RECOMMENDATION REPORT

Analyzing the current Technical Communication Curriculum

Prepared by: Mishka Chorny

Collete Fellom
Brenda Forrey
Karly Hensley
Annie Hoffman

Recommendation Report

Table of Contents
Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2
Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Results ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 9
References .................................................................................................................................... 10

Table of Figures
Table 1: Technical Communication Curriculum .............................................................................. 4
Table 2: Necessary Skills in Tech Comm Applicants ....................................................................... 6

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Introduction
On September 20 2015 Colette Fellom initiated a research proposal to be conducted for Debra
Purdys English 312 Technical Communication applications class. This research project gathered
information regarding whether the current curriculum at Boise State University was adequately
preparing graduates for a career in the Technical Communication field.
Presently, many classes in the Technical Communications department dont require specific
knowledge related to software suites or technology emphasis other than general knowledge of
Microsoft Windows. With many aspects of Technical Communication requiring a wide enough
technical knowledge to enable employees to understand how to edit pictures, maps, videos and
documents, this research was proposed for the purpose of understanding if there was
opportunity to create a more dynamic Technical Communications Bachelor program at Boise
State.
The scope of work took into consideration the skillsets as indicated by course catalog
descriptions, software as determined by departments, and procedural efforts in changing or
adding additional responsibilities to bachelor degrees or class loads.
The research team acknowledges the importance of the participants of the English programs
curriculum committee members Professor Bruce Ballenger and Professor Michael Markley
whose responses assisted us in our examination of the English Tech Comm bachelors degree
program.
The gathered information was analyzed and compared to researched employers and
institutional expectations for new recruits. As the main objective was to determine if the
current curriculum was preparing students for a career in in Technical Communication it was
discovered the majority of employers were seeking recruits with excellent communication skills
and adaptability towards various programs and software suites, but the majority of
expectations were not specific enough to correlate to specific programs other than the
Microsoft suites or Adobe.
The research team discovered the Tech Comm undergraduate program at Boise State is very
accommodating towards the corresponding industry. The program was created and designed to
assist graduates to enter the job market with the necessary skills for many entry level positions
in the Tech Comm field.
On the basis of these findings, we recommend that the department analyze its current best
practices every 2-3 years to ensure the English Tech Comm program continues to be on par or
above industry standards.
In the subsequent sections, the provided research methods, results, and conclusions will
demonstrate a clear and thorough recommendation.
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Methods
In order to address the career preparedness of Boise State Technical Communication graduates,
we performed five research tasks. The reasoning that guided our research and how we
executed each task are detailed below.
1. We analyzed the current Tech Comm curriculum required for graduation.
It was important to establish a base line of the courses required to receive an
undergraduate degree in the Tech Comm field. Therefore, we studied the current BSU
course catalog to understand the expected learning outcomes for the curriculum.
2. We identified skills and software learned and used in courses.
We needed to understand which software students are trained to use as part of the course
content, as well as which skills and software they use while completing assignments.
Therefore, we surveyed professors in order to develop a list of specific software knowledge
and skills obtained through coursework.
3. We researched the skills employers seek in Tech Comm applicants.
It was important to know which skills employers find desirable when looking for potential
employees. The questions we sought to answer were: Which software and technical skills
are most often listed as job requirements? What other skills and knowledge are employers
seeking in Tech Comm applicants? To answer these questions, we consulted with the BSU
career center and conducted online research on Tech Comm and job posting websites.
4. We identified how new skills can be incorporated into the current curriculum.
We needed to understand how course content and curriculum changes are implemented, in
order to make reasonable recommendations. Therefore, we interviewed Professor Bruce
Ballenger to obtain answers to the following questions: What is the procedure for changing
a curriculum? How is the need for new course content determined? How are new skills or
new software incorporated into an existing class?
5. We analyzed our data and prepared this recommendation report.
We compared the skills and knowledge provided by the current curriculum to the skills and
knowledge most often sought after by prospective employers of Tech Comm graduates. We
then drafted this report, detailing our recommendations.
Our research was limited by a relatively brief project timeframe and a shortage of responses to
questionaires requesting information about software skills used or learned in some courses.

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Results
In this section, we present the results of our research. For each of the tasks we carried out, we
present the most important data we acquired.
1. Analyze the current Tech Comm curriculum required for graduation.
Table 1 shows an overview of the course number, course title, and credits required for
graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Technical Communications Emphasis. This
information comes directly from the Boise State 2015-2016 course catalog (Boise State
University).
Table 1: Technical Communication Curriculum

Course Number
Engl101
Engl102
UF100
UF200
DLM
DLN
DLN
DLV
DLL
DLS ECON201
DLS
ENGL198
ENGL 302
ENGL304
ENGL312
ENGL403
ENGL405
ENGL415
ENGL493
ENGL499
ITM104
ITM105
ITM106
COMM101
COMM302
COMM304
COMM307
COMM321
COMM361

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Course Title
Intro to College Writing
Intro to College Writing and Research
Intellectual Foundations
Civic and Ethical Foundations
Mathematics
Natural, Physical, & Applied Sciences course with lab
Natural, Physical, and Applied Sciences course
Visual and Performing Arts
Literature and Humanities
Principles of Macroeconomics
Social Sciences course in a second field
Introduction to English Studies
Technical Rhetoric
Argument
Technical Communication Applications
Technical Editing
Print Document Production
On-Screen Document Production
Internship
Capstone in Tech Comm
Operating Systems and Word Processing Topics
Spreadsheet Topics
Database Topics
Communication courses to choose from:
Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Research Methods
Perspectives of Inquiry
Interviewing
Rhetorical Theories
Organizational Communication

Credits
3
3
3
3
3-4
4
3-4
3
3-4
3
3
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
6

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COMM390
COMM481
COMM483
COMM484
ACCT205
ACCT206
GENBUS441
ITM310
ITM315
MGMT301
MGMT401
MGMT405
SOC487

Conflict Management
Studies in Interpersonal Communication
Studies in Organizational Communications
Studies in Rhetoric and Public Presentation
Business Courses to choose from:
Intro to Financial Accounting
Intro to Managerial Accounting
Business in Society: Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability
Business Intelligence
Database Systems
Leadership Skills
Organizational Behavior
Management of Continuous Learning
Organizational Theory and Bureaucratic Structure
Upper Division Electives
Electives

4-16
27-42

2. Identify skills and software learned and used in courses.

The following list shows the most common learning outcomes and software tools
learned for courses required in the Tech Comm field. Some detail was not needed for
the purpose of this report. This information came from email questionnaires to
instructors as well as from the course catalog (Boise State University).
Learning Outcomes
Critical reading, writing and inquiry
Oral Communication
Teamwork and Team Building
Ethics
Critical thinking and reasoning and problem solving
Creativity
Financial Analysis
Global business, sustainability
Design, development, and administration of databases
Self-Management and motivation
Verbal Communication
Written Communication (Argument, rhetoric, instructional)
Visual Communication (Video productions)
Interviewing and Research skills
Interpersonal skills
Information design, Print document design
Copyediting, document editing
Software Tools
Word Processing (Microsoft Word, Adobe/PDF)
E-portfolio (Microsoft Digication, LinkedIn)
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Spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel)

SQL
XML, HTML, CSS
Databases (Microsoft Access)
Web design (Weebly, WordPress)
Desktop publishing (Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign)
Video/Audio production (MovieMaker, iMovie)
Presentation software (PowerPoint, Prezi)

3. Research skills employers are seeking in Tech Comm Applicants

Next we compiled a list of the top skills employers were looking for. This information
came from the Boise State Career Center, technical communications websites, and
several job posting websites. We checked these skills against those taught at BSU. If
the skills are part of the description in the course catalog, we marked the skills learned
cell as yes. This comparison is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Necessary Skills in Tech Comm Applicants

Skills Desired by Employers

Analyze, evaluate, interpret information
Team Player
Oral Communication
Time Management
Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Interviewing and Listening Skills
Written Communication
Design Skills
Graphic Skills
Desktop Publishing
Web Pages
Creativity
Planning
Interpersonal Skills
Research Skills
HTML, XML, RoboHelp
Adobe
Adaptability

Skills Learned at BSU

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Most employers desired that the potential employee have some knowledge of design
and web page programs; the specific program was not as important as being able to
adapt and learn quickly the specific program they used.

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4. Identify how new skills can be incorporated into current curriculum.

The results of the questionnaire sent to Professor Bruce Ballenger relating to the
process of changing the curriculum are detailed below:
Recognizing a need for change
Initiating conversations among faculty
Proposals are vetted and presented to department committees
Department votes on proposal
Goes through college committee
Goes to University committee
New software and skills are determined per instructor and what that instructor feels
is appropriate for that class. Instructors keep an eye on what is being used by
practitioners in the field and what is accessible for students.
5. Analyze the data to prepare this recommendation report.
The above data was analyzed to come to a recommendation as to if BSU is preparing
students for the workplace. This recommendation will be detailed in the
Recommendation section of this report.

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Conclusions
In this section, we present our conclusions based on the research and analysis our team has
conducted.
Technical Communication Curriculum
The current curriculum for an undergraduate degree in Technical Communication at Boise State
consists of a variety of classes from differing emphases. In addition to the English classes
required, fields of study covered by Technical Communication include Information and
Technology Management, General Business, Communications, Management, Sociology, and
Accounting (though students may not elect to complete courses in all of these areas).
Technical Communication Skills
Many differing skills are imparted through the current Technical Communication curriculum at
Boise State. Course Learning Outcomes include a variety of interpersonal and business skills
for example, critical thinking and problem solving, effective verbal and written communication
as well as vocational-specific abilities financial analysis, effective interviewing and research.
It also includes instruction in common software used by Technical Communicators, such as
HTML, Adobe, Office, and website design.
Career Preparedness
Our inquiry into the skills desired by employers in Technical Communication graduates revealed
that each is addressed specifically by the courses in the curriculum. The interpersonal/business
and software abilities taught in the classes required of Boise State Technical Communication
undergraduates correspond to those traits sought in potential employees by professional
organizations.
Curriculum Revision
The process of amending the Technical Communication curriculum at Boise State necessitates
the cooperation of the department faculty, and should respond to an identified need of
students as they face the job market. Any proposed changes make their way through multiple
department committees before being approved for implementation. Also, the faculty are
continuously examining their classes in conjunction with the current job market in order to
determine any needed changes.

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Recommendations
Our research indicates that the current Technical Communication curriculum is very
comprehensive in its approach to career preparedness. The analysis conducted of the course
catalog by our group revealed many classes which directly addressed the skills identified as
desired by employers. In addition, processes are already in place to ensure that Technical
Communication undergraduates are adequately prepared for the challenges of the market
upon receiving their diplomas. As such, we do not recommend any further action at this time.
However, we do recommend that the curriculum be formally reexamined every two to three
years in order to ensure that the continued efficacy of the curriculum is sustained. Further
research should be conducted in order to determine the best method by which this formal
reexamination could be carried out.

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References
Boise State University. "2015-2016-undergraduate-catalog.pdf." n.d. registrar.boisestate.edu.
29 September 2015. <http://registrar.boisestate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/20152016-undergraduate-catalog.pdf>.

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