Jumping into the School Writing Pool

Educational Institutions can be an Untapped Source of Tech Writing Projects
by Allison L. Shaw and Jenni Helfrich, STC Sacramento Chapter

It's time for tech writers to go back to school! Not because we feel a twinge of nostalgia when school supplies roll into Target and not because continuing education keeps us on our technical toes. It's time to hit the books because institutions of higher education are a terrific, but often overlooked, source of technical communication projects. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 70% of the approaching decade's fastest-growing jobs will require post-secondary education. Working adults will have to "learn more and learn more often" to keep up with the continuously evolving nature of the skills that today's information and technology- driven workforce requires.

As more and more adults return to school, tech writers are assisting in the design and production of the course content and methods of delivery. We see this first-hand in our work with the College of Continuing Education at California State University, Sacramento, where Jenni Helfrich is a senior program manager and I am a writer. Course Materials When we needed a student guide for our Earthwork Inspection and Drainage Inspection course, we turned to a tech writer for help. The writer observed the pilot course and then took information from the instructor's PowerPoint slides, lesson plans and class activities to create a guide for the students to use during and after the course.

Online Courses
The expanding online environment for course delivery is also enabling tech writers to play a vital role in creating or rewriting course content for an online delivery platform. In cases where different faculty members submit individual online course segments for a single program, tech writers are called in to develop continuity standards for the look and feel, as well as the tone, style and activity set-up for each course. Reconfiguring existing live courses into appropriate e-learning experiences also requires tech writing expertise.

In one case, our live course contained overly comprehensive PowerPoint slides and much of the learning required students to physically reference state manuals and organizational documents. The tech writer was able to edit the information down to a usable portion and reference the same manuals and documents that are now available online. Websites and Intranets According to Traci Bonde, online programs manager for CSUS Continuing Education, creating web-based repositories for fast and reliable access is a growing education-based career niche for tech writers. "A tech writer can take content from 500 page manuals and condense it down to a fast read, with resources available that can expand upon concepts," says Bonde.

Many institutions of higher education also serve private clients who may need small yet informative websites to showcase their educational programs or projects. A lot of agencies have complex data that needs to be presented to the general public, but lack the skill set to put that information into an understandable context for their readers. As education providers begin to realize the value of internal Intranets, tech writers can be tapped to drive the architecture, delivery, and data mining of critical information. The operations component in most organizations have a huge need for a writer who can take verbal or poorly written policies, create a readable document, and assist in how the information is stored and accessed in creative ways.

Grant & RFP Response Writing
In these fiscally tough times, educational institutions also rely on tech writers to answer requests for project proposals and apply for grants. We see a lot of opportunities to submit proposals or grant requests but don't have the time to compile the information. Utilizing a tech writer enables us to take everything we have and package the appropriate information in a consistent style.

Getting Out There
If you've never considered the breadth of opportunity available to tech writers in the field of education, it's just as likely that educators and administrators may not have considered the breadth of services that tech writers can offer. There are extension programs, individual professors, and entire college departments that could benefit from the skills of a technical writer, but may use one because they still think tech writers only create guides on "how to start your computer" and "how to use your alarm clock with added CD, DVD and aromatherapy capabilities." So perhaps it's time to refresh your resume and market yourself to educational institutions. As with any writing project, basic background knowledge is a must. Teaching or training experience is invaluable for a tech writer working in higher education because it will help the writer in structuring the information in a manner that is conducive to adult learning.

Writers pursuing educational gigs should also understand current instructional design practices for both live and e-learning courses and have a handle on the industry standards and terminology. A knowledge of copy write laws, ADA requirements and current legislation, like the TEACH Act or SCORM certification, will prevent putting your employer at risk. A little marketing experience goes a long way toward targeting your audience and putting the appropriate "spin" on information. In addition to utilizing tech writers, the CSUS College of Continuing Education also trains them. To check out their Online Technical Writing Certificate Program, visit their website or call (916) 278-4811.