How to Teach Technical Writing
Teach students the importance of technical writing., Familiarize students with the various documents that technical writers produce.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Teach students the importance of technical writing.
Students need to understand both how important writing will be in their careers and also how important it is that they write well.
Low-level employees can expect to spend up to 20 percent of their time writing, with the percentage of time spent writing increasing as they climb the corporate ladder.
As cited by Janet Van Wicklen in "Why Dick and Jane Can't Write on the Job," American businesses lose more than $1 billion each year from poorly written communications. -
Step 2: Familiarize students with the various documents that technical writers produce.
Technical writing can be broken down into several sub-types, as described below.
Some documents may have elements of more than one sub-type within them, such as marketing-related topics within a help file.
Instructional writing:
This includes textbooks, user and owner's manuals, software help files, procedure guides, and how-to articles.
The purpose of instructional writing is to inform, explain, and educate.
Marketing writing:
This includes fliers, brochures, external newsletters, social media posts, and white papers.
While the purpose of marketing writing is to sell as much as it is to inform, the style of technical writing used for marketing purposes is one that informs, to sell by telling instead of overt persuasion.
Business communication:
This includes internal newsletters, letters, reports, corporate memos, corporate intranets, and email.
The purpose of business communication is to communicate company policies, plans, and progress to those who have a vested interest in the company's success, either as employees or investors.
Detailed Guide
Students need to understand both how important writing will be in their careers and also how important it is that they write well.
Low-level employees can expect to spend up to 20 percent of their time writing, with the percentage of time spent writing increasing as they climb the corporate ladder.
As cited by Janet Van Wicklen in "Why Dick and Jane Can't Write on the Job," American businesses lose more than $1 billion each year from poorly written communications.
Technical writing can be broken down into several sub-types, as described below.
Some documents may have elements of more than one sub-type within them, such as marketing-related topics within a help file.
Instructional writing:
This includes textbooks, user and owner's manuals, software help files, procedure guides, and how-to articles.
The purpose of instructional writing is to inform, explain, and educate.
Marketing writing:
This includes fliers, brochures, external newsletters, social media posts, and white papers.
While the purpose of marketing writing is to sell as much as it is to inform, the style of technical writing used for marketing purposes is one that informs, to sell by telling instead of overt persuasion.
Business communication:
This includes internal newsletters, letters, reports, corporate memos, corporate intranets, and email.
The purpose of business communication is to communicate company policies, plans, and progress to those who have a vested interest in the company's success, either as employees or investors.
About the Author
Megan Long
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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