Technical Communication . . . with real clients

Course Description

This course takes a "client-based" approach to teaching technical communication by matching students with real clients outside the university to complete semester-long information design projects. Working in groups, students in this course will complete information design projects for these clients, as well as writing proposals, reports, memos, and emails associated with the client project. With a practical emphasis on how to perform well in a modern, tech-savvy corporate work environment, this course teaches good written, oral, visual, electronic, and non-verbal communication skills, focusing on information design, document design, and visual rhetoric.

• The client-based approach - The course is structured around completing three to four semester-long information design projects for Read Aloud Chattanooga and Rossville Elementary School. The client is king in this class. Pleasing the client and meeting my high standards for document design are the best guarantees of a good grade.

• Positive, hardworking problem solvers apply here - I value hard work, flexibility, a positive attitude, and a willingness to propose solutions rather than complain or make excuses. These virtues are always rewarded in my class.

• Three tracks / three positions - Each student will formally apply for one of three tracks or "positions" in the class--Designer, Presenter, Communications Specialist. Each of these tracks will come with its unique assignments and responsibilities.

• The active learning classroom - Students in this course learn by doing. The entire course is constructed around a workshop model, where students work on projects in class.

The Textbooks