Technical Communication, an Introduction for Current Technical Writers, Editors & Designers 

If you have been doing some form of technical writing, editing, or design for a while, but you wonder what the whole profession really involves, this course will expand your perspective, and help you polish your skills.

As a student you will engage in a wide range of activities that help sharpen skills that impact on end users within and external to your organization. This introductory course examines best practices for planning, designing, writing, editing, and user-testing your documentation, online and on paper. Ancillary to this course you will receive an overview of how the profession looks today, reflect on the forces that have shaped our field, and identify the wide range of activities that now constitute technical communication.

Throughout the course students will have contact with the instructor on assignments and may discuss any issues related to technical writing.

Outcomes: 

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define the field of technical communication.
• Identify tasks and job titles in the profession of technical communication.
• Describe the historical forces that have shaped the profession.
• Define key terms used in technical communication.
• Analyze the actual experience of people using your documents.
• Identify the way that typography and layout affect your readers.
• Identify how you fit into a product management process, as a technical communicator.
• Identify key components of an information plan, and content specification.
• Analyze an audience.
• Perform a task analysis.
• Identify key activities in user-centered design.
• Perform user testing on your documentation.
• Identify the key emotional competences for outstanding performance.
• Articulate the levels of edit.
• Identify best practices when writing or editing procedures
• Identify problems and opportunities when publishing text online.

Assessment: 

Your progress will be assessed in several ways:

• Through evaluation of your written work. 
  
• Through self quizzes. 
  
• A final exam or project at the discretion of the course instructor/administrator.

Contact Hours: 30

Intermediate Technical Writing 

This second course, Intermediate Technical Writing introduces you to basic page design such as headings, lists, tables, notices, and highlighting. You`ll learn and be expected to use standard design, format, and style for these page-design elements in the documents you write for this course.

The course is appropriate for anyone who has had some on-the-job experience as well as those who have taken Introduction to Technical Writing for Industry. Intermediate Technical Writing may be taken alone or as part of the sequence of courses leading to a certificate in technical writing.

Throughout the course students can communicate with the instructor on assignments and may discuss any issues related to technical writing.

Outcomes: 

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• State good design practices for headings, lists, notices, graphics, tables, and highlighting.
• Recognize common problems involving headings, lists, notices, graphics, tables, and highlighting.
• Use standard design, format, and style of headings, lists, notices, graphics, tables, and highlighting in their writing projects.
• State the common design and structure of written instructions and for recommendation reports.
• Use headings, lists, notices, graphics, tables, and highlighting effectively in written instructions.
• Perform audience and task analyses in preparation to write instructions.

• Create instructions that focus on reader tasks, that explain actions clearly and that use an effective design enabling readers to accomplish their tasks.

Assessment: 

Your progress will be assessed in several ways:

• Quizzes on headings, lists, notices, tables, and highlighting. Instructor review and acceptance of the instructions and recommendation report. 
  
• Activities will include readings, exercises, and quizzes on headings, lists, notices, tables, graphics, highlighting; and then readings, exercises, quizzes, and examples focused on instructions. Activities will also include writing and revising (as necessary) a set of instructions and a recommendation report that apply the standards for design, format, and style covered in the units on headings, lists, notices, tables, graphics, highlighting, and instructions.

Contact Hours: 30

Advanced Technical Writing 

Advanced Technical Writing will give you the expertise and confidence to market yourself as a technical writer or simply to tackle more advanced assignments at work. Building on the skills you have acquired in the previous technical writing courses, this course emphasizes audience analysis, document organization and design, supplements, visuals, and research techniques. The course consists of one proposal that will incorporate all stage of technical writing: planning, writing, designing, and revising.

Throughout the course students will communicate with the instructor on assignments and may discuss any issues related to technical writing.

Outcomes: 

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Analyze readers and/or situations to prepare for writing a proposal
• Define the purpose of a proposal
• Gather, record, and interpret data
• Use content, design, and style guidelines to produce a more readable, concise document
• Write and edit technical documentation
• Write a winning proposal

Assessment:

• Students will demonstrate their understanding of advanced technical writing by creating a proposal that meets the required standards set forth by the instructor.  
  
• The proposal will include research, supplemental materials, and graphics that meet the expectations and criteria.  
  
• The student will submit the proposal in stages for assessment and feedback.  
  
• Students demonstrate mastery of advanced technical writing by achieving at least 80% on the final proposal.