Swinburne University of Technology - Melbourne Australia
Future Students - Courses
Duration
Contact Hours
Campus
Prerequisite
Corequisite
1 Semester
3 Hours per Week - online only
Online
International students should have an overall score of 7 on the IELTS test, with no individual band below 7.
Nil
Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points
An online unit of study in the Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Technical Communication) and the Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Technical Communication) of Social Science (Technical Communication).
Aims: This unit introduces a variety of software tools used by technical communicators including word processing, flowcharting, graphics and online help. It aims to help students evaluate software tools. It does this by providing an overview of the capacities and limitations of key applications and thus enables students to judge the most appropriate package to use in different circumstances. The unit also aims to help students understand the underlying principles of software design so that they will be able to learn new packages quickly. Objectives: On completing this unit students will be able to: • Analyse different classes of software and apply evaluative principles to a range of case studies • Understand hypermedia and the theory of developing technical documentation electronically • Understand the role of software in the field of technical communication • Understand how using software effectively improves job performance and output • Apply theory to judge which software to use to produce required documentation outputs • Identify the differences between software tools that do the same job (for paper and online documentation) • Apply general principles so as to learn new software quickly • Use styles and templates, and understand how to implement these across various tools • Develop technical documentation electronically • Use online editing tools.
Aims: This unit introduces a variety of software tools used by technical communicators including word processing, flowcharting, graphics and online help. It aims to help students evaluate software tools. It does this by providing an overview of the capacities and limitations of key applications and thus enables students to judge the most appropriate package to use in different circumstances. The unit also aims to help students understand the underlying principles of software design so that they will be able to learn new packages quickly.
Objectives: On completing this unit students will be able to: • Analyse different classes of software and apply evaluative principles to a range of case studies • Understand hypermedia and the theory of developing technical documentation electronically • Understand the role of software in the field of technical communication • Understand how using software effectively improves job performance and output • Apply theory to judge which software to use to produce required documentation outputs • Identify the differences between software tools that do the same job (for paper and online documentation) • Apply general principles so as to learn new software quickly • Use styles and templates, and understand how to implement these across various tools • Develop technical documentation electronically • Use online editing tools.
Recorded lecture presentations (voice, together with visual material), software training and lab practice via the program Captivate or equivalents, desktop sharing software, online discussion boards, wiki spaces, Skype communications technology, and MP3 files that can be downloaded to desktops and/or MP3 players. These materials will be delivered through the Blackboard portal. CDs of lecture presentations and demonstration software will be mailed out if required.
Participation (10%) and three assignments (worth 30%, 10% and 50% respectively)
On completion of this unit students will be able to use software to enhance their communication skills in a professional environment.
Hypermedia and the theory of developing technical documentation electronically • Introduction to a range of software tools • Understanding the role of software in the field of technical communication • Understanding how using software effectively improves job performance and output • Theory of which software to use to produce required documentation outputs • Major differences between software tools that do the same job (for paper and online documentation) • Principles of learning new software quickly • Styles and templates: theory and practice of how they're implemented across the various tools • Demonstrations of degrees of software complexity and their appropriateness for technical communicators • Developing technical documentation electronically • Online editing tools.
There is no prescribed text as these date quickly in this field. Notes are provided and students are also directed to web-based material including: • User Interface Design For Programmers <http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/fog0000000249.html> • W3C (The World Wide Web Consortium) <http://www.w3.org/Consortium/> • Microsoft TechNet <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx> • MVPS Word – Microsoft Word <http://www.mvps.org/word/> • Woody’s Lounge – Moderated Software Forum <http://www.wopr.com/lounge> • Framemaker Resources <http://www.techwrl.com/techwhirl/magazine/technical/frameresources.html> • Planet PDF – Acrobat <http://www.planetpdf.com/> • MVPS Visio – Microsoft Visio <http://www.mvps.org/visio>
