Education
A Group Exercise to Teach Technical Writing
How would you teach technical writing to a group of aspiring writers who do not have a hi-tech background? Can you teach instructional and procedural writing even when the topic is, say, how to pack your suitcase before you board a plane? AMANDA CHRISTY BROWN and HOLLY EPSTEIN OJALVO did exactly that in this New…
Read MoreCCCC Outstanding Dissertation Award in Technical Communication
The CCCC Committee on Technical Communication presents the Outstanding Dissertation Award in Technical Communication annually during the Awards Session at the CCCC Convention. Dissertations are evaluated according to the following five criteria: originality of research, contribution the research makes to the field, methodological soundness of the approach used, awareness of the existing research in the…
Read MoreTexas Tech Offers Exemplary Program in Technical Communication
The number of colleges offering a technical communication degree or technical writing certificate is steadily increasing. Most of them are offered through the English departments. That’s also the case at Texas Tech but the depth of TT program is really admirable. Consider these facts: 1. Texas Tech offers not only a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree…
Read MoreThe Built-In Limit to Rounding Off Numbers
Is there a limit to rounding off numbers? Yes there is. The digits after the decimal point reflects the degree of uncertainty we have inherent in the measurement (and thus in the number) itself. For example, 10.7 is less exact, less accurate, than 10.743. Thus we can say that we are “more sure” about 10.743;…
Read More"Convenience" is the Main Reason Why We Round Off Numbers
© 2010 Ugur Akinci We technical communicators deal with numbers all day long. We write them, calculate them, interpret them. We also round them off. “What’s the best way to round off numbers?” a reader asked. And I did some thinking about it because I realized I haven’t given it enough thought in the past.…
Read MoreTechnical Book Review – "Guide to Technical Editing" by Anne Eisenberg
Guide to Technical Editing by Anne Eisenberg is a book outdated in some regards (printed in 1992) but the principles of editing covered in this 182-page volume are well established, still valid, and richly illustrated. For example, the illustration of a “rocket” on page 88 is one such visual element that clearly betrays the pre-Internet…
Read MoreAn Introduction to Scenario-Based eLearning Courses
A scenario-based eLearning course is an instructional design where learners are given a hypothetical situation that they have to solve or deal with. The learner is then guided through the process of solving the problem by a facilitator or instructor who is playing the role of the protagonist in that particular situation. Scenario-based eLearning courses…
Read MoreHow to Use a Chalkboard When Teaching Something
As hi-tech a society as we are, we still use chalkboards in many in-class training and presentation situations. What’s the most productive way to use a chalkboard? Here are the U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines for using a chalkboard efficiently: Keep the chalkboard clean. Erase all irrelevant material. Keep chalk, erasers, cleaning cloths, rulers, and…
Read MoreHow to Become a "User Experience Designer"
(Excerpts) About once a week, I get an email from someone who is interested in becoming a user experience professional. They ask me a series of questions about how one would do this. The questions and areas of focus for these emails vary dramatically, depending on the interests of the individual asking. I thought it…
Read MoreBachelor of Science in Technical Communication Program at Arizona State University
In the Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication Program, students will learn how to produce, design, and manage information, using both traditional and developing technologies. Software and electronics companies, media corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, non and for-profit organizations are some areas that employ technical communicators. The curriculum brings together information, writing, multimedia, and communications…
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