, one of the most important ones for
work or home use that I recommend is an ergonomic device. Ergonomic devices are chairs, tables,
mouse pointers, or anything designed to align the body correctly and support it. Many injuries and
accidents can be prevented with the correct use of ergonomic devices and I strongly urge you to
incorporate the use of them into your daily lives. I have free literature on how to find and use
ergonomic devices which will be available after the report.
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Patients can also expect to be assigned exercises to perform during office visits and at home.
They may include breathing, strengthening, or stretching exercises. Exercise is probably the single
most important thing in maintaining and improving a patient's condition. It is imperative that a
patient performs the exercises regularly and correctly for benefits to be effective and long-lasting.
Now that you have an idea of the treatment involved, why is physical therapy a good idea for
you? From this transparency, you can see that the primary benefits of therapy include reduced pain,
increased range of motion, and a decreased need for alternatives. Next to these benefits, I have also
listed the disadvantages of treatment which I will discuss later.
The number one reason you have probably attended this seminar is for the relief of your
pain. Although this is a main goal for the therapist, we also realize that if you, as patients, are limited
in daily activities of living because of pain, it is unlikely that you will make much progress in regaining
control over range of motion, use of assistive devices, or completing exercises until the pain has been
reduced or relieved. Physical therapy is commonly used to relieve pain caused by surgery or other
procedures that "fix" a person's injury or disease, but may not reduce pain or may even increase it.
Treatment can also provide reduction of discomfort for individuals who have chronic pain due to an
old injury or illness that is not debilitating, but distressing nevertheless.

Although pain is an important factor in undergoing therapy, patients are also interested in increasing
their range of motion in order to improve their daily functioning abilities. Range of motion is how
much movement a given joint or muscle has in the three different anatomical planes illustrated here
on this diagram [visual 1]. As you can see, your body is divided into three different planes so that range
of motion can be measured in degrees from the original axis in each plane. Physical therapy is one of
the main treatments used to provide long-lasting increased range of motion for patients with
dysfunctional joints or muscles.

Finally one of the main advantages and benefits of physical therapy is the decreased need for
alternatives, such as surgery or medication. Although some physical therapy patients still require
surgery after treatment, many do recover without this alternative or have a decreased need for it.
Today, in an environment of health awareness, people are also beginning to shy away from
dependence on medication and turn toward treatment that addresses the actual cause of the problem,
not the symptoms.

Patients must be willing to compare the benefits I just talked about to the disadvantages of treatment
to decide if physical therapy is right for them. From the transparency [visual 2], you can see that the
major disadvantages of physical therapy are high patient involvement and ineffective physical therapy
treatment programs. Patients must be willing to allocate a significant amount of time for office visits
and home care, and expend considerable effort to maintain and continue improvement of their
condition. Patients must almost be aware that ineffective physical therapy programs can occur.
Inappropriate treatment plans or mistreatment by therapy assistants or therapists can lead to
ineffective therapy and may even worsen the injury or disease. It is important for patients to ask
questions concerning their diagnosis, their treatment plan, and the actual therapy performed on them.

As you have heard from this report today, physical therapy treatment includes a wide range of
techniques used in conjunction with the appropriate equipment and exercise to decrease pain,
increase range of motion, and contribute to helping an individual learn or re-learn functions of daily
living. In order to decide if physical therapy is appropriate for you, you must weigh the benefits and
disadvantages of treatment.

Physical therapy is quickly becoming a dominant field in the rehabilitation of patients with minor to
moderate musculoskeletal injuries who are looking for alternatives or supplements to medication and
surgery, or a general way to improve range of motion and pain. I hope this report provided helpful
background and information concerning physical therapy practice and treatment in order for you as
prospective patients to decide if physical therapy is right for you. For more detailed information on
physical therapy and the topics I just talked about, please pick up a copy of my recent technical
report, Physical Therapy: A Guide for Prospective Patients. Thank you for your time and attention.
 14

c. Business Letters
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d. Articles for technical journals or books

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e. Abstracts

f. Instruction Manuals
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g. Graphic Aids

h. Handbooks

i. Brochures
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j. Specifications

k. Memoranda
l. Proposals
Except for the articles for technical journals or books, the above listed are all
routine work. “Oral reports” include formal speech making, lectures and informal
discussions of technical problems, and other aspects of the organization or agency.
“Graphic Aids” include graphs, drawings and other nonetextual supplements.
The following skills are important in technical writing:
Skills Description
1. Special Techniques: definitions, This will be treated in a separate
descriptions of mechanism, module
descriptions of processes,
classification, and
interpretations.
2. Style Because technical writing is a method
of communicating facts, its style
should be clear, its point of view
scientific, impartial, and unemotional
3. Introductions, transitions and The technique here is to learn “to tell
conclusions the readers what is going to be told to
them, and then to tell them what has
been told to them.” This skill is one of
the most important techniques a
technical writer or any writer must
possess.
4. Outlines for organizations This element may be considered as
“the theory of organizing writing.”
5. The layout, or format of reports It has to do with matters such as
margins, spacing, subheads, and title
page.

Let’s check what you have learned!

Directions: Look for a sample technical material. Take a picture of it and print it.
Then say something about the skills (special techniques, style, etc.) of the writer.
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Criteria:
Clarity - 10
Conciseness - 5
. Coherence - 3
Word Choice - 2
Total - 20 pts.

References:
1. Alcantara, R. and Espina, F. (2010) Technical Writing for Filipino Students.
KATHA Publishing Co.,Inc.
2. Gerson, S. (2001) Writing that works: A Teacher’s Guide to Technical
Writing. Retrieved: July 16, 2020 from
https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/CSAS/CSAS%20Home/CTE%20Home/
Instructor_Resources/Writing.pdf.
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Lesson 3:

Basic Principles of Good Technical

Writing (Mills & Walter 1978)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this Module, you must be able to:

1. Explain the principles of good technical writing;

Now that you have learned the parts of technical writing from the previous lesson,
this time try to uncover the principles that govern a good technical writing.

Let’s Get Started!

Directions: Study the technical material below. Then answer the follow-up
questions.

1. What DON’T you know in this memo?

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2. What additional information should the writer have included for clarity?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.

We’re on our way!

Now I want you to compare the two materials below. What principle was
lacking in the first memo that is present in the second memo? How did it help you
as a reader in understanding the technical material?

Let me know your thoughts!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Let’s Delve in!

Now I want you to attentively read the text below for you to fully understand the
lesson.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GOOD TECHNICAL
WRITING (Mills & Walter 1978)

Presented below are principles which are very

important since they are involved in one way or
another with everything regarding technical
writing.

1. The writer of a report must have a specific reader or group of readers in

mind.
2. He must decide what specific purpose of his report is and make sure that
every part of his report contributes to that purpose.
3. He must use specific, single, concrete words and familiar language that
cannot be misinterpreted.
4. The writer must check every part of his report to see whether he has
followed the principles of, first, “telling the reader what he is going to tell
them,” second, “telling them,” and third, “telling them what he told them.”
5. He must make his report very presentable in format. The layout must
conform with the standard forms of writing.

Let’s check what you have learned!

Directions: Explain the following principles:
1. telling the reader what he is going to tell them
2. telling them
3. telling them what he told them
 23

References:
1. Alcantara, R. and Espina, F. (2010) Technical Writing for Filipino Students.
KATHA Publishing Co.,Inc.
2. Gerson, S. (2001) Writing that works: A Teacher’s Guide to Technical
Writing. Retrieved: July 16, 2020 from
https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/CSAS/CSAS%20Home/CTE%20Home/
Instructor_Resources/Writing.pdf.