#20083
Teaching Technology: Immersing Students in a High Tech Environment 
Teachers of technical communication should not simply focus on what tools to use in the classroom and how to use them. We should consider what happens when we use technology. In this presentation, we attempt to answer that question and to demonstrate what technologies the Cedarville professional writing faculty employ to accomplish their learning objectives.
Harrier, Sandra W., Donald M. Humphreys and Philip Wittmer. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Software
#29140
Teaching The Complexity Of Purpose: Promoting Complete and Creative Communications 
The successful communicator is expected to provide communications that are not only complete but also representative of effective thinking (i.e., original). Creating complete and creative communications begins with a disciplined process of discovery--identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and integrating the articulated and embedded purposes. Expanding on the work of Linda Flower and John Hayes, this article first explores a means to promote a thorough examination of purpose. It then provides tools for capturing and integrating these insights into communications that are complete, capable of satisfying the rhetorical challenges, and compelling reflections of the student's creative problem solving abilities.
Plung, Daniel L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2006). Articles>Education>Writing>Rhetoric
#29092
Teaching the History of Technical Communication: A Lesson With Franklin and Hoover
The first part of this article shows that research in the history of technical communication has increased in quantity and sophistication over the last 20 years. Scholarship that describes how to teach with that information, however, has not followed, even though teaching the history of the field is a need recognized by several scholars. The article provides and defends four guidelines as a foundation to study ways to incorporate history into classroom lessons: 1) maintain a continued research interest in teaching history; 2) limit to technical rather than scientific discourse; 3) focus on English-language texts; and 4) focus on American texts, authors, and practices. The second part of the essay works within the guidelines to show a lesson that contrasts technical texts by Benjamin Franklin and Herbert Hoover. The lesson can help students see the difference in technical writing before and after the Industrial Revolution, a difference that mirrors their own transition from the university to the workforce.
Todd, Jeff. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2003). Articles>TC>History>Education
#23383
Teaching the Visual: Understanding our Approaches
Despite the significant presence of the visual in the field of technical communication, we have not yet achieved a unified pedagogical approach to the visual. Because of the traditional emphasis on written communication, there is often a conflicting boundary between teaching the visual and textual, which often results in the visual assuming a secondary position to the textual.
Portewig, Tiffany Craft. CPTSC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>Visual Rhetoric
#19302
Teaching Usability Design Through Pattern Language
For interface designers to produce really usable software they require both knowledge of tools and methodologies and appropriate attitudinal, aesthetic and creative characteristics. Usability design patterns, based on the ideas of Christopher Alexander, offer an approach to this educational need. We discuss three approaches to incorporating design patterns into teaching: teaching about pattern language, teaching throughpattern language and discovering patterns. We suggest that developing an ability to see successful usability design solutions as patterns is more important than knowing a canonical set of particular patterns, but that this is an extremely difficult skill to acquire.
Griffiths, Richard N. and Lyn Pemberton. University of Brighton. Articles>Education>Usability
#29893
Teaching Web Design in the Technical Writing Service Course: Steps Toward a Planned Evolution
This study uses an online survey of technical communication educators to examine trends in the technical writing service course with regard to web design. Participants for the study were representatives of programs in technical communication in four-year institutions of higher education throughout the United States. The study contributes to research into the function of the technical writing service course in the current technological climate. Identifying trends is one component in an evaluation that will aid effective evolution of this significant course.
Brewer, Pam Estes. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>Web Design>Technical Writing
#24893
Teaching Writing at a Distance: Avoiding Lecture, Fostering Interaction
This panel segment focuses on lessons learned from teaching technical writing via Interactive Compressed Video ([C V). Although ICV has limitations, its two-way audio and video have distinct advantages, especially when combined with document cameras at each site. With some ingenuity, the discussions, hands-on exercises, workshops, and individualized coaching that are the mainstay of writing instruction can be adapted for teaching at a distance.
Farrell, Kathleen L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Education>Online>Writing
#23755
Teaching Writing, Grammar and Editing Skills On-Line
Universities are rapidly expanding their asynchronous course offerings in order to meet the demands of the adult learner. Nowhere is the asynchronous learning environment more useful then when teaching writing and editing skills. One such on line course was developed at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. The course, COMM 1002-Media Writing, uses the virtual classroom, threaded discussion and peer editing techniques to maintain student connectivity. The course also provides a number of testing/quizzing platforms to allow students to increase their grammar and vocabulary skills at an individual pace thus decreasing student anxiety about professional writing.
Cranford, Christine L. and Christine R. Russell. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>Online
#29826
This article argues that the small school context has been a relatively unexamined or under-examined context for technical and professional communication program development. While graduate program development holds a large share of the field's attention in recent national forums, growth in graduate programs is a consequence of demand in the job market among mostly "teaching" schools. Thus, the field must consider how well we are socializing new Ph.D.s into the values and the real work of institutions where they will find employment. Toward this end, this article articulates three mediating forces of program development in the liberal arts and humanities settings of small schools: 1) interdisciplinarity and flexibility are lived dynamics of small schools; 2) the campus-wide privileging of writing and communication skills presents ongoing opportunities for curricular initiatives and program development; and 3) compression of decision-making structures leads to more involvement of/with administrators and units across campus.
Latterell, Catherine G. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2004). Articles>Education>TC>Business Communication
#23369
Technical and Scientific Communication: Research on the Internet-Expanding Wealth or Chaos?
Since writers/communicators now carry legal responsibility for what they write, on paper or online, it would be useful to students in Technical and Scientific Communication Programs to have instruction in communication law and explore its many applications online.
Turpin, Elizabeth R. CPTSC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>Legal
#19102
Technical Communication and Corporate Training
Unless the professional lives of my former students are unaccountably unique, I expect you will confirm that many of your own former students find themselves developing materials that will be used in workplace training situations. You are undoubtedly aware that a number of technical communicators not only develop such materials but serve as trainers, themselves. The other side of the coin is that full-time professional trainers commonly have to develop their own training documents. Indeed, the majority of students in our Advanced Technical Writing course at Illinois State University are Industrial Technology majors, whose professional goals are to work as industry trainers or as teachers of industrial technology in secondary and postsecondary education programs.
Savage, Gerald J. CPTSC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Education>Instructional Design
#19377
Technical Communication and Distance Education: What’s Being Done, Where We Can Go
Distance education (DE) is a growing national trend, with courses and enrollments nearly doubling between 1994-5 and 1997-8. Technical communication practitioners and departments should take advantage of the benefits DE offers, including geographical and chronological access, integration of learning space and working space, and less time spent in lecture and more time responding to work or more time studying. Currently, technical communication education departments offer classes, certificates, and degrees via distance, varying from one undergraduate introductory class to 36-credit Master’s degrees. Future directions might include more programs to accommodate students, concentrations such as cross-cultural communication, and shorter courses to accommodate specific needs.
Eaton, Angela. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#24557
This article proposes a postmodern reconceptualization of technical communication pedagogy to make student and professional agency a major concern, especially because technical communicators must compete in a global economy that rewards flexibility and penalizes inflexibility. Postmodern mapping metaphors and Robert Reich's methodology for training 'symbolic-analytic' workers are used to suggest ways in which a postmodern approach to technical communication could be taught.
Wilson, Greg. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2001). Articles>TC>Education
#24296
Technical Communication and Service Learning: Goals and Guidelines
Service-learning pedagogy can help develop both writing skills and civic responsibility by involving students in writing projects for nonprofit organizations. Course policy statements should include provisions to encourage responsible student participation, and students should submit regular progress reports so the instructor can make sure clients are served satisfactorily. This linking of the classroom and the world beyond merges theory and practice, allowing students to serve their community while applying and testing the effectiveness of their classroom learning.
Sutliff, Kristene and Leigh Henson. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Education>Service Learning
#29690
Technical Communication Education in India
It, perhaps, may not be an exaggeration to say that the words 'Technical Communication' and 'Technical Writing' became familiar to Indians only in the late Eighties. As the software companies in India started hiring writers for their counterparts in the US and Europe, there was new demand for a specialized breed of writers. The authors felt that to ensure there was a steady supply of trained writers, a structured training program on the subject was vital. This paper takes a look at the involvement of the authors, the industry, and teaching methodology employed in a course on Technical Writing offered by an Indian University.
Ravishankar R and Tharun K. Unni. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Education>TC>India
#13900
Technical Communication from 1850-1950: Where Have We Been?
As the discipline of technical communication undergoes increasing scrutiny by scholars and teachers and as the discipline continues to evolve with advancements in technology, we should pause to consider some foundational, historical issues that led to the formation of a technical communication pedagogy in the first place. This piece evaluates shifts in an engineering curriculum from roughly 1850 to 1960 that made possible the development of a technical communication curriculum.
Kynell, Teresa. Technical Communication Quarterly (1999). Articles>Education>History
#24507
This survey of 73 top-ranked U.S. and Canadian engineering schools examines initiatives that engineering schools are taking to improve communication instruction for their students. The survey reveals that 50% of the U.S. schools and 80% of the Canadian schools require a course in technical communication. About 33% of the schools utilize some form of integrated communication instruction, and another 33% offer elective courses in communication. Just 10 schools have created engineering communication centers to provide additional individualized coaching and feedback for their students. The most comprehensive preparation that engineering schools provide is a communication-across-the-curriculum approach that combines these instructional methods to offer concentrated instruction, continual practice, situated learning, and individualized feedback.
Reave, Laura. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2004). Articles>Education>TC>Engineering
#13917
Technical Communication on the Web: A Profile of Learners and Learning Environments
The number and variety of distance education courses have increased dramatically in recent years with the advent of new delivery technologies. Third-generation distance delivery methods such as interactive, Web-based instruction also have led to new levels of access for students. This article presents demographic information about students taking online courses at two institutions. In addition, it discusses some of the changes in learning environments that may accompany the move to the virtual classroom. Finally, it points out some potential problems in delivering courses with new technologies.
Schneider, Suzanne P. and Clark G. Germann. Technical Communication Quarterly (1999). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#14652
Technical Communicators--Why They Study
The authors, both teachers at Concordia University, report on a survey conducted by their Continuing Education Department that suggests several reasons why many technical communicators desire more education. Waterhouse and Sklar also describe how their department is using the survey to tailor its curriculum to the needs of technical communicators.
Waterhouse, Ann and Adrianne Sklar. Intercom (2000). Articles>Education>Continuing
#29110
Technical Versus Non-Technical Students: Does Emotional Intelligence Matter?
Intellectual Quotient (IQ) has long been considered in education as the deciding factor in a person's success but have we overlooked emotional intelligence (EI) in determining one's success in life? In my attempt to reexamine the acceptance of EI, I studied the difference in EI between different groups of undergraduates in Singapore in terms of their field of study, gender and university. The sample comprised undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National University of Singapore (NUS), with a fair mix of gender and field of study. From their responses to an EI questionnaire, it was found that there was no significant difference in EI between undergraduates who study technical and nontechnical courses, as well as between undergraduates of NTU and NUS, although male undergraduates achieved higher EI scores than female undergraduates.
Poon Teng Fatt, James. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2004). Articles>Education>Technology>Emotions
#18981
A Technical Writing Course Aimed at Nurturing Critical Thinking Skills
Designing effective technical documents requires insightful and well-designed thinking strategies. Experienced writers--usually good problem solvers--practice critical thinking to identify the problems arising out of conflicting goals and agendas. Problem solving starts with problem finding (Flower 1994), and critical thinking plays a vital role in achieving the resultant writing goals. This article describes the function of critical thinking and its practical application in a technical writing course in an occupational setting. A solid understanding of critical knowledge will enhance novice writers' capability of handling problems and making appropriate decisions.
Kanaoka, Masao. Cambridge Language Consultants (1999). Articles>Education>Workplace>Writing
#21412
In the United States, many technical writing courses and degree programs exist for hopeful writers. Technical writers in other countries are not necessarily so fortunate. I don't know why this should be so, but I am happy to say that this situation is improving; more and more universities and colleges are offering technical writing degrees and certificates. Since the number of schools offering technical writing programs changes frequently, providing a list of them here would soon cause this page to become out of date. To find out what technical writing courses are available in your area, contact your local universities and colleges. If there are no classes offered in your area, some universities and colleges provide online degree programs that you can complete from anywhere in the world. Also, many private companies provide technical writing courses. You can find these by typing "technical writing courses" at the search engines. Even if your local university or college does not offer any technical writing courses, you can take other courses that will be beneficial when you apply for a job.
#13695
Technical Writing in a Technological Age: Changes in the Classroom and the Workplace 
Over the past decade, new media and computer technologies have permeated both the technical writing classroom and the technical writing workplace. Documents written for, and used in, these two contexts no longer include just verbal text messages and simple line art printed on standard, 20 pound white paper, as they often did in the 1970s and early 1980s. Technical writing documents today appear not just in print but in electronic form, and in electronic form these documents include multiple media such as high-resolution graphics, audio and video clips, animation sequences, and visual effects. Couple this expanded electronic form of technical writing with Internet protocols that allow for the global exchange of information, and it becomes clear that distinct challenges and opportunities exist for the field of technical writing in a technological age. What is the nature of these challenges and opportunities in the classroom and the workplace? And, what is the relationship between new media, computer technologies, and the changes currently evident in these two contexts?
Selber, Stuart A. Addison Wesley Longman (1997). Articles>Education>Online>Technical Writing
#29379
Technical Writing in College, Industry, and Government (The Junior College Program)
Recommends in-service training programs, including summer institutes and monthly workshops, to teach technical writing techniques to literature-trained English teachers who have plunged into unknown waters.
Marcus, Mitchell. CCC (1968). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
#25598
Technical Writing Part Five: Education
Education and skills development are vital to a technical writing career. While there are no set-in-stone educational requirements for a technical writer, there are very few writers in the field who do not have a college degree.
Hewitt, John. Writer's Resource Center (2004). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
