Technical Communication Curriculum

Technical Communication is the process of translating technical information into forms that different audiences can understand and use.

Technical communicators are the translators. They write, edit, and perform page layout and design on user manuals, textbooks, training materials, press releases, memos, environmental impact statements, video scripts and online help files. They design Web pages, develop computer-based training (CBT) modules, prepare multimedia presentations, and develop material for delivery on CD-ROM.

The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Technical Communication at Columbus State is the only technical communication degree program in central Ohio. The program gives students the practical, specific skills and technical knowledge they need to get entry-level jobs as technical communicators. All the courses are taught in state-of-the-art computer classrooms, so students become familiar with a variety of computer applications.

For further information about any aspect of the Technical Communication curriculum, contact Susan Moran, Director.

- Courses -

ENGL 200 Business Communications
(A,W,SP,SU - DL)
3 credits
Emphasis is placed on principles of effective business writing. Students practice writing business letters and memos. A problem-solving or technical report related to the student’s area of concentration is required. Resume preparation and job search techniques are covered.
Lecture: 3 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or 111 with a grade of “C” or higher and at least two quarters or equivalent work experience in a technology
Lab fee: $7.00

ENGL 202 Writing for Health and Human Services
(A,W,SP,SU)
3 credits
Students specializing in human services and health care fields practice the kinds of writing essential to record keeping and research in their professions. Legal and ethical interdisciplinary communication is emphasized. Using practice and real-life cases, students write descriptions, summaries, and evaluations. Job search techniques and letter, memo and report formats are covered. A short research paper using APA documentation is required. This course may substitute for ENGL 200 or ENGL 204 in certain technologies; check with your academic advisor.
Lecture: 3 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or 111 with a grade of “C” or higher, admittance to a technical program, and current clinical /field placement
Lab fee: $7.00

ENGL 204 Technical Writing
(A,W,SP,SU - DL)
3 credits
Students learn the principles of technical writing and practice those types of writing required of technicians, including letters, memos, and reports as required in a student’s technology. A problem-solving report is written. Resume preparation and job search techniques are covered. Oral reports using visual aids are required.
Lecture: 3 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or 111 with a grade of “C” or higher and at least two quarters or equivalent in the student’s technology
Lab fee: $7.00

ENGL 206 Governmental Communications
(On Demand)
3 credits
The course emphasizes the principles of effective writing done in government settings. The student learns to write various types of correspondence in a variety of formats in addition to researching and writing a report adhering to formatting guidelines. The student will also prepare selected components of a job application package.
Lecture: 3 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or 111 with a grade of “C” or better
Lab fee: $7.00

ENGL 207 Writing for the Web
(W,SU)
3 credits
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of writing on the Web. It examines the stylistic, and rhetorical dimensions of creating text for the Web, examines which combination of media should be employed to support text, and considers basic issues of design and usability, including how reading strategies on the WWW differ from reading strategies for paper documents.
Lecture: 3 hours- Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or 111
Lab fee: $8.00

ENGL 208 Communication for the Mass Media
(W,SP)
3 credits
This course prepares students to communicate effectively with the mass media including newspapers, magazines, radio, and television through press conferences, news releases, feature stories, research reports, and statements. Students will prepare and present a portfolio that may include news and feature stories, brochures, flyers, research and other assignments completed for the course.
Lecture: 3 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or 111
Concurrent: COMM 105 or equivalent is recommended
Lab fee: $7.00

TCO 101 Careers in Technical Communication
(A,SP)
2 credits
In this course, students are required to interview with Technical Communication professionals, research the field of Technical Communication, and deliver an oral presentation of the findings. Discussions of career goals, including the preparation of an initial resume and employment data file will also be required. The requirements of this course must be met within the first two quarters of entering the Technical Communication degree program.
Lecture: 1 hours – Lab: 2 hours
Lab fee: $20.00

TCO 102 Tools and Techniques for Technical Communicators
(W,SU)
3 credits
This course will introduce students to the software tools and basic techniques required of entry-level technical communicators. Students will learn about the various hardware and software tools technical communicators use on a daily basis. Lectures on general principles will be followed by exercises selected to simulate employer expectations. Mastery of techniques needed to complete daily technical communication tasks will be emphasized.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: CPT 101, TCO 101 or concurrent enrollment
Lab fee: $8.00

TCO 203 Introduction to Technical Communication
(W,SU)
3 credits
In this course, students learn the project documentation cycle used by technical communicators in business, industry, and government by selecting an authentic problem-solving project from their technical cognate fields, and writing and formatting a series of reports in support of that project. Students learn the principles of modern technical communication and time/project management and practice them individually and in small groups throughout the documentation cycle.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: CPT 101 and ENGL 102 with a grade of “C” or higher.
Lab fee: $5.00
 

TCO 204 Introduction to Technical Editing
(A,SP)
3 credits
In this course, students will practice editorial skills needed for revising scientific/technical writing by checking grammar, sentence structure, clarity and style in personal, peer, and professional writings. Students will practice hard copy and online editing and proofreading and analyze editorial style books and other technical resource materials. Various editorial approaches and the editor/author relationship will be covered.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 102 with a grade of “C” or higher and OADM 101.
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 214 Document Design & Delivery Methods
(W,SU)
3 credits
This course will introduce students to learning theory as applied to the design and delivery of technical documents. It will integrate current technical communication theory in document design and delivery with the capabilities of various software packages and delivery methods. Students will develop skills in applying design theory to technical documents and in selecting appropriate delivery methods for technical documents
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 203
Lab fee: $8.00

TCO 215 Online Documentation
(A,SP)
3 credits
This course will introduce students to all aspects of creating online documentation. Students will learn about the five phases involved in creating online documentation: planning online documentation, designing and modifying information for online presentation, testing and redesigning online documentation. Students will develop actual online documentation for a software package during the course.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisites: TCO 203 and 214
Lab fee: $8.00

TCO 221 Proposal Development
(A)
3 credits
Students will learn how to develop proposals which offer to solve problems for a reader or groups of readers by providing specified services at a specified cost. The units involved in the learning process will include understanding the bidding process, defining the request for a proposal, planning and developing a proposal document and practicing the methods of formatting, writing, editing and presenting a formal business proposal.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 203
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 222 Developing Software Documentation
(W)
3 credits
In this course students are prepared as software documentation specialists to work with software users and developers. Students will prepare software documentation, conduct document usability testing, and perform documentation development tasks, such as preparing user specifications, task lists, style guides, project schedules, instruction sets, and problem reports, as well as conducting interviews, reviews, and walk throughs.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 203
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 223 Advanced Technical Communication
(W,SU)
3 credits
In this course, students focus on current research and theory in scientific and technical writing and apply that research to practical situations. Students produce a proposal for funding, a full-length, portfolio quality manual or report, and various other writing assignments. They also lead class discussions on such topics as readability theory, writing style, documentation methods, text processing, manual formatting, and integrating graphics and text.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 203
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 224 Advanced Technical Editing
(A,SP)
3 credits
In this course, students are prepared as editors to work with other publications specialists. Students will edit manuscripts, prepare style books or manuals, and perform special editorial tasks such as preparing abstracts, indexes, and bibliographies with line-by-line precision and accuracy.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisites: TCO 203 and 204
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 230 Technical Presentations
(W,SP)
3 credits
In this course, students learn to prepare and present various types of information ranging from press releases, annual reports, and statistical analyses to proposals for projects, systematic evaluations, and revisions of existing documents. Various types of audiences will be targeted, and students will be required to use computer graphics, hypermedia, desktop publishing, and multimedia approaches to supplement oral presentations.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 223
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 235 Instructional Design
(A,SP)
2 credits
Students will study the phases of an Instructional Design Project. They will conduct a needs assessment and define the skill and knowledge requirement of a job assignment. They will learn the typical training development cycle.
Lecture: 1 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 230 or current enrollment
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 236 Computer-Based Training
(W,SU)
3 credits
Students will study instructional design as it applies to developing Computer-based Training (CBT) modules. They will learn the typical CBT development cycle and design CBT screens, incorporating multimedia effects and maximum interactivity.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 235
Lab fee: $8.00

TCO 237 Digital Video Production for the Workplace
(A)
3 credits
Digital Video Production for the Workplace is an introduction to basic and advanced techniques for creating and using digital video in the workplace. During the course, students will storyboard and write scripts, shoot and acquire clips, edit electronically, work collaboratively, and present video segments appropriate for a workplace environment. Students will critique examples and work on individual and group projects to produce a final product. This course is intended for Technical Communication students.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 235
Lab fee: $20.00

TCO 245 HTML-Based Online Documentation
(W,SU)
5 credits
This course introduces students to all aspects of creating HTML-based online documentation without the use of an HTML authoring tool. Students will learn about the various phases of creating HTML-based online documentation: planning, designing, organizing, developing, publishing, testing and redesigning.
Lecture: 5 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: TCO 214
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 250 Capstone in Technical Communication
(A,W,SP,SU)
3 credits
In this course, students will be required to demonstrate both the overall competency and quality workmanship expected of professionals in the technical communication field. Students will work individually and in collaboration to solve problems of technical writing, editing, and presentations, and on the study and implementation of projects normally assigned to entry-level technical communicators. The course can only be taken during the final quarter, prior to graduation.
Lecture: 2 hours – Lab: 3 hours
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 260 Career Development
(A,SP)
1 Credit
In this course, students prepare a professional portfolio, including a resume developed from the student’s previous academic work experience. Students are required to review their portfolios informally and through formal oral presentations. Students will learn how to carry out company research and apply that research to targeted resumes, letters of application, and interview situations. This course must be completed within the final four quarters of the student’s program.
Lecture: 1 hour – Lab: 0 hours
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 290 Industry Internship
(A,W,SP,SU)
1-4 credits
In this course, students are engaged in work specifically related to the Technical Communication field as employees in business or industry. Students are responsible for arranging the internship and must submit a written proposal to the Technical Communication Program Coordinator for approval no later than two quarters prior to becoming an intern. During the internship, the student must keep a written record of job responsibilities and projects. A formal written report must be accompanied by a written evaluation of the student’s performance by his/her supervisor. One credit hour is equal to one hundred (100) clock hours on the job. The four credits may be spread over more than one quarter.
Prerequisite: TCO 101, TCO 203, TCO 204, and permission from the Program Coordinator of the Technical Communication Program. A GPA of “B” or higher in TCO courses
Lab fee: $5.00

TCO 297, 298, 299 Special Topics in Technical Communication
(On Demand)
1-5 credits
Special topics in technical communication designed to meet specific needs.
Lecture: 5 hours – Lab: 0 hours
Lab fee: $5.00
 

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