Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2007

Training Teachers and Serving Students: Applying Usability Testing in Writing Programs

Heather McGovern Stockton University

Abstract

Teachers often test course materials by using them in class. Usability testing provides an alternative: teachers receive student feedback and revise materials before teaching a class. Case studies based on interviews and observations with two teaching assistants who usability tested materials before teaching introductory technical writing demonstrate how usability testing can make novice teachers more confident about and help them predict student experiences with their assignments. By helping to train teachers, usability testing can also help better serve students.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2007-07-01
DOI
10.2190/tw.37.3.f
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
graduate education teacher development technical communication
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Tham et al. (2022)
    Extending Design Thinking, Content Strategy, and Artificial Intelligence into T…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Gomes et al. (2020)
    Engaging expectations: Measuring helpfulness as an alternative to student evalu…
    Assessing Writing
  3. Chong (2018)
    Implementing Usability Testing in Introductory Technical Communication Service …
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

References (33) · 11 in this index

  1. Murphy (2000)
    A sociocultural perspective on teacher response: Is there a student in the room?
    Assessing Writing
  2. Dubinsky (2002)
    More than a Knack: Techne & Teaching Technical Communication
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Nees-Hatlen V. (1985)
    Journal of Teaching Writing
  4. May J. W. (1990)
    College Student Teaching Journal
  5. Barr-Ebest S. (1999)
    Writing Program Administration
Show all 33 →
  1. Selting (2002)
    Conversations with Technical Writing Teachers: Defining a Problem
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Rose S. (1998)
    Writing Program Administration
  3. Iannone R. (1995)
    Education
  4. Schneider (2005)
    Usable Pedagogies: Usability, Rhetoric, and Sociocultural Pedagogy in the Techn…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. 10.1016/B978-0-08-052029-2.50007-3
     ↗
  6. Dumas J. (1994)
    A Practical Guide to Usability Testing
  7. Breuch et al. (2001)
    Usability Instruction in Technical Communication Programs: New Directions in Cu…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  8. 10.1080/0144929032000173951
     ↗
  9. Skelton T. M. (1992)
    Technical Communication
  10. Salvo (2001)
    Ethics of Engagement: User-Centered Design and Rhetorical Methodology
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  11. 10.1016/S0360-1315(98)00064-5
     ↗
  12. Hawkes M. (2002)
    The Quarterly Review of Distance Education
  13. 10.1111/j.0007-1013.2004.00390.x
     ↗
  14. 10.1002/j.1556-6978.1990.tb01180.x
     ↗
  15. Boiarsky C. (1992)
    Technical Communication
  16. Grice et al. (1989)
    A discussion of modes and motives for usability evaluation
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  17. Guillemette (1989)
    Usability in computer documentation design: conceptual and methodological consi…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  18. Sullivan (1989)
    Beyond a narrow conception of usability testing
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  19. Shriver K. (1997)
    Dynamics in Document Design
  20. Rosenbaum (1989)
    Usability evaluations versus usability testing: when and why?
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  21. 10.1145/318372.318385
     ↗
  22. Hughes M. (1989)
    Technical Communication
  23. Clegg (1995)
    What if You Cannot Test All Documents for Usability?
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  24. Rubin J. (1994)
    Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests
  25. McGovern H. (2005)
    Technical Communication
  26. McGovern H., Drafting a Teaching Philosophy Statement: Handling a Juggling Act, Lore: An E-Journal for Teache…
  27. 10.1007/978-1-4471-3798-6_6
     ↗
  28. 10.1177/108056990206500211
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 3 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. 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
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Jun 2025
    Presenting and Making Relevant: Analyzing Teaching Assistant Perceptions of Writing in Statistics Using Semantic Frames ↗
    Ben Markey
    rhetorical criticism genre theory discourse analysis graduate education teacher development assessment technical communication professional writing
  3. Pedagogy Apr 2025
    Contributors ↗
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism african american rhetorics cultural rhetorics first-year composition writing pedagogy basic writing graduate education two-year college teacher development writing centers technical communication professional writing labor and working conditions digital rhetoric multimodality social media literacy studies race and writing gender and writing community literacy literary studies editorial matter
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly Oct 2024
    Editors’ Use of Comprehensive Style Guides: The Case of Singular They ↗
    Jo Mackiewicz; Shaya Kraut; Allison Durazzi
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis first-year composition writing pedagogy graduate education teacher development writing centers technical communication professional writing digital rhetoric multilingual writers grammar and mechanics literacy studies race and writing public rhetoric editorial matter
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Sep 2024
    Translation and Localization in Global Technical Communication ↗
    Beau Pihlaja; Meghalee Das; Laurena Davis; Aliethia Dean; Danyela M. Fonseca; Elizabeth Hughes; Regan Joswiak; Laura Koleva; Min Yang; Jiaxin Zhang
    writing pedagogy graduate education teacher development technical communication professional writing