Notes the disagreements that occur between business communication teachers, their peers, and their students about the evaluation and grading of student work. Initiates a larger study of this problem by asking readers to rank seven business letters written by college students. (RL)

Presents a colloquium (based on exchange of opinions on the "Bizcom" listserv on the Internet) that explores the concept of writing well. Illustrates the influence of electronic mediation on the communication process. (SR)

Notes that the technical communication program at State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome established a Technical Communication Advisory Board composed of professionals, managers, and others associated with professional and technical communication. Describes benefits to students, to the program, and to advisory board…

Considers why women have been absent from the history of technical communication. Discusses research from the history of technology suggesting that notions of "technology,""work," and "workplace" may be gendered terms. Concludes with several suggestions for defining technical communication so that significant works of…

Evaluated three test development procedures designed to measure different levels of domain expertise. Experts and novices in psychology and physics took tests generated by the procedures intended to measure ability to understand, draw inferences from, and recognize "big ideas" in technical text. Results were consistent with the…

Describes how to set up service-learning courses (where students go out into the community and do writing projects for local businesses) and how to anticipate certain types of problems. Discusses benefits, both pedagogical and civic/humanitarian, that this real-world approach brings to the teaching of technical writing and professional writing.…

Looks at 10 hypothetical scenarios as a means of examining how technical communicators contribute to perceptions that they are less than strategic or central to the operations of companies. Discusses certification, conference attendance, professional development, client relations, and editing. (TB)

Examines literature written about annual reports to identify trends in research and determine areas of future study. Categorizes articles as related to regulations and guidelines, summary annual reports, online annual reports, rhetorical analysis of annual reports, readability and accessibility of annual reports, methods of conveying negative…

Notes that technical writing instruction often operates in isolation from other components of students' communication education. Argues for altering this isolation by moving writing instruction to a place of increased programmatic perspective, which may be attained through a means of assessment based on educational outcomes. Discusses two models…

Defines a distance learning method for graduate programs in technical communication in which the World Wide Web serves as an electronic learning environment. Discusses the approach that Mercer University employs for its M.S. in technical communication management, and characteristics of a good distance learning program that is of value to adult…

Offers a library resource exercise developed as a collaborative effort between the geology department and the library staff to introduce students to library usage and geological literature. Students can be expected to use these library skills to conduct subsequent subject-area research. Benefits include the ability to address large numbers of…

Studies six summer interns in an engineering development center. Shows that for the interns and their more experienced colleagues, learning did not precede activity but rather was the means by which they remained attuned to activity and able to function. Finds cognition was distributed not only among people but also among people and their tools;…

Examines technical communication programs outside the United States and comments on such features as their location in the university structure, links with public relations, the inclusion of internships or practicums, the balance of theory and practice, and typical course offerings. Lists a dozen major programs in seven countries. Concludes that…

Describes the importance of annotation to reading and writing practices and reviews new technologies that complicate the ways annotation can be used to support and enhance traditional reading, writing, and collaboration processes. Emphasizes issues and methods that will be productive for enhancing theories of workplace and classroom communication…