This document summarizes the key topics covered in an English technical writing course. It discusses that technical communication involves conveying information across various platforms in an easy to understand manner. It also covers collaboration, cultural considerations, and ethics. Specifically, it discusses how the agile model of technical writing allows for greater communication. It emphasizes that collaboration, cooperation of all team members, and cultural awareness are vital for successful technical projects and communication. Ethics in sources and respecting others are also important guidelines.

1. + Reflections on Technical
Communication
Breezy Giberson
ENGL 2311

2. RHETORIC01
Table of Contents
COLLABORATION02
CULTURAL
CONSIDERATIONS03
04 ETHICS

3. 3
What is technical communication?
 Technical Writing, as well as
Technical communication, is a
way of communicating
information across many
platforms to deliver information in
the most easy to comprehend
manner.
 Technical Communication is used in a variety of
aspects in everyday life as well as a broad spectrum
of career paths. It allows users to understand the
material given to them in the most basic form.
Covered by the umbrella of technical communicating
technical writing and business writing. Business
writing d the professional language used in a
business setting to get across information in a
professional manner.
We entered our journey in this class by learning
and discussing the differences between the
waterfall method of the 20th century of
technical writing, and the agile model of 21st
century of technical writing. With the
waterfall model, the direction of work is only
linear, work travel from one hand to the next
and different aspects of the overall project
may not have great connection. With the
agile model, we compared it to that of a spin
cycle on a washing machine, all of the
different part of a project work together and
any one aspect of the project can be
returned back to at any point. This allows for
greater communication and an overall better
outcome
 Introduction
ENGL 2311 Technical Communication

4. 4
The art of rhetoric.
 Rhetoric was used tested over an over again
throughout the course of this class. We fine
tuned our writing styles and use of rhetoric
through out many activities done in class.
Rhetoric may be different in various forms
depending on who the intended audience is
and what the setting is. For example, an
email that you are writing to your friend, and
an email you are writing to your boss would
be written with different levels of
professionalism. I would say as a whole are
well versed within the “friendly” form of
writing. Our business writing was what
needed practice, and practice is what we did.
 Within Unit 1, we started our journey writing to
employers. We discussed and wrote what makes a
good resume as opposed to a less strong one. We
acted in groups, as companies, looking to hire
employees and hired ones based off well written
resumes. We wrote our own resumes and had them
looked at by our peers. We drafted cover letters for
our resumes and thank you letters for employers as
well.
 Within Unit 2 we began our journey into proposals
and our over head project for the semester. We
started by writing elevator pitches and “selling”
ourselves to the class and potential team members.
We then drafted potential proposal ideas and posted
them on blackboard for easy access.
 Rhetoric
section 01

5. 5
 Also in Unit 2, we created surveys to get an
idea on how our potential proposals may be
able to serve the masses. The surveys were
an easy platform to get feedback quick that
allowed us not only to pick the best topic, but
later allowed to fine tune our projects. The
survey links were then posted on blackboard
so the entire class had access to take them
 Initially, our group wanted to create an
interactive booth to help students understand
their own personal financial aid debt and teach
them how they would pay that off after college
with a realistic budget. To do this, we would
have to teach them about interest, each
individual type of load, and create budgets.
The necessary information that needed to be
put together was too much for the realm of our
5 week long class. The information was too
dense and not enough non-essential
information was able to be cut out for an easier
outcome that was still beneficial to its intended
audience
 For our group, we eventually decided on our project
as a way to help college students apply to graduate
school. We wrote a list of instructions on how to
apply as well as did a screen cast video with a step-
by-step voice over and subtitles. Initially, we were
going to show a video of a student walking to a
college and applying in person until we learned that
this was no longer the current way to apply. We
learned all applications are submitted online so we
decided doing a screen cast of applying would be a
better mode of information
 At the end of the project, we had created a Gantt
chart of Excel with the group work delegated evenly
along with deadlines, we submitted an informal
memo proposal, a formal proposal, a set of
instructions, results from our usability test which
tested the effectiveness of our work, visual aids,
progress reports, and in the end gave a 10 minute
presentation discussing our project as a whole from
start to finish.
 Rhetoric
section 01
Rhetoric

6. 6
Collaboration makes the world go round
 There were many times in this class that we would not have succeeded
had it not been for collaboration with our other classmates and team
members. For example, when we were testing the “Ikea” designs, it took
the collaboration of all team members to able to pull of the end product. At
one station we were face with an origami assignment, John, had practice
origami before and taught our group the best way to fold. At the t-shirt
folding station, Tanner also pulled info from past experiences and helped
fill in information where the instructions lacked direction. At the station with
the towel monkey, mike read us the direction while we worked on our
towels so we could focus on doing it correctly per the instructions
 Many times through out the semester we used our other classmates for
peer editing, this allowed for both the reader and the writer to benefit from
the experience. The writer, often got many useful tips and suggestions to
makes their papers or assignments stronger. The reader, gained insight
into that writers mind and sometimes was able to take ideas and thoughts
that had come across while reading into their own work.
 Collaboration
section 02
 Through use of
collaboration, we
were able to
bounce ideas off
other classmates
and see things in
a way we might
normally be
unable to

7. 7
Cooperation and Collaboration
• .
 When it came to the group project, had we
not have the full cooperation of all team
members, the project would have ever
finished on time. The work needed to be
broken up and delegated out for all the work
to get as much detail and attention that it
needed
 Group projects are not always the easiest
projects to work on, everyone has very busy
lives outside of class. While we had ample
time in class to work, some work always
needed to be taken home. To account for
this, we used Google docs so that we could
work together without necessarily being in
the same room all together.
 Collaboration
section 02
In the figure above is the Gantt chart which is what we
used to delegate different parts of the overall
assignment to individual team members. This was also
where team members could find deadlines listed

8. 8
Cultural Considerations
 Cultural Considerations
section 03
Without taking
culture
considerations
into account, the
information at
hand can not be
spread as
effectively
Cultural considerations play a vital role in
speaking to many audiences
 While in class we discussed multi modal designs and how to reach
different types of audiences. What one group of people may find
accessible, another group may be unable to access it.
 For example, if you just speak during a presentation then the hearing
impaired are unable to gain the information being shared. If you speak,
and provide some sort of reading material, than those who are hearing
impaired may benefit as well
 This example works the other way around as well. If you only have
visual aids during a presentation, then the visually impaired are also
unable to benefit. Information should be accessible to any and all
potential audiences

9. 9
Learn how the Locals do it
 In class we discussed the importance of being culturally aware and
how to take those considerations into a useful form. By refusing to
comply with other cultures, you are refusing yourself success in any
given topic or field. With a growing international business front,
documents and writings are also having a growing need to accessibility
to a widespread audience
 Culture may not always mean another country though. Culture can
vary by the people you are around, family influences, work influences,
as well as much more. Even within the same business, culture may
vary by department.
 While in class we did a culture walk of the English and Philosophy
building. It was interesting to observe this huge building on the Texas
Tech campus and compare it to my own “home” building, the
kinesiology building. Even though both buildings are on the same
campus, the culture varies drastically. The English building was very
quiet with few peoples in the halls, work seemed to be done solely
inside of classrooms or offices. This varies drastically from the
kinesiology building where the halls are typically filled with a more
“loud and rowdy” crowd, There, is is just as typical to see class being
held outside, or in a gym, as it is inside of a classroom. While emails
may be a good way of getting messages across in the English
buildings, posters and announcements do much better in the
Kinesiology building.
 Cultural Considerations
section 03
TIPS:
• The best way to figure out how
systems are ran or what is culturally
appropriate is to “do as the locals do.”
Ask question, observe protocol, analyze
the environment.
•Cultural etiquette can vary. What may be
acceptable in one culture can be frowned
upon in another
•Culture can refer to the styling's of
different countries and languages,
different generations, genders, ethnicities,
environments, and needs

10. 10
Ethics. What you do when no one is
looking.
What does
ethics mean to
you?
 While in this class, all
views and beliefs were
respected and allowed
to be spoken, this also
us to understand more.
There were a few times
in class where sensitive
subjects came up in
conversation and
people were respected
in an ethical manner.
 Ethics
section 04
 Ethical considerations is what
makes your work credible at
the end of the day. By getting
your information from
reputable sources and giving
credit where it is due, you
follow the unwritten ethical
guidelines. Respecting others
opinions and being able to
have a counterargument
against them in a respectable
manner would also be
considered ethical.

11. For more info, please
contact me at:
breane.m.giberson@tt
u.edu
Thank
You