RE: teaching technical writing to engineers

["Bill Darnall" <darcom -at- sbcglobal -dot- net>]

Hello,
I'm going to be teaching a technical writing class to junior-level
university engineering students and wondered what the group thought it was
important for them to learn.
------------- snip ---------------

Evelyn,

I suggest you have each student prepare a simple user manual on a technical
product or process of his or her choice. First, have them develop a
specification for the project that includes an outline, the structure, and
for whom the manual is intended.

If you have time, you might have the students do some role playing. Pair
them up. Let one be a writer and another be the SME.

Finally, have the students exchange manuals and ask them to evaluate the
work of their classmates. How well did they follow the specification? How
well did they structure the document? How well did they write? How well did
they actually communicate with the user?

Bill D.







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