Inidividual Project 1 Final Draft

Course Development Memo


To: Clemson Biological Sciences Committee
From: Jack Johnston
Date: June 2, 2008
Subject: New Course Development

Objective
For this project, I was assigned to investigate how technical writing operates within Biological Science Majors as well as to recommend guidelines that this program should follow, materials that it should include, and prerequisite courses. The investigation was preformed through class collaboration, outside interviews, and information gathered from the textbook.
Technical Writing Defined
Technical writing is the use of words in the easiest form to get an idea across to the reader. It is everywhere. Some examples of technical writing are web sites, lab reports, memos like this one, business letters, etc. Technical writing is not like writing novels or editing. It is something like taking a huge novel and compressing it into a short story. It leaves out all the unnecessaries. Technical writers try to get straight to the point with the least amount of confusion or hopefully no confusion at all. This can be tough to do sometimes because long sentences, over excessive jargon, and generalization tend to cause the reader to become confused. When the reader gets confused with the message you are trying to communicate, you may as well have no audience. If the reader is confused with the message, then there could be disastrous consequences. In my field of study, a communication error with a prescription could be deadly. Results taken from experiments must be recorded with accuracy and readability in mind. If you cannot communicate the results of an experiment so that others can understand, there is no reason to do the experiment.
Different Forms
Technical writing does not necessarily have to be in written form. It is also the use of graphs, charts, video, and any other visual aid to get a point across. This is often more effective than actually writing out a description. Some say that a picture is worth a thousand words. In technical writing this often proves true. Pictures allow for simplification, and simplicity is key in technical writing.
Workforce Pertinent
Technical writing can be applied to many different fields in many different ways. The importance of having a class that shows how to easily convey ideas, whichever form may be used, is crucial. Technical writing is the art of simplifying. In some fields, the government must interact with the public through communication. Technical writing is what makes the communication possible between these two extremes. This course helps develop skills in technical writing that can offer numerous possibilities. Every field has different possibilities where technical writing arises. In my field, Biological Sciences, technical writing is very useful in future careers. Whether you are a doctor or a researcher, technical writing will come into play. This course develops those necessary skills so that you may strive in the workforce when the opportunities come around.
In general, technical communicators are people who have mastered the skills of technical writing and use them in the workplace. Communicators are in demand all over the job market. As technology advances, so will the need for technical communicators. This skill makes you more favorable in the job market. Technical writing can be a tough skill to master, and experience is tool that makes it easier.
An interview with a doctor provided information on what kind of skills would be necessary before entering the workplace and what methods would be the best to practice these skills. Preparation for the workplace is a very important part of mastering technical writing. Dr. Broker said that the major type of communication that he encountered on a day-to-day basis was with his patients. The doctor stressed that it simplifies his job by being able to easily and quickly diagnose a patient. Communication between the patient and the doctor is a form of oral technical writing, but all the same principles still apply. Excessive jargon, wordy sentences, and being too general can cause the patient to become confused and misinformed. When the technical communication becomes confusing and the patient is misinformed, the patient’s life could be in danger. Jargon is only a useful tool when used with the correct audience.
Also research is another popular career option that arises from a biology degree. Technical writing is of the utmost importance here. Experience is almost necessary to be able to work in this career. Throughout college, lab reports and study outlines are written over and over again to the point of being excessive. Experience is the best form of preparation – and like they say, practice makes perfect. I recommend that there be a greater emphasis on technical writing in classes. The newly developed course should be mandatory. In Biological Sciences, lab reports should be the main focus. The students are required to write lab reports in numerous classes that they take. This course would require them to write lab reports on set material. This eliminates the students concerns for performing the experiments correctly and obtaining the right results. The students would instead worry about just the technical aspects of the lab report.
Applying For A Job
Technical writing is a class that is required by Clemson University. This is a great selling tool with companies who are looking to hire new people. If a company is interested in a prospect that can perform written tasks conveying the message easily and quickly, the employer will have no problem looking at a Clemson graduate with confidence. The employer knows that the student has been trained in technical writing and that his or her skills are more than enough to be able to get the job done.
In the workforce, I have the impression that people will be more likely to hire someone with experience in technical writing. This course not only teaches you the methods and skills of technical writing, but it also trains your brain to look at a situation and try to bring it down to the simplest form. In today’s job market, jobs are becoming harder and harder to come by. A graduated student with experience in technical writing stands alone when employers search for new employees. The student is higher and more favorable than students without the skill of technical writing. Since the course is mandatory, employers would not have to question the technical writing skills of Clemson graduates. This will give a student an even better chance for the job.
Recommendations
➢ Developed course specific for the major would be mandatory.
o This shows employers that anyone graduating from Clemson University with a degree in Biology has specific training in technical writing.
➢ Focus would be on career related forms of technical writing that the student would encounter.
o Mainly lab reports.
➢ The course should not be focused on results or the actual subject matter, but rather on just on the technical writing aspects.
➢ A form of preparation of the student’s communication skills.
o Have them shadow a doctor, researcher, or any one in their field.
➢ Course should be taken twice. Once sophomore year and once junior year as a one-hour credit. Each course specific to the current material that the student is taking.
Sources
Alan Dupree and Jack Johnston’s Collaborative Technical Writing Definition
Bly, Robert. “Ten Way to Improve Your Technical Writing.” Accessed May 30, 2008.
“A Career In Technical Communication: What’s In It For You.” Society For Technical Communication. Accessed May 30, 2008.