RE: suggestions needed for teaching a introductory college course in technical writing

["Christensen, Kent" <lkchris -at- sandia -dot- gov>]

(two digests today, none yesterday, so a bit late with this response)

Both bryan.westbrook and David Berg disagree with my notion of covering
project management in the introductory course.  I'll detail my thoughts.

Both appear to emphasize the "writing" portion of the phrase "technical
writing," while I think my suggestion concentrates on "technical."  Of
course most university students have had some prior training (I sincerely
hope) in writing, so more seems like just that, more of the same (but maybe
with emphasis shift away from literature).  Most "writing" like that, I
surmise, is an individual thing, and technical writing is certainly not.
Rather, it's a teaming process and teaming processes are something I
perceive taught quite infrequently in public schools and even universities
(I reject high school football as metaphor for life).

For the most part, technical projects at successful firms are managed using
project management techniques and one-person projects are rare, and in these
successful scenarios tech writers are part of the plan.  In fact, I'd offer
that all those questioning how to best "interview" subject matter experts
unfortunately find themselves associated with firms not organized for
success--that is, firms where the tech writer is an afterthought and not
part of the team.  I should think a good college curriculum would be success
oriented, big picture oriented, and teaming oriented, and that's why I
suggest tech writers learn of project management early and often.  A writer
is not a technical writer.

PS:  My most recent project?  I came on board by myself at the end and had
to "interview" SMEs and do independent research to figure out what was going
on.  I produced something (http://www.sandia.gov/elecinvoice/manual.html)
that got very little in-process feedback other than "looking good," and
which I'm still not really certain is any good.  I received praise and
awards, but I'm not really happy with what I did because, given the poor
process, I still have no idea if I really did do good.


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