Teaching about Plagiarism in the Age of the Internet  

Things have changed since I began teaching research writing ten years ago. I used to require students to use at least one electronic source; now, I require that students use at least one paper source. Students used to start their search at the card catalog; now they log onto the Internet. Of course, the change has been gradual, but I have begun to ask what this shift from paper to electronic sources means to academic integrity.

Klausman, Jeffrey. NCTE TETYC (1999). Articles>Education>Writing>Plagiarism

Teaching Business and Technical Writing in China: Confronting Assumptions and Practices at Home and Abroad    

In light of growing interest in technical communication around the world, cross-cultural teaching opportunities may challenge basic assumptions about teaching and learning for both teachers and students. A faculty-development project in the People's Republic of China illustrates various ways facilities, educational practices, and worldviews from each side of the exchange require significant compromise. A negotiated, student-centered classroom environment may be a significant strategy for instruction in such settings.

Dautermann, Jennie. Technical Communication Quarterly (2005). Articles>Education>Technical Writing>China

Teaching Critical Thinking in The Technical Writing Class  

It is probable that the Technical Writing course provides for upperclassmen the most intensive and extensive experience with written English that they will have during their undergraduate education. Traditionally, the course has bridged the world of work and the world of school. We instructors try to prepare our students for on-the-job professional writing, and it would seem that this objective is met through the special goals of the course: writing to particular audiences, using precise language, mastering formats, and using graphics. Such observable skills are valuable: indeed, Green and Nolan indicate, in their piece in the recent 'Education' issue of Technical Communication, that the fundamental requirements of an entering technical communicator's job are writing, editing, and researching. Yet, what are we to make of the prediction that Paul V. Anderson cites in that very same issue, that the advent of more highly sophisticated computer software will eliminate up to 75 percent of the present jobs in technical communication, rendering entire categories of jobs obsolete? We must teach, then, in addition to these surface writing abilities the deep structure reasoning skills that nourish them, those skills that are highly esteemed by business, industry, and academia.

Meyers, G. Douglas. JAC (1985). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing

Teaching Documentation Writing: What Else Students--and Instructors--Should Know    

Discusses knowledge, problem-solving strategies, and desktop publishing skills students need to learn about documentation writing. Describes a course that provides these skills. Also applies to in-house training programs.

Boiarsky, Carolyn and Michael Dobberstein. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Education>Documentation>Technical Writing

Teaching Documentation Writing: What Else Students—and Instructors—Should Know    

A course in computer documentation writing needs to provide instruction in problem-solving skills as well as help students learn to transfer their knowledge and processes from one task to another if it is to truly prepare students for working in the constantly-changing environment of the computer field. Purdue University Calumet has developed a unique, complex course that, in addition to providing instruction in the conventions and the rhetorical context in which manuals are written, provides students with the content and procedural knowledge, problem-solving strategies, and desktop publishing skills they need to adapt to the evolving nature of this field.

Boiarsky, Carolyn and Michael Dobberstein. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Education>Writing

Teaching Engineering Communication: A Novel Vertically-Integrated and Discipline-Conscious Curriculum  

The demands of former students, of industry, and of the accreditation board have prompted the engineering education community to investigate the integration of communication proficiencies into the four-year engineering curriculum. While much literature has been devoted to this task in the last several years, the engineering communication programs at most institutions can be described as employing either a peripheral or diffuse model to offer technical communication instruction. Each of these models is problematic. This article describes a novel 'hybrid' engineering communication education model under development at NC State University that is vertically integrated and discipline conscious.

Kmiec, David M., Jr. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>Technical Writing>Education

Teaching Hypertext Composition    

Composing hypertext documents can be an enriching path into the world of technical communication. In learning to produce hypertext, students are introduced to an important form of written composition that encompasses not only text generation, but also visual communication and information architecture. In this article, I provide a rationale for teaching hypertext composition and then some specific curricular suggestions in two parts, one for teaching beginners, and one for teaching more advanced students.

Gordon, Jay L. Technical Communication Quarterly (2005). Articles>Writing>Hypertext>Education

Teaching Punctuation to Advanced Writers  

Most discussions of punctuation are confined to the mechanics sections of handbooks and rhetorics and thus tend to be of value only to basic and freshman writers. Occasionally, some texts allude to uses of punctuation that would be of interest to advanced writers, such as using punctuation to create acceptable sentence fragments or comma splices, but rarely do these texts explain these usages in much detail or provide many good examples of them. I wish to focus in this paper on the uses of punctuation that advanced writers need to be taught. Specifically, I will discuss how we can teach advanced writers to use punctuation to create rhetorical effects.

Meyer, Charles F. JAC (1985). Articles>Education>Writing

Teaching Science Writing  

Teaching students how to write about science for the general public involves helping them research subjects, publications, and audiences. They should learn about research, organization of articles, audience analysis, and writing strategies, and use human interest, background information and examples, proper terminology and pace, and techniques to motivate readers to read the article.

Samson, Donald C., Jr. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Education>Writing>Scientific Communication

Teaching Technical Writing Through Student Peer-Evaluation    

Individual students in two different sections of an undergraduate civil engineering laboratory were tasked with preparing three professional-quality laboratory reports. The teaching assistant and/or instructor used established criteria to grade the first two reports prepared by students in one section. The first two reports prepared by students in the other section were peer evaluated by assigned fellow students within the same laboratory section using identical grading criteria. The peer evaluated section had a higher class average than the teaching assistant/instructor graded section on the fist two reports. The third report prepared by students from both sections was graded by a professional educator/architect without knowledge of a student's class section. The peer evaluation students also had a higher class average on the third report, suggesting that the peer evaluation process may have positively contributed to those students' writing skills.

Jensen, Wayne and Bruce Fischer. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2005). Articles>Education>Technical Writing>Collaboration

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

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

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

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

Technical Writing Courses  

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.

Docsymmetry (2003). Articles>Education>Technical Writing

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

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

Techniques for Collaborative Technical Writing and Editing Projects Applied in a Technical Writing Classroom  

Collaborative writing and editing are common in business and industry, so they’re often taught in the technical writing classroom and the writing intensive classroom. However, more than dividing the tasks and sharing knowledge in a "real world" simulation is necessary to provide students with a "good" collaborative experience or writers and editors with good teamwork in business and industry. Technical writing students at Cincinnati Technical College worked in teams on developing a manual for prospective students, but they also applied more sophisticated collaborative techniques. They completed a battery of psychological tests and participated in experiential learning on group process.

Heilman, Christine W. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Education>Writing

The TechOWL: A Resource for Technical Communication Students  

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) has been a popular pedagogical complement to writing labs in university academic environments since the mid-1980s. There is, however, a great deal of similarity among the generic functions of these OWLs. This paper presents a brief summary of the historical background of OWLs, and it offers a description of several different perspectives on a new subspecies of OWL – the TechOWL, which can be designed and implemented specifically for students and practitioners of technical communication. This blueprint for a TechOWL offers several suggestions and guidelines for identifying user communities for TechOWLs, for conducting a thorough needs assessment, for designing specific technical communication features, and for building, maintaining, and evaluating TechOWLs.

Shirk, Henrietta Nickels. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Education>Writing>Online

Ten Engineers Reading: Disjunctions Between Preference and Practice in Civil Engineering Faculty Responses    

Previous research has indicated that engineering faculty do not follow best practices when commenting on students' technical writing. However, it is unclear whether the faculty prefer to comment in these ineffective ways, or whether they prefer more effective practices but simply do not enact them. This study adapts a well known study of response in composition to ask whether engineering faculty prefer authoritative, form-focused comments, or whether they may prefer to write different sorts of comments. We asked ten civil engineering faculty to comment on a sample paper and then rank their preferences for provided versions of comments on the same paper. One provided version emphasized comments on content, one emphasized comments on form, and one was balanced. Comparisons of the respondents' preferences and practices suggest that the engineering faculty recognize and value content-focused, non-authoritative responses, but generally do not write comments that conform to these values. We consider the implication of these findings for research on response to technical writing as well as for technical writing faculty in their own course. While recognizing the need for more research, we also discuss ways in which writing professionals, including WAC administrators and technical writing professors, can encourage engineering faculty to enact their preferences for response styles that reflect best practices.

Smith Taylor, Summer and Martha D. Patton. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2006). Articles>Education>Engineering>Writing

The Professional Email Assignment     

As the semester's first assignment in a first-year writing course, I have used the professional e-mail assignment for several years in both face-to-face (f2f) and virtual classes, and have experienced great success as well as positive feedback from students. I have also shared this assignment with colleagues who have remarked on the value of critically thinking about e-mail since the genre cuts across every class, every discipline, and almost all employment and home situations. The assignment also sets the tone for all of my assignments because it fits within my pedagogical/theoretical framework, incorporating three important principles: community, critical engagement, and application (Digital 231). As with all of my assignments, this one has a theoretical underpinning, is framed by readings, is distributed to students via a written document that itself serves as 'good writing,' provides scaffolding for later assignments, and emphasizes digital literacies that are crucial if students are to be engaged and empowered citizens.

Rife, Martine Courant. NCTE TETYC (2007). Articles>Education>Writing

The Technical Writing Machine: A Model for Teaching Writers How to Develop Troubleshooting Procedures  

A hypothetical 'technical writing machine' was created as an aid in teaching writers how to develop troubleshooting procedures. Students use a schematic diagram of the 'machine' to determine possible faults and their causes. They learn to consider factors such as reliability and support equipment requirements as they determine a fault isolation strategy and presentation format. The 'machine' eliminates the need for students to have specific system technical knowledge and allows them to concentrate on the techniques of writing troubleshooting procedures.

Moran, Thomas E. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing