Connecting in Online Technical Communication Courses: Addressing Usability Challenge for Students and Faculty Members

In designing and offering online technical communication courses, faculty members face many challenges, including attempting to assure the usability of the interface for students. This article addresses five of these challenges and provides options for faculty members to begin to address these challenges

Preparing Technical Communication Students for Workplace Practitioner Research

Practitioner research in technical communication differs from general or academic research. Technical communication students need to develop abilities to conduct research into subject matter, audience, and communication approaches within workplace contexts to meet situated needs. This article explores differences between the two realms of research and discusses implications for teaching practitioner research abilities. It closes with examples of and ideas for teaching practitioner research abilities to technical communication students. Such courses can provide students with crucial abilities and knowledge to guide decisions during the creation of technical communication products

Technical Communication and Project Management: A Mixed Methods Study in a Corporate Context

A mid-size manufacturing business grew from a family start-up to a global leader in less than three decades, but no plan was developed for Project Management or Technical Communication. Recently upper management acknowledged this corporate weakness and asked us to research interdepartmental communication, with emphasis on New Product Development. Formal Project Management had not previously been attempted at this company, and New Product Development was conducted as a committee. After a literature review, we conducted a mixed-method study to assess employee satisfaction with current project processes, technology, and communication. A survey combining two existing tools was administered to all personnel in departments involved with New Product Development. Downs and Hazen's Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire was tailored to evaluate the company's communications, and a customized version of the Universal Technology Adoption and Use Theory tool assessed technology use and acceptance within the company. Subsequent to the survey, all department managers directly involved with New Product Development at the organization were interviewed. Quantitative results were analyzed statistically, and qualitative results were analyzed through open coding. Findings from this study can provide insight into the dynamics of improving both Project Management and Technical Communication within a corporate context

DESIGNING THE ULTIMATE VIDEO GAMING ENVIRONMENT: THESIS PORTION OF THE MOUNT OLIVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST SHELTER RENOVATION CAPSTONE PROJECT

poster abstractWhen the client mentioned that he wanted the space adjoining the gam-ing space to appeal to college age adults, the importance of acoustical sepa-ration was placed into the forefront of my mind. Additionally, much has been said in the media about the negative health benefits of extended video gam-ing play. This thesis project will seek to uncover tangle characteristics of an enjoyable and healthy video gaming environment that can then be incorpo-rated into the overall design of the video gaming den. There is a particular focus on seating and acoustics. The space will need to preserve the experi-ence for the gamers and observers as well as preserve the peace for every-one else without the isolation that usually accompanies a game room. Seat-ing should facilitate a healthy gaming experience as well as add to the im-mersive quality of the gaming environment. In conjunction with the capstone course, this thesis project completes the interior design senior experience required for graduation

The knowledgeable practice of computer documentation writers: Tactics for constructing user and software images and for negotiating organizational boundaries

This study examined computer documentation writers in order to begin to explain their procedural knowledge as they conducted research and negotiated with boundaries within their organizations in order to create documentation. This analysis begins to create a model of computer documentation writers\u27 procedural knowledge, a model which builds on other qualitative and quantitative studies of professional writing. This study deals with relationships between discourse and procedural knowledge, the nature of the expertise of computer documentation writers, and roles of documentation in creating computer literacy. In two ethnographic case studies covering nearly 10 months in small and mid-sized organizations, I describe the methods writers used to learn about users given limited direct access to users and the methods writers employed to learn about software produced by their organizations. I also discuss instances in which the writers used their picture of the users, their picture of the software, or a combination in order to explain writing decisions. I argue that the writers were not merely translating, but were creating knowledge through combining their pictures of the users and of the software. Tactics for creating images of users included: talking with users during phone support calls; meeting with users; drawing on the writers\u27 own experiences with software and documentation; interacting with user contact people; studying user feedback; studying internal review comments; and conducting internal user testing. Tactics for learning about software included: using the software themselves; talking to others within the organization; studying program specifications; learning from feedback on internal reviews; and studying old manuals. I also analyze and describe the tactics these writers employed to negotiate their organizational boundaries. These tactics include: acquiescing, complying, or agreeing; suggesting other options; resisting or refusing; ignoring; postponing or deferring; making a new decision; proposing or innovating; and educating. These tactics allowed writers to exert some control over decisions relating to their work. The dissertation discusses pedagogical implications from this study in which I argue that professional writing students need to learn the tactics of professional writers, including how to create arguments for their decisions in order to create the most effective computer documentation possible