Writing for the Occupational Curriculum Market: A Survival Kit for Technical Communicators  

There is a substantial market for technical communicators in the field of occupationally-based curriculum development. Both educational institutions and in-house industry training programs create instructional materials for preparing new workers and upgrading the skills of incumbent workers. Technical communicators with the right skills and experience can increase their earnings and expand their job horizons by joining this educational market. This workshop acquaints participants with the curriculum-writing market and its requirements and gives them an opportunity to develop an Action Plan for breaking into the freelance market or for expanding their opportunities in their workplace.

Ausburn, Lynna J. and Sherry S. Wietelman. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Education>Instructional Design

Writing for Training  

With books and manuals, users decide what information 1. they want and when they will acquire it. With training materials, however the writer/instructional designer controls the flow of information and the way in which it is presented. To write training materials requires careful consideration of adult learning principles, the possibilities and limitations of presentation media and, for classroom training, the difference between written and spoken language. A training writer also needs to distill from complex concepts the main points that participants will remember after the training.

Urbick, Dolores. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Writing

Keeping Current    

In any field of applied studies such as technical communication, you have to be aware of industry changes. Keeping current with research and academic journals is important, but so is keeping current with what is going on in your industry, particularly in your own city. If you are educating people to get jobs as technical communicators, then you need to be sure you are giving them the right training for the markets they are entering.

Campbell, Alexa. Intercom (2009). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Usability

The Difference Between Training and Teaching

The difference between training and teaching is that teaching encourages reflection, and therefore self improvement. A teacher aims to create students who are better then themselves. A trainer is looking for a human robot.

Barnes, David. Posterous (2009). Articles>Education>Instructional Design

Can You Teach Me Moodle?

Teachers are a very pragmatic lot and love to borrow good stuff. Give’em a good one in Moodle and they will come! If a science teacher has a great solution using Moodle for a problem or idea her class and say, an English teacher sees it and ‘gets it’ - you can bet the English teacher will at least try or ask how to go about it. And coming from a colleague and a fellow ’struggler’ is a much more powerful thing than coming from the school’s main Moodle peddler like me.

Lasic, Tomaz. Human (2009). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online

The Perils of Passion in the Classroom    

Discusses the intricacies of burnout and how to recognize, prevent, and cure it.

Campbell, Alexa. Intercom (2009). Articles>Education>Instructional Design