Technical communication is treated in this course as both professional practice and as a site for scholarly investigation. Students will learn about the history and theory of technical communication across several disciplines and scholarly traditions. The activities and practices that constitute “technical communication” are theorized as rhetorical activities, and texts are analyzed using rhetorical genre theory, although we will read more broadly in the field to consider other perspectives. Students will also learn empirical approaches to the study of technical communication... Read more about Theory and Practice of Technical Communication (ENGL 789)
Public servants often have to become communication specialists: they have to communicate with diverse audiences (e.g. citizen groups, politicians, lawyers, parliamentary committees and subcommittees) using a variety of genres (e.g. reports, records pamphlets, power point presentations, briefs) as well as different modes of communication (e.g. electronic, text, face-to-face). This course offers participants an opportunity to identify and interrogate the stylistic and visual strategies characteristic of the documents in their workplaces. Much of the course focuses on identifying the needs...
This course will survey qualitative methods in professional communication and user experience (UX) research. We will consider many examples and read broadly on topics related to research design such as interviewing methods and also online research ethics. In addition to becoming familiar with standard qualitative methods in professional communication and UX research, students will also explore innovative approaches to studying digital media environments. We will consider issues of reliable data, data collection from online sources, managing online data collection, data security,...
Technical communication and science communication are two distinct but related areas of communication research. In this workshop series, you will be introduced to these fields, their research, and their instructional methods. In addition to considering the broader fields, we will also consider context-specific approaches in teaching technical and science communication courses at the University of Waterloo for engineering and science. Offered for Definite-Term Lecturer Faculty, Sessional Lecturer Faculty, and senior doctoral-level students.
