TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR 21ST CENTURY SOCIETY

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TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR 21ST CENTURY SOCIETY

• Year 1 term 1, all Engineering and Design
  students
• revamp of Technical Communication
• keynote lectures, cover all degree programme
  areas
• enthuse students at start of degree with latest
  developments and future of field
• technical communication assignments, poster,
  writing, oral presentation
• use WebCT for
• information, resources, guidance, communication,
  submissions

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COURSE DEVELOPMENT

• site built by postgrad, html skills course
  development
• support from 2 x TAs plus TA demonstrators in
  two lab sessions
• Lecture 1 Introduction to course and Web CT
• integrated with tutorials asked students to
  train tutors

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WEBCT DEMO

• What the students see
• Course details - timetable
• Course content content modules
• timed
• good practice (module 1)
• links to resources (module 6), infosuss
  (module 2) quiz (module 4)
• Course resources
• Keynote lectures ppt slides
• Study guides hosted on ED Dept pages
• Communication (did not use discussion/chat)
• Contact details
• Mail
• Assignments

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WEBCT DEMO

• What the I see
• Control panel manage course
• Assignments submissions

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WHAT WORKED WELL

• WebCT easy to set up and use
• training easy (used to web browsers)
• first dummy submission to practise
• labs extra contact with P/Gs
• 1 student mailed then found info on site (and
  apologised!)
• P/G used for his poster (more familiar with
  making use of what is available, knows how to
  learn)
• Mail keeps my inbox clear
• keeping site updated/backed up me plus P/G
  with html skills

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WHAT WORKED POORLY

• getting everyone registered lates had missed
  training
• early glitches with WebCT (needs support)
• quiz
• my offers of help not taken up BUT seemed to
  mail with problems

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UNKNOWN FACTORS

• quality of submissions and how far they meet
  requirements
• support by tutors (but no complaints)
• student feedback (week 10)
• dont know how much they supported each other
  discussion groups needed?