Argues that technical writing instructors should teach sound writing principles while preparing the student to cope realistically with some of the intentionally vague writing of the business-industrial world. (RB)

Argues that the best way to teach writing skills is to stick to the basics, focusing on techniques of organization, sentence structure and function, and audience and purpose. (RB)

Describes a business writing course outline, and suggests using student writing to teach students to write clearly and effectively in a business writing course. (MKM)

Today, students other than biology, computer science, or physics majors are enrolling in technical writing. English and communication students, seeking lucrative careers as professional writers or editors, are increasingly signing up for the course. Lacking extensive scientific backgrounds, these students may have a difficult time writing about…

Suggests that to learn the effective facets of style in technical writing, students should read Walter Miller's "What Can the Technical Writer of the Past Teach the Technical Writer of Today?" in which the styles of 12 outstanding technical writers are analyzed, and examples of the various stylistic techniques of each writer are cited.…

Describes a technical writing class developed for an off-campus class of scientists which used the scientists' own writing as a basis for course work. (MKM)

Discusses trends in the teaching of technical writing in the two-year college. (MKM)

According to the author, the Association for Business Communication (ABC), the premiere professional organization for those who teach business communication, has long neglected and marginalized those who teach at two-year colleges, as has the discipline of business communications as a whole. The best method to determine how ABC could better meet…