Yvonne Cleary

Leadership Roles, Socioemotional Communication Strategies, and Technology Use of Irish and US Students in Virtual Teams

Global virtual teams provide numerous benefits for corporations employing virtual organizational forms and for individual teams and team members. However, virtual collaboration also presents some well-recognized challenges. A growing body of research has examined the process of virtual teaming and the challenges inherent in that process. This study seeks to address some of the gaps in the existing literature. Specifically, it examines leadership roles, socioemotional communication strategies, and the use of technology to establish relational links among team members. The study focuses on virtual-team collaboration among technical communication students at the University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland, and at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.

PREPARING TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION STUDENTS TO FUNCTION AS USER ADVOCATES IN A SELF-SERVICE SOCIETY

The self-service nature of todays society means that technical communicators are needed more than ever before since users may find themselves struggling to make sense of online documentation with minimal support from the institutions that provide it. Certain demographics within the user population (older adults, disabled persons, non-native speakers) may face serious challenges when trying to use self-service documentation. Technical communication educators should prepare students to function as user advocates for members of these groups. Technical communication students need a thorough understanding of the challenges that may interfere with an audiences ability to use websites and other online documentation. This article suggests ways to help students gain this understanding through course content and by structuring service-learning and virtual team projects in which students can put their newly-developed understanding into practice.

Global virtual teams create and translate technical documentation: Communication strategies, challenges and recommendations

Since 2013, students from the University of Limerick (UL), the University of Central Florida (UCF), and Université Paris Diderot (UPD) have collaborated on a documentation and translation assignment in virtual teams. The UL and UCF students, who study technical communication, collaborate to write procedural documents. The UPD students translate the documents into French. A key feature of the project design is the need for collaboration among the document writers and translators throughout the process. This paper provides a theoretical background to the project and describes the assignment that student teams collaborate on. It then offers guidelines for faculty wishing to organize similar projects.

Technical communication at the University of Limerick: comparison of available data for distance learning and full-time students

The technical communication section at the University of Limerick runs three postgraduate programmes, two dedicated to the study of technical communication: graduate diploma in technical communication (full-time, on-campus programme) and graduate certificate in technical communication (run by distance learning). Although, technical writing and communication are increasingly popular choices of study and work in Europe, these are the only technical communication programmes taught at university level in the Republic of Ireland. Distance learning courses offer students great opportunities, but also pose considerable and well-documented difficulties for both students and faculty. The paper describes: the two technical communication programmes, the technical communication introductory module taught (with slight variations) on both programmes. It is then compares: profiles of students taking both programmes, grades achieved by students on both programmes. The results suggest that distance students: are older than full time students, perform as well as, or better than, full-time students in examinations, and are less likely to complete the programme than full-time students.

Developing Strategies for Success in a Cross-Disciplinary Global Virtual Team Project: Collaboration Among Student Writers and Translators:

This article reports on a qualitative study of strategies and competencies used by technical communication and translation students to address challenges inherent in global virtual team collaboration. The study involved students from three universities collaborating in virtual teams to write and translate instructional documents. Qualitative content analysis of students’ reflective blogs and team transcripts was used to examine their experiences while collaborating. Students faced challenges related to communication, leadership, and technology, and developed various strategies to address those challenges. Although the students did not face cultural challenges, they reported increased awareness of cultural issues. Students also reported that the project helped them better understand the workplace and define career goals.

TecCOMFrame: A competence framework for technical communication

The role of technical communicators is expanding due to technology. However, many individuals throughout Europe gain employment as technical communicators without undergoing specialized training. TecCOMFrame, a three-year project funded by the European Union, aims to develop: 1) a common academic qualification and competence framework for technical communication; 2) prototypes of technical communication curricula; 3) a competence and qualification profiling tool and an update of the TecDocNet Guideline, which describes professional education and training of technical communicators in Europe. TecCOMFrame is coordinated by tekom Europe and involves academic partners from eight European countries. The project started in September 2015. Partners have worked on the development of the qualification and competence framework, which was finalized and published at the beginning of 2017. Partners are now developing prototype curricula. Throughout the project, partners collect feedback from academics, practitioners and employers in technical communication to ensure that the project results meet the needs of all stakeholders. This paper discusses the background to the project and the process of developing the framework and curricula.

Use of collaboration assignments to support online learning communities

During the past few decades, increased use of information and communication technologies has led to educational innovations such as synchronous and asynchronous online collaboration tools and learning management systems. The range of information and communication technologies that are now available can support many types of collaboration that would have been previously impossible. Instructors can use information and communication technologies to facilitate collaboration that might not otherwise take place between on-campus and online learners, and between learners in different countries and universities. In collaborative learning environments, a community of inquiry supports student learning. Successful learning communities can increase learner motivation, facilitate deep learning, and reduce the potential isolation that online learners often experience. This paper provides an overview of relevant literature. The paper then outlines collaboration assignments that postgraduate students undertake in technical communication and instructional design courses. Many instructors are interested in developing their awareness of, and expertise in, innovative online teaching practices; to that end, this paper presents a number of teaching cases.

TecCOMFrame: Building bridges between technical communication and translation studies through a prototype specialisation curriculum

Abstract Technical communication is a new field of work compared to other professions, and therefore it does not have a standardised curriculum. In Europe, many technical communicators do not have qualifications in the area. TecCOMFrame, a project funded by the European Union, aims to develop an academic competence framework and higher education prototype curricula at various levels that correspond to the European Framework of Qualifications. The project team has developed the competence framework, comprising six dimensions and 22 subjects. The team is currently developing prototype curricula, including one curriculum which is a focus of this paper, a specialisation stream in technical communication in a Master’s in Translation Studies.

Use of Plain-Language Guidelines to Promote Health Literacy

Research problem: Studies by the American Institute of Medicine and the European Health Literacy Survey describe considerable levels of either inadequate or problematic health literacy. This health literacy problem is intensified when frontline healthcare practitioners must rely on printed education materials to compensate for the lack of time to instruct patients about their health management. Applying plain-language guidelines to health promotion materials may increase their effectiveness, particularly for patients with low health literacy. Research questions: 1. In what ways have plain-language guidelines been applied in health information materials for patients with varying degrees of health literacy, according to recent studies? 2. Have studies found that materials that apply plain-language guidelines are effective in health information promotion? Methodology: This article presents the findings from an integrative literature review of research into the use of plain language to promote health literacy. The systematic review identified scholarly, evidence-based studies that included reference to the use of plain-language guidelines. This article describes the detailed selection process and characterizes the corpus of articles along four dimensions: objectives, methodology, plain-language guidelines used, and findings. Results and conclusions: The review identified 13 articles that explored the use of plain-language guidelines in health literacy promotion. Analysis of these articles demonstrates that plain-language guidelines could play a strategic role in educating patients. Use of plain language could help healthcare practitioners to communicate critical and sometimes very complex health information effectively.

Use of m-learning among Irish technical communication students

Mobile learning (m-learning) is a term used to describe how students use mobile technologies to access learning materials, often in non-traditional educational settings. m-learning increases personalization of the learning experience. This paper describes a survey conducted with Irish technical communication students about their use of mobile technologies to access learning materials available through the university virtual learning environment (VLE). The findings indicate that many students use mobile technologies to access learning materials and to participate in learning, perhaps not always in ways that educators are aware of or understand. Respondents are positive about the increased access, convenience and flexibility afforded by mobile technologies.