GENG-1101

Engineering 1
Communications - Class 1
Agenda
• Course syllabus
• Connect Composition
• TAO modules
• What is technical communication?
• Purpose
• Audience
• Routine Correspondence

2
Course Syllabus
• Instructor contact information
• Connect Composition information
• TAO modules information
• Tentative class schedule

3
Who am I?
Name: Dr. Jacqueline Stagner

Office Hours: Thursdays, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

(or by appointment)

Email: stagner@uwindsor.ca
(24 hr. response time Mon. - Fri.)

4
Complete 4 out of 6
• WINONE tutorial session or advising appointment
• https://www.uwindsor.ca/engineering/863/winone-tutorials
• Faculty of Engineering Bookings (office365.com) (for advising appointment)
• winone@uwindsor.ca
• Writing Support Desk (WSD) workshop or consultation
• http://leddy.uwindsor.ca/writing-help-services
• writingsupport@uwindsor.ca
• Engineering Communications Support (EngComm) workshop or consultation
• http://www.uwindsor.ca/engineering/953/engineering-student-support-services-centre
• engcomm@uwindsor.ca
• Career Development and Experiential Learning workshop or visit Career Development and Experiential Learning to receive one-on-one help
with your resume or cover letter
• http://www.uwindsor.ca/career-development-experiential/307/get-support
• Bystander Initiative workshop
• Register for a workshop via Bystander Initiative Calendar in MySuccess: University of Windsor MySuccess - mySuccess - Home
(uwindsor.ca)
• Wednesdays with Winnie
When you attend, you must inform the staff member that you are from GENG-1101 Engineering 1. I will receive a notice of your attendance,
and you will get credit for the activity.
DUE DATE: November 30, 2022, by 11:59 pm.

5
TAO Modules
• Follow the sign-up information provided in the course syllabus
• Complete the modules assigned within our course site in TAO
• DUE DATE: September 28, 2022, at 11:59 pm

6
Connect Composition 5e
(Online Grammar Module)
• Complete Connect Composition grammar module
• Your grade will be based on the percentage of the module you complete.
• If you complete 100% of the module, you receive 100% for the assignment.
• Information about registering for Connect Composition is in
Blackboard: Lecture Slides and Tutorial Activities>Dr. Stagner’s
Lectures>Connect Composition WINDSOR GENG 1101
• DUE DATE: October 5, 2022, at 11:59 pm

7
Technical
communication

8
Why is technical communication important?
• Google finds STEM skills are not the most important skills
• The surprising thing Google learned about its employees — and what it
means for today’s students - The Washington Post
• STEM skills are eighth, in the top eight qualities Google is looking for in its
employees

9
What is technical communication?
• The exchange of information that helps people interact with
technology, advance workplace goals, and solve complex problems
• Does not only refer to writing
• Includes presentations, meetings, e-mails, phone calls, interviews, etc.

10
What technical communication is and is not

Technical communication is: Technical communication is not:

• Based on research • Opinion-based
• Truthful • Focused on imagination
• Focused on the reader • Focused on the writer

✓ 
11
Purpose

12
Purpose
• Spell out precisely what you want your document to accomplish and
how you expect readers to use it
• Informational documents anticipate and answer questions
• Instructional documents help people perform a task
• Persuasive documents encourage readers to take a desired action
• Note: Technical communication sometimes involves evaluating past action

13
Audience

14
Audience
• All technical communication is intended for people who will use and
react to the information
• Primary audience: The immediate audience of readers
• Secondary audience: Individuals outside the immediate circle of people who
will be needing the information directly
• Anticipate their preferences
• Length and details
• Format and medium
• Tone
• Due date and timing
• Budget

Source: Lannon, J.M. & Gurak, L.J. (2017). Technical communication. (pp. 16-28). New York, N.Y.: Pearson Education, Inc.
15
Routine
correspondence

16
Letters

17
Letters
• Letters communicate with recipients outside of your organization (clients
or external parties)
• Formal documents that create an official record of exchanges
• Usually 1-2 pages in length, but may include enclosures
• Examples
• Cover letters
• Requests and inquiries
• Acknowledgment letters
• Adjustment letters
• Justification letters
• Reference letters

18
Letters – full block format
• Many styles for writing letters, but safest bet is to use the most
formal full block letter format
• Left-align each line, with no indenting
• Single-space within paragraphs; double-space between them
• Before the salutation, include at least the date and the recipient’s address.
The sender’s address may also be included (or may be printed on company
letterhead)
• A subject line may also be included before or after the salutation
• Precede your signature with a formal closing (such as “Sincerely”) followed by
a comma

19
Source: Ewald, T. (2017). Writing in the technical fields: A practical guide. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
20
Source: Ewald, T. (2017). Writing in the technical fields: A practical guide. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
21
Professional
emails

22
Professional emails
• Email has largely replaced the memo in workplace communication
• Highly formal e-mail sends a fully formal letter or memo in electronic
form, preserving all its conventions and formatting
• It is a channel of communication that can be used to deliver many
kinds of messages

23
Email guidelines
• Focus on one main subject in a message
• Use a positive conversational style
• Formal business style will be stressed in this course
• Put your message in context
• Choose the most appropriate method for replying to a message
• Format your message carefully
• Chunk information for easy reading
• When writing to groups, suppress recipients’ email addresses
• When composing an important message, consider composing it on
your word processor

24
Do not use email when…
• Reporting an engineering problem that needs to be addressed
• The information is time-sensitive
• The content or tone may be misunderstood
• The information is distressing
• Responding to a formal letter or something that may have legal
implications
• A more personal medium is preferable
• Resigning from a job
• Requesting a raise

25
Email confidentiality
• Email may not be the best medium for sending legal documents,
confidential company files, or anything else that should remain
private.
• Before forwarding a message, obtain permission from the sender,
who may have intended the message for you only.

Source: Gurak, L.J., & Lannon, J.M. (2016). Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. New York, N.Y: Pearson Education, Inc.
26
Email format
• Email address
• Should be professional and (hopefully) identify you
• Subject line
• Should be concise and mean something to your reader
• For communication with your professors, it is appreciated if your subject line contains the course
and section that you are inquiring about.
• Include a greeting
• Provide an introduction, body, and conclusion
• Include an appropriate complimentary close
• Sincerely
• Thank you
• Best regards
• Kind regards
• Add a signature block with contact information
• Your name, business address and phone # (if applicable) – no need for emoticons, etc.

27
Signature block for a student
Jane Doe
Undergraduate Engineering Student
University of Windsor

28
Additional email considerations
• DO NOT USE ALL CAPITALS!!! (NO NEED TO SHOUT!)
• do not use all lower-case letters either
• No need for multiple punctuation!!!!!
• Or ?!?!?!
• Emoticons ☺ and common abbreviations (FYI, ASAP, OMG) should be
used only in informal messages to coworkers or people you know very
well
• PLZ (please) avoid text speak
• Use bullets, headings, numbered lists, italics, and other formatting
features to make your message easy to read

29
Keep it short
• Messages longer than one screen will often go unread.
• Get your main point across, and if there is a need to communicate
more, suggest a time for a phone call or meeting.
• Or, if you must send a complex message, put longer details in an
attachment.

Source: Gurak, L.J., & Lannon, J.M. (2016). Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. New York, N.Y: Pearson Education, Inc.
30
Always be polite and professional
• Respond in a timely manner
• If you need time to collect information, reply to let the person know when
they can expect your full reply.
• Avoid angry or personal attacks
• Avoid sexist or biased language
• Do not send large attachments
• Say “please” and “thank you”

Source: Gurak, L.J., & Lannon, J.M. (2016). Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. New York, N.Y: Pearson Education, Inc.
31
Edit and proofread
• It is very easy to hit “send” without reading your message over
• This cannot be undone
• Take a minute to carefully read over your message for mistakes
• Mistakes take away from the message and look unprofessional

32
Professionalism in this course
• During this course, you must send professional emails to the
instructors and GAs
• Must have an informative subject line
• Must contain a proper salutation
• Must be grammatically correct
• Must contain a closing that includes your full name and section number
• If your emails are not professional, they may be returned to you to be
revised prior to you receiving a response

33
Wednesday’s
tutorial

34
Wednesday’s tutorial
• WHMIS
• Email activity

35