CAES1507 Professional and Technical Written Communication for Engineers

1. CAES1507 Professional and Technical Written Communication for Engineers Session Five Writing Effective Introduction

2. What should be included? • Remember two weeks ago…. Tradition vs Novelty - GAP Objective?

3. EPF requested the R&D team to develop a do-it-yourself kit for middle school students which would allow them to build a humane mousetrap. The objective was to create a kit using ordinary household or easy-to-obtain materials so that with a few simple tools and instructions, students could build a working mousetrap. Background – Referring to the request made by EPS(Past tense) Objective of the project - Referred to the request made by EPS(Past tense) Example of Introduction

4. People most commonly use commercial mousetraps which will not only trap but also kill the mouse. Although mice are considered pests, there are alternatives to traps which kill or maim a mouse and cause unnecessary suffering. In these days of environmental awareness, a humane mousetrap was requested so that the trapped mouse could be removed to a country park or other such place or even kept alive as a classroom biology specimen. General Background information - Tradition vs Novelty(Present/Future Tense) Requirement of project (Past Tense) Example of Introduction

5. The R&D team has built and tested a prototype mousetrap. The purpose of this report is to present the design so that it can be considered for mass production. The report explains the engineering principles on which the mousetrap is based, the design itself, how the kit was assembled with its component parts, the tests conducted on the prototype, and thenmakes a conclusion and offers recommendations. Purpose of the report – What does this report show in general?(Present tense) Lead-in to report – What does this report include?(Present tense) Example of Introduction

6. Introductory MOVES • Background which will give the reader a context for the project (Present Tense) • Objectives of the project – what the project was trying to achieve (Past Tense) • The purpose / objective of the projectwas… • Purpose of the report (Present Tense) • The purpose of this reportis…. • Lead-in to the rest of the report (Present Tense)

7. Task 3 • are considered • be damaged • treats • has • discourage • wants • requested • had • had to be able

8. Task 3 • would come • would be activated • was trapped/had been trapped • had • was trapped • is • is • are • is

9. Mice are considered pests when they come into the home. Valuable clothes and furniture may be damaged. A mousetrap seems to be a solution, but the traditional mousetrap which treats the mouse cruelly and has an unpleasant design, may discourage people from using on in their home. No one wants an ugly ‘killing machine’ in their home. Background information (NOT referring to the project)Present Tense Identifying the MOVES

10. In view of these drawbacks, EPF requested the R&D team to design and build the prototype for an easy-to-construct mousetrap kit which would have more appeal. The mousetrap had to be constructed of limited materials such as paper card, tin cans, string and marbles. It had to be able to catch and hold the mouse in a humane way so that no harm would come to the animal. Light, sound or a computer would be activated to indicate a mouse had been / was trapped. The mousetrap had to be able to let the mouse go free after it was trapped. Information linked to the request made by the EPFPast Tense Identifying the MOVES

11. The purpose of this report is to explain the operations of the prototype and the theory behind the design. The report is divided into five parts. They are the Theory, Design, Construction Procedure, Test Procedures and Results, Conclusion and Recommendations. A glossary of technical terms and units used in this report is in Appendix I. Purpose of the ReportPresent Tense Lead-in to reportPresent Tense Identifying the MOVES

12. Many handicapped people use amateur radio equipment for communication but often do not have the strength or coordination to aim the antenna with conventional antenna controllers. Background information/ContextPresent Tense Task 4 Identifying the MOVES

13. This report describes the usefulness, design and manufacturing costs of a newly designed radio-antenna controller that is operated by a microprocessor. It also comparesthis controller to those currently produced by Acme Corporation. The information is presented to determine whether the invention of this device creates a manufacturing opportunity for Acme. Purpose of the Report (NOT PROJECT)Present Tense Task 4 Identifying the MOVES

14. The report firstoutlines survey information on handicapped radio operators. Next the problems and needs of handicapped operators arediscussed. The design of the microprocessor-operated controller, including schematics and specifications are presented. Finally, there is a comparison of the design to controllers presently manufactured by Acme Corp including manufacturing costs of the new design. Lead-in to the rest of the reportPresent Tense Task 4 Identifying the MOVES

15. Brainstorm (5 minutes) • In groups, discuss the uniqueness of the prototype you have in mind. If possible, consider the way(s) in which your prototype is superior to the traditional approach of learning.

16. In-class Group Writing (5%) Stage 1: Brainstorming (10 minutes) Put yourself in the timeframe that THE PROJECT WAS OVER: • What is the interactive toy? • What were you requested to do by EPF? • What were theobjectives and details of the project? • What is the purpose of the report? • What areincluded in the report? • Brainstorm some verbs / nouns that describe the contents of the report Stage 2: Group Writing of Introduction (45 minutes)

17. Put down the names of the group members on the page. • Email your Introduction to conttialai@hku.hk • Feedback will be given in Session 6

18. Homework • Continue to build your interactive toy