Beyond skill building: Challenges facing technical communication teachers in the computer age

Latin-American writing initiatives in engineering from Spanish-speaking countries

“…here are diferent types of courses: a) skill courses for every day computer literacy at workplaces; b) courses on hardware and sotware for technical communication practices; c) courses on desktop publishing or graphic design programs that are focused on costefective productions for organizations; d) publication management courses; e) computer intensive instruction in introductory writing courses; and, f) computer literacy courses to build critical awareness on digital reading and writing practices. Pedagogies on critical computer literacy particularly advocate for ideological analysis of literacy practices surrounding computer usage against to computer-skills pedagogies (Selber, 2004).…”

“…he emphasis on writing to learn and the emerging call for further research on professional genres might suggest that in the Latin-American case the debate on what should be the goal of the writing courses in Engineering is not yet present (at least in the sample analyzed), such as the goal of increasing students' marketability (Selber, 2004). his conlict between professional or humanistic role of writing courses might be further traced in Latin-American publications that report studies or initiatives on freshman writing courses, since this is the most frequent pedagogic intervention in the region (see ILEES project at http:// english.ilees.org/).…”

“…Regarding issues on computer literacy, the publications of the sample mentioned computers only in three cases, but they were related to the same Argentine experience (Añino et al, 2010a;2010b;. In this case, computer literacy was not part of the teaching contents (Selber, 2004); instead, computer assignments are means to support students' learning (i.e., writing to learn).…”

Passions Pedagogies and 21st Century Technologies

“…And, at some level, English Departments have come to terms with technological change-we have adjusted diminishing supplies and equipment budgets to accommodate an ongoing program of purchases and upgrades, accepted computer studies as a new area of scholarly focus, integrated technology into various curricula, and modified many programs to include technology training and use (c.f., Selber, 1994;McDaniel, 1990;Schwartz, Selfe, Sosnoski, 1994; Wahlstrom and Selfe, 1994).…”

“…See, for example, the following websites which are just a few of the many we also nology, we generally end up talking about change. It is common sense, after all to link computers with change when microprocessors, according to Moore's law, double in speed every eighteen months, when biomemory, superscalar architecture, and picoprocessors become feature stories for National Public Radio; and when media generations flash by in less time than it takes to un crate a faculty workstation and get rid of the styrofoam packing.And, at some level, English Departments have come to terms with technological change-we have adjusted diminishing supplies and equipment budgets to accommodate an ongoing program of purchases and upgrades, accepted computer studies as a new area of scholarly focus, integrated technology into various curricula, and modified many programs to include technology training and use (c.f., Selber, 1994;McDaniel, 1990;Schwartz, Selfe, Sosnoski, 1994; Wahlstrom and Selfe, 1994).Like most Americans, however, even though educators have made these adaptations, we remain decidedly undecided about technology and change. At one level, we believe in the pairing; we believe in the computer's power, and we believe strongly in the beneficial ways that technology promises to improve our lives (Bump, 1990; Delany and Landow, 1991; Snyder, 1996).…”