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Some of the things that come to mind for a "first exposure" to technical
writing are:
Audience analysis
Interviewing skills
Document organization
Task analysis
Evaluating existing manuals to see what is good or bad
Level of detail - do we provide the tiny details or give a broader picture
One space or two after a period (JUST KIDDING!)
Different types of technical writing (Instructions, proposals, grant
writing, system documentation, software, hardware, others can add to this
list)
In a more advanced class, knowing one class would not do justice to any
topic, I would probably introduce the following:
Project management
Introduce indexing
Collaberation with other writers/illustrators
File management and revision control
Working with outside vendors (translators, printers)
Taming the SME
There are more topics, but these are what come to mind first.
Tom Johnson
Elk Rapids, Michigan - On the freshwater coast
johnsont -at- starcutter -dot- com work
thomasj -at- freeway -dot- net personal
-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Schipper [SMTP:instr -at- nc5 -dot- infi -dot- net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 1999 4:14 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Teaching Technical Writing
I'm nearing the end of my first year as a college instructor, and I have
been assigned to teach Technical Writing to second semester, first year
college students in the Fall 1999 semester. I need help. The students
who register for the technical writing course will have completed the
required computer science course and the first semester English writing
course. We will be in a computer lab with Internet access and anything
else I request (within reason), so I could use some advice about what
would really interest students in technical writing.
As Technical Writers and/or Technical Writing instructors, could some of
you on this list please tell me what you think are the most helpful and
necessary components of teaching beginners about technical writing?
Maybe none of my students will become technical writers, but I want them
to see what technical writing offers. If you, as technical writers,
could return to your first technical writing course and plan what would
have helped you the most, what would you have wanted your instructor to
teach you?
