ENG 5314.0251: Specializations in Technical Communication
Topic: Narrative in Technical Communication

Description: Do you enjoy the "CSI" TV shows? Do you realize that the detectives are gathering scientific and technical data to compose a story of how an individual died? Do you know you can:

• Construct part of an individual's life story through his or her bank records and/or telephone records?
• Piece together a person's death story through his or her final hospital bill?
• Use property and water rights' records to tell the story of how a community begins, grows, and, perhaps, dies?
• See how one map can tell the story of the demise of an entire island after a hurricane?
• Create a persona for a personal story online that is entirely opposite of who you are?
• Find out how stories around the proverbial water cooler convey far more information to a person about the culture of an organization than any training films or orientation sessions ever will?

These ways of finding and using technical data and information to construct and convey stories are examples of how narrative is pervasive in professional and technical communication. This course introduces students to theory and application of narrative in professional and technical communication. Students will explore the problem of defining what narrative is, why narrative is important for communicating in the technical and professional fields, and how and where narrative strategies can be found in paper documents, visuals, and online. Students will learn how to construct narratives from original source data and research. The process encourages students "to see," read, and analyze data and information, often from everyday life, more closely than ever-to look for patterns in information from which stories emerge.

Goals: At the conclusion of the course, students will have developed a fuller understanding of the power and importance of narrative and how they can create/write/design narratives as technical communicators.

Required Books and Materials:

• Perkins, Jane M. and Nancy Blyler, ed. Narrative and Professional Communication. Stamford, CT: Ablex, 1999
• Savage, Gerald J. and Dale L. Sullivan. Writing a Professional Life: Stories of Technical Communicators On and Off the Job.Needham, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2001
• Tufte, Edward R. Envisioning Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1990, copyright Edward Rolf Tufte
• Tufte, Edward R. Visual Explanations. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1997, copyright Edward Rolf Tufte.

Format: Graduate online discussion seminar/Graduate online writing workshop/Blackboard activities.

Evaluation:

• Online class participation, homework assignments, and Blackboard work=40% of overall grade
  
• Midterm=20% of overall grade
  
• Narrative Project and Presentation=40% of overall grade
  

For more information: Contact Dr. Libby Allison.