More than a Knack: Techne & Teaching Technical Communication

Training Teachers and Serving Students: Applying Usability Testing in Writing Programs

“…Dubinsky argues for a user-centered classroom practice, stating that "we need to focus on students (the audience/users) as real people in real situations and our assignments as their tasks" [2, p. 135]. User-centered design, the focus of Dubinsky's argument, is "the idea that the best product design principles are those that support user needs and expectations" [2]. Jakob Nielsen argues that user-centered design has five main elements: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction [10].…”

“…User-centered design, the focus of Dubinsky's argument, is "the idea that the best product design principles are those that support user needs and expectations" [2]. Jakob Nielsen argues that user-centered design has five main elements: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction [10].…”

ON THE SAME PAGE: THEORY, PRACTICE & THE ELA COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

“…It is hindsight, the reflection of a prior scenario or situation that can allow makers to have foresight for the next situation. Johnson (1998) and Dubinsky (2002) both argue for the value in creating reflective students, not just in the practical sense but also an ethical one. Dubinksy finds technê useful because it encourages students to be "practitioners who use tools and reflect upon their uses", rather than mere tool users (Dubinsky, 2002, p. 130).…”

Uncovering poiesis : the role of production in technical communication, work, and public life

“…So how can we teach techné (ically)? Dubinsky (2002), in -More than a Knack: Techné & Teaching Technical Communication‖ calls for training teachers to be technites, as this will make them reflective practitioners who -understand the critical need for situational uses of knowledge‖ (120). He allows that while some argue that more experience (repetition) will -lead to effective teaching‖ (130), Dubinsky disagrees: they become ‗men of experience', but not reflective, a skill they will need to -enable them to make both practical and ethical judgments‖ (130).…”

“…They suggest that it is only that result, the end outside of the action of techné, which has value. Similarly Dubinsky (2002), in his attempt to define techné as something other than -knack‖, relies on the idea of working toward the communal good as his -tempering agent‖. Like Mitcham (1994), Dubinsky's concept of techné becomes very unflattering to the working technite, suggesting that carving wood is -simple‖: more technique than techné.…”