Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 1997

Assessing the Value of Client-Based Group Projects in an Introductory Technical Communication Course

GREGORY A. WICKLIFF

Abstract

This article argues for the long-term value of client-based group projects in an introductory technical communication course. Survey results are presented from 73 former technical communication students with two to seven years of workplace experience. Lasting five to six weeks, these projects are a compromise between a briefer conventional case method and a more lengthy individualized internship or cooperative education experience. The projects reinforce research, analysis, and reporting skills, such as interviewing specialists and conducting survey research, that graduates continue to value highly even after years of workplace writing. When framed as such, client-based projects also encourage students to define and debate public policy issues.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
1997-04-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651997011002002
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
argument technical communication professional writing empirical research
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (17)

  1. Frey et al. (2026)
    Toward a Justice-Oriented Professionalism: Lessons Learned From a Critical Serv…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Smith et al. (2024)
    17 Students, 1 Project: Design Thinking Pedagogy for a Large-Scale UX Community…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  3. Lam (2018)
    More Than a Feeling: Applying a Data-Driven Framework in the Technical and Prof…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Friess et al. (2018)
    Cultivating a Sense of Belonging: Using Twitter to Establish a Community in an …
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Read et al. (2018)
    Hidden in plain sight: findings from a survey on the multi-major professional w…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 17 →
  1. Kohn (2015)
    How Professional Writing Pedagogy and University–Workplace Partnerships Can Sha…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Bremner et al. (2014)
    Task Design and Interaction in Collaborative Writing: The Students’ Story
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Watts et al. (2012)
    Pairing Courses Across the Disciplines: Effects on Writing Performance
    Written Communication
  4. Gu (2011)
    Challenges to Project-based Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) for Prof…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  5. Shaver (2011)
    Using Key Messages to Explore Rhetoric in Professional Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  6. Turnley (2007)
    Integrating Critical Approaches to Technology and Service-Learning Projects
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  7. Turnley (2007)
    Integrating Critical Approaches to Technology and Service-Learning Projects
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  8. Taylor (2006)
    Assessment in Client-Based Technical Writing Classes: Evolution of Teacher and …
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  9. Hea (2005)
    Developing Stakeholder Relationships: What’s at Stake?
    Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
  10. Gattis (2004)
    Using Criteria in the Recommendation Report: A Case Study of the Texas A&M Univ…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  11. Thompson (2001)
    Collaboration in technical communication: a qualitative content analysis of jou…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  12. VanHoosier-Carey (1997)
    Rhetoric by design: Using web development projects in the technical communicati…
    Computers and Composition

References (19) · 5 in this index

  1. Allen (1993)
    Community, collaboration, and the rhetorical triangle
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Anderson, Paul V.
    Writing in Nonacademic Settings
  3. Bosley (1993)
    Cross‐cultural collaboration: Whose culture is it, anyway?
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Burnett et al. (1993)
    Collaboration in technical communication: A research continuum
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. 10.2307/377272
     ↗
Show all 19 →
  1. Flower (1989)
    Cognition, Context, and Theory Building
    College Composition and Communication
  2. Gilbert
    Conference on Teaching Technical and Professional Communication
  3. Lay, Mary M.
    Collaborative Writing in Industry: Investigations in Theory and Practice
  4. Miller, Carolyn R.
    Defining the New Rhetorics
  5. Moore, Sandy
    Composition Theory for the Postmodern Classroom
  6. Olds, Barbara M. (1987)
    The Technical Writing Teacher
  7. Olds, Barbara M.
    Conference on College Composition and Communication
  8. Olsen (1989)
    Computer-Based Writing and Communication: Some Implications for Technical Commu…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  9. Olsen, Leslie A.
    Technical Writing and Professional Communication
  10. Reither, James
    Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives
  11. Spilka, Rachel
    Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives
  12. 10.1177/108056998304600406
     ↗
  13. Sullivan, Patricia
    Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives
  14. Wickliff, Greg
    Collaborative Technical Writing: Theory and Practice
CrossRef global citation count: 24 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Feb 2026
    Practicing Grant and Proposal Writing with a Community-Engaged Approach: Reflections of Emerging Technical Communication Scholars ↗
    Shyam Pandey; Robin Pate; Michele Herbert; Aresia Arthurs; Anna Woolley; Tameca Jenkins
    graduate education argument technical communication professional writing race and writing
  2. Prompt: A Journal of Academic Writing Assignments Jan 2026
    A Murder Most Technical: Gamification, AI, and Rhetorical Genre Studies in the Technical Writing Classroom ↗
    Justin Cook
    genre theory writing pedagogy service learning teacher development argument collaborative writing technical communication professional writing
  3. Argumentation Aug 2025
    Informal Formative Assessment in Argumentation-Based Science Education: A Micro-Analytic Investigation of Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices ↗
    Metin Sardag; Gultekin Cakmakci
    discourse analysis writing pedagogy argument assessment professional writing empirical research qualitative research
  4. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Jun 2025
    Charting the Course of Stance Construction in Container Shipping: An Empirical Study of COSCO Shipping and Maersk ↗
    Shijie Liu; Minggui Duan; Yan Zhang
    discourse analysis argument professional writing empirical research quantitative research
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly Jul 2024
    Black Professional Ethos: Exploring Black Mentorship Through Narrative Ethnography in Technical Communication ↗
    Christopher J. Morris; Laura L. Allen
    rhetorical criticism argument technical communication professional writing qualitative research