Work Practices
Technical communicators are skilled writers and editors who are comfortable using, interpreting, explaining, and evaluating different technologies and technical information. They are also good collaborators, able to work with interdisciplinary teams on technical and communication projects. Additionally, they are familiar with a variety of software programs and can adapt and apply emerging technologies to create interesting and effective communication products. Finally, they are knowledge managers, problems solvers, educators and advocates.
Although technical communicators wear a lot of hats, some common work practices stand out. The courses in the Graduate Technical Communication Certificate program prepare students to continually develop and stengthen the core competencies needed for the variety of today’s technical communication work practices, including—although not limited to—the following categories:
Collaborating
Today’s technical communicator collaborates with technical professionals from programmers and project managers to machine operators and medical technicians. All technical communication assignments situate students in a collaborative context with other students. In these contexts, students complete complex projects such as reports, user manuals, technical brochures, and forms for a particular purpose and audience, some of which may be real clients. Students also learn to work closely with subject matter experts like engineers and other technical staff, asking questions as advocates for the various audiences to ensure the final communication product that will meet customer needs. In technical communication courses, collaboration refers to the mutual negotiation of learning through practice. As in the workplace, technical communicators collaborate with both experts and nonexperts in the design and production of print and electronic communication products.
Writing, Designing, and Editing
Technical communication differs from composition and literary writing especially in terms of purpose and audience. Technical documents often include such rhetorical elements as definitions, process and mechanical descriptions, instructions or procedures, memos or reports. Technical documents are designed to get something done to perform some type of action. Therefore, technical documents must be accurate, clear, complete, concise, correct, and coherent, and technical communicators must be diligent about eliminating ambiguity.
In each technical communication course, students learn to interpret contexts in order to generate text for a variety of audiences. Technical communication students also learn the technical abilities of designing, writing, editing, presenting, and evaluating technical information. Students also learn to develop graphics, audio-visual aids, and other material for efficient and creative communication products.
Applying Technology
When discussing technological competency in technical communication courses or as technical communicators in the workplace, students in the program should be aware that they will be expected to learn and use a variety of technologies including computers, scanners, printers, and software. Students will learn and use software programs like Microsoft Office Suite 2007 (particularly advanced features of Word and PowerPoint) as well as the Adobe Creative Suite 3, which includes InDesign, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Flash, and Photoshop (and others as demand warrants and new technology emerges). Equally important, students should be aware that they will learn technology within the context of rhetorical activity. From this perspective, students will learn word processing, layout and design, image manipulation, and web design.
