Susan A. Youngblood and Jo Mackiewicz, Auburn University, “Using Nonprofit Data to Reconsider Genres in TC Courses: Insights from the SLOT-C Database”

Tiffany Bourelle, University of New Mexico, "Dispelling the Myths of Service eLearning: Experiential Learning and the Online Technical Communication Classroom"

YOUNBGLOOD and MACKIEWICZ

Reviews call for research on communication in nonprofits.

Reviews SLOT-C database. SLOTC = service learning opportunities in technical communications: connect nonprofit groups who'd like some writing or communication. Purpose: connecting students with local nonprofits. Creation of the database and research was funded by a CPTSC grant.

Common genres taught in TC courses (Drawn from Cook)

• oral presentation
• proposal
• memo
• correspondence
• progress report

Researchers asked: Do they correspond with what non-profits want?
They have over 600 entries from over 80 organizations.

Nonprofits' project data: findings

• Promotional/informative 31%
• Web communication 21%
• Grants Proposals 18%
• Research/reports 8%
• multiple smaller findings

Categorized types of projects (another way to sort/label the projects when listed)

• Grants 10%
• Websites 10%
• Brochures 8%
• Promotional/informative 8%

They discuss the growing importance of grant research--doing research before writing the grant. It could be seen either as grants or reports.

Conclusion: this might be addressed by teaching grant research in service courses along with usability and presentations. In document design courses, TC faculty could strengthen document design (promotional/informational) Web development, and grant writing and research.

Bourelle

Focus is on service learning, specifically online service learning. Presenter discusses implementing online service learning.

Establishes service learning definition based on Dubinsky (2002).
Goal for online service learning: have students be more civic minded, learn practical skills, learn value of working with others, and value of working with local communities.

Lit: there's only one article in TC on using service learning online/e-learning; outside fields have done more scholarship.

Service e-learning is a virtual partnership that requires critical thinking about technology.

Process of Making the E-Service Learning Happen
1 Choose a nonprofit
2 Develop Assignments
-Recommendation report
-Fundraiser report
-Multimodal document

Finished the course with reflections on what they learned.

Sees online service learning as a way to enrich online and face-to-face classes and coursework.

How does this material inspire you to rethink your approach to the topic?

Did this prompt any fresh ideas for proposals for next year's conference?

Conclusion: this might be addressed by teaching grant research in service courses along with usability and presentations.

In document design, they could strengthen document design (promotional/informational) Web development, and grant writing and research.