LEARN TECHNICAL WRITING
This course will develop your ability to write on technical matters, for both academic and general audiences. The course aims to improve your ability to write for a wide range of media including: articles for the print media (magazines, newspapers and technical journals); technical reports; proposals; instructional manuals and even marketing material. Attention is paid to different styles of writing, problems (eg. technical jargon, focus, conciseness, etc) and different ways of working (eg. Contract, in house, collaborative). On completing this course a student should have a greater capacity to write usable and marketable material, and be better able to adapt their work to a greater variety of situations.
What the Course Covers
There are nine lessons in this course as follows:
- Scope and Nature of Technical Writing
- Presentation of Technical Writing
- Matching Style and Content to the Audience
- Planning: Developing a Logical Structure or Format
- Collaborative Writing
- Writing Technical Articles for Periodicals
- Writing Manuals and Procedures
- Writing Project Proposals
- Writing Project Reports
Workload
Study when, where and however much you want. For most students, the course can be completed with a total of around 100 hours of study; and a commitment close to that may be needed to achieve desired learning outcomes.
Extra Reading
The following books, available through this web site are relevant supplementary reading for this course
- Technical Writing
- How to be a Successful Editor
- English Grammar
Assessment
Self Assessment Tests are presented throughout the course. These are essentially an automated quiz. When you undertake a "SAT" or "Self Assessment Test", you will be able to see what you got correct, and what was incorrect; and in that way, you can identify your weaknesses.
Assignments are given at the end of each lesson. You should complete this assignment, paying careful attention to follow what is asked of you. It can be just as important to learn to work to specification, as it is to learn about the topic you are studying. Graduates who develop a habit of working to specification in the field of human behaviour, will impress employers, and will be more efficient when self employed.
A Final Exam is offered upon satisfactory completion of all assignments. This is optional. If you choose to apply for and do this exam, you will have the possibility of obtaining a "formal credit" or "Pass Certification" for this course. A fee applies. The exam may be sat under prearranged conditions anywhere in the world. This college will award you a formal transcript, upon successful completion of the exam, as proof of your results.
Recognition and Ethics
This college is a member of the ACS Affiliates Network; a group of colleges from several countries, affiliated with each other through ACS Distance Education.. Courses are developed with input from all of these colleges, aspiring to reflect internationally accepted standards and needs.
A strict "No Plagiarism" and "No fraud" policy exists. Assignments are checked for plagiarism, and assignments will not be deemed to have been completed, if work is not your own original creation, and is found to have been copied from elsewhere. If the person doing the course is discovered to be different to the name enrolled, the enrolment and any results will be recorded as invalid and any fees paid will be forfeited.
Refund Policy
A full refund less expenses (up to 15% of fees applied) is provided to anyone wishing to withdraw from a course, within 2 weeks of enrolment. This does not apply after the first assignment has been submitted and marked; or after the two weeks has expired.