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Contents:
Table of contents
Certificate Program Overview
In nearly every sector of our economy, including industry, technology, medicine, government, education, marketing, and the professions, there are technical communicators making written and electronic materials make sense. Welcome to your future. This institution offers an excellent curriculum developed with experts in the field of technical communication, most of whom also teach the courses, with equal care. Members and leaders in the Society for Technical Communication (STC) have been actively involved. The working relationship furthers the goals of both of our organizations, in outreach and in educational mission.A noncredit Professional Certificate demonstrates your commitment to learn and develop professionally in a market in which change is the norm. In these courses, you'll learn the rigors and the ropes of a new career area, or hone your edge if you are currently in a technical communication position. Through the support of Triangle businesses, as a Certificate student you may apply for internships in which you gain professional experience to augment classwork and add to your portfolio. The Certificate program also offers convenient evening and weekend hours for working people; moderate cost; and best of all, a community of learners.
(For more information, see www.learnmore.duke.edu/
Curriculum Overview
The curriculum involves taking required Core classes, and then taking various Advanced classes that help a student specialize in a given track. In addition to Core and Advanced classes are various Elective classes.Proposed tracks include:
- Medical - medical / pharmaceutical / FDA regulatory / safety / environmental / healthcare / scientific / research
- Finance - finance / banking / regulatory / gov't / Sarbanes-Oxley / process / procedures / ISO 9000 / quality system
- Software - software / high-tech / IT / Web / user-interface design
- Manufacturing - manufacturing / hardware / consumer / usability / product / documentation
- Education - education / journals / university / publishing / research / instructional design / training
- Marketing - marketing / advertising / broadcast / journalism / Web design
Or, we could also consider the other dimension:
- Writer/Web designer/content developer
- Info architect/Team Lead/UI designer/usability expert/Editor
- Doc Team Manager/Project Manager
The required Core classes are:
- Survey of Technical Communication
- Technical Writing Workshop
- Information Architecture
In addition, Certificate students must complete four Skills electives (for a total of at least 32 hours of skills electives).
Skills electives are courses in which you learn processes and best practices of many aspects of technical communication. These include:
- Web Writing,
- Scientific Writing,
- Developing eLearning Projects,
- Working with Subject Matter Experts, and
- Collaboration/Teamwork
You select the courses that match your interests, schedule, and goals. Many course offerings change each term to provide the widest variety of classes possible. You need not be a Certificate student to take courses.
Curriculum Details (Course Listings)
Survey of Technical Communication (Core)
In an increasingly complex world, the ability to communicate technical, scientific, and medical information effectively becomes ever more critical. Technical communication covers these areas and more: it is a broad profession that encompasses everything from aircraft maintenance manuals to training videos for expecting mothers. In this class we survey the profession of technical communication. We examine the broad range of career areas and discuss the skills you need to succeed and what employers and the marketplace expect from good technical communicators. Guest speakers will reinforce the concepts discussed, such as how to succeed as a contractor or what medical writers do.
In this class, we survey the broad profession of technical communications. We examine the variety of career areas and discuss the skills you need to succeed; and we examine what employers and the marketplace in general expect from good technical communicators. Guest speakers reinforce the concepts discussed and provide networking opportunities for students. Devices ranging from toasters to space shuttles require technical documentation. Processes from drug development and commercial financial auditing also require technical documentation. If you are interested in non-fiction writing that communicates any kind of technical, medical, or scientific concept or procedural information, but you're unsure where, or whether or not, you fit in the technical communication profession, this class is the class for you. By participating in this introductory class, you will be able to make an informed decision as to whether or not technical communication is a career you want to pursue.
Information Architecture (Core)
Technical writers do more than writing; they provide information solutions. To do that, they must "structure" the information. Learn how technical writers structure information based on the way it is delivered and the way readers access it. This hands-on class provides strategies for analyzing, categorizing, and "chunking" information - the cutting edge of information structuring. You'll learn how to start with one set of source files and excerpt material for different outputs, such as a hard copy user manual, online help, and an online document. You'll also learn how to present information so that readers can visually identify informational hierarchies. This is not a computer lab class.
Technical Writing Workshop (Core)
Hands-on skill-building is the core of this fast-paced workshop. Learn about prevalent forms of technical writing, such as reports, proposals, and technical descriptions. You will work individually or on small teams on class projects that are derived from your actual projects at work and those of fellow class members. Each week we will propose a set of possible projects and you will commit to advancing on one of them by contributing content suggestions, structural ideas, or a page of writing. This is an excellent way to learn through practice on a variety of projects. Jim Sheedy, currently with SAS Institute, has been writing software documents for 20 years. He also teaches the procedure writing, web writing, and business writing.
Creating Software Demos and Tutorials
If a picture's worth 1,000 words, then an interactive simulation is worth 10 times more! Software simulations are ideal for product demos, online help, and interactive tutorials. New tools like Macromedia's Captivate (formerly RoboDemo) and Camtasia record your mouse movements in any software program, and automatically create a "movie" in compact Flash format, with no programming required. Add text captions to give the user instructions, explanations, or feedback, and enhance your simulation with graphics, audio, and text entry and click boxes. You can also convert PowerPoint slide presentations, and add scored quizzes. In this class, you will be introduced to the 5 levels of simulation, and learn how to design an effective software demo or tutorial. You'll gain an overview and comparison of the different tools available (including one that's absolutely free), and you'll also get hands-on practice in creating your own interactive movies.
Working Effectively with Subject Matter Experts
Sometimes technical writers have the image of cloistered scribes, but the reality is that we don't work in a vacuum. We collaborate with many people (editors, translators, artists, engineers, scientists, marketing and sales people, testers, and others) to get the information we need to do our jobs effectively. We have to understand their roles and responsibilities and help them understand ours. We need to set and manage expectations, to learn how to communicate well with different types of people, and establish and cultivate relationships. These skills are essential for technical communicators.
Web Writing: Creating Web Pages
Authoring web pages presents challenges unlike other kinds of writing or layout, but the end goal is the same: communicating to the reader. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of different formatting techniques, the visual and technical issues surrounding the use of color, and the elements of effective web content writing. You’ll come away with techniques that demystify the process and help you to meet the needs of your target audience. This class teaches basic HTML structure but does not teach web-authoring software or details of writing HTML tags. For basic web site creation, take HTML with DreamWeaver.
Building and Leading Teams: Essential Skills for the Technical Communicator
On the job, technical communicators are asked not only to participate in teams, but to facilitate teamwork through their communication skills. But to build well-formed teams and lead them, you also need another set of skills. This course explains key concepts of teamwork, covers the stages of team development, and explores how teams make decisions. You'll develop team skills that can be applied both to technical writing assignments and to cross-functional opportunities. Most important, you will have practice team skills. Exercises include the eye-opening Desert Survival video-based team dynamics experience.
Managing the Information Development Process
You have landed the technical writing project - what do you do now? There's a lot more to technical writing than writing. This course guides you through the entire process of managing the project, from information gathering to final production. Learn the fundamentals of planning, scheduling, budgeting, tracking, and reporting status; everything you need to manage a one-person project or a large team effort.
Proposal and Grant Writing: The Art of Selling Your Science
There are strategies for writing clear, persuasive NIH, GlaxoSmithKline, and other scientific grants, and you can learn them in this class. We will focus on the three key sections in which the grant writer needs to be especially clear and persuasive: Abstract; Specific Aims; Background and Significance. The workshop will concentrate on such aspects of grantsmanship as capturing your audience; telling and selling, the story of your research and why it is important; and responding to reviewers' comments.
Technical Editing: Best Practices for Working with Authors
Technical editors face special challenges in collaborating with authors to help them communicate their ideas effectively. The possible pitfalls in the editing process are many, and all too often, misunderstandings leave editors frustrated and authors angry. In this course, learn what it takes to establish a cooperative relationship with an author and to ensure that the author understands and values your role, and you’ll learn what editing procedures promote good author-editor relations and a smooth editing process. Key issues we’ll cover include establishing editing priorities, depending on the author’s desires and the time available; preserving the author’s voice and ownership of the material, even when heavy editing is needed; and handling queries in ways that get results. Participants will also get hands-on practice editing a short real-world piece and will compare and discuss their editing solutions.
Medical Writing for Clinical Trials: Introduction
If you’re interested in pursuing, or considering, a career in medical writing, take this class. Because a lot of medical writing is based on clinical research, the first part of the course will provide an overview of the clinical trials process, including study design and structure and associated technical and statistical terms. The second part of the class will look at regulatory (government-required) writing, specifically components of the New Drug Application (NDA). Detailed attention will be given to documents commonly written by medical writers, including the investigator’s brochure, protocols, clinical study reports (CSRs), integrated summaries, patient narratives, and informed consent forms. The third part of the course will be devoted to non-regulatory documents commonly prepared by medical writers, including manuscripts and posters. It will also briefly touch on other types of medical writing, such as continuing medical education. The course will involve discussion and in-class exercises, and will conclude with a panel of local medical writers and industry experts who will discuss their experience in the industry answer your questions.
The Business of Technical Communication
Technical communicators know our work adds significant value to the projects and products to which we contribute. However, we are increasingly required to demonstrate and quantify that value to business decision makers. In this class, we will look at business aspects of technical communication, including contributing our skills to specific phases of the product lifecycle; using metrics to track the progress and quantify the value of our work; understanding the options for managing and staffing our projects; and prioritizing our work.
Playing the Learning Game
Clicking page after page of online content can get boring. The key to effective e-learning is to incorporate interactivities to involve the learner. Used judiciously, games and interactive exercises allow learners to practice and apply concepts, review course content, and help them to remember and use training content. This class will explore how games can be used to reinforce learning, and will introduce you to a variety of easy-to-use and inexpensive software tools for creating crosswords, Hangman, game-show scenarios, and other games and puzzles to enliven an online course.
Usability and Interface Design
Providing value by being an advocate for the user and constructively critiquing the user interface. This class could also cover accessibility issues and visual design.
Visual Communication
Visual design, graphics, technical illustration. All these could be surveyed in a class.
Web Tools and Techniques
Discussion and evaluation of various Web and online technologies for communicating technical information.
Includes Wikis, blogs, portals, discussion forums, and listservs.
Authoring in XML for Non-Programmers
Learn the basic concepts of extensible markup language (XML) as used by technical communicators in today's online, distributed workplace. The emphasis is on the freedom XML brings to the task of developing maintainable web content, not on the details of programming with tags. Some rudimentary tagging will be performed in the context of structuring the content, and some of the XML editing tools will be reviewed. An in-class project will involve creating a structure for a simple module of technical content. Beyond syntax of XML, there is the modularity concept and meta data. There is authoring in modules with a particular schema or DTD. This class includes review of specific DTDs including DITA, MAML, SCORM, and DocBook.
Online Help and Help Authoring Tools
A limited class that explains the rudimentary skills of creating 1990's-style online help systems for software products, and an overview of help authoring tools, and an overview of automatic generation of software product documentation, as in API reference documentation. Refer to the related course on User Assistance.
User Assistance
Beyond the limited class on online help, this class goes beyond the tools and explains better ways of including user information. The next generation of user assistance include more dynamic help and steps users through answers to their questions. It may also include:
- Embedded UA
- Knowledge Guides
- Show Me vs. Tell Me
Software Development Overview
We need a class that provides an overview of software development environments for tech writers who will work on software development teams. This should include a quick overview of some of the concepts in C++, C#, Java, object-oriented programming, and ASP.NET. Also, some exposure to development environments such as Visual Studio etc. Concepts of API reference docs and working in source code with comment lines.
Tools-Focused Classes
Rick: Sure, its important to have familiarity with these (and other) specific tools, but does the tool really matter? Sure, anyone can learn to use XMLSpy to create an XML document, but does that mean that I really know how to structure information? While DreamWeaver is included, what about Frontpage? Or Homesite? What about "generation" tools like RoboHelp and WebWorks? Sure, I can see the need to expose students to specific tools so that they can include them on their resume, but I would like to see the course's focus moved to the "why" — not "how".Bill: Yes, we all know that argument. Thank you, Rick, for saying it. But if your going into the workforce, you have to know the tools. We're not saying this is replacing anything, just suggesting that you can benefit from a quick overview class that is geared toward the use of the tool for technical writing. I would suggest we leave RoboHelp alone. WebWorks might be a good one, but you can't teach it stand-alone without FrameMaker.
Advanced DreamWeaver
Learn advanced HTML and DreamWeaver techniques for web pages. Includes working in both layout and standard views, table properties, rollover images, anchors, CSS, key words and descriptions, adding JavaScript, inserting Flash files, and uploading the site to the web. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with the Windows or Macintosh operating system.
HTML with DreamWeaver
Learn the Basics of HTML and DreamWeaver to set up a website. Learn how to create web pages using this HTML editor. Includes Web page design concepts, entering and formatting text, using colors, inserting images, and creating hyperlinks. Create and manipulate tables in DreamWeaver. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with the Windows or Macintosh operating system.
Illustrator
Learn how to create vector graphics by using basic Adobe Illustrator tools. Includes using the pen, pencil, lasso, ellipse, rectangle, and auto trace tools, as well as basic principles involving file formats, saving, entering and formatting text, and arranging objects. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with the Windows or Macintosh operating system.
InDesign
This course introduces Adobe InDesign's essential graphics and type capabilities. Learn how to create and edit master pages, place text and graphics, and create and apply color, tints, and gradients. Topics include using the toolbox, palettes, and navigation tools; working with page layout; importing and editing text; layers and graphics. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with the Windows or Macintosh operating system.
Web Programming with ASP: Introduction
Use the power of the web server to customize web pages using cookies and interactive form results. Get practical experience using web forms to create data-bound applications with rich user interfaces. Also, links and references to additional sources of information on the Internet will be covered to allow you to continue learning beyond class. Basic knowledge of HTML is required.
JavaScript Web Programming for the Non-Programmer
Learn how to enhance your Web pages using publicly available JavaScript code. We’ll cover web page enhancements such as automatically-advancing slide shows, buttons that change appearance when moused-over, custom pop-up windows, information tooltips that appear on a mouse-over, event countdown timers, pull-down menus of links, and tools that let page visitors modify text size and background color. Other topics include understanding basic JavaScript concepts, properly placing JavaScript within HTML, obtaining JavaScript from free sources, and tracking down JavaScript errors. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with HTML, web pages and web design.
Photoshop for the Web: Introduction
Work with and manipulate image files for use on the World Wide Web using Adobe Photoshop. You will learn to save files for fast loading, create navigation buttons and slice images. Also includes file format comparisons, saving files, resizing, copying, creating layers, and a general overview of the application's capabilities. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with the Windows or Macintosh operating system.
FrameMaker
We need a class on using FrameMaker for book authoring and for working in structure.
The class should cover both old-fashioned FrameMaker and structured authoring ala XML.
_Acrobat and PDF__
A class on how to make PDFs and how to edit them, and how to add comments and some of the other uses of Acrobat. An overview class that gets you familiar with many of the features.
(Hey, has anyone noticed that all the tools are owned by Adobe?)
Marketing the Progam
Here is a place to list ideas for how to better market the Tech Comm program.- Get an article in the N&O in the special section on professions.
- Collaborate with local temp agencies and STC groups to get the word out.
Sponsors and Partners
Here is a place to list companies that could sponsor and promote our program.- SAS
- Veritas
- Cisco
- IBM
- Misys
- GlaxoSmithKline
Related Curriculum
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