Department of Human Ecology

Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences

Room 302 Human Ecology Building
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2N1

www.hecol.ualberta.ca
hecol@ualberta.ca

Tel: 780.492.3824
Fax: 780.492.4821

Human Ecology 170

Introduction to Textiles
Course Syllabus
Fall, 2013

An introductory exploration of the origin, creation and use of textiles in our world. Chemical
and physical properties of fibres and fabrics are introduced and an understanding of how these
properties influence various clothing and textile end uses is developed.

DAYS & TIMES: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11.00 am 12.20 pm

Location: Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA) 2-420
PROFESSOR:
Dr. Rachel McQueen
335 Human Ecology Bldg
Tel: 780 492 2045
Email: rachel.mcqueen@ualberta.ca

TEACHING ASSISTANT:
Nicole Furtak
Email: nfurtak@ualberta.ca

Office hours: Tuesdays 2.00-3.00 pm

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Table of Contents
Course objectives

Required reading

Additional course fees

Assignments and grading

Writing support

Code of student behaviour (plagiarism and cheating)

Policy regarding late assignments

Specialized Support and Disability Services

Description of assignments

Class schedule and readings

10

Appendix: Marking rubrics (hard copy only)

12

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Course objectives:
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
Explain what constitutes the three textile performance concepts (durability, comfort,
appearance).
Describe how fibre chemical and physical structure influences fibre properties.
Describe how textile fibres are classified and labelled.
Recognise basic fabric structures.
Relate fibre, yarn and fabric properties to textile performance.
Discuss how textile properties influence textile performance concepts.
Identify ways in which textiles can influence our health, comfort and environment.
Required reading:
Required textbook:
Collier, B. J., Bide, M., & Tortora, P. G. (2009). Understanding Textiles (7th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Additional course fees
A $5.00 supplementary incidental fee is levied for HECOL 170 according to section
22.2.3 (page 70) of the University of Alberta Calendar. This fee is to be paid to the
instructor in class. This fee covers the cost of fabric samples which will be handed out
throughout the term. Please make out cheques to the University of Alberta.
Assignments & grading:
Assignment

Due date

Percent

In class participation
Assignments (best out of two)

Ad hoc

10%
20%

Assignment 1

Oct 15

Assignment 2

Nov 14

Exams
Mid-term exam

Oct 24

30%

Final exam

Dec 10 (9:00)

40%
100%

Assignments are described on pages 6-9 of this course outline. Written assignments must be
typed (12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 3 cm side margins) and professional in
presentation (an exception to this is for Assignment 1 where you can be more creative with the
article if you want). Assignments are due by 4:00 pm on the date indicated. They can be
handed in to Dr Rachel McQueen, or the main office in the Human Ecology Building.
Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Note that the highest grade of the two assignments makes up the 20% of your final grade. It is
not mandatory to submit both assignments.
Human Ecology students, remember to keep a copy of your assignments as you may wish to
include it in your portfolio for HECOL 408 in your final year.
Examinations are a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions. They cover
material from readings and lectures. During exams, all electronic devices must be turned off and
students will NOT be excused from the exam room once the exam has started.
Grading: Evaluation of exams and assignments is expressed in raw marks throughout the term.
A final cumulative score out of 100 points is translated into a letter grade based on the university
four-point grading system (see below). Assignment of final grades is based on a combination of
absolute achievement and relative performance in this course (marking rubrics attached in the
Appendix (hard copy only)).
Excellent:

A+

4.0

Outstanding: The student has demonstrated an extraordinary grasp

of the course content and performance reflects creativity and
innovation, in addition to a high level of analytical ability.

4.0

Excellent: The student has demonstrated superior understanding of

the course content and a high level of analytical ability.

A-

3.7

The student has demonstrated superior understanding of the course

content, but has not shown the same level of analytical ability as
students receiving an A.

Good:

B+

3.3

The student has demonstrated a sound understanding of course

material, with superior understanding being evident in some topics.

3.0

The student has demonstrated a uniformly sound understanding of

course material.

B-

2.7

The student has demonstrated a generally sound understanding of

course material, but there are some areas in which depth of
understanding is limited.

Satisfactory:

C+

2.3

The student has demonstrated adequate awareness of course content

with sound understanding of some topics.

2.0

The student has demonstrated adequate awareness of all of the

central dimensions of the course.

C-

1.7

The student has demonstrated adequate awareness of most central

dimensions of the course, but lacks knowledge of one or two topics.

Poor

D+

1.3

The student has demonstrated a lack of knowledge in one or more of

the central dimensions of the course, and has very superficial
understanding of most topics.

Minimal Pass

1.0

The students performance is only minimally acceptable due to a

lack of understanding of several central dimensions of course
content.

Fail

0.0

The student has demonstrated a lack of knowledge of most of the

course content.
F(R)*
*F(R) denotes eligibility of a student to apply for a re-examination in a course

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Writing support
Writing services
The Centre for Writers offers free one-on-one writing coaching for students and university staff.
You can make an appointment with a tutor online: http://www.c4w.arts.ualberta.ca/
University Student Success Centre offers workshops or individual study assistance which may
help in assignment writing. http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/academicsupport/index.cfm
The below link to a document from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
provides very helpful information on how to effectively paraphrase (and avoid plagiarising):
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Acknowledging_Sources.pdf
Library
If you would like to arrange a library instruction you can contact Angie Mandeville who is the
Liaison Librarian for Human Ecology at: angie.mandeville@ualberta.ca
Human Ecology databases can be found at this following library link:
http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/clothing_textiles_design
Code of student behaviour
All students at the University of Alberta are subject to the Code of Student Behaviour (available
online:
http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/Code
ofStudentBehaviour.aspx). Please familiarize yourself with it and ensure you do not participate
in any inappropriate behaviour defined by the Code. The following statements are particularly
important:
30.3.2(1) Plagiarism. No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person
as the students own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or
poster in a course or program of study.
30.3.2 (2)a Cheating. No Student shall, in the course of an examination or other similar activity,
obtain or attempt to obtain information from another Student or other unauthorized source, give
or attempt to give information to another Student, or use, attempt to use, or possess for the
purposes of use, any unauthorized material.
30.3.2(2)c Cheating. No Student shall represent anothers substantial editorial or compositional
assistance on an assignment as the students own work.
Policy regarding late assignments
Assignments are to be handed in on (or before) the date they are due. EXTENSIONS WILL
NOT BE GRANTED except in the case of illness or other extreme circumstances. Without an
extension being granted, students who submit assignments after 4.00 pm (or specified time if
later) on the due date will be penalized 25% for each day (24 hours) that the assignment is late.
Assignments submitted more than three days late will receive a raw score of 0.

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Specialized Support and Disability Services (SSDS)

Students who require specialized support in this course due to disability affecting mobility,
vision, hearing, learning, or mental or physical health are advised to inform the instructor and to
discuss their needs with Specialized Support and Disability Services, 2-800 Students Union
Building, 780-492-3381 (phone) or 780-492-7269 (TTY).
Description of assignments
In-class participation (Ongoing throughout term)
Throughout the term you will be asked to contribute in class through small writing assignments
(mini-assignments). These will occur sporadically and may be related to content from the lecture
or a reading you were asked to do from your textbook or handout.
Each mini-assignment will be marked from 0-1. If you were not present in class you will get 0
for that particular mini-assignment. If you make an effort to respond appropriately to the
assigned question you will receive a full mark for that particular assignment. Therefore, if you
attend class and are prepared for class (i.e., doing the required readings) you will easily do well
in this portion of the grading. The grades from these mini-assignments will accumulate to make
up the 10% of your total grade. Full marks on this section can be achieved by being present in
class and participating fully for at least 80% of the mini-assignments. Grades for miniassignments will be posted and updated on eClass once a month. Due to the size of the class and
the small weighting of individual mini-assignments all the mini-assignments will be returned
only at the end of the course.
Assignment 1: Properties of natural fibres (Due October 15) (2-3 pages)
Topic/description
Natural fibres are composed of either cellulose (from plants) or protein (from animals). The four
most common or widely known natural fibres are cotton, flax, wool and silk. Clothing made
from natural fibres are often considered to be more absorbent and therefore breathe more than
clothing made from synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon. But some people may prefer
synthetic fibres because they can be cheaper, are often more durable and easier to care for than
natural fibres (e.g., no ironing required!). Many people may know that cotton comes from a plant
and wool comes from a sheep but there is a lot that most people dont know about natural fibres.
They may not know, for example, how different natural fibres can be from one another in
chemical and physical structure and how these structures can influence the properties of the
clothing they buy in a store. One of your jobs as a professional is to help consumers by making
complex scientific knowledge easy to understand. This assignment will give you a chance to do
that.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to effectively describe the chemical and physical structure of
one cellulosic fibre and one protein fibre and discuss how the structures relate to 2-3 properties
which could influence the performance of a particular textile made from each of these fibres.

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Select one protein fibre (wool or silk) and one cellulosic fibre (cotton or flax) to describe in this
assignment. For each fibre choose an article of clothing or another type of textile product which
would typically be made from these fibres to help illustrate the characteristics of textile items.
Choose one of the two options (poster or article) below to effectively communicate information
about natural fibres. Include a title and brief introduction.
This assignment should be written as if for a consumer" who does not have any background
knowledge about textiles. Assume that this person has taken chemistry at high school so has an
understanding of some molecular formulas and other basic aspects of chemistry (therefore
drawing the chemical structure of each fibre is okay).
Option 1
Imagine yourself doing an information session at a professional meeting or at a trade-show
booth. Graphically display your assignment as a poster. Include enough written information to
appropriately describe the differences in fibres and properties.
The maximum size of the poster should be A2 (420 mm x 594 mm) smaller sizes are allowable
but ensure that the images and all the writing can be easily read.
Option 2
Write an article intended for a trade or consumer magazine or newspaper which explains the
differences between the fibres you have chosen to discuss. This article should be 2-3 pages in
length, typed in Times New Roman (or equivalent) 12pt font and doubled spaced. Graphic
images for chemical formula and structure are allowed. If you would prefer to present this
assignment using another type of font you can, however, check that the page limit matches the
Times New Roman 12pt font to ensure you have the appropriate length (without images).
Due date & grading
Due October 15. This project is potentially worth 20% of your final grade if this is the best one
out of two assignments. For grading criteria see Appendix.

Assignment 2: Evaluation of technical information in textile marketing (Due November 14)

(2-3 pages) + 1 extra page as Appendix for inclusion of the brochure.
Topic/description
The clothing and textiles industry is a huge global industry and there are many companies across
the world competing to produce the most sellable products to their customers. Some companies
are competitive because they can produce items at an extremely low price. Whereas, other
companies may create a niche product where they produce clothing or other textile items which
have some or many special properties. These companies compete on their technical edge or some
inherent property which may not be possible in their competitors products. In most cases the
technology they use or create is proprietary so the information or processes by which they are
produced or created cannot be accessed by the public. Often these specialty or performance
textile items will have a certain amount of technical information available for marketing

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

purposes. This information could be based on the fabric structure, the fibre type or fibre
structure, and/or special finishes which enhance performance. Not all information provided by
manufacturers is easy to understand or technically accurate!
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to test your ability to critically evaluate technical information
about a textile product which has been marketed under a particular registered tradename.
The information you evaluate must be supplied by the manufacturer of the product. Focus only
on a product where the fibre, fabric or finishes applied to the fabric are responsible for the
special properties. Do NOT use a product where its unique properties are due to special
product/garment design (e.g., zips underneath the arms for cooling) or construction techniques
(e.g., sealing of seams).
1. Identify the important properties (max 3) that the marketers of the product claim the
product possesses (use the marketers terminology here include quotation marks where
necessary).
2. For each term or property from 1 above explain what the marketer means by the term (for
example, breathable could mean the transfer of water vapour through the fabric occurs, or
transfer of air, or both of these; if only comfortable has been stated then what comfort
properties does the marketer really mean?).
3. Using the list below to help you, identify what component(s) of the textile give the
product its special properties and explain how they influence the performance of the
textile product.
Fibre content
Manipulation of fibre structure
Yarn construction
Composite fabric
Other not reported here (describe)
4. Using your textile knowledge and other resources discuss whether the marketing
information provided was accurate or not?
5. Please include the brochure, hang-tag, magazine advertisement or a print out from a
website as an Appendix to this assignment. If you have used a website please include the
full URL so I can view the site.
Getting started
The following websites have examples of the types of products and technical information that
could be used to complete this assignment. You may use one of these websites to complete this
assignment if you wish or you could find another product and related technical information.
SmartWool:
https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm#/WhySmartwool/

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Invista products:
http://www.invista.com/en/apparel-products/index.html
(e.g., Coolmax, Thermolite, Lycra)
Dri-release
http://www.dri-release.com/hiw_un_introduction.html
Formatting
This assignment is to be 2-3 pages in length (excluding brochure or copy of web-pages as the
appendix). Use 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 3 cm side margins.
Due date & grading
Due November 14. This project is potentially worth 20% of your final grade if this is the best
one out of two assignments. For grading criteria see Appendix.

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

Class schedule and readings:

Date
1

Sept 5

Topic

Readings & Assignments

Course introduction
UNIT 1 TEXTILE CONCEPTS

Sept 10

Performance concepts related to textiles

UNIT 2 FIBRES

Sept 12

Fibres the fundamentals introduction to basic fibre

chemistry

Textbook pp. 20-24

Sept 17

Fibres the fundamentals introduction to basic fibre

chemistry and fibre fine structure

pp. 33-35

Fibre classification & labelling

pp. 15-20

Sept 19

Fibres properties of fibres (physical and mechanical)

pp. 39-48

Sept 24

Fibres properties of fibres (chemical)

pp. 48-57

Sept 26

Cellulosic fibres

pp. 59-71

Oct 1

Cellulosic fibres (cont.)

pp. 75-84

Oct 3

Protein fibres

pp. 89-91, 96-111

10 Oct 8

Protein fibres (cont.)

pp. 111-120

11 Oct 10

Manufactured fibres

pp. 24-35

Regenerated cellulosic fibres

pp. 126, 129-138

Nylon, aramid & polyester

pp. 147-159

12 Oct 15

pp. 161-173
Assignment 1 due
13 Oct 17

Mock exam & exam preparation

Mock exam (30 mins)

14 Oct 22

Other synthetic fibres

pp. 177-182, 187-193, 197203, 208-209

15 Oct 24

Mid-term exam 2 (covering lectures 2-14)

Mid-term exam (30%)

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

10

UNIT 3 YARNS & FABRICS

16 Oct 29

Yarns

pp. 223-233

17 Oct 31

Yarns (cont.)

pp. 265-267, 268-270

Fabrics structure (weaves)

pp. 273-280, 291-301

18 Nov 5

19 Nov 7

Fabric structure (weaves cont.)

Knits

pp. 321-322, 326-330, 337

Fabric structure (non-woven fabrics & performance)

pp. 313-319, 342-345,

359-361

Nov 12
20 Nov 14

No Lecture
Fabric structure (performance cont.)

pp. 534-535
Assignment 2 due

21 Nov 19

Product performance
UNIT 4 CLOTHING & TEXTILES IN & AS OUR ENVIRONMENT

22 Nov 21

Environmental issues

pp. 501-512

23 Nov 26

Environmental issues

pp. 512-519

24 Nov 28

Textiles, health and protection

25 Dec 3

Textiles, health and protection

Dec 10

Final exam 9.00 am

Final Exam (40%)

topics covered (Lectures 16-25)

Note: The above course schedule may be altered at the discretion of the instructor. Any changes
will be announced in advance for your convenience

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

11

Appendix
Marking rubrics for assignments
(Hard copy only)

Course outline HECOL 170 September, 2013

12

Student name:________________________________
Assignment 1. Natural fibres article or poster
Evaluation criteria
Due date: October 15, 2013
1.

An appropriate short introductory paragraph is included

____/10

2.

Has accurately addressed all aspects of the assignment question (e.g.,

selected two fibres, one either cotton or linen and the second either wool
or silk, has discussed only 2-3 properties for each fibre)

____/10

Accurately describes the relevant features of the chemical and physical

structure of each textile fibre as it affects the important properties that are
being addressed in the article/poster.

____/30

3.

4.

Has identified textile properties for each fibre type and discussed/
presented them well.

____/10

5.

A suitable garment/textile product has been selected to demonstrate the

selected properties for each fibre type.

____/10

6.

The article/poster is well organized and structured. Ideas and details flow
logically throughout.

____/10

7.

Few or no errors in punctuation, capitalization, grammar and spelling.

____/10

8.

Writing and graphics in the article/poster are aesthetically pleasing and

clearly legible, they are presented professionally (it does not matter
whether the student has taken a creative approach or a simple approach to
presenting the article/poster, there are still many visual elements such as
appropriate font style and size, use of colour, spacing between
words/lines/objects which are important).

____/10

Total Score _____/100

Comments:

Student name:________________________________
Assignment 2. Evaluation of technical information in textile marketing
Evaluation criteria
Due date: November 14, 2013
1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

The question has been understood and all aspects of the assignment
question have been addressed (e.g., no more than 3 marketing properties
identified, an explanation of what the marketer means has been provided
in textile science terminology)
Accurately identifies the important properties which the textile product is
said to have and accurately describes these using appropriate textile
science terminology
Accurately identifies what component of the textile gives rise to the
special properties that the textile product is said to have
Discusses the accuracy of the claims made by the textile product marketer
and applies textile science knowledge gained from the course/textbook
(and other sources if necessary) to dispute or agree with these claims.
Shows an appropriate level of critical thought in approaching this part of
the assignment.

____/10

____/15

____/15

____/30

A well organized assignment where the ideas are well structured and flow
logically. An effective introduction and conclusion is included.

____/10

6.

Few or no errors in punctuation, capitalization, grammar and spelling.

____/10

7.

Assignment is presented well and professional. It is aesthetically pleasing

and clearly legible.

____/10

Total Score _____/100

Comments: