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Hope this isn't going too overtime, but this topic is really interesting to me because my husband is working on his MLIS (Master's in Library and Information Science). He's entering his third year of studies and it's no easy venture: weekly exams, 30-page papers every few weeks, the whole shebang!
I was surprised to hear about the work load for a friend of mine who is working on a master's degree in the education field. Her projects for one quarter included reading a couple of books, answering some questions about the readings on the front and back of ONE sheet of paper, and her final project was a 10-page long PowerPoint presentation! Apparently the goal of the final project was to make sure they knew how to use all of the functions of PP because that slideshow was atrocious: colors, graphics, and effects mixed together to make a seriously ugly slideshow.
So it seems that the institution offering the degree, as well as the type of degree being earned, may have an effect on the level of difficulty. I no longer assume that just because someone has a master's degree that they worked really hard for it.
Jennifer
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jennifer_randel=khsd -dot- k12 -dot- ca -dot- us -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jennifer_randel=khsd -dot- k12 -dot- ca -dot- us -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Leonard C. Porrello
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 9:33 AM
To: Dan Goldstein; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Introduction
"Easy to get a master's"? Maybe where you went to school.
Leonard
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Dan Goldstein
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 9:15 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Introduction
For ATA certification, you can't take the translation exam without the requisite education and/or experience. The options are broad: a master's degree in *any* subject, an international translator's certification, five years' work with no degree, etc. But you can't just walk in, pass the exam with flying colors, and get your certification.
OTOH, it's so easy to get a master's that maybe there's no bar after all to taking their exam.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lauren
> Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 4:52 AM
> To: Dan Goldstein; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: Introduction
>
> Yeah, that's kind of why I don't want to get into the certification
> debate.
> The value of certification can currently only be measured with a
> hypothetical form of certification, since there is not an effective
> form of certification now.
>
> Technical writer certification that is an effective tool to evaluate
> technical writers, I think, should include a few things off of the top
> of my head.
>
> * Evaluation of education.
>
> * Time spent technical writing...
>
> * A test for how to write technical documents is impractical...
>
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authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial. http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/
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Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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