Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2008

Contextualize Technical Writing Assessment to Better Prepare Students for Workplace Writing: Student-Centered Assessment Instruments

Han Yu Kansas State University

Abstract

To teach students how to write for the workplace and other professional contexts, technical writing teachers often assign writing tasks that reflect real-life communication contexts, a teaching approach that is grounded in the field's contextualized understanding of genre. This article argues to fully embrace contextualized literacy and better teach workplace writing, technical writing teachers also need to contextualize how they assess student writing. To this end, this article examines some of workplaces' best assessment practices and critically integrates them into an introductory technical writing classroom through a method called student-centered assessment instruments. This method engages students, as workplaces engage employees, in the assessment process to identify local requirements for writing tasks. Aligned with theory and practice, this method is not only an effective classroom assessment method, but becomes an integrated part of students' genre-learning process within and beyond the classroom.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2008-07-01
DOI
10.2190/tw.38.3.e
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
genre theory writing pedagogy teacher development assessment technical communication professional writing literacy studies
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Hashlamon et al. (2022)
    Teaching Participative Justice in Professional Writing
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Cyphert et al. (2019)
    Communication Activities in the 21st Century Business Environment
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Yu (2011)
    Visualizing Banking and Financial Products: A Comparative Study of Chinese and …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Shaver (2011)
    Using Key Messages to Explore Rhetoric in Professional Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

References (41) · 8 in this index

  1. Anderson P. (1985)
    Writing in Nonacademic Settings
  2. 10.2190/PL1C10
     ↗
  3. Faber B. (2002)
    Reshaping Technical Communication: New Directions and Challenges for the 21st Century
  4. Johnson (2006)
    A Decade of Research: Assessing Change in the Technical Communication Classroom…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Merriam S. B. (1998)
    Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education
Show all 41 →
  1. Lincoln Y. S. (1994)
    Assessment and Program Evaluation
  2. 10.2307/358601
     ↗
  3. 10.2190/NET
     ↗
  4. Spilka R. (1993)
    Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives
  5. FREEDMAN et al. (1994)
    Wearing Suits to Class: Simulating Genres and Simulations as Genre
    Written Communication
  6. Garay M. S. (1998)
    Expanding Literacies English Teaching and the New Workplace
  7. Dias P. (1999)
    Worlds Apart: Acting and Writing in Academic and Workplace Contexts
  8. Dias P. (2000)
    Transitions: Writing in Academic and Workplace Settings
  9. Blakeslee (2001)
    Bridging the Workplace and the Academy: Teaching Professional Genres through Cl…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  10. Taylor (2006)
    Assessment in Client-Based Technical Writing Classes: Evolution of Teacher and …
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  11. MacKinnon J. (1993)
    Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives
  12. 10.1080/00335638409383686
     ↗
  13. Berkenkotter C. (1995)
    Genre Knowledge in Disciplinary Communication: Cognition/Culture/Power
  14. FREEDMAN et al. (1996)
    Learning to Write Professionally: “Situated Learning” and the Transition from U…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  15. 10.4324/9781410601254
     ↗
  16. Bazerman C. (1998)
    Reality by Design: The Rhetoric and Technology of Authenticity in Education
  17. Russell D. R. (2002)
    The Rhetoric and Ideology of Genre: Strategies for Stability and Change
  18. 10.2307/j.ctt46nxp6
     ↗
  19. Paré A. (1993)
    Writing in the Workplace: New Research Perspectives
  20. WINSOR (2000)
    Ordering Work: Blue-Collar Literacy and the Political Nature of Genre
    Written Communication
  21. Sauer B. (1998)
    Expanding Literacies: English Teaching and the New Workplace
  22. Dombrowski (1995)
    Post‐modernism as the resurgence of humanism in technical communication studies
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  23. 10.1002/tl.7410
     ↗
  24. 10.1177/108056999706000403
     ↗
  25. 10.1037/1061-4087.52.2.99
     ↗
  26. Carliner (2003)
    Characteristic-Based, Task-Based, and Results-Based: Three Value Systems for As…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  27. 10.4324/9781410609724
     ↗
  28. 10.1002/tl.7402
     ↗
  29. White E. M. (1989)
    Developing Successful College Writing Programs
  30. 10.1002/tl.168
     ↗
  31. 10.1002/tl.7405
     ↗
  32. 10.2307/358862
     ↗
  33. Yu Han
    Resources in Technical Communication: Outcomes and Approaches
  34. Yu Han (2007)
    10.1177/1080569907301646
    Business Communication Quarterly  ↗
  35. Yu Han (2006)
    Technical Communication
  36. Yu Han (2006)
    Progressive Measures
CrossRef global citation count: 6 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Pedagogy Jan 2022
    Contributors ↗
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism genre theory discourse analysis african american rhetorics decolonial rhetorics first-year composition writing pedagogy basic writing writing across the curriculum graduate education teacher development argument collaborative writing transfer assessment portfolios writing program administration writing centers peer tutoring technical communication professional writing archival research digital rhetoric social media grammar and mechanics literacy studies race and writing gender and writing disability studies public rhetoric community literacy literary studies editorial matter
  2. Pedagogy Oct 2025
    Contributors ↗
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism genre theory cultural rhetorics first-year composition writing pedagogy advanced composition creative writing writing across the curriculum graduate education two-year college service learning teacher development technical communication professional writing labor and working conditions archival research multimodality artificial intelligence literacy studies race and writing gender and writing disability studies literary studies editorial matter
  3. Pedagogy Apr 2024
    Contributors ↗
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism feminist rhetorics first-year composition writing pedagogy creative writing teacher development collaborative writing assessment technical communication professional writing grammar and mechanics literacy studies gender and writing literary studies book reviews editorial matter
  4. Pedagogy Apr 2022
    Contributors ↗
    rhetorical criticism writing pedagogy creative writing writing across the curriculum teacher development collaborative writing assessment writing program administration technical communication professional writing digital rhetoric literacy studies gender and writing disability studies literary studies book reviews editorial matter
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Mar 2020
    Using a Transfer-Focused Writing Pedagogy to Improve Undergraduates’ Lab Report Writing in Gateway Engineering Laboratory Courses ↗
    Dave Kim; Wendy M. Olson
    rhetorical criticism genre theory first-year composition writing pedagogy basic writing teacher development argument transfer assessment technical communication professional writing scientific writing book reviews