Journal of Business and Technical Communication Oct 2013

iPads in the Technical Communication Classroom

Michael J. Faris University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire ; Stuart A. Selber Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

Integrating and using technology in the technical communication classroom is an ongoing interest and challenge for the field. Previous work tends to focus on best practices and other types of generalized advice, all of which are invaluable to teachers. But this article encourages teachers to also pay attention to sociotechnical forces and dynamics in local settings. It explains how a cartography of affect can be useful in demonstrating how technologies become imbued with meaning and significance in particular pedagog-ical contexts. The authors illustrate the value of this mapping practice through a case study of iPad integration and use in a technical communication service course and its teacher-training course. They also provide examples of heuristic questions that can guide critical cartography projects in local settings.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2013-10-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651913490942
Open Access
Closed
Topics
qualitative research technical communication affect and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Vie (2017)
    Training Online Technical Communication Educators to Teach with Social Media: B…
    Technical Communication Quarterly

Cites in this index (16)

  1. Manion et al. (2012)
    Sharing an Assessment Ecology: Digital Media, Wikis, and the Social Work of Knowledge
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Morain et al. (2012)
    YouTutorial: A Framework for Assessing Instructional Online Video
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Zoetewey (2010)
    A Rhetoric of Ornament: Decorating Mobile Devices in the Aesthetic Economy
    Computers and Composition
  4. Selber (2009)
    Institutional Dimensions of Academic Computing
    College Composition and Communication
  5. Katz (2008)
    Assessing a Hybrid Format
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 16 →
  1. Reid (2008)
    Portable Composition: iTunes University and Networked Pedagogies
    Computers and Composition
  2. Hart-Davidson et al. (2007)
    Coming to Content Management: Inventing Infrastructure for Organizational Knowl…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Hewett et al. (2007)
    Guest Editors' Introduction: Online Teaching and Learning: Preparation, Develop…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Albers et al. (2002)
    Guest Editors' Column Scouts, Trailblazers, Pioneers: Settling the Computer Classroom
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Williams (2002)
    Why Are Partnerships Necessary for Computer Classroom Administration?
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  6. Dubinsky (2002)
    More than a Knack: Techne & Teaching Technical Communication
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  7. Haas (1999)
    On the relationship between old and new technologies
    Computers and Composition
  8. Johnson-Eilola (1996)
    Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  9. Weise (1995)
    User control in hypermedia instructional applications: A literature review
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  10. SLACK et al. (1993)
    The Technical Communicator as Author
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  11. Jobst (1987)
    Word Processing: Two Ethical Concerns
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Also cites 21 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1109/47.544579
     ↗
  2. 10.2307/378570
     ↗
  3. 10.1145/146802.146834
     ↗
  4. Grabill J. T. (2001)
    Community literacy programs and the politics of change
     ↗
  5. 10.1109/ITNG.2012.134
     ↗
  6. 10.2190/AITC11
     ↗
  7. 10.1037/a0021994
     ↗
  8. 10.1002/(SICI)1099-0720(199908)13:4<351::AID-ACP589>3.0.CO;2-6
     ↗
  9. 10.7551/mitpress/1584.001.0001
     ↗
  10. Kay A. (1972)
    10.1145/800193.805815
    Proceedings of the ACM Annual Conference  ↗
  11. 10.1145/1978942.1979056
     ↗
  12. 10.1037/0022-0663.90.2.312
     ↗
  13. 10.1145/985600.966013
     ↗
  14. 10.1145/1744161.1744163
     ↗
  15. 10.4018/978-1-878289-74-2
     ↗
  16. 10.1177/016224399201700302
     ↗
  17. 10.4324/9781410610768
     ↗
  18. 10.2307/358761
     ↗
  19. 10.7551/mitpress/6875.001.0001
     ↗
  20. 10.1177/030631289019003001
     ↗
  21. 10.1145/365181.365192
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 9 View in citation network →

Related Articles

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 2026
    Advantages and Challenges of Creating User Documentation in Agile Development Contexts: A Qualitative Interview Study ↗
    Marjorie Rush Hovde; Brea Threatt
    qualitative research technical communication affect and writing
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Mar 2026
    “It's Hard to Show ROI When You’re Preventing Things from Happening”: How Impact Storytelling Frames Community Health Initiatives for Executive Audiences ↗
    Margaret Hsiao
    qualitative research multimodality technical communication professional writing multilingual writers
  3. Technical Communication Quarterly Feb 2026
    “No Mining Engineer Could Be a Lady”: A Historical Case Study of Drag and Humor in Technical Writing, 1911–1917 ↗
    Andrew Fiss
    qualitative research technical communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 2025
    Korean Professionals’ Experience With Using Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF): A Grounded Theory Approach ↗
    Kanghee Lee
    qualitative research disability studies multilingual writers affect and writing
  5. Written Communication Jan 2025
    Getting to “the Upper End of the Novice Zone”: An Exploration of Doctoral Students’ Writer Identity in Coauthoring With Supervisors for Publication ↗
    Jiayu Wang; Cassi Liardét
    qualitative research multimodality multilingual writers voice and style affect and writing