Journal of Business and Technical Communication Oct 2009

The First Weeklong Technical Writers’ Institute and Its Impact

Merrill D. Whitburn Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Abstract

Rensselaer’s Technical Writers’ Institute, the first program of its kind, had a profound impact on technical communication. It enabled technical communicators without formal education in the field to gain important knowledge, provided a forum for communicators from different industries to meet in order to solve mutual problems, played a key role in defining the field and its needs, encouraged recruitment (including the hiring of more women), promoted professional societies and formal degree programs, and seriously affected industry training programs by enabling them to use institute teaching materials. Knowledge gained through the Technical Writers’ Institute enabled Rensselaer to develop many other innovations.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2009-10-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651909338801
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Topics
teacher development technical communication
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