Curriculum 2009-2012
Advanced studies (40-45 ECTS)
TECHS1 Technical Documentation, Finnish, 5 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To introduce technical communication as a profession and a discipline. To familiarize students with target group analysis, legislation, and analysis and production of technical documents in Finnish. Emphasis on manuals and user´s guides.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, final assignment. Graded.
LITERATURE:
- Huckin & Olsen (1991): Technical Writing and Professional Communication for Nonnative Speakers of English.
- Markel (2004): Technical Communication.
TECHS2 Technical Documentation, English, 5 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with analyzing, editing and writing technical documents in English.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises. Graded.
TECHS3 Select Themes in Technical Communication, 5 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with different phases of the documentation process,
the profession of the technical communicator and the business sector.
CONTENTS: Lectures and final assignment. Graded.
LITERATURE:
- Hackos (1994): Managing Your Documentation Projects.
- Articles distributed during the course.
TECHS4 Textual Composition, 2 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with the basics of typography, layout and the visualization of documentation.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, familiarization with desktop publishing software.
LITERATURE:
- Itkonen (2003): Typografian käsikirja.
TECHS5 Introduction to WWW Techniques, 4 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with the creation of websites (e.g. HTML, CSS) and image processing.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, creating a website, exam. Graded.
- Articles distributed during the course.
TECHS6 Structural and Modular Documentation, 3 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with the basic consepts of structured documents, modular documentation and single-sourcing.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, familiarization with SGML/XML software.
LITERATURE:
- Ament (2003): Single Sourcing. Building Modular Documentation.
- Articles distributed during the course.
TECHS7 Usability and Technical Communication, 3 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with the concept of usability and special aspects of usability concerning technical documents.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, final assignment.
LITERATURE:
- Nielsen (1993): Usability Engineering.
- Coe (1996): Human Factors for Technical Communicators.
TECHS8 Terminology Work and Technical Language, 2 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with terminology, concept analysis, characteristics of terminological lexicons and technical language.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, final assignment.
LITERATURE:
- Will be announced during the course.
TECHS9 Online Instructions, 2 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with the authoring of electronic documentation and different instruction systems.
CONTENTS: Lectures and exercises, familiarization with an authoring tool.
- Horton (1994): Designing and Writing Online Documentation.
- Articles distributed during the course.
TECHS10 Advanced Studies Book Examination, 5 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with the history, development and professionalization of technical communication, and the production and evaluation of technical documentation.
CONTENTS: Book exam. Books available at course library, articles distributed at the beginning of the programme. Graded.
LITERATURE:
- Schriver, Karen A. 1997. Dynamics in Document Design. Creating Texts for
Readers. New York: John Wiley & Sons (huom.: ei sivuja 249-359).
- Articles to be announced later.
TECHS11 Traineeship, 4 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To gain experience of working in the field of technical communication.
CONTENTS: An approximately three-month paid traineeship as a technical communicator, or a document commission done as a student assignment. Instructions for writing the traineeship report
TECHS12 MA Thesis Seminar, 5 ECTS
OBJECTIVE: To develop abilities for writing a Master's thesis and to complete and implement an approved research plan.
CONTENTS: Active participation in seminar sessions, collecting and analyzing research
material and writing a thesis.
Note! The students prepares their
thesis, 35 ECTS, under the code of their major subject. The Technical Communications
Programme lecturer acts as supervisor together with a supervisor from the major subject.
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