Combining Interpersonal and Technical Communication Courses to Improve How Teams Function  

Research indicates that teams are more effective when they satisfy the social goals of their members. Therefore, teams that focus on interpersonal communication (the internal performance process) as well as the team's objective (the external product) improve their chances for success. It follows, then, that classroom instructors can enhance team success by adding interpersonal communication components to courses that use teams. This paper shows how we used this research to design an innovative NSF program. The program incorporated an interpersonal communication component to motivate student teams to succeed.

Barchilon, Marian G. and Donald G. Kelley. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Education>Collaboration

Coming into the Workplace: What Every Technical Communicator Should Know—Besides Writing  

Working successfully as a technical communicator involves a great deal more than a thorough knowledge of professional skills and capability in the craft. Working at this kind of job means dealing with all sorts of people, handling all sorts of assignments and dealing with all sorts of corporate agendas and requirements that have seemingly little to do with getting the project out the door. But it’s all in a day’s work, and if you want to keep the job, you’ve got to accept and actually operate within all of those guidelines, strictures, rules (written and unwritten) and mores that make up the corporate structure.

Barker, Thomas, Rebecca A. Fuller, Deborah J. Rosenquist, John Schladen and Thea Teich. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Workplace>Writing>Technical Writing

A Commitment to Excellence: A Systematic Approach to Training Editors  

Creating and maintaining a high quality work environment that attracts and retains talented editors requires a commitment to excellence at all levels of a company or organization. A company dedicated to a nurturing work environment for its employees provides systematic training opportunities for professional growth. This paper describes how a company can meat its ongoing training needs for editors by offering formal and informal training programs and fostering learning at the group, department, division, and company levels.

Moell, Patricia G. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Editing>Education

Communicating about Environmental Risk with Stakeholders  

To explore the barriers to successful communication about environmental risks, a research project addressed the following questions: what do people understand about the terminology and the graphics used in risk messages? what sorts of communication modes and timing do people prefer? Surveys and focus groups were conducted in two towns to explore the level and types of risk (e.g leaking gas tanks) with which people are uncomfortable. The findings extend the discoveries of other environmental communication researchers: People are confused by regulatory language, they do not trust the government, and they want 'true stories,' credible witnesses, and face-to-face interaction with other stakeholders.

Hart, Hillary. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Risk Communication>Environmental>Civic

Communicating About Scientific Research Over the Internet: A Case Study  

University communicators specializing in science and technology are making increasing use of Internet resources to supplement traditional methods of producing and publishing their work. These resources include electronic mail; the text-only interface called Gopher; and, most recently, the World Wide Web. This paper describes some of the specific ways that communicators are using these Internet tools. It also includes a list of advantages and disadvantages that we have discovered in our work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and seen at other technological institutions. These 'lessons learned' may benefit our counterparts who wish to begin or enhance their organizational 'presence' on the Information Superhighway.

Davis, Nancy E., Mark Hodges and Leigh F. McElvaney. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Scientific Communication>Research>Online

Communicating Change to a Technical Organization  

Communications played an important role in a major organizational transformation and outsourcing undertaking by the Information Technology Organization (ITO) of BellSouth Telecommunications. A two-person team was assigned to plan and develop internal and external communications during the project’s 18-month duration. The approach they took was closely related to the process for planning and developing technical communications. An 11-step method resulted and it is now used to improve communications at many levels within the ITO.

Wagnecz, Lorlee E. STC Proceedings (1998). Presentations>Management>Outsourcing

Communicating Emotions Effectively in Online Learning Environments  

This paper presents an analysis of the various textual and visual ways that emotions are typically communicated in online learning environments. It also looks at the importance (and limitations) of both verbal and nonverbal online communication from the perspective of Daniel Goleman’s concept of “emotional intelligence.” Descriptions of three case studies demonstrate situations that involve emotionally-based student-instructor interactions that could have become problematic without the instructor’s awareness of the actual emotional issues involved. The paper concludes with a set of recommended guidelines for instructors addressing emotions in online learning situations.

Shirk, Henrietta Nickels. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Education>Online>Emotions

Communicating Environmental Issues To A Diverse Public  

A wide variety of environmental issues needs to be communicated to diverse groups of audiences. A panel representing government and industry discusses with the audience the impact of government regulations, public perception, and ongoing research findings on environmental writing. Communication strategies and theories for disseminating information and gaining public support are applied and analyzed.

Barr, Christine R., Kathy E. Carter and Margaret E. Durbin. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Scientific Communication>Environmental

Communicating in Spite of TLAs (Three-Letter Acronyms)  

The unchecked use of acronyms and initialisms in technical writing presents a huge obstacle to clarity and readability. Although technical communicators are certainly more aware of this problem than are the engineers, scientists, and managers with whom they work, they need concrete guidelines and at least a small degree of self-righteousness on this subject to help them cope with the onslaught. That acronyms frustrate communication is well-founded in linguistic theory and common sense. Suggestions for mitigating their effect include issues of audience, term selectivity, frequency and occasion of use, and aesthetics.

Miller, Diane F. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Writing>Style Guides

Communicating Rapidly Changing Information  

When purchasing complex software products, users frequently receive large quantities of information; however, to use the product efficiently, they need a visually obvious starting point that helps them locate the specific information they need. With maintained With the quantity and diversity of information, customers need to be able to find the information they need without flipping through endless pages. In order to give the users a starting point in all of the printed and ASCII file information. we created a document entitled the Guide to products, users can use the features available with a new release most efficiently if they have an overview of the major changes to the product and to the information about the product. By using visual devices and creating an overview document. for each release, technical communicators can decrease their costs and increase users' productivity.

Bown, Jennifer and Connie M. Bibus. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design

Communicating the Results of Field Studies to Support Usable Design  

When you have completed the study, analyzed the data, and organized the interpretations and conclusions along with supporting data, you have to communicate the results to the people who need to know about them. How you communicate the results depends upon who the intended audience is, content needs of the audience, and the scope of the content. Increasing the odds of this information being used in the design process requires an understanding of the company's culture and the barriers limiting its use in the development process. Various strategies such as computer-slide presentations, reference notebooks, bound reports, and memos have been shown to be very effective in various circumstances.

Carlevato, Denise, Judith A. Ramey and Erin Leanne Schulz. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Usability>TC>Reports

Communicating What You Do That's Special  

Designed for technical communicators with one to five years of working experience, this workshop enables participants to successfully demonstrate the value of their work by drawing on personal experiences to describe their capabilities and approaches. Specifically participants will effectively muster facts, figures, and metaphors to convince an employer (supervisor, colleague, project director, or whomever) that he or she can: come into a project “cold”; complete a front-end analysis of needs; develop an appropriate approach; and perform to specified standards, regardless of subject matter. Further, this workshop aims to build self-esteem by highlighting the added value that a technical communicator brings to a project by representing a special perspective.

Huff, Claudia H. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>TC>Rhetoric

Communicating with International and Multinational Audiences  

Preparing technical documentation is always a challenge. The challenges in preparing technical documentation for a multinational or international audience are even greater.

Stewart, Sharon D. and Sara M. Stohl. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Communication>International

Communication and the Internship: The Roles of Program Directors and Teachers in Facilitating Change  

This panel addresses the necessity of dialogue within and about the technical communication workplace of the future as it mixes scholarship, classroom practice, and the reports of corporate technical communication managers to offer a comprehensive approach to the analysis of internship data and the productive use of internship experiences.

Fink, Bonnie L. and Alice l. Philbin. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Internships

Communication and the Internship: The Roles of Program Directors, Teachers, and Corporate Supervisors in Facilitating Change  

The quality of internships for students and for employers is highly influenced by how well the students and employers are prepared for them. In this segment, we discuss how academia can prepare students so that students and their employers get the most out of internships. We suggest a model that academia and employers can use to identify skills and knowledge students require now and in the future to ensure successful internships. We identify the need for employers to produce a quality internship environment that takes full advantage of the students’ skills and knowledge. And, we’ll discuss how academia and employers collaborate to continually enhance the quality of internship programs.

English, Kathleen A. and Barry Jereb. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Internships

Communication Times

Communication Times is the newsletter for members of the Toronto chapter of STC. It appears monthly, except for July and August. It is mailed to members of the Toronto STC chapter about a week before the monthly meeting. Non-members can subscribe for $27 a year.

STC Toronto. Journals>TC>Regional>Toronto

Communications and CARE Models  

Customer communication is a key element in a technical communicator's life. Our customers are usually our subject matter experts (SMEs). Yet, customers are more than just SMEs. They are our co-workers, managers, and others both internally and externally that we interface with. In this paper, We start by finding out who your customers are and why you may treat them differently. Following this brief discussion, we then look introspectively into the common communication forms and review different CARE (Customers Are Really Exciting) models that you can use to make your customer communication, whether face-to-face or in written form, more enjoyable.

Damrau, Jackie. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Business Communication>User Centered Design

Communications and CARE Models  

Customer communication is a key element in a technical communicator's life. Our customers are usually our subject matter experts (SMEs). Yet, customers are more than just SMEs. They are our co-workers, managers, and others both internally and externally that we interface with. In this paper, We start by finding out who your customers are and why you may treat them differently. Following this brief discussion, we then look introspectively into the common communication forms and review different CARE (Customers Are Really Exciting) models that you can use to make your customer communication, whether face-to-face or in written form, more enjoyable.

Damrau, Jackie. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Business Communication>User Centered Design

A Communications Renaissance: Developing Tomorrow’s Developers  

Mathematics and computer science can be difficult subjects for the communications teacher to penetrate. In 1997, the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo initiated the development of a pilot course in communications for Mathematics and Computer Science students. This paper explores the research and discoveries that built a successful course: a definition of “numeracy” that equates with academic “literacy” as knowledge creation; perceiving the students as “end users” and doing ongoing “usability tests” during the pilot course; and using case studies as social action to empower students and envision math and technology as dynamic, socially rich fields through communications.

McKenzie, Andrea. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Education>Scientific Communication>Mathematics

Community College Faculty Providing Industry Training as a Way to Gain Workplace Experience  

For college faculty members who have little or no workplace experience, providing industry training offers an opportunity for them to gain valuable, first-hand knowledge of workplace realities without the usual complications of corporate/business politics. It requires less commitment than traditional workplace experience, like consulting or short-term work in business/industry, because industry training courses are traditionally shortterm and narrowly defined. Also, they do not have to market themselves or manage financial and legal issues; these are usually left to a coordinator. It requires less preparation because they can teach courses which they have already taught in the college classroom.

Heilman, Christine W. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Education>Service Learning

Community Service: Giving Something Back Through Literacy Training  

Literacy is a major problem in America that affects our profession more than we may realize. A recent study sponsored by the U.S. Congress suggests that over half the U.S. population cannot read our writing. The literacy problem offers STC chapters a perfect opportunity to pool the best of their skills and to get involved in community- based projects. Our skills are exactly what are needed to help America attain one of its National Goals: 100% of all Americans will be literate by the year 2000. This workshop will help your chapter get active in giving something back through literacy training.

Hoft, Nancy L. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Education>Community Building

Compaq QuickFind: The Editorial Process from Print to CD-ROM  

COMPAQ QuickFind is a CD-ROM database of COMPAQ product information. Available by subscription, QuickFind offers full-text search-and-retrieval functions and full-color graphics in a 350-megabyte database. QuickFind incorporates hard-copy information into an electronic format. The QuickFind editorial process (converting hard- copy information to searchable files) is the key to creating a valuable, centralized support tool for COMPAQ dealers, customers, and internal personnel.

Tacker, Susan and Susan L. Maloney. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>CD ROM>Online

A Comparative Analysis of Heuristic and Usability Evaluation Methods  

Usability testing and heuristic evaluation are two methods for detecting usability problems, or bugs in software user interfaces. Usability testing identifies bugs that impair user per$ormance. It provides a realistic context for the product evaluation, whereas heuristic evaluation does not. Further, it provides an estimate of bug severity, while heuristic evaluation does not. To its detriment, usability testing is more expensive and time intensive than heuristic evaluation. It also tends to overlook bugs that may not affect user pelformance but may negatively impact the user’s perception of product quality. Recently, we have incorporated the bestfeatures of these two methods into one procedure which seems to work better than either method alone.

Simeral, Elizabeth J. and Russell J. Branaghan. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Usability>Testing