TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Tech writing students From:yunkerj -at- MSCD -dot- EDU Date:Sun, 4 Feb 1996 11:47:01 -0700
I teach in a department that offers degrees in Technical Communications. Many
of the students who elect to take our courses are majoring in an engineering
technology or aerospace. Thankfully we have rather up-to-date equipment and
programs for wordprocessing, presentation graphics, and multi-media.
I have found that our Technical Communications major take to the computers
very easily and readily solve problems presented by new or unfamiliar computer
programs. However, I have also found that the engineering technology students
and aerospace majors require considerably more assistance and encouragement
when presented with a new program.
One reason for this difference, I believe, is that engineering technology and
aerospace students are accustomed to using one or two programs to accomplish a
variety of tasks. However, from the very first course in Technical
Communications, our majors are required to use a variety of programs, even to
accomplish similar tasks, such as WORDPERFECT and MICROSOFT WORD for
wordprocessing, POWERPOINT and BRAVO for presentation graphics, etc. Learning
to solve problems presented by different computer programs just becomes "old
hat" to them.
