Abstract
Since technical writing is changing from a course for the scientific elite to one with a much broader base, the need to diagnose in technical writing classes is growing too. The right diagnostic tools can allow the instructor to set class goals more effectively, structure the course more efficiently, and discover and deal better with student expectations. The diagnostic we have designed, asking students to compose a memo which discusses their projected needs as aspiring technical writers, yields useful information about the stylistic strengths and weaknesses of the students. But more important, the diagnostic provides guidelines for choosing among the flexible units of study at the instructor's disposal, and also reveals student attitudes, preconceptions, and prejudices — data which aid the instructor in laying the proper groundwork in the early phases of the course.