Description

The Technical Writing Certification course from Gatlin International is a comprehensive, online technical writing class that teaches students the various techniques needed to become effective communicators in today's highly competitive business environment. Our Technical Writing Certification programme is designed for anyone seeking to develop their technical writing abilities. Students in our Technical Writing Certification classes will learn effective research methods, how to write for your audience, business writing styles, how to write a draft, effective revision techniques, how to write in a collaborative business environment, and much, much more. Our technical writing certification classes examine a wide variety of media and formats, including business writing for Web sites, how to write effective emails, proposal writing, how to write succinct memos, and how to write clear, informative instructions and manuals.

To illustrate the importance of business and technical writing skills in today's business landscape, consider the following:

•Local and regional governments spend millions annually training their writers.
• Employers spend an estimated $3.1 billion annually on writing instructions for their employees.
• According to surveys, “two-thirds of employees in large companies have some degree of writing responsibility associated with their jobs. ‘Employees must have technical writing ability…Manufacturing documentation, operating procedures manuals, reporting problems, lab safety, waste-disposal procedures and operations—all of these have to be crystal clear,’ said one human resource director when speaking of the importance of technical and business writing skills in the workplace.”
• According to one large employer, “writing skills are fundamental in business. It’s increasingly important to be able to convey content in a tight, logical, direct manner, particularly in a fast-paced technological environment.”
• Professionals in various business sectors including engineering, technological and scientific careers can spend up to 40 percent of their time writing technical materials of all descriptions.

Our Technical Writing Certification classes address the ever increasing need for skilled writers. Recent surveys of employers indicate that employees with well-developed technical and business writing skills are more likely to be hired and promoted than their counterparts who lack effective writing skills. Technical writing courses from Gatlin International provide you the writing expertise you need to get noticed and get ahead in business.

Upon registering in our Technical Writing Certification course you will be given an initial six month period in which to complete the programme. Should you need more time, you may request a six month extension at no extra charge.

Course Objectives

By completing the Technical Writing course, students will:

• Understand the differences between academic and technical writing.
• Develop effective research methods.
• Learn to consider the needs and abilities of the audience.
• Learn how to incorporate clarity and utility.
• Develop job-hunting and resume-writing skills.
• Become aware of ethical issues in technical writing.
• Learn stylistic methods for effective writing.
• Learn how to work as part of a team.

Outline

I. Introduction to Technical Writing
a) Defining Technical Writing
b) Distinguishing it from other types of writing
c) Writing Inventory

II. Understanding Your Role as a Technical Writer
a) Ethics
b) Communication Dilemma

III. The Communication Triangle – The Recipe for Establishing Common Ground with the Audience
a) Choosing a Topic
b) Determining the Purpose for Writing
c) Analyzing an Audience
d) Evaluating Common Ground

IV. Types of Technical Correspondence—memo, letters, abstracts, communication of dilemma, emails

V. The Seven Principles of Good Writing

VI. Writing as a Process

VII. Preparation—as a way to generate ideas

VIII. Research—the access to support

IX. Organization—the key to logical paragraph development and a coherent outline
a) Writing topic sentences
b) Formulating supporting details

X. Rough Draft—from outline to paragraphs
a) Writing an introduction paragraph
b) Writing body paragraphs
c) Writing a conclusion paragraph

XI. Revising and Editing
a) Pitfalls to avoid
b) Practices to employ

XII. The Final Word on Technical Writing

Demo

Click here to view a demo of this course.

Additional Info

Languages

English

Course Length

80.00 hours

Duration of Access

6 months

Instructor

Lynn Atkinson

Prerequisites/Audience

There are no specific prerequisites for the Technical Writing Certification course. We highly recommend that students have a good grasp of the English language, grammar and punctuation, and students will need to be comfortable using email and the Internet.

Our technical writing certification course is intended for anyone who desires to develop their technical and business writing ability to a professional level.

Requirements/Materials Included

Our Technical Writing Certification course can be taken from either a Mac or a PC. There are no specific computer requirements other than an Internet connection, email account, Microsoft Word (for Assignment submissions), Windows Media Player (available as a free download), and Adobe Acrobat Reader (also available as a free download). It is recommended that the student use the latest version of Internet Explorer in place of other web browsers.

GES will provide the required textbooks for this course:
• Technical Writing for Success, by Smith-Worthington and Jefferson, 2nd Edition. Thomson South-Western Publishing, ISBN 0-538-43872-X.
• Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach, by Paul V. Anderson. Thomson Wadsworth Publishing, ISBN 1-4130-2750-4.