Argues for what activist technical writing research might look like, lays out an understanding of institutions that is helpful for influencing public policy, and illustrates promises and problems of both positions by using a case study focused on local HIV/AIDS policy making. Suggests that professional writing researchers can impact policy by…

Examines the nature, extent, and rhetorical exploitation of the margins of indeterminacy in aircraft engine development and testing, focusing particularly on the role of technical documents in creating these margins and in the rhetorical transactions that transpired. Suggests the conditions and implications of these rhetorical transactions need to…

Explores the effect of classroom-workplace collaborations on student learning. Explores how classroom-workplace collaborations help to teach professional genres. Examines how they replicate workplace activity and convey features of workplace genres and how they serve as transitional experiences for students. Examines students' reactions to the…

Offers a case study examining what happened when a production worker tried to improve manufacturing documentation, and how her success depended upon both her craft knowledge and the rhetorical skills she attributes to a Writing Across the Curriculum program she experienced in college. (SR)

Presents five educators' suggestions for improving instructional and educational experiences. Discusses issues such as confronting academic reading and writing; presents an activity called "reverse time capsule essay." Describes a technical writing class writing resumes and addresses "dressing for success." Comments on students helping to write…

States that advanced technology, cost control concerns, and worldwide expansion in distance education programs challenge technical communication teachers to find ways of delivering quality technical writing courses by distance. Describes a distance platform at Texas A&M. Sees examining, applying, and testing existing distance theory in…

Proposes a rethinking of what professors should teach technical writing students, based on actual experience with three organizations in Oregon. Discusses how to design assignments for students that simulate the reality of a work environment. Explores types of technical writing skills that are increasingly in demand. Offers several strategies for…

Describes a collaborative writing project at Adrian College in Michigan. Students in a general chemistry class collaborated with those from a freshman writing course; the intention was to have students combine their talents to improve their ability to express scientific ideas in a clear and accurate manner. Discusses student reactions and…

Presents an overview of cognitive psychology research on the effects of aging on literacy and suggests the additional complications facing older adults who consume and produce text within the frame of technology, particularly, on-line usage. Gives suggestions of possible ways of addressing concerns regarding aging. (SG)

Presents a bibliography with almost 700 entries--teaching related journal articles and books published in the year 2000. Gives references to a range of topics from collaboration in the classroom to research on human factors and knowledge management to the practice of project management. (SG)

Notes that many preservice teacher education students in a composition methods course confess they did not prewrite seriously in middle and high school, and that many did not prewrite at all. Introduces a technical writer who spends 80% of his writing time in prewriting activities alone. Discusses strategies to help students realize the value and…

The readability of technical writing, and technical manuals in particular, especially for second language readers, can be noticeably improved by pairing Theme with Given and Rheme with New. This allows for faster processing of text and easier access to the "method of development" of the text. Typical Theme-Rheme patterns are described, and the…

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…

When teaching writing, a teacher never knows when a student will truly grasp the importance of the lesson being presented. Teachers know that some students will see the relevance, while others may not immediately grasp the value of what they present in the classroom. In order to convince students they should actively participate in his technical…

Documenting procedures very well is an important concern for technology educators and students alike. Good documentation--a thorough conveyance of thoughts and processes--is a skill that can set the students above others as they enter the competitive technological workforce. In this article, the author explores how writing and documenting could be…