Ques: Free User Hotline As Educational Tool?

[Regina Schwarz <regina_schwarz -at- BBN -dot- HP -dot- COM>]

Hello,

I have a question for you folks about Tech Writing Education. I would be
grateful for any info.

The University of Trier here in Germany has come up with a great idea &
would like to share ideas with any US schools doing something similar.
They asked for my help in contacting you.

Dr Liebert of the Tech Writing (Germanistik) dept has established a free
user hotline for anyone who can't understand the documentation of a
product they've bought. The students then work to solve these 'cases' by
contacting the company and trying to get an answer to the customer's
question.  Then the students document their efforts, the results, and
try to rewrite the product documentation.  They then forward this info
to the consumer and the company.

I think this is a wonderful idea because everyone benefits:

1 - The students gain valuable 'hands-on' experience and develop
good       job contacts.

2 - The consumer gets an answer to their question without effort or fee.

3 - The company gets valuable feedback at no effort or fee.

Dr. Liebert would like to find out if any US Tech Comm or Human Factors
program is doing something similar. Any help you could give me, I would
be grateful for, and will forward to him.

Many Thanks,
 Regina Schwarz

email: regina_schwarz -at- bbn -dot- hp -dot- com


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