Discussion topic for week 1: Your
Experience with Technical Writing
In this discussion topic, your response to this discussion is due by
this week Friday at midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST).
You are also asked to respond to at least one other student in the
class on his or her response.
Your response to your fellow student is due by this week Sunday at
midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST).
WRTG 393 students,
To begin the course, we will examine definitions of technical writing.
In Content for week 1, the first set of resources available to you is
title What is Technical Writing? Included in that list of resources is a
link to the Society for Technical Communications (STC) and access to
chapter 1 of a textbook, Technical Writing for Business People.
Based on the information in these resources, please answer the following
questions:
1. What writing have you done at work or in your community that you
think could be labelled technical writing? Why do you think it can
be labelled technical writing? Please describe the writing situation
and draw upon the information in either the website from STC
or chapter 1 of the textbook to illustrate why it would be technical
writing.
2. Do technical writing tasks have to involve technical subjects? Why
or why not?
3. How is technical writing different from writing an essay?
Please note that you will not be able to see other students’
responses to this discussion topic until you post your response.