Describes a 50-minute session designed to improve students' writing of science laboratory reports. Using an improperly worded description of how to make a peanut butter sandwich, the students work in groups to improve "point of view" and "voice." The changes are then used to create better reports. (TW)

Discusses writing instruction with the use of ACCESS (A Computer Composing Educational Software System), a program that allows the design of virtually any lesson or exercise a teacher envisions. Describes how ACCESS does the actual programming while the instructor provides the menus and overall program design. Appends 22 practical exercises. (NKA)

Based on a comparison of criterion-based, checklist scoring of medical students' patient interviewing skills and the traditional method of faculty observation, it is suggested that the latter method is less reliable. (MSE)

The workbook is designed to teach college-level writing skills to students for whom English is either the native or a second language. An introductory section for students describes the use of a concordance and provides instructions for the using the workbook. An introductory section for teachers is also included. Six instructional units address…

Based on the theme of the past, present, and future of science, technology, and communication programs, this proceedings presents 49 papers delivered at the 1999 annual meeting of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTSC). Papers in the proceedings are divided into 12 subsections: The Shape of Programs: Past,…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to comprehending technical information from documents or electronic media and…

This manual is based on a 3-year, federally funded program, Project FASTER (Functional Assessment Services for Transition, Education, and Rehabilitation), that developed functional assessment procedures and provided assessment services to adolescents and adults with learning or behavioral disorders who were involved in school-based transition…

In 1981 a questionnaire was mailed to personnel at 42 Kentucky colleges and universities to determine the number of faculty members teaching technical writing, the academic qualifications and professional experiences of these individuals, and the methods they used to teach technical writing. Of the 29 responding, 20 (68.9%) institutions offered…

An experimental first-year course introducing law students to the law firm addressed: a single issue in contract law from both sides, writing as an advocate, the lawyer's role, legal research methods, the legislative process, the counseling function, the appellate process, and traditional legal writing. An interdisciplinary approach was used. (MSE)

Estimates indicate that as much as 80% of an engineer's work time is spent on communicating. Studies done by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Arizona show that engineering firms, as well as ECE graduates, rank writing ability as the most important skill in determining engineers' success, even above…

For years, the author has been a fan of assigning students in business communication classes to draft messages that explained complex decisions or situations. The assignment is the author's variation of the negative or bad news message. This traditional genre has generated a new Web-based method by which people and organizations respond to public…

This guide, part of a series of workplace-developed materials for retraining factory workers, provides teaching materials for a workplace course in report writing skills for technical staff. The course has been designed to help new engineers with all aspects of report writing. It covers the outline and structure of reports, brainstorming,…

This book, which is designed for individuals in skilled trades and service occupations, contains 132 sample resumes for occupations in the following occupational categories: automotive and heavy equipment; construction and maintenance; customer service; hotel, restaurant, and food service; office; trades; warehouse, manufacturing, and electronics;…

A process oriented technical writing course was devised at the University of Alaska to counteract the "forms" approach and to include peer critiques and student participation in class grading. Modifications to the standard syllabus included (1) student analyses of their own writing processes through literacy autobiographies, (2) student…

Technical writing instructors generally agree about the absolute need for communication skills throughout the technological work place, but a survey of technical writing journal articles shows a lack of focus on ways to address business's needs for on-the-job literacy. One major advance within the profession in recent years has been the…