ERIC Number: EJ975879
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-2816
EISSN: N/A
The Development of a Project-Based Collaborative Technical Writing Model Founded on Learner Feedback in a Tertiary Aeronautical Engineering Program
Tatzl, Dietmar; Hassler, Wolfgang; Messnarz, Bernd; Fluhr, Holger
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, v42 n3 p279-304 2012
The present article describes and evaluates collaborative interdisciplinary group projects initiated by content lecturers and an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instructor for the purpose of teaching technical writing skills in an aeronautical engineering degree program. The proposed technical writing model is assessed against the results of a learner survey and refined accordingly. The survey showed that learners appreciated the cross-disciplinary collaboration in projects, and it delivered important insights into learning effects and student progress in both language and content matters. The article concludes with a list of recommendations for the implementation of project-based collaborative technical writing instruction, which may support or complement academic writing courses in similar contexts. The proposed model considers the circumstances of students in workload-intensive tertiary settings and synthesizes approaches such as problem-based learning, content-based instruction, task-based language teaching, a guided product approach to collaborative writing, and learner autonomy.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Technical Writing, Writing Skills, Collaborative Writing, Interdisciplinary Approach, Second Language Instruction, English (Second Language), Engineering, Aviation Technology, Space Sciences, Active Learning, Student Projects, Postsecondary Education, Feedback (Response), Teaching Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A