introduction to technical communication

ENGR 1181

College of EngineeringEngineering Education Innovation Center

Introduction to Technical Communication

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Outline1. What is Technical Communication?

2. Using the Technical Communication Guide

3. Written Communication

4. Oral Communication

5. Conclusion

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What is Technical Communication?“Technical Communication” is a method of sharing information about specialized subjects.

This is a broad category which includes everything from assembly instructions for a toy, a user guide for software, a store receipt, or a drug prescription.

Most importantly for our purposes, it involves executive summaries, memos, reports, and project notebooks for documenting experiments in the lab.

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High School Writing

Expository

Double spaced

Essay format

Descriptive

Length requirement

Technical Communication

Informative

Often Single Spaced

Professional format

Concise and precise

Short is preferred

What is Technical Communication?

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Technical Communication Style• Use 3rd Person• Use Past Tense• Avoid Emotional Statements• Use Passive Voice Deliberately• Use Short Sentences• Use Bulleted and Numbered Lists

What is Technical Communication?

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The Technical Communication Guide was created to help students in Engineering 1181 and 1182 complete their written and oral assignments.

Using the Tech. Comm. Guide

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Using the Tech. Comm. Guide The Technical Communication Guide contains:

• An introduction to technical communication

• An explanation of the different types of written and oral presentation assignments in the class

• A description of helpful software tools and grammatical rules

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The written communication assignments in this class will be relatively simple in the beginning, but they will become more detailed and complex as the course progresses.

There are four (4) types of documents: A. Executive Summary

B. Lab Memo

C. Lab Report

D. Project Notebook

A B C D

Written Communication

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A B C D

D) Project Notebook: This large document (in a 2-3 inch binder) serves to record your team’s activities and progress through completion of an extensive design/build task.

B) Lab Memo: This document is formatted like a standard business memo. Its purpose is to report the data, observations, and results obtained in lab.

C) Lab Report: This document is a more detailed version of the Lab Memo; unlike the Lab Memo, its format is that of a condensed formal report.

A) Executive Summary: This short document (1-2 pages) provides a brief overview of the lab and contains key facts, results, and conclusions.

Written Communication

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Written CommunicationPractice Grading Session

• Sample lab documents (i.e. Lab Memos) are available on the course website; please follow instructions and refer to the Tech. Comm. Guide to practice evaluating the documents

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Presentation Organization• Title• Introduction to the speaker or team• Purpose statement• List of key points• The main “body” of the presentation• Conclusion/Recommendations• References

Oral Communication

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Planning Presentations• Audience• Message and Supporting Detail• Purpose• Organization Strategy• Figures/Graphics/Illustrations• Other Media?

Oral Communication

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Summary of Quality Content Features• Clear Message• Content focused on message• Information is obvious• Titles indicate sequence of topics• Title/text font consistent by information type• Research is cited• Content free of typos, spelling errors etc.

Oral Communication

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Success Criteria for Delivery• Poise• Voice• Consistent Pace• Eye Contact• Hand Gestures• Body Language

Oral Communication

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Team Presentation Basics• Establish speaker order• Stand quietly to the side (don’t fidget)• Use a verbal transition between speakers

Oral Communication

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Oral Communication Practice Grading Session

• Sample oral presentations (i.e. YouTube videos) are available on the course website; please follow instructions and refer to the Tech. Comm. Guide to practice evaluating the presentations

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SummaryTechnical Communication is:

• Different from High School Writing– concise and precise– composed of short sentences and paragraphs– contains bulleted and numbered lists

• Specifically styled and formatted (e.g. Lab Memos)– 3rd person, past tense, and passive voice– free of emotional statements

• Used for written and oral communication

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ResourcesTechnical Communication Guide:http://eeiccourses.engineering.osu.edu/au2013/1181/techcommguide

APA Documentation Format:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/

Poster Design:http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/