English 5311. Foundations in Technical Communication

Foundations of Technical Communication is an introduction to technical communication history, theory, and practice. At the end of the course you will be able to do the following:

Discuss technical communication history, practices, theories, and research methods;

• Discuss the relationship between theory and practice in technical communication;
• Negotiate various definitions of technical communication and evaluate the legitimacy of these definitions;
• Identify common genres of technical communication and sites where this discourse is disseminated;
• Discuss the contexts in which technical documents are created; and
• Use research methods to evaluate various genres of technical communication.

Textbook

Central Works in Technical Communication by Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber.