Communication Goals for ECE297 Learn to communicate technical concepts in multiple genres for differing audiences Learn to take effective notes Learn to synthesize knowledge and use it in new contexts Learn modes of rhetoric and critique Develop public speaking techniques Develop strategies for argument and rhetoric Why Communication? Isaac Asimov: Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers Northrop Frye: you dont learn to think wholly from one language: you learn to think better from linguistic conflict, from bouncing one language off another. Most project managers spend approximately 90% of their working hours engaged in some form of communication The myth of the soft skill No Really Who cares? In this evolving world, a new kind of engineer is needed, one who can think broadly across disciplines and consider the human dimensions that are at the heart of every design challenge. In the new order, narrow engineering thinking will not be enough. changing the scope and significance of what engineering is and, perhaps more important, who engineers are namely, technically adept people who serve humanity through the application not simply of math and science, but of a wide array of disciplines. This new breed of engineer will be not only a truly comprehensive problem solver, but a problem definer, leading multidisciplinary teams of professionals in setting agendas and fostering innovation. -Domenico Grasso [VP Research & Dean Graduate Studies, University of Vermont] and David Martinelli [Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia University] Holistic Engineering In this evolving world In this evolving world, a new kind of engineer is needed Opening phrase provides context for the argument. Note the rhetorical move: in accepting the argument we also accept the premise that the world is evolving. This opening adds value and provides a meaningful context. Since the dawn of time readers have hated generic, broad openings: Since the dawn of time As we all know Nowadays, technology is improving everything History has shown Proof? Too broad. Wrong voice. Proof? What we? Generalization. Proof? Colloquial. Too universal. Argument presented as fact. Passive voice. A better opening strategy Made to Stick Principle: Unexpected. Use curiosity & gaps in knowledge to motivate reader interest. What are these new tools? What is a Paragraph? Analogous to a function in programming In its simplest form, achieves a single purpose Topic sentence identifies that purpose Sentences progress logically to affirm, demonstrate, or prove the main idea. Concluding sentence reaffirms purpose and transitions to the next paragraph. Effective Paragraphing Hockey is a beloved sport. Mats Sundin was the last beloved Toronto Maple Leaf. Swedish players are often good at hockey. He scored over 500 goals and had nearly a point a game which is better than Kessel. The Leafs havent won a Stanley Cup since Even Sundin couldnt help that. Mats is 65 tall and being tall is useful for a centre. He scored his 500 th goal in overtime against the Calgary Flames. Sundin was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques who no longer exist but he was then traded to the Leafs for Wendel Clark and some other players. Sundin never played in the Stanley Cup Final but if he did he would have been an impact player. He went on to play for Vancouver but did not win a Stanley Cup there. Paragraph Checklist Is there a main idea stated in a topic sentence? Is each sentence relevant to the main idea? Do the sentences connect logically to one another and to the main idea? Is there a sense of coherence and flow from one sentence to the next? Does the paragraph conclude effectively? Does this sound right when I read it aloud? Whats wrong with Mats? Hockey is a beloved sport. Mats Sundin was the last great Toronto Maple Leaf. Swedish players are often good at hockey. He scored over 500 goals and had nearly a point a game which is better than Kessel. The Leafs havent won a Stanley Cup since Even Sundin couldnt help that. Mats is 65 tall and being tall is useful for a centre. He scored his 500 th goal in overtime against the Calgary Flames. Sundin was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques who no longer exist but he was then traded to the Leafs for Wendel Clark and some other players. Sundin never played in the Stanley Cup Final but if he did he would have been an impact player. He went on to play for Vancouver but did not win a Stanley Cup there. Concision in language and code /* Hello World-ish */ #include main() { printf("H); printf(e); printf(l); printf(o); printf( ); printf(W); printf(o); printf(r); printf(l); printf(d); } It is the opinion of the group assembled for the purpose of determining a probability of the likelihood of the meteorological- related results and outcome for the period encompassing the next working day that the odds of precipitation in the near-term are positive and reasonably expected Concision is a virtue Strunk and White: The Elements of Style https://faculty.washington.edu/heagerty/Courses/b572/public/StrunkWhite.pdf Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines, a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. Being too concise is a sin You Must Revise! The best writing emerges from ongoing editing and revision Releasing writing after one draft is like releasing untested code Double-space your work and revise on paper Revise with a pen in hand Revision Checklist Does the evidence support the claim? Am I using the passive voice? Could I have stated my point more clearly? Am I using effective transition words? Are my paragraphs logical? Do my paragraphs appear in a logical order? Read it as a non-expert. Does it make sense? Wiki Writing: Simple, Precise, Concrete Wiki should be updated regularly by all team members Think of it as progress report for supervisor and a record of what you have done Your audience is technical but not necessarily a programmer choose appropriate language Wiki should have specific goals, accomplishments & obstacles Wiki needs to be concrete: NOT: Batman is debugging code. BUT: Batman spent 3 days debugging batlair.cpp to address data structure errors and remove redundant code. WD0: Rubric Posted! Reverse engineer the rubric: How do you establish relevancy & insight? What makes an improvement meaningful?How can you like it to Made to Stick? What techniques can you use to organize your writing? Writing Support Resources Plagiarism Dont do it! The penalty is harsh Teams are punished collectively academicintegrity.utoronto.ca Fixing Mats Sundin Hockey is a beloved sport. Mats Sundin was the last great Toronto Maple Leaf. Swedish players are often good at hockey. He scored over 500 goals and had nearly a point a game which is better than Kessel. The Leafs havent won a Stanley Cup since Even Sundin couldnt help that. Mats is 65 tall and being tall is useful for a centre. He scored his 500 th goal in overtime against the Calgary Flames. Sundin was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques who no longer exist but he was then traded to the Leafs for Wendel Clark and some other players. Sundin never played in the Stanley Cup Final but if he did he would have been an impact player. He went on to play for Vancouver but did not win a Stanley Cup there. Ineffective topic sentence. Fixing Mats Sundin - Concise Mats Sundin was the last great Toronto Maple Leaf. Swedish players are often good at hockey. He scored over 500 goals and had nearly a point a game which is better than Kessel. The Leafs havent won a Stanley Cup since Even Sundin couldnt help that. Mats is 65 tall and being tall is useful for a centre. He scored his 500 th goal in overtime against the Calgary Flames. Sundin was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques who no longer exist but he was then traded to the Leafs for Wendel Clark and some other players. Sundin never played in the Stanley Cup Final but if he did he would have been an impact player. He went on to play for Vancouver but did not win a Stanley Cup there. Fixing Mats Sundin - Flow Mats Sundin was the last great Toronto Maple Leaf. He scored over 500 goals and had nearly a point a game. He scored his 500 th goal in overtime against the Calgary Flames. Sundin was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques but was traded to the Leafs for Wendel Clark and some other players. Sundin never played in the Stanley Cup Final but if he did he would have been an impact player. He went on to play for Vancouver but did not win a Stanley Cup there. Fixing Mats Sundin Logic & Transitions Mats Sundin was the last great Toronto Maple Leaf. Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques, he was traded to the Leafs for Wendel Clark and some other players. Like Clarke, Sundin was the team captain for many years. He scored over 500 goals and had nearly a point a game. Particularly notable was his 500 th goal which came in overtime, shorthanded against the Calgary Flames. Had Sundin played in a Stanley Cup final, he would have been an important player. After Toronto, he played for Vancouver before retiring in 2009 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Sundins statue is now being created for the Leafs Legends Row. Effective Transitions Logical RelationshipMoving Along In addition to, Additionally,Also, Just as, Similarly, Therefore, Thereby, Thus,Indeed, Specifically, However Accordingly, Consequently, HenceBesides, Furthermore, Moreover In Contrast, Contrarily,For Example, For Instance, In addition to Sundins play, his charity work made him In contrast to Sundin, Phil Kessel was a loathed player Also, Sundin was a role model for younger players Indeed Sundin is a model athlete and citizen for all