Course Title: Develop writing and editing skills
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2007
Course Code: COMM5397
Course Title: Develop writing and editing skills
School: 345T Creative Media
Campus: City Campus
Program: C4171 - Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing
Course Contact : Brendan Lee
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99254368
Course Contact Email:brendan.lee@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Penny Johnson (Course Lecturer)
Building 94, level 2, room 6
23–27 Cardigan Street, South Carlton
9925 4383 (phone); 9925 4362 (fax)
penny.johnson@rmit.edu.au
Stephanie Holt (Course Lecturer)
Building 94, level 2, room 6
23–27 Cardigan Street, South Carlton
9925 8089 (phone); 9925 4362 (fax)
stephanie.holt@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 120
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This course develops your writing and editing skills in a professional context. You study vocabulary, grammar, syntax, paragraphing, punctuation and style. You gain an overview of the publishing process (particularly book publishing) and explore the roles and relationships of authors and editors within it. Other areas covered include manuscript assessment, writing editorial reports, copyediting and proofreading.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBP551 Develop writing and editing skills |
Element: |
Apply the accepted conventions of grammar and usage to a range of written contexts |
Performance Criteria: |
- The conventions of grammar and syntax in written English are analysed |
Element: |
Apply the appropriate voice and tone |
Performance Criteria: |
- The type of authorial voice/s appropriate to the publication are determined and applied to writings |
Element: |
Ensure the clarity of language |
Performance Criteria: |
- The principles of clear language are applied to writings |
Element: |
Use correct spelling and punctuation |
Performance Criteria: |
- Australian spelling and punctuation conventions are demonstrated in writings |
Learning Outcomes
Not applicable
Details of Learning Activities
Students learn through a variety of methods. Classes are, in general, a mixture of lectures, discussion, practical exercises and group work. Students also teach one another by presenting class papers and conducting discussion on the presentation topic. Some class time in Semester 2 is given over to completing the collaborative editing project, and freelance editor and a book designer will give guest lectures. Students are responsible for managing their learning and undertaking an appropriate amount of out-of-class independent study and research.
Teaching Schedule
Semester 1
Week | Week beginning Monday |
Topics | Assessment Tasks Due |
|
1 | 12 Feb. | Course outline Class presentation Role of the editor |
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2 | 19 Feb. | Class presentation The production process Spelling, tautologies, vocabulary |
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3 | 26 Feb. |
Class presentation Grammar Readership/markets |
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4 | 5 March | Grammar Text analysis |
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5 | 12 March | Grammar Text analysis |
No class Monday* Labour Day |
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6 | 19 March | Grammar Effective communication |
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7 | 26 March | Test Editorial report writing |
Editing and Grammar Test | |
8 | 2 April/ 9 April |
Grammar Editorial report writing |
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Mid-Semester (Easter) Break 5–11 April | ||||
9 | 16 April |
Grammar Paragraphs |
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10 | 23 April | Grammar Paragraphs |
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11 | 30 April | Grammar [Address Copyright Requirements]** |
Editorial Report | |
12 | 7 May | Grammar [Address Copyright Requirements]** |
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13 | 14 May |
Grammar [Address Copyright Requirements]** |
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14 | 21 May |
Grammar |
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15 | 28 May |
Grammar Grammar revision and practice test |
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16 | 4 June |
Test Freelance editing: guest speaker |
Paragraphing and Grammar Test |
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17 | 12 June | Introduction to Major Project Journals and anthologies |
No class Queen’s B’day |
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18 | 19 June | Semester review |
** The competency CUSADMO8A Address Copyright Requirements will be covered here. For assessment tasks for this course see the course outline.
Semester 2
Week | Week beginning Monday |
Topics | Assessment Tasks Due |
|
1 | 9 July |
House style Capitals |
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2 | 16 July |
Editing Italics |
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3 | 23 July |
Editing Numbers |
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4 | 30 July |
Punctuation |
Writing for Major Project |
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5 | 6 Aug. |
Punctuation | ||
6 | 13 Aug. |
Punctuation | ||
7 | 20 Aug. |
Punctuation Test revision |
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8 | 27 Aug. |
Tests Major Project |
Punctuation and Copyediting Tests |
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9 | 3 Sept. |
Editing Major Project |
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10 | 10 Sept. |
Editing Major Project |
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11 | 17 Sept. |
Editing Major Project |
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Mid-Semester Break 24–31 Sept. |
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12 | 1 Oct. |
Proofreading Major Project |
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13 | 8 Oct. |
Proofreading Major Project |
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14 | 15 Oct. |
Proofreading Major Project |
Major Project |
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15 | 22 Oct. |
Proofreading Role of the designer |
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16 | 29 Oct. |
Proofreading Test revision |
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17 | 5 Nov |
Test | Proofreading test No class Cup Day (5 Nov TBC) |
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18 | 12 Nov |
Test (for classes who missed Week 17) Semester review |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
Editing 1 Grammar Unit Handbook |
|
Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, 2002 |
|
The Concise Macquarie Dictionary, 4th edn, Macquarie Library, Sydney, 2006 OR The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary, 4th edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 2004 |
References
Other Resources
Overview of Assessment
Assessment includes a written report, an editing project, in-class tests and an oral presentation.
Assessment Tasks
Students will receive a numerical grade for their overall achievement in this competency.
For written and oral assessments students will receive a letter grade and written feedback. Tests will be given numerical grades.
Grades
High Distinction (HD) 80–100%
Distinction (DI ) 70–79%
Credit (CR) 60–69%
Pass (PA) 50–59%
Fail (NN) Less than 50%
Class Presentation
A 10-minute presentation on an aspect of editing, publishing, writing or the English language. The presentation should be relevant to a publishing context, and to you and your classmates as people who will be working as editors or writers being edited.
Due date
In either Semester 1 or 2, on a date negotiated with your teacher.
Percentage weight
15%
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on your:
• ability to frame and explain your topic and to maintain relevance to a publishing context throughout the talk
• ability to present your talk to the class in a clear, audible and interesting way and to conduct a class discussion
• ability to structure your talk so that it is logical, coherent and balanced within the time limit
• knowledge of your topic and the depth of your research
• organisational skills shown by submitting a plan, arranging and attending a tutorial, presenting the talk on the arranged day, and submitting all notes (including a list of sources) on time.
Editing and Grammar Test
A 45-minute closed-book test on spelling, tautologies, word confusions, plurals and the apostrophe.
Due date
Week 7, Semester 1 (week beginning 26 March)
Percentage weight
7.5%
Editorial Report
A 1000-word editorial report on an unpublished manuscript.
Due date
Week 11, Semester 1 (week beginning 30 April)
Percentage weight
15%
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on your ability to:
• provide a concise yet comprehensive synopsis and an appropriate recommendation
• find a reasonable number of strengths and weaknesses in the manuscipt
• back up your comments with explanations, including examples from the text if appropriate
• write logically, coherently and clearly, without spelling or grammatical errors
• understand and respect the author’s intentions
• communicate sensitively, honestly and directly.
Grammar and Paragraphing Test
A 1.5-hour test on all grammar and paragraphing work covered in Semester 1.
Due date
Week 16, Semester 1 (week beginning 4 June)
Percentage weight
20%
Editing Test
A one-hour open-book test where you copyedit a short piece of writing according to a brief and the style provided. You will be marked on your use of the editing symbols as well as your ability to find and correct mistakes.
Due date
Week 8, Semester 2 (week beginning 27 August)
Percentage weight
7.5%
Punctuation Test
A 45-minute open-book test where you correct punctuation problems in a series of sentences and check parallel structure and compound words as appropriate. You need to work with the style provided.
Due date
Week 8, Semester 2 (week beginning 27 August)
Percentage weight
7.5%
Major Editing Project
You are required to edit another student’s piece of writing submitted for a simulated anthology. To participate in the project, you will need to submit a 1000–1200 word piece of writing according to a brief. As the editor, you will be required to do an electronic clean up of your author’s piece and then do a hard-copy edit. You should edit the piece according to the brief, the demands of the piece and market needs. A one-page reflection on your experience of the project as both editor and author should also be submitted.
You should attend both classes for author–editor meetings in the weeks beginning 1 October and 8 October. If, for strong reasons, you are unable to attend one of those classes, you are required to notify your author/editor in advance and make alternative arrangements to complete the work.
Due date
Writing – Week 4, Semester 2 (week beginning 30 July)
Editing Project – Week 14, Semester 2 (week beginning 15 Oct)
Percentage weight
20%
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on your ability to:
• edit the piece according to conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, house style etc.
• make appropriate use of email and Word programs to communicate with your author, manage files and do an electronic clean-up of the document
• mark up correctly, including using both copyediting and structure mark-up, using a style sheet, and marking in corrections after the author has responded
• understand the author’s intentions and edit according to the demands of the piece and to market needs
• communicate with and query the author appropriately, and deal appropriately with the author’s responses
• reflect thoughtfully on the editing process as experienced through the project as author and editor, and articulate any insights gained.
Proofreading Test
A one-hour open-book test, where you proofread page proofs of a book according to the brief and style provided. You will be marked on your proofreading mark-up as well as your ability to find and correct errors.
Due date
Week 17/18 (Friday 9, Monday 12 or Tuesday 13 November)
Percentage weight
7.5%
Assessment Matrix
Not applicable
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