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Education in Technical CommunicationPast, Present, India’s Future?
Education in Technical CommunicationPast, Present, India’s Future?
Presented to The STC India Annual Conference, BangalorePresented by Carol M. Barnum, Ph.D. Email: [email protected]
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 2
What we’ll coverWhat we’ll cover
• the evolution of technical writing
• the rapid U.S. expansion of programs
• the development of a professional community
• the situation in India
• the early efforts at collaboration
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 3
Part 1: The Evolution of Technical WritingPart 1: The Evolution of Technical Writing
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 4
How it startedHow it started
• emerged in the U.S. during World War II
• supported the technology developed in– engineering– computer science– medicine and health care– other technical fields
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 5
After WWIIAfter WWII
• G.I. Bill - older, career-oriented college population
• increased interest in engineering programs
• service course in technical writing for engineers
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 6
Service course broadened to reflect growing need Service course broadened to reflect growing need
• pharmacy
• agriculture
• chemistry
• home economics
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 7
Where technical writers worked Where technical writers worked
• military, manufacturing, or domestic product industry
• engineering departments or organizations
• science and research labs
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 8
Where technical writing was taughtWhere technical writing was taught
• Engineering schools– by engineers– for engineers
• English departments– to engineering, science, and technical
majors
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 9
Course content Course content • reports
– feasibility studies– recommendation reports– status/progress reports– investigative reports
• proposals• instructions (procedures)• descriptions
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 10
First textbooks - 1960sFirst textbooks - 1960s
• large increase in composition and technical writing courses
• rhetoric based - emphasis on writing process and audience
• focus on products or genres
• new interest in proposal writing
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 11
Professional organizationsProfessional organizations• Society of Technical Writers and Editors
(1953)• The Association of Technical Writers
and Editors (1954)
• two organizations merged to become the Society of Technical Writers and Editors (1957)
• Renamed the Society for Technical Communication (1971)
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 12
First programs - 1958First programs - 1958
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute– MA in Rhetoric and Technical
Communication– Technical Writers Institute
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 14
Computers entered the mainstreamComputers entered the mainstream• Mainframe computers found commercial
uses in 1960s• 1960— 2000 computers in U.S.• 1970—125,000 computers in U.S.• 1978 Apple II; 1981 IBM PC;
1984 Apple Macintosh• 1985— 500,000 computers in U.S.• 1990—World Wide Web
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 15
Discipline of technical communication - 1970sDiscipline of technical communication - 1970s• 10 academic programs
– graduate programs added at MIT and Michigan
• Short courses for industry– offered by many institutions including MIT,
Michigan, Georgia Tech• Academic journals
– Journal of Technical Writing and Communication - 1970
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 16
Academic organizations -1970sAcademic organizations -1970s
• Association of Teachers of Technical Writing/Technical Writing Teacher - 1973
• Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication - 1973– 19 programs in 1976 directory– 51 programs in 1981 directory
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 17
Technical writing majors -1980sTechnical writing majors -1980s
• technical writing developed into technical communication
• graduate programs increased• research published• National Council of Teachers of English
Committee on Technical and Scientific Communication established annual awards for technical communication publications
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 18
Technical communication -late 1980s to 90sTechnical communication -late 1980s to 90s
• shift from writing practice to theory
• shift from product emphasis to process approach (using composition theory)
• 203 programs (11 doctoral programs) in STC survey -1993
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 19
Technical communication majors writeTechnical communication majors write• documentation (instructions) for
computer hardware and software– on paper– online
• reports and proposals
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 20
Technical communication majors also write and designTechnical communication majors also write and design
• advertising materials• articles, newsletters, press releases
(marketing)• newspaper and magazine pieces
(journalism)• training materials (print and online)• Corporate communication • web pages
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 21
Technical communication majors editTechnical communication majors edit
• writing of others– documentation– engineering– medicine/healthcare
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Careers in technical communicationCareers in technical communication
• US Department of Labor - in top 10 fastest growing fields
• high starting salaries
• excellent career mobility
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Work in many industries and governmentWork in many industries and government
• computer industry• all areas of engineering• local, state, and national government• environmental safety• health care and medicine• training• translation and localization
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Future of technical communicationFuture of technical communication
• continued expansion into new areas– internet (World Wide Web) – intranet– usability testing
• continued need to learn new tools and technology
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Society for Technical CommunicationSociety for Technical Communication
• 25,000 members worldwide• chapters around the world including
– Canada– Europe (10 chapters) – New Zealand, Australia– Singapore– Taipei– Tokyo– India
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 26
Education in technical communication todayEducation in technical communication today• more than 220 programs listed on STC
website – most are in U.S.– Canada– France, Sweden, Netherlands– Germany (just starting 4-yr. program)– New Zealand– India (more about this later)
STC India Conference Carol Barnum 27
Types of programsTypes of programs
• two-year programs in technical schools• certificates (undergrad, post grad and
noncredit)• BA and BS programs in colleges and
universities• distance learning/internet programs
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Types of programs (cont.)Types of programs (cont.)• Post-graduate programs
– technical communication– rhetoric and composition– journalism– English– instructional technology– information design
• STC website lists 22 Ph.D. programs
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Close ties with industryClose ties with industry
• Advisory boards• internships for students and faculty• relevant work experience by faculty• guest speakers from business and
industry• scholarships for students
– from industry & business– from STC chapters
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IT software service professionals in India IT software service professionals in India
• 1998-99: 280,000
• Jan. 2001: 410,000
(according to Profit Magazine, Aug. 2001)
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Technical communicators in IndiaTechnical communicators in India
• estimate of 600
(according to Frederick Menezes, article on twin-india.org)
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Number of university degree programs in IndiaNumber of university degree programs in India
• zero
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STC website lists program in IndiaSTC website lists program in India
• Indian National Scientific Documentation Center– A constituent of Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research, Govt. of India– 2-yr. Certificate, Associate of Applied
Science
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Other efforts underwayOther efforts underway
• SA International, Chennai, in association with Simon Fraser University, Canada– Certificate in technical writing
• Calicut University, as part of Mass Communication/Journalism course– Optional paper in technical writing
• Technowrites, Pune– Some basic courses in technical writing
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India has 213 universitiesIndia has 213 universities
• Resident university programs needed
• More collaborations needed that lead to BA, BS, and MA/MS degrees
• STC India is in the forefront of efforts to educate about the need
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Collaboration efforts continueCollaboration efforts continue• 350,000 students in University of
Bombay• 23 universities in Hyderabad Sind
National Collegiate Board (HSNCB)• Exchange agreement in place between
University System of Georgia and HSNCB
• Interest in developing technical writing
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Technical writing seminarTechnical writing seminar
• 3 days in March, 2002
• Program for management students in business college
• Program for faculty and administrators
• Outcome unknown …to be continued?