Business Writing

This course provides an introduction to business writing, which includes business reports, memos, and letters; this course is particularly appropriate for students in business and related areas, although it is open to students from any major. The course requires critical thinking, problem solving, attention to detail, ingenuity, and a significant commitment of time to complete the writing assignments.

Clark, Dave. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2003). Academic>Courses>Writing>Business Communication

Information Architecture

In this course we'll be talking about and working on the architecture of 'information spaces.' An 'information space' could be a virtual space like a Web site or a database, or it could be a library, a town hall, a workplace, etc. Basically, it's any place that is designed to help people interact with information, and our goal will be learning about better, more sophisticated ways of helping people interact effectively.

Clark, Dave. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2003). Academic>Courses>Information Design

Is Professional Writing Relevant? A Model for Action Research    

This article argues that engaged 'action research' can help professional writing researchers both develop new and interesting collaborative models and help our profession develop a greater relevance to those not reading our journals and attending our conferences. I outline one particular, localized approach in the hope that our troubles, struggles, and failures at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee can help others to develop their own programs and can further our discussion of community engagement.

Clark, Dave. Technical Communication Quarterly (2004). Articles>Research>Writing

Knowledge Management

This course explores knowledge management--the management theory based on the notion that knowledge is mission critical--from the perspective of technical communicators. We will read theory and technical communication scholarship, and we will critique management texts, IT approaches, and software interfaces. We will get hands-on practice with the common techcomm-based technologies, investigating single-sourcing strategies and building content and knowledge management systems. And we will discuss the role of technical communication in organizational knowledge management projects.

Clark, Dave. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Academic>Courses>Knowledge Management

Re-Negotiating with Technology: Training Towards More Sustainable Technical Communication    

Technical communicators have often defined their relationship with technology using a metaphor of 'technology as tool,' an outlook that reinforces perceptions of practitioners as 'tool jockeys,' threatens the sustainability of the field, and isolates academics and practitioners alike from design and business decision-making and from better intellectual connections with other fields. We suggest that one potential solution is a new approach to training; if technical communicators can conduct technology training in ways that shift this metaphorical focus, they can not only better connect academics with practitioners but also create new connections with other fields, outlooks, and theories, becoming the sort of profession that survives global economic shifts and succeeds in both academic departments and industry.

Clark, Dave and Rebekka Andersen. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Technology>Theory>Tropes

Technical Writing

This course provides an introduction to technical writing, which includes technical reports, instructions, proposals, letters of application, resumes, procedures, and manuals; this course is particularly appropriate for students in English, information resources, science, engineering, architecture, education, and other applied sciences, although it is open to students from any major.

Clark, Dave. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2003). Academic>Courses>Writing>Technical Writing