Technical & Professional Communication and Service Learning Programs
The question of how to classify technical and professional communication—as a discipline, profession, vocation, etc.—and where to place it within the higher education system—department of English, Communications, Information Technology, etc.—is an ongoing debate due primarily to the omnipresent nature of communication within a variety of disciplines. People attempting to research the field itself have difficulty isolating it from the contexts in which it is used (business, science, health, technology, and education, to name a few). In Elizabeth O. Smith’s article, "Electronic Databases for Technical and Professional Communication Research", she states that “No one database provides coverage for all the technical and professional communication journals or even half of the 98 journals cited most frequently by researchers. The interdisciplinary nature of technical and professional communication, the relatively recent startup of the journals, the different terms used to refer to the profession, and the position of writing (communication) at the heart of all fields creates this dilemma (367).” Because the field is so versatile, diverse career opportunities for technical and professional communicators abound. Although often stereotyped as manual writers who "dumb down" confusing jargon for laymen, technical and professional communicators are actually much more flexible and the need for their services can be justified in practically any area imaginable. The purpose of this paper is to discuss one area where these communicators are emerging—nonprofit organizations—and examine the research methods being used to determine how service learning programs in schools are influencing students to explore civic-oriented careers as technical and professional writers.
Service learning is "a credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of the course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility (Bringle and Hatcher 1996)." Research into the development, implementation, and impact of service learning programs is necessary if such programs are to become a standardized component of all university curriculums. By determining that service learning is indeed beneficial to students and by understanding which program designs work more effectively than others, perhaps an argument can be made for the incorporation of service learning universally throughout all higher education institutions. Currently, this type of program exists randomly, scattered across the United States in schools like San Francisco State University, Southwest Missouri State University, and University of Utah. Professors and administrators have primarily been responsible for developing these programs and have experimented with various course designs. The majority of research material for service learning comes from schools that have documented their own experiences. There are three main questions at the forefront of this research: Is this type of program appropriate for technical writing students? If so, then at what course level should such a program be implemented? And finally, what are the benefits gained from these programs?
Research shows that service learning programs are indeed appropriate for technical writing courses because students are developing communication skills that are necessary for all work environments, not just those in industry. Using research to demonstrate the success of service learning in other courses, particularly English Composition, helps technical writing instructors justify introducing it into their own courses despite the different types of writing styles and documents taught. The nature of many documents used by nonprofit organizations—policy/procedure manuals, training manuals, annual reports, grant proposals, and web content—necessitates technical and professional writing services in this area. Today, research is revealing the success of this relatively new approach which suggests that perhaps service learning deserves nation-wide consideration by universities.
The second question, regarding course level, has been examined by comparing the nature of the service learning projects to the personal, social, and intellectual levels required of students in order to effectively satisfy the requirements and appreciate the benefits gained. According to Leigh Henson and Kristene Sutliff, authors of "A Service Learning Approach to Business and Technical Writing Instruction," reserving such projects for advanced level writing classes increases students’ chances for success because they have had more time to develop the necessary skills and personality traits that affect their approach to situations. Avoiding attempts to specialize a course has also proven to be effective because by teaching basic skills of writing, editing, and collaborating, students will be apt to apply general principles to a variety of disciplines (192-193). They will learn to be effective communicators in any field.
The third question, regarding impact of service learning programs, is addressed through evaluations performed via testimonies and rating surveys. Comments provided by students, program administrators, and staff from the nonprofit organizations involved, offer useful feedback and insight into attitudes towards actual experiences with these programs. In general, students are exposed to a variety of writing assignments with "real world" qualities and consequences that encourage them to take initiative, be organized, and write thoughtfully. They learn the importance and power of effective communication, tend to take great pride in their work, and learn respect for the complexities of a work environment. The organizations benefit by receiving high quality, and often highly motivated, assistance with projects that would otherwise demand their own staff's time and energy. Typically, students and organizations benefit more from these experiences than do the administrators, who, when not preparing students, spend most of their time coordinating the placement of students with organizations. Administrators are also responsible for not only developing relationships with the organizations, but also maintaining them once students have completed the projects.
The trend in research appears to be shifting from examining benefits and justifying programs to identifying negative aspects and determining how course content can be modified and improved. In other words, it is moving from the question of “can it work?” to “how can we make it better?” Attempts to answer these new questions have been made by examining the needs of nonprofit organizations more closely so as to better prepare student for projects and situations they are likely to be faced with on the job. In a sense, a shift is occurring from focusing only on students’ needs to considering needs of the organizations as well. Research is also being conducted to solidify goals, guidelines, and policies for these programs and to develop clear organizational strategies that will make programs more effective. This is critical to the survival and expansion of service learning because the more usable a program's design becomes, the more likely it is that other universities will accept it into their curriculum.
One area where research needs to lend its focus is on the long-term effects of service learning—its impact on students after they have completed the course and graduated from college. The second goal of service learning is to encourage students to stay involved in their communities. Are students remaining involved in civic service once they are no longer doing it for a grade? Are volunteer efforts continuing as a result of these programs? What is the relationship between those who participate in service learning and those who actually seek jobs in the nonprofit sector? Answers to these questions need to be considered when promoting service learning using its success. While the intentions and goals of service learning seem transcendent on paper and there is little doubt that students will benefit, the notion remains that nonprofit organizations are being used merely as places to get experience before getting a “real job”. Are service learning programs providing a positive image of the nonprofit sector such that students are encouraged to pursue employment by such organizations?
Two articles that were seminal to the research for this paper were the aforementioned article by Henson and Sutliff and Lee A. Spears' "Adopt-a-Nonprofit: A Project in Persuasion and Collaboration." In addition to analyzing experiences previously documented by other writing instructors who have used the service learning approach in their classrooms, Henson and Sutliff also identify areas where further discussion is needed. The authors address two issues, course level and the adaptation of service learning programs into institutions. As mentioned earlier, their view is that advanced level courses are best suited for these programs, but the authors leave room for the possibility that lower level courses may be successful, indicating that more research is needed in this area. The authors suggest that as more universities begin to use service learning in their individual departments, conformity to institutional guidelines is inevitable. However, this may not be as complicated as it sounds, but instead be as simple as giving students the option to earn extra credit hours by adding a service learning component into their coursework. These kinds of suggestions offered by individuals already involved with service learning will help others to develop similar programs.
In the second article, Spears describes a 14-step guide for setting up a course that incorporates service learning. Although originally designed for business writing students, technical writing classes have also used it successfully. In addition to this outline, Spears identifies several areas that need further research. Problems are occurring for the students as well as for the organizations. The main problems include the tendency to overuse local nonprofits in small communities; the lack of time and guidance students receive from staff when working on writing assignments; the resentment felt by organizations who often claim that students are "using" them for a grade without fully appreciating their message; and the demand on students to complete overly ambitious tasks for which they've received little preparation.
The goal of service learning is to give students an opportunity to combine their classroom knowledge with real-world experience through community service. Research has shown that clearly there is a place for service learning in technical and professional communication courses, but problems exist and questions still remain. This means that in order to gain national support to incorporate this type of approach into the curriculum of higher education institutions, certain aspects need to be examined from a new perspective. Research should now aim to perhaps discover an effective design for the service learning program–one that ensures the needs of all those involved can be met and that the goals of the program can be attained.
Bringle, R.G. and J.A. Hatcher. "Implementing Service-Learning in Higher Education." Journal of Higher Education. 67.2 (March/April 1996): 221-239.
Henson, Leigh and Kristene Sutliff. "A Service Learning Approach to Business and Technical Writing Instruction." Journal of Technical Writing and Communication. 28.2 (1998): 189-205.
Smith, Elizabeth O. "Electronic Databases for Technical and Professional Communication Research." Technical Communication Quarterly. 5.4 (1996): 365-383.
Spears, Lee A. "Adopt-a-Nonprofit: A Project in Persuasion and Collaboration." Business Communication Quarterly. 59.3 (1996): 21-28.
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