Technical English from a student perspective

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Technical English from a student perspective

• Trond Clausen
• Telemark University College
• 2nd CeTUSS Workshop, Uppsala, 27 28 April, 2005

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The teacher - me

• Graduate (1972) from USA
• Over thirty years of commitments in IEEE and
  Norwegian technical societies
• Secretary chair of several public working
  groups and committees
• 32 years teacher/professor/rector (11 years)
• Serving IEEE Education Society as a vice-chair of
  the Chapters Committee, an Administrative
  Committee member, and chair of the Nordic
  Chapter

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Course objectives

• Technical English as a communications tool
  include
• the accept that
• technical means professional
• an understanding that oral and written
  communication are different
• practical training in writing different-styles
  documents
• practical training in making different kinds of
  oral presentations
• a focus on the most frequent grammatical mistakes
• Summary Learn knowing yourself

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Learning tools

• A comprehensive textbook, filled with examples
• Portfolio evaluation, based on
• Writing Rubric
• Oral Presentation Rubric
• Individual and group exercises
• Lets have a closer look...

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Writing Rubric elements

1. Document content
2. Document organization and format
3. Document style and tone
4. Writing fundamentals proficiency
5. Proper use of non-textual elements
6. Understanding of the ethics governing writing

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Oral Presentation Rubric elements

• Speech content
• Speech organization
• Speakers style and tone
• Speaker preparation
• Speakers audience analysis
• Speaker lets ethics govern the presentation

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800 points evaluation system

• Four group reports, each 50 points - 200 points
• One extra credits individual paper with
  reflections on the 2004 U.S. presidential
  election - 50 points
• Four individual oral presentations, each 50
  points - 200 points
• Fall semester individual term paper - 100 points
• Spring semester individual term paper - 300
  points

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RESULTS26 students (72 ) participated
Poor (P) () Fair (F) () Good (G) () OK F G
Evaluation system 12 72 16 88
Learning process 16 53 31 84
Learning output 7 56 37 93
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Future actions may include

1. More and shorter group translation exercises
2. More oral presentations, i.e. start in early fall
   semester
3. Slightly more focus on grammar
4. Minor adjustments of the portfolio systems (too
   many points)