ENGR 1181
Introduction to Technical
Communication
College of Engineering
Engineering Education Innovation Center
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Outline
1. What is Technical Communication?
2. Using the Technical Communication Guide
3. Written Communication
4. Oral Communication
5. Conclusion
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What is Technical Communication?
“Technical Communication” is a method of sharing
information about specialized subjects.
This is a broad category which includes everything
from assembly instructions for a toy, a user guide for
software, a store receipt, or a drug prescription.
Most importantly for our purposes, it involves executive
summaries, memos, reports, and project notebooks for
documenting experiments in the lab.
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ENGR 1181
What is Technical Communication?
High School Writing
Expository
Double spaced
Essay format
Descriptive
Length requirement
Technical Communication
Informative
Often Single Spaced
Professional format
Concise and precise
Short is preferred
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ENGR 1181
What is Technical Communication?
Technical Communication Style
• Use 3rd Person
• Use Past Tense
• Avoid Emotional Statements
• Use Passive Voice Deliberately
• Use Short Sentences
• Use Bulleted and Numbered Lists
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Using the Tech. Comm. Guide
The Technical Communication Guide was created to help
students in Engineering 1181 and 1182 complete their written
and oral assignments.
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Using the Tech. Comm. Guide
The Technical Communication Guide contains:
• An introduction to technical communication
• An explanation of the different types of written and oral
presentation assignments in the class
• A description of helpful software tools and grammatical rules
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Written Communication
The written communication assignments in this class will be
relatively simple in the beginning, but they will become more
detailed and complex as the course progresses.
B
A
C
D
There are four (4) types of documents:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Executive Summary
Lab Memo
Lab Report
Project Notebook
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ENGR 1181
Written Communication
A
B
C
D
A) Executive Summary: This short document (1-2 pages) provides a brief
overview of the lab and contains key facts, results, and conclusions.
B) Lab Memo: This document is formatted like a standard business memo. Its
purpose is to report the data, observations, and results obtained in lab.
C) Lab Report: This document is a more detailed version of the Lab Memo;
unlike the Lab Memo, its format is that of a condensed formal report.
D) Project Notebook: This large document (in a 2-3 inch binder) serves to
record your team’s activities and progress through completion of an extensive
design/build task.
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Written Communication
Practice Grading Session
• Sample lab documents (i.e. Lab Memos) are available
on the course website; please follow instructions and
refer to the Tech. Comm. Guide to practice evaluating
the documents
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Oral Communication
Presentation Organization
• Title
• Introduction to the speaker or team
• Purpose statement
• List of key points
• The main “body” of the presentation
• Conclusion/Recommendations
• References
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Oral Communication
Planning Presentations
• Audience
• Message and Supporting Detail
• Purpose
• Organization Strategy
• Figures/Graphics/Illustrations
• Other Media?
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Oral Communication
Summary of Quality Content Features
• Clear Message
• Content focused on message
• Information is obvious
• Titles indicate sequence of topics
• Title/text font consistent by information type
• Research is cited
• Content free of typos, spelling errors etc.
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Oral Communication
Success Criteria for Delivery
• Poise
• Voice
• Consistent Pace
• Eye Contact
• Hand Gestures
• Body Language
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Oral Communication
Team Presentation Basics
• Establish speaker order
• Stand quietly to the side (don’t fidget)
• Use a verbal transition between speakers
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Oral Communication
Practice Grading Session
• Sample oral presentations (i.e. YouTube videos) are
available on the course website; please follow
instructions and refer to the Tech. Comm. Guide to
practice evaluating the presentations
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Summary
Technical Communication is:
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Different from High School Writing
– concise and precise
– composed of short sentences and paragraphs
– contains bulleted and numbered lists
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Specifically styled and formatted (e.g. Lab Memos)
– 3rd person, past tense, and passive voice
– free of emotional statements
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Used for written and oral communication
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Resources
Technical Communication Guide:
http://eeiccourses.engineering.osu.edu/au2013/1181/techcommguide
APA Documentation Format:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
Poster Design:
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/