Social Media and Technical Communication: A Course in Progress

SOCIAL MEDIA and TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

A Course in Progress

By Jennifer Riehle

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 | April 26th, 2011

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

PREVIEW• Opportunity

• Objectives

• Constraints

• Methodology

• Rhetorical Strategy

• Results

• Review

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

OPPORTUNITY

The emergence of social media has created new jobs for technical communicators

‣ Interest in a course on social media and emerging technologies

‣Currently offered but timeline for permanent implementation is limited

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

OBJECTIVES• Research similar courses

• Develop a course that considers the use of social media from a technical communication perspective

• Build in flexibility for study of emerging technologies

• Make the course content available to others

CONSTRAINTS

TIMEStefan

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

CONSTRAINTS

• Time: the research

• Time: the lesson plans

• Time: staying relevant

• Personal background

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

METHODOLOGY

• Research

• Reading

• Planning

• Creating

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

methodology: RESEARCH• Indiana University

• University of Massachusetts

• Kansas University

• University of Central Florida

• Bowling Green University

• Clemson University

• Minnesota State University

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

methodology: RESEARCH• Indiana University

• University of Massachusetts

• Kansas University

• University of Central Florida

• Bowling Green University

• Clemson University

• Minnesota State University

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

methodology: RESEARCH• Indiana University

• University of Massachusetts

• Kansas University

• University of Central Florida

• Bowling Green University

• Clemson University

• Minnesota State University

• NC State University

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

methodology: READINGEngage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate and Measure Success in the New WebBrian Solis

Conversation and Community: The Social Web for DocumentationAnne Gentle

Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that WorksJanice (Ginny) Reddish

Designing Social Interfaces: Principles, Patterns and Practices for Improving the User ExperienceChristian Crumlish and Erin Malone

The Yahoo Style Guide: the Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Web

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

methodology: PLANNING

• Tying readings to in-class discussion

• Getting the students to write

• Finding time for presentations

• Keeping the content relevant

methodology: CREATING

• The website

• The syllabus

• Writing the lesson plans

Stefan

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES

• Course content

‣Online ethics and privacy issues

‣Managing employees and management

‣ Evaluating and writing for your audience

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES

• Course organization

‣Canons of Rhetoric - Arrangement

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES

• Project delivery via WordPress

‣ Immediacy of related information

‣Using the public sphere

‣ Ethos

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

RESULTS

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

RESULTS

• Shared work with others

‣ Schools who indicated interested

‣ Dr. Gretchen Perbix, Minnesota State University

‣ Dr. Richard Waters, NC State University

• Hope to see some of my work used in the creation of a permanent course

ENG 675 | Spring 2011 April 26th, 2011

REVIEW

• New technologies mean new opportunities for technical communicators

• Course designed to fill a need and still be flexible for future technologies

• Content to be shared with others

with gratitude...• Dr. Stan Dicks

• Dr. Brad Mehlenbacher

• John Martin

• Sarah McKone

• The NCSU Tech Comm Community

Stefan

Questions?

Stefan

Visit the project site athttp://jenreally.com/675project/