Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2000

Learning to Be Professional

Deanna P. Dannels North Carolina State University

Abstract

Instruction in the technical and scientific disciplines often provides students with the technical skills necessary to succeed in industry. However, these disciplines also focus on socializing students into professional identities. This study examines one exemplar discipline, mechanical engineering, to see how classroom discourse and practice construct professional identities for students (as future engineers) and their customers. Results suggest that although students' conceptions of the customer provided glimpses of professional identity, design processes in these classrooms were ultimately driven and shaped by academic communicative practices, audiences, and goals. Given this, instructional interventions are provided to integrate professionalization processes within classrooms where situated learning is apparent.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2000-01-01
DOI
10.1177/105065190001400101
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (15)

  1. Fisher (2021)
    The Fact of the Text: Exploring Misalignment in Undergraduate Lab Reports
    Research in the Teaching of English
  2. McCall (2021)
    Getting the Story Straight: How Conflicting Narratives about Communication Impa…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Weedon (2020)
    Emotion and the Economy of Genre in a Design Presentation
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Rice-Bailey (2016)
    The Role and Value of Technical Communicators: Technical Communicators and Subj…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Petersen (2014)
    Redefining the Workplace: The Professionalization of Motherhood through Blogging
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 15 →
  1. Watts et al. (2012)
    Pairing Courses Across the Disciplines
    Written Communication
  2. Shaver (2011)
    Using Key Messages to Explore Rhetoric in Professional Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Saidy et al. (2011)
    Meeting Students Where They Are: Advancing a Theory and Practice of Archives in…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Dannels (2011)
    Relational Genre Knowledge and the Online Design Critique: Relational Authentic…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Dannels (2009)
    Features of Success in Engineering Design Presentations
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  6. Dannels et al. (2008)
    Critiquing Critiques
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  7. Abbott et al. (2005)
    How Academics and Practitioners Evaluate Technical Texts
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  8. Barton et al. (2003)
    A Case of Multiple Professionalisms
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  9. Dannels (2003)
    Teaching and Learning Design Presentations in Engineering
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  10. Smith (2003)
    The Role of Technical Expertise in Engineering and Writing Teachers’ Evaluation…
    Written Communication

Cites in this index (8)

  1. WINSOR (1999)
    Genre and Activity Systems
    Written Communication
  2. RUSSELL (1997)
    Rethinking Genre in School and Society
    Written Communication
  3. FREEDMAN et al. (1994)
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    Written Communication
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    Written Communication
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    Written Communication
Show all 8 →
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    Written Communication
  2. WINSOR (1989)
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    Written Communication
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Also cites 18 works outside this index ↓
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CrossRef global citation count: 80 View in citation network →

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