Lecturer: Sarah Giuseppetti  

Course name: Writing and Editing Skills and Professional Communication
Course code: 062239
Degree course: Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio, Ingegneria Civile
Disciplinary field of science: ING-INF/05
University credits: CFU 3
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The course in 'Writing and Editing Skills' aims at synthetically expound the basic concepts and themes concerning the very wide and well structured field of writing and editing skills (i.e. to learn and apply the necessary skills to write clearly and effectively a technical text), focusing chiefly on the more useful aspects from the professional and didactic point of view. At the end of the course students should be conscious of the importance of properly expressing concepts and messages to carry out their own profession. Therefore they will know the basic rules to start and write a technical document (degree thesis, drawing up projects, technical reports, curriculum vitae, and so on) with particular regard to editorial composition and to graphic, lexical and morphosyntactic choices. They will also be able to master communication strategies according to different partners and to the kinds of relationship on which communication is based.

Course programme

The course will open with a short introduction explaining prerequisites, objectives and themes. Then the most widespread methodologies of writing and editing of a technical text will be introduced. This section is divided into three parts, corresponding to three basic aspects: graphic, relational and editorial. These aspects, also called levels, must be treated separately and then reunited to achieve a well written and easily readable text (like in an engineering or architectural project, where several sectors must be considered carefully, but whose whole quality results from the ability of harmonizing the various components). The last part of the course deals with assertive communication, which combines with the editing of technical texts and is very helpful to refine editing competences with an increased sensibility and efficacy.

Course entry requirements

Good knowledge of written and spoken Italian language and elementary knowledge of word processors.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 15
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 15
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

Duplicated lecture notes (and other materials, exercises and samples given by the teacher during the lessons). During the course an optional bibliography will also be supplied.

Testing and exams

The final examination will consist of a written test divided into two parts: (1) the first aiming at verifying the acquisition of the course theoretic contents, (2) the second consisting in producing a short working text. Eventually an oral test might be added.