Research

Hours and hours of research...

I spent a considerable amount of time researching information about certification programs specific to the technical writing profession. I also wanted to know how existing, successful professional designation and certification programs structure their courses. I found a variety of ways to deliver educational material through web-based courses, I've been calling these "delivery methods," and they include:

1. Guided study through the book material
2. Interactive case studies
3. Simulations
4. Practice exercises
5. Quizzes/exams that test for understanding
6. Audio streaming (with podcasts)
7. Video streaming (pre-recorded)
8. Whiteboards
9. Discussion boards
10. Blogging
11. Instructor-facilitated chat sessions
12. Instructor availability outside the virtual classroom (virtual office hours)
13. Flashcards
14. Question banks
15. Self-assessments
16. Reflection questions
17. Study calendar
18. Portfolio review
19. Collaborative assignments


Additionally, I found some information on the current state of a professional designation program within the realm of technical writing. The Society for Technical Writing (STC) has toyed with the idea of creating such a designation in the past, but has never quite had the momentum to get off the ground.

Citing Turney and Rainey, The Society for Technical Communication lists the following professional core comptencies:

1: Advocacy: ability and willingness to be an advocate for the user.

2: Design: knowledge of information design, presentation of data, language conventions, communication principles and theory.

3: Execution: ability and willingness to apply informaiton design language and communication models theories rules and standards.

4: Innovation: ability and willingness to be open to new ideas without sacrificing usabilty or accuracy.

5: Use of Media: ability and willingness to understand the requirements and uses of different media to apply them appropriately.

6: Use of support tools: ability and willingness to use appropriate support tools, including computer application software.

7: Usability: understanding of usability, skill in user and task analysis, and the ability and willngness to provide value to the user of the information.

Essentially, Turner and Rainey advocate for the development and implementation of a professional certification program within the realm of technical writing. They believe several items need to be organized in order to move forward, such as settling on the core competencies, determining the method of certification delivery, and steps for continuing education.

We believe that collaborative authorship falls into several of these core competencies, including design, execution, innovation, use of support tools and usability.