The European Network of Science Communication Teachers

The project brought together leading institutions and individuals involved in science communication teaching from across Europe, to exchange ideas on good practice in teaching.

ENSCOT. Organizations>Education>Scientific Communication

Evaluating Distance Learning in Graduate Programs  

Distance learning technologies make graduate programs available to technical communicators almost everywhere. Do these programs provide an education that is as rigorous and rewarding as those provided by traditional on-campus programs?

Hayhoe, George F. Bigglobe.jp. Articles>Education>Assessment>Online

Evaluating Distance Learning in Graduate Programs: Ensuring Rigorous, Rewarding Professional Education

Internet-based distance learning programs make it possible for technical communicators located anywhere in the world to participate in graduate courses in their field. But are these graduate programs as rigorous as those offered through traditional educational venues? Do they provide opportunities for participants to learn from professors and their fellow students that are as rewarding as those provided in traditional graduate seminars? This paper reports the responses of students in two such classes to a series of questions probing these issues, and offers conclusions and recommendations that may help others who plan such courses to structure them more effectively.

Hayhoe, George F. IEEE PCS (1998). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online

Evaluating Online Tutorials on Software Applications

Nowadays, there are a lot of software applications designed to meet the need of end users to simplify their work. These software applications usually come with supporting tools to help users with system setup and requirements, installation guides, troubleshooting, or getting-started tutorials. When looking for more information on a specific topic or “how to” on a software application, users usually tend to look first on the manufacturer’s Web site. In reality, however, the result doesn’t always answer our questions, because the manufacturer may have a wide variety of tutorials that may confuse us, the manufacturer’s tutorials may be intended for experienced users, or tutorials may be incomplete because the manufacturer only goes through the basics of the software application.

Lumenta, Agnes. Techniques (2003). Articles>Education>Tutorials>Online

Evaluating Student-Created Hypertexts: A Map  

In this paper I offer thumbnail sketches for four methods of assessing student work in computer-mediated composition courses.

Whithaus, Carl. Kairos (2001). Articles>Education>Hypertext

Evaluating Training Workshops in a Writing Across the Curriculum Program: Method and Analysis    

Program directors could use data from protocols and interviews to identify 'natural sources of resistance', and 'translation and follow-up problems'.

Blakeslee, Ann M., John R. Hayes and Richard Young. LLAD (2002). Articles>Education>Writing>Assessment

Evaluating Writing Programs: What an Outside Evaluator Looks For  

In many colleges, evaluation remains an in-house affair. But...

Lindemann, Erika. Council of Writing Program Administrators, The (1979). Articles>Education>Assessment

Evaluation of Training Programs in Technical Communication  

To remain viable in this economy, executives and administrators must produce efficiently and hence must assure sound evaluation of training programs in technical communication. These decision-makers can benefit from the insights of professional evaluators of educational programs so as to establish goals, secure resources, review the activities, and report results. Described and then illustrated here is the CIPP-model to review the activities, that is, the contexts, input, processes, and products. Well-done evaluations lift the level of communication skills, the morale of the students and faculty, and the organization’s products.

Battle, Mary V. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Education>Assessment

Examples: WAI Web Content Accessibility Curriculum

Provides details or examples of one or more techniques that are associated with a particular checkpoint. Where possible, the examples are actually coded so that you will see how that particular technique displays or renders on your browser or user agent. In most cases, the markup that creates the 'live' example is also provided (although you can also 'View Source' to get the exact coding). Where necessary, some text is included to explain what is 'supposed' to happen (for example, if an HTML 4 attribute is not widely supported yet), or for user of non-graphical or older browsers.

Letourneau, Chuck and Geoff Freed. W3C. Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Education

Expand Your Career Plan  

Your professional development and the ultimate success of your career depend upon you alone. If you don’t want to be viewed as 'just another doe writer,' broaden your career plan by expanding your talents into areas that are important to your organization's goals.

Henderson, D.L., Bonnie J. Davis and Genie Vidal. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Education>Continuing

Expanding Beyond a Cognitivist Framework: A Commentary on Martinez’s “Intentional Learning in an Intentional World”    

One of the looming challenges educators face today is understanding how student diversity and uniqueness impacts the complex process of learning. Affective and conative factors are increasingly examined as we seek to understand how to teach and support the whole learner. The goal is to build theory that informs practice so that we may, as Martinez argues, move beyond “fuzzy, one-size-fi tsall [instructional] solutions” to instruction that is designed to match individual learning needs. Factors such as motivation, self-effi cacy, learning styles, and emotional intelligence have become increasingly common terms in educational research as we seek to defi ne affective and conative variables that impact the learning process as well as design of instruction. However, as with much of educational research, there are a vast number of complex, interrelated variables to consider and no one easy solution.

Kirkley, Jamie and Thomas Duffy. Journal of Computer Documentation (2000). Articles>Education>TC>Cognitive Psychology

Expanding Our Borders to New Sites of Practice  

Vital academic programs have a component in practice and an obvious connection of research and theory to the undergraduate classroom. This position (not a truth) could explain, in part, the growth of technical communication as an academic discipline over the past two decades while the study of literature, often in the same department, has declined.

Rude, Carolyn D. CPTSC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>TC

Expanding the Borders of Our Curriculum to Include Communities of Practice  

What does the profession look like today? We see writers who specialize in running usability tests; writers who work with XML and database tools to manage single content sources for multiple delivery vehicles; writers who develop content and then design the layout of that content for every kind of print and electronic media, writers who grab the latest hot authoring tool and produce Web-based customer support. And the list could go on and on. The common denominator is writing skills.

Harner, Sandi. CPTSC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>TC

Expanding the Learning Community: Using Electronic Mentoring to Build Academic/Industry Partnerships  

New technologies provide technical communicators with opportunities to expand their learning communities. Establishing and maintaining an electronic mentoring forum will benefit students and teachers.

Fink, Bonnie L., Leslie K. Gasser and Kara L. Schubert. STC Proceedings (1996). Academic>Internships>Industry and Academy>Education

Experience-Enabling Design: An Approach to ELearning Design (II)

Layout decisions like the course structure, navigation, media, etc., affect the experience of the product. For a learner, the ease and intuitive way of getting in, moving around and exiting are the experience factors. How do we bridge this gap between layout and experience?

Krishnan, L. Ravi and Venkatesh Rajamanickam. uiGarden (2006). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online

Experience-Enabling Design: An Approach to ELearning Design (I)

This paper draws inspiration from diverse media to understand what constitutes experience. In doing so, it seeks directions for building experience into design of elearning products.

Krishnan, L. Ravi and Venkatesh Rajamanickam. uiGarden (2006). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online

Experiential Learning Prepares Students to Assume Professional Roles    

Educators need to prepare their students to assume roles as communicators in the corporate world. By providing experiential education--active learning both inside and outside the classroom--teachers can ensure that students succeed.

Southard, Sherry. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (1988). Articles>Education>Workplace

Exploring Burnout among University Online Instructors: An Initial Investigation  

Burnout has been identified as a significant issue among those in instructional positions. The purpose of the present research was to identify and describe the status of burnout among higher education online instructors. The population for this study included responses of 76 online instructors employed by baccalaureate granting institutions within the United States. A demographic survey and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) were used to collect data from respondents. Data analysis revealed online instructors possessed an average score on the emotional exhaustion subscale, high degree of depersonalization, and low degree of personal accomplishment.

McKnight, Mark A. and R.L. Hogan. University of Southern Illinois (2007). Articles>Education>Online

Extensible Markup Language: How Might It Alter the Software Documentation Process and the Role of the Technical Communicator?    

This article describes the influence that Extensible Markup Language (XML) will have on the software documentation process and subsequently on the curricula of advanced undergraduate and master's programs in technical communication. XML, an evolving set of standards for storing and displaying information, uses nine components that make up the XML development process. Grouped into content, formatting, and language specifications, these components enhance organizations' ability to manage information more efficiently and accurately. As the XML development process is adopted, the software documentation process will evolve from a self-contained procedure into a more flexible, interactive process in which software documenters must work closely with a wide range of specialists. The changes that XML will have on the software documentation process will likewise have implications for programs in technical communication in the need to address new kinds of job descriptions, skill sets, and career paths of future technical communicators. The article recommends adaptations to existing courses, as well as new elective and required courses.

Battalio, John T. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2002). Articles>Documentation>Education>XML

The Extension of Technical Writing into Performance Consulting  

Perhaps the trouble for academic programs that teach workplace writing begins with the term 'technical communications.' Perhaps the trouble grows with those programs’ focus on the teaching of writing rather than on the development of professionals who bring complex, strategic writing/thinking processes into work communities.

Hile, Julie. CPTSC Proceedings (2000). Academic>Education>Writing>Technical Writing

Facilitating Interactivity in an Online Technical Communication Course    

Several researchers have discussed the important role of interactivity in promoting student learning and socialization, especially in online courses. Facilitating interactivity in an asynchronous, web-based course, however, presents a number of challenges. Such a course, in technical communication, was developed at Florida State University incorporating three interactive components: threaded class discussions, peer editing groups, and collaboration on a group project. Lessons learned from the development and implementation of this course may assist other instructors in developing and teaching online technical communication courses.

Latham, Don. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online

Facilitating Reflection: A Manual for Leaders and Educators

'Reflection' is a vital component of service-learning. This manual was designed for educators and leaders of service groups who have an interest and a commitment to provide reflection opportunities for students and community partners alike. College professors, K-12 teachers, community organization leaders, and leaders of service organizations have all found, 'Facilitating Reflection: A Manual for Leaders and Educators,' a useful supplement to their work.

Reed, Julie and Christopher Koliba. University of Vermont (2005). Books>Education>Service Learning

Facilitating Research on Global Partnerships in Technical Communication Programs

Discussion about fostering international relationships for academic programs in technical communication.

Farkas, David K., Kenneth T. Rainey and Bruce Maylath. CPTSC (2005). Presentations>Education>Globalization>Collaboration

Faculty Integration of Technology into Instruction and Students' Perceptions of Computer Technology to Improve Student Learning  

There has been a remarkable improvement in access and rate of adoption of technology in higher education. Even so, reports indicate that faculty members are not integrating technology into instruction in ways that make a difference in student learning. To help faculty make informed decisions on student learning, there is need for current knowledge of faculty integration practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between faculty integration of technology into classroom instruction and students' perceptions of the effect of computer technology to improve their learning. A sample of at least 800 undergraduate students at a participating medium-sized midwest public university was selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The researcher delivered and administered the surveys to the participating students and collected them after completion. 98% of the questionnaires were complete and retained for analysis.

Keengwe, Jared. Journal of Information Technology Education (2007). Articles>Education>Online>Assessment

Faculty Internship Panel  

The Faculty Internship Panel provides a guideline and model for faculty internship programs. Although technical communicator internships, particularly faculty internships in the corporate environment, are generally considered a good idea. They are difficult to set up. The Austin STC chapter (in collaboration with members of the Austin Technical Communications Mangers' Focus Group and the Technical Communications Department at Austin Community College) set up and ran a successful pilot Faculty Internship program. A panel offaculty interns and corporate sponsors provide pointers in planning, implementing, and evaluating such a program.

Rosenquist, Deborah J. STC Proceedings (1996). Academic>Internships>Education