LCC 3401: TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

LCC 3401 builds on the competencies that students developed in English 1101 and 1102, often with a special emphasis on communicating in scientific, business, and technological fields. Students learn to create workplace genres, ranging from traditional print documents such as reports, proposals, and memos to electronic forms such as email and Web sites; students also learn how to skillfully assess the rhetorical situation underlying each of these genres.

With this emphasis on workplace communication, instructors of LCC 3401 focus on actual communication problems and scenarios. Many instructors enrich the course with their nonacademic work experience from the corporate and nonprofit worlds as writers, editors, and communication specialists. This experience adds a pragmatic dimension to the course. Students can expect their technical communication instructors to challenge them to think about communication outside the bounds of the classroom.

This emphasis on workplace communication takes many forms. Some instructors build courses around final projects that require students to work with actual workplace clients. Some require students to create and run mock companies. Others help students build online portfolios. Still others invite guest speakers from the corporate world to interact with students or encourage students to contact potential employers. All instructors of LCC 3401 teach the basic forms of workplace communication, document design, and professional etiquette necessary for students to succeed as professionals in their chosen fields.

Beyond the pragmatic how-to`s of business and technical communication, LCC 3401 helps students learn how to assess audiences in order to create documents, presentations, and visuals that are accessible, comprehensible, and usable. When students complete the course, they have learned how to evaluate and respond to a variety of complex communication situations in professional settings.