The Current Status of Business and Technical Writing Courses in English Departments

ADE Bulletin ◽  
1985 ◽  
pp. 50-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Rivers
Keyword(s):  
Technical Writing ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
English Departments

Using Multimedia for Instructor Presence in Purposeful Pedagogy-Driven Online Technical Writing Courses

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Heidi S. Harris ◽  
Michael Greer
Keyword(s):  
Course Design ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Engaged Learning ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Instructor Presence ◽  
Course Outcomes ◽  
Writing Instructors ◽  
Student Projects

Teaching and composing with multimedia humanizes online technical writing and communication classes. However, students do not always see the connection between multimedia instructional materials, multimedia assignments, and the course learning outcomes. Purposeful pedagogy-driven course design uses multimedia instructional materials to connect assignments, course materials, and assessments with course outcomes. Technical writing instructors can integrate synchronous and asynchronous multimedia elements to address not only the what and why of online technical writing instruction but also the how of multimedia instructional materials. Example multimedia instructional materials and student projects discussed in the article can increase student retention and promote engaged learning.

scholarly journals Educating Technical Communication Teachers: The Origins, Development, and Present Status of the Course, “Teaching Technical Writing” at Illinois State University

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Gerald Savage
Keyword(s):  
Technical Communication ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Status ◽  
State University ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Communication Program ◽  
Illinois State University ◽  
History Of ◽  
Communication Pedagogy

Since the early 1980s, Illinois State University’s English Department has educated numerous technical communication practitioners as well as dozens of teachers of technical communication throughout the United States. Today, the program’s faculty members are nationally recognized for their contributions to scholarship and education and its Ph.D. and M.A. students are sought after to teach in the technical communication programs of other universities. A critical component of this success was the development of the graduate course, Teaching Technical Writing in 1990. This essay situates the development of that course in the history not only of the technical communication program at Illinois State University but in the history of the technical communication field, particularly since 1950. Although the essay focuses on one course in one midsized, Midwestern U.S. University, it is, I believe, exemplary of the development and current status of technical communication pedagogy throughout the U.S.

Making the Virtual Real

2011 ◽  
pp. 224-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reneta D. Lansiquot
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Writing Apprehension ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
The Social ◽  
3D Virtual World

The emerging critical global collaboration paradigm and the use of virtual learning communities can form structured domains that require complementary methods for educational research. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate how the social nature of virtual worlds can be used to teach technical writing and the academic research process. A yearlong, mixed methodology, research study is used to demonstrate the effect of this blended learning pedagogical approach on writing apprehension in advanced technical writing courses. Students wrote manuals collaboratively for an audience of their peers. Second Life, the online 3D virtual world created entirely by its residents, was both their subject of study and a mode of meaningful communication.

Developing a Technical Writing Theory and Pedagogy Course in an English Department

1980 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald J. Alred
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Writing Programs ◽  
English Department ◽  
English Departments ◽  
Writing Theory ◽  
Theoretical Issues

As technical writing programs grow, English departments may alleviate the problems of the unprepared instructor by offering technical writing theory and pedagogy courses. Such courses should combine theory and pedagogy with assignments that are practical and introduce graduate students to the theoretical issues in the field. This article provides a syllabus and the reactions of students who completed such a course.

The Assessment of Technical Writing: A Case Study

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Elliot ◽  
Margaret Kilduff ◽  
Robert Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Writing Assessment ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Writing Course

This article describes the design and evaluation of a formal writing assessment program within a technical writing course. Our purpose in this base-line study was to evaluate student writing at the conclusion of the course. In implementing this evaluation, we addressed fundamental issues of sound assessment: reliability and validity. Our program may encourage others seeking to assess educational outcomes in technical writing courses.

Where Do We Go from Here?

1978 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred H. MacIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Technical Writing ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
Professional Programs ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Improving Writing ◽  
Teaching Emphasis

A number of points for improving writing and speaking necessary for the world's work are discussed. One of these is the expansion of technical writing courses for managers, administrators, and company officials. Another point is concerned with the fact that most technical writing texts focus too much upon engineers and too little upon scientists. A third point deals with the necessity for paying more attention to graduate and professional programs. Other suggestions range through traditional English graduate programs, ways to reward effective technical writing teaching, emphasis on professionalism, and allocation of funding for the improvement of technical writing teaching. The author closes with a call for definite action.

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