Course description
In the course Technical Writing Essentials you will learn why, in our increasingly technological and internationalized workplaces, communications skills are among the most sought-after competencies employers require of job candidates. Every job posting you see will almost certainly ask for candidates with excellent communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in teams. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written, verbal, visual, and interpersonal contexts is vital for success and advancement in the workplace.
No matter how brilliant or innovative an idea maybe, if it is not communicated clearly and promoted effectively to the right audience, it will not become a reality. The course introduces you to the key elements of professional style, technical document design, collaboration, oral presentation, and research skills needed to design productive workplace technical documents and presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences.
This course will be of great interest to those wishing to pursue a career in technical writing or for any professional technical writer who wishes to improve their ability to develop workplace documents and presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences. So, why wait? Start learning how to improve your technical writing skills to become a technical writer today!
Upcoming start dates
Training content
Basics of Technical Communication
Description: This module explains the basic concepts of Technical Writing and communication such as what technical writing is, why its important, and what it looks like; the main conventions and characteristics of technical writing and the importance of defining the “rhetorical situation” in which you are communicating. This module also explains the complexity and iterative nature of a writing process in determining what writing process works best for you.
- Learning Outcomes
- What is Technical Communication?
- Understanding the Rhetorical Situation
- Writing Processes
- Lesson Summary
Professional Style
Description: This module looks more deeply into the style of writing expected of this genre such as how to adopt reader-centred approach (rather than a writer-centred one) that focuses on knowing your audience and writing specifically to meet their needs. This module also shows learners how to review and practice techniques to make your writing more precise and concise, as well as how to use the rhetoric in a professional context and avoid logical fallacies or inappropriate marketing language and/or verbs.
- Learning Outcomes
- Professional Style
- Communicating with Precision
- Writing To Persuade
- Lesson Summary
Document Design
Description: This module includes the information on how technical writers use formatting features to optimize readability such as how to use headings logically, different types of lists, and how to integrate various kinds of figures and tables to effectively present visual data and images. This module also provides style tips to show learners how to apply strategies to enhance clarity and readability.
- Learning Outcomes
- Document Design
- Headings
- Lists
- Figures and Tables
- Style Tips: Revising to Enhance Readability
- Lesson Summary
Research Methods
Description: Most projects you work on—whether you are developing innovative new products, planning or implementing ideas, proposing ideas, or recommending solutions—will require research. Research can save you time by determining what other similar solutions have already been proposed, what has been tried and tested in the past and what the results were, what patents are already in place, and so forth. The module is designed to help develop your research skills for conducting and disseminating research.
- Learning Outcomes
- Research Terminology
- Defining the Scope of a Project
- Presenting Research in a Lab Report
- Lesson Summary
Common Document Types - Part One
Description: Just as the literary genre of poetry contains many forms—such as sonnets, haiku, epics, limericks, etc., — each with its own set of rules and conventions, technical writing also contains many forms and each form has key conventions that must be observed. This module discusses several of the most common document forms, and reviews the general requirements for content, formatting, and style.
- Learning Outcomes
- Correspondence: Text Messages, Emails, Memos, and Letters
- Technical Descriptions and Definitions
- Writing Instructions
- Oral and Visual Presentations
- Lesson Summary
Common Document Types - Part Two
Description: Just as the literary genre of poetry contains many forms—such as sonnets, haiku, epics, limericks, etc., — each with its own set of rules and conventions, technical writing also contains many forms and each form has key conventions that must be observed. This module discusses several of the most common document forms, and reviews the general requirements for content, formatting, and style.
- Learning Outcomes
- Proposals
- Progress Reports
- Long Reports - Recommendation Reports and Feasibility Studies
- Lesson Summary
Course assessment
- Assessment: Technical Writing Essentials - Course Assessment
Certification / Credits
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define what technical writing is, why it’s important, and what it looks like
- Recognize the main conventions and characteristics of technical writing
- Identify how to use rhetoric appeals in a professional context and avoid logical fallacies
- Recognize how to effectively integrate headings, figures and tables, and lists in written communications
- Define basic terms related to conducting and disseminating various types of research
- Outline how to determine the reliability, authority, and relevance of research sources in a professional context
- Identify the most common types of documents used in technical communications
- Outline how to create technical descriptions and write instruction manuals
- Recognize how to create the appropriate format, structure and content for different types of professional documents
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