Technical Writing Workshop for Design Professionals
DISCLAIMER
Before undertaking any on-demand effort, you should review the rules of your licensing/certifying entity.
It’s your responsibility to determine whether this on-demand course meets your continuing education requirements.
You must take and pass a quiz to receive credit. You can take the quiz as many times as needed and there is no time limit on the quiz.
Once the quiz is completed, you will be asked to download your certificate.
**Any on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Streamable MP4/PDF
You will receive an automated email letting you know when your On-Demand package is available approximately 3 business days after the date of the live event or the date of your order, whichever is later. This email will contain links to the video recording, materials, and program quiz.
To track your purchase, you will need to create an account on the website using the email address used for your registration.
For AIA requirements only, the on-demand recording will have occasional question prompts that will not allow the video to progress unless they are answered, and you will not be able to skip forward while watching the video.
Please note, if you attempt to resume watching the video on a separate device, your progress will not be saved.
Click the link which appears at the end of the video to be taken to the course quiz.
You will have unlimited access to the on-demand video recording, and it will never expire.
**Any streamable on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
USB MP4/PDF
HalfMoon will mail these materials via USPS.
USB orders ship approximately 3 business days after the program takes place or after the order is placed, whichever date is later. Please allow an additional 7-10 business days for shipping.
The link to the quiz will be available in a PDF in your USB drive marked QUIZ.
HalfMoon will contact you and issue a full refund if the product you ordered is not available. However, refunds will not be issued if completion certificates are requested.
Please contact HalfMoon Education if you have any questions during the process of taking this course. (715) 835-5900 or qchapman@halfmoonseminars.org
**Any USB on-demand programs that qualify for LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.
Log into Webinar
8:00 – 8:30 am CDT
Morning Session
8:30 am – 12:00 pm CDT
Break
12:00 – 1:00 pm CDT
Afternoon Session
1:00 – 5:00 pm CDT
Presented by
Dr. Mark Decker
Planning, Designing and Writing Documents
Defining purpose and audience
• Identifying the document’s audience
• Adapting the document for audience needs and expertise
• Creating documents that meet the needs of multiple audiences
Writing documents
• Adopting an appropriate style and tone
• Using effective sentence construction
• Using sentence variety (emphasis, parallel structure, subordination)
• Ensuring clarity (ambiguity, awkwardness, logic errors, positive writing, voice)
• Designing documents
• Page layout and design considerations
• Visually appealing writing
• Displaying data and visual information
Organizing and planning
• Developing work strategies to set priorities and
to make the best use of writing time
• Creating project plans outlining specific details for a predictable
and logical structure to help your audience understand technical information
Revising and Editing Documents
Editing for grammar and style
• Using punctuation and mechanics correctly
Reviewing content
• Checking accuracy, completeness, and effectiveness
• Checking unity and coherence
Graphics
• Creating and integrating visuals
Best Practices in Correspondence and Technical Documents
Business letters
• Formats and types of business correspondence
Memos and electronic mail
• Advantages and disadvantages of internal communications
Document types: specifications, reports, instructions, and proposals
• Best practices in document formats
Document elements
• Using common document sections to establish the order of content in document
front matter, body, and end matter
Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.
Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.
GoToWebinar App requirements:
Windows 7 – 10 or Mac OSX Mavericks (10.9) – macOS Catalina (10.15)
Web Browser:
The two most recent version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer v11 (or later) with Flash enabled
Internet connection: Minimum of 1Mbps Hardware: 2GB RAM or more
For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com
Credits
Professional Engineers
7.0 PDHs
Architects
7.0 CE Hours (Non-HSW)
AIA (AIA credits only available for attending live Webinar)
7.0 LU|Elective
Continuing Education Credit Information
This webinar offers 7.0 PDHs to professional engineers in all states, except New York, and 7.0 non-HSW continuing education hours to architects licensed in states that accept non-HSW coursework, except New York.
HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida (Provider No. 0004647), Indiana (License No. CE21700059), Maryland, New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00000700), North Carolina (S-0130), and North Dakota.
The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System has approved this course for 7.0 LU|Elective (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES.
Completion certificates will be awarded to participants who complete this event, respond to all prompts, and earn a passing score (80%) on the quiz that follows the presentation (multiple attempts allowed).
Speakers
Dr. Mark Decker, PhD
Professor and Department Chair in the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania’s English DepartmentMr. Decker teaches Technical Writing and Writing Technical Manuals in support of the Professional Writing minor. Dr. Decker has PhD and MA degrees in English from The Pennsylvania State University (2001, 1997) and he graduated summa cum laude in English from Utah State University (1995).
While an undergraduate, Dr. Decker worked for several years as a staff writer for Aerotech News and Review, an aerospace and defense industry trade newspaper published in Lancaster, California. During graduate school, Dr. Decker was a member of the Leonhard Center for Technical Writing Initiative, a collaboration between Penn State’s Department of English and College of Engineering designed to promote an exchange of ideas between technical writing instructors and the scientific and engineering communities. Dr. Decker also taught Business Writing, Technical Writing, and an Advanced Technical Writing course that enrolled graduate students from technical and scientific disciplines.
After graduate school, Dr. Decker spent four years at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he taught Technical Writing in support of that school’s major in Technical Communication and served as the advisor for the student chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. Dr. Decker has given presentations at several national and international conferences and has published both a book and a co-edited book as well as several scholarly articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia chapters.
AIA Info
AIA Provider Statement:
HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).
This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.
Course Title: Technical Writing Workshop for Design Professionals
Delivery Method: Live Online
Course Description: This course is designed to improve architects’ and engineers’ writing skills, which is a valuable, but often overlooked, communication skill, since it lacks the back-and-forth nature of spoken communication. Miscommunication in written exchanges can lead to design and construction errors.
Learning Objectives:
Learning Objective 1:
Learners will be able to plan and design written documents from identifying the document’s audience and writing for that audience and/or multiple audiences.
Learning Objective 2:
Learners will be able to adopt appropriate writing style and tone, use effective sentence structure, use sentence variety, and ensure clarity in their written documents to engage the audience and communicate clearly.
Learning Objective 3:
Learners will be able to create visually appealing documents with effective page layout and organization.
Learning Objective 4:
Learners will be able to edit documents for grammar, style, accuracy, completeness, and effectiveness, and they will be able to follow best practices for business letters, memos and electronic mail, reports, instructions, and proposals.
LUs: 7.0 LU Type: LU|Elective
Prerequisites: Mastery of the English language
Advance Preparation: None
Program Level: Intermediate
Course Expiration Date: 04/20/2024
Complaint Resolution Policy:
Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to doug@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.