From the Workplace to Academia: Nontraditional Students and the Relevance of Workplace Experience in Technical Writing Pedagogy

Technical Communication Quarterly Jul 2012

From the Workplace to Academia: Nontraditional Students and the Relevance of Workplace Experience in Technical Writing Pedagogy

Catherine Quick Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi

Abstract

In this study, I compared initial drafts of job application cover letters by nontraditional students in an introductory professional writing course with those by traditional students to determine if prior workplace experience improves rhetorical adaptability in students' writing. Although one might expect nontraditional students to display more rhetorical adaptability, this study reveals no difference. These results suggest that minor changes in pedagogy may help nontraditional students use their workplace experience to improve workplace-oriented writing in the classroom.

Journal: Technical Communication Quarterly
Published: 2012-07-01
DOI: 10.1080/10572252.2012.666639
Open Access: Closed
Topics: writing pedagogy technical communication

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Feuer (2020)

Scaffolding Feedback Between Cowriters With Different Levels of English-Languag…

Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Kohn (2015)

How Professional Writing Pedagogy and University–Workplace Partnerships Can Sha…

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (7)

Downs et al. (2007)

Teaching about Writing, Righting Misconceptions:

College Composition and Communication
Blakeslee (2001)

Bridging the Workplace and the Academy: Teaching Professional Genres through Cl…

Technical Communication Quarterly
Breuch (2001)

The Overruled Dust Mite: Preparing Technical Cormmunication Students to Interac…

Technical Communication Quarterly
FREEDMAN et al. (1996)

Learning to Write Professionally

Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Spinuzzi (1996)

Pseudotransactionality, Activity Theory, and Professional Writing Instruction

Technical Communication Quarterly

Show all 7 →

ANSON et al. (1990)

Moving Beyond the Academic Community

Written Communication
Haswell (1988)

Toward Competent Writing in the Workplace

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓

Houser , M. L. ( 2004 ). Understanding instructional communication needs of nontraditional students. Communic…

↗
10.1002/ss.83

↗
Lettner-Rust H. G. (2007)

10.1080/13562510020029608

Across the Disciplines ↗
Oliu W. E. (2006)

Writing that works: Communicating effectively on the job ()

↗
Tennant M. (2000)

Handbook of adult and continuing education

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 2 View in citation network →