Getting it Wrong: Student Estimations of Time and the Number of Drafts in Linked Computer Science and Technical Communication Courses

Olga Menagarishvili; Rebecca E. Burnett; Andy Frazee

doi:10.1109/tpc.2024.3477012

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Dec 2024

Getting it Wrong: Student Estimations of Time and the Number of Drafts in Linked Computer Science and Technical Communication Courses

Olga Menagarishvili Metropolitan State University ; Rebecca E. Burnett Georgia Institute of Technology ; Andy Frazee Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract

Background: Students in technical communication classes need to develop expert-like competence in project schedule management to prepare for academic and career success. We address two aspects of project schedule management—estimating time and estimating the number of drafts—that affect undergraduate computer science students in linked computer science–technical communication courses as they prepare documents for their client-based team project. Literature review: Our research considers three areas (developing expert-like behaviors, estimating time, and estimating the number of drafts) that students need to address in their coursework with complex, client-based problems. Research question: What percentage of students accurately estimate, overestimate, or underestimate the time needed to complete project tasks in face-to-face and hybrid sections? We define accurately estimating time as an expert-like behavior and categorize both generating documents and estimating the number of drafts as project tasks. Research methodology: To discuss this research question, we introduce the participants, explain our informed consent, describe our survey instrument for collecting data, and detail our research design. Results/discussion: We present student estimations in two categories: estimated versus actual time to complete assignments and the number of estimated versus actual drafts completed. We learn that students misjudge the amount of time and the number of drafts needed to complete a project, suggesting that technical communication coursework can better prepare students in developing these competencies.

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published: 2024-12-01
DOI: 10.1109/tpc.2024.3477012
CompPile: Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access: Closed
Topics: technical communication digital rhetoric affect and writing book reviews
Export: BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (9)

Berger et al. (2023)

Peer-Led Professional Development: How One Technical Communication Team Learns …

Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Lauer et al. (2019)

Redefining Writing for the Responsive Workplace

College Composition and Communication
Pope-Ruark (2015)

Introducing Agile Project Management Strategies in Technical and Professional C…

Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Bremner et al. (2014)

Task Design and Interaction in Collaborative Writing

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Weimann et al. (2013)

Enhancing Team Performance Through Tool Use: How Critical Technology-Related Is…

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

Show all 9 →

Koh et al. (2012)

Too Early, Too Bad: Uncovering and Understanding the Initial Participation Para…

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Dave et al. (2010)

Drafting and Revision Using Word Processing by Undergraduate Student Writers: C…

Research in the Teaching of English
Hill et al. (1991)

Revising on-line: Computer technologies and the revising process

Computers and Composition
Harris (1989)

Composing Behaviors of One- and Multi-Draft Writers

College English

Also cites 27 works outside this index ↓

10.1108/00483480710726136

↗
10.1145/1083431.1083474

↗
10.1145/3587102.3588825

↗
10.1177/2158244018824506

↗
10.1108/ijmpb-09-2017-0107

↗
10.1177/1461444818820073

↗
10.1145/961290.961575

↗
10.21125/edulearn.2019.2238

↗
10.1007/978-3-319-54325-3_2

↗
O’Neill (2020)

Social responsibility, human centered systems and engineering ethics: A new manifesto for…

IFAC-PapersOnLine ↗
10.1016/j.ijproman.2020.02.001

↗
10.3102/0091732X18821125

↗
10.1017/9781316480748.006

↗
10.1017/CBO9780511816796

↗
10.1037/0022-3514.67.3.366

↗
10.1016/j.iheduc.2017.01.004

↗
10.1007/s10648-020-09519-z

↗
10.5465/amp.2016.0166

↗
10.2190/EC.49.4.d

↗
10.1111/dsji.12216

↗
10.3109/13561820.2011.653609

↗
10.1348/000712699161459

↗
10.1016/j.jesp.2010.03.005

↗
10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00958.x

↗
10.1109/fie44824.2020.9274203

↗
10.1007/s11251-017-9420-6

↗
10.7551/mitpress/11352.003.0012

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 1 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Getting it Wrong: Student Estimations of Time and the Number of Drafts in Linked Computer Science and Technical Communication Courses

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

Cites in this index (9)

Related Articles