education in technical communication past, present, india’s future ? presented to the stc india...

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


Part 1: The Evolution of Technical WritingPart 1: The Evolution of Technical Writing


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


After WWIIAfter WWII

• G.I. Bill - older, career-oriented college population

• increased interest in engineering programs

• service course in technical writing for engineers


Service course broadened to reflect growing need Service course broadened to reflect growing need

• pharmacy

• agriculture

• chemistry

• home economics


Where technical writers worked Where technical writers worked

• military, manufacturing, or domestic product industry

• engineering departments or organizations

• science and research labs


Where technical writing was taughtWhere technical writing was taught

• Engineering schools– by engineers– for engineers

• English departments– to engineering, science, and technical

majors


Course content Course content • reports

– feasibility studies– recommendation reports– status/progress reports– investigative reports

• proposals• instructions (procedures)• descriptions


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


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)


First programs - 1958First programs - 1958

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute– MA in Rhetoric and Technical

Communication– Technical Writers Institute


Part 2: Paradigm shiftPart 2: Paradigm shift


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


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


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


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


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


Technical communication majors writeTechnical communication majors write• documentation (instructions) for

computer hardware and software– on paper– online

• reports and proposals


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


Technical communication majors editTechnical communication majors edit

• writing of others– documentation– engineering– medicine/healthcare


Careers in technical communicationCareers in technical communication

• US Department of Labor - in top 10 fastest growing fields

• high starting salaries

• excellent career mobility


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


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


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


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)


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


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


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


Part 3: Situation in IndiaPart 3: Situation in India


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)


Technical communicators in IndiaTechnical communicators in India

• estimate of 600

(according to Frederick Menezes, article on twin-india.org)


Number of university degree programs in IndiaNumber of university degree programs in India

• zero


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


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


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


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


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?


Let’s work together to make it happenLet’s work together to make it happen

education in technical communication past, present, india’s future ? presented to the stc india...

Documents

technical fields

technical majors

stc india annual conference

collaboration slide

technical communication

paradigm shift slide

writing process

world wide web slide