The Intercultural Component in Textbooks for Teaching a Service Technical Writing Course
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Matveeva, Natalia
2007-01-01
This research article investigates new developments in the representation of the intercultural component in textbooks for a service technical writing course. Through textual analysis, using quantitative and qualitative techniques, I report discourse analysis of 15 technical writing textbooks published during 1993-2006. The theoretical and…
What is technical writing? Prolegomenon to a contextual definition
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Barton, B. F.; Barton, M. S.
1981-01-01
The question, "What is Technical Writing?", is addressed. Interest about the stance a teacher assumes in a classroom, the orientation of textbooks, and the shape of curricula are considered. Technical writing is considered of age, definitions abound and the time is ripe for a metaperspective on the question. This analyzes pitfalls in representative definitions of technical writing suggest a direction for future inquiry.
Mathematics Textbooks and the Teaching of Assigned Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Donlan, Dan
This paper initially presents the results of several studies concerning what kind of writing mathematics teachers assign and what kind of writing mathematics textbooks assign. By far, report-research was the most popular type of writing assigned in the surveyed textbooks. The types of reports students were asked to write include biography,…
Technical writing in America: A historical perspective
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Connaughton, M. E.
1981-01-01
The standard distinction between poetic and referential language, the gulf between science and the humanities, and the distress many teachers of English feel when faced for the first time with the prospect of teaching technical writing are discussed. In the introduction of many technical writing textbooks. Technical communication is divorced from other forms of linguistic experience by making language limiting and reductive rather than creative and expansive. The emphasis on technical/scientific writing as radically different had blinded people to those traits it has in common with all species of composition and has led to a neglect of research, on fundamental rhetorical issues. A complete rhetorical theory of technical discourse should include information about the attitudes and motives of writers, the situations which motivate (or coerce) them to write, definitive features of technical style and form, interrelationship of expression and creativity, and functions of communication in shaping and preserving scientific networds and institutions. The previous areas should be explored with respect to contemporary practice and within an historical perspective.
Technical writing versus technical writing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dillingham, J. W.
1981-01-01
Two terms, two job categories, 'technical writer' and 'technical author' are discussed in terms of industrial and business requirements and standards. A distinction between 'technical writing' and technical 'writing' is made. The term 'technical editor' is also considered. Problems inherent in the design of programs to prepare and train students for these jobs are discussed. A closer alliance between industry and academia is suggested as a means of preparing students with competent technical communication skills (especially writing and editing skills) and good technical skills.
Information Design: A New Approach to Teaching Technical Writing Service Courses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McKee, Candie DeLane
2012-01-01
This study used a needs assessment, process analysis, process design, and textbook design to develop a new process and new textbook, based on Cargile-Cook's layered literacies, Quesenbery's five qualities of usability, and Carliner's information design theories, for use in technical writing service learning courses. The needs assessment was based…
Gender Scripts in Professional Writing Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carrell, David
1991-01-01
Examines sexual stereotypes in selected professional writing textbooks published from the 1930s to the 1950s. Maintains that these textbooks--portraying women as subservient, emotional, and frivolous, and men as decisive, logical, and strong--suggest that men are more suited for positions of authority, and have played an important role in…
What Technical Writing Students Should Know about Typeface Personality
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mackiewicz, Jo
2004-01-01
Typeface personality impacts the rhetorical effect of students' documents, yet it receives little attention in textbooks. Technical writing students should stand the definition of "appropriate" in relation to typeface selection, the difference between type's functional and semantic properties, the difference between type family and personality,…
Emotion Instruction in Journalism Courses: An Analysis of Introductory News Writing Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hopper, K. Megan; Huxford, John
2017-01-01
This study explores how introductory news writing textbooks address issues surrounding emotional labor and its consequences, both for journalists and for those they interview. Eighteen of the highest-selling introductory news-writing textbooks were selected for qualitative analysis. Results showed the term and concept of emotional labor--the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Warnock, Scott; Kahn, Michael
2007-01-01
While the importance of "expressive writing," or informal, self-directed writing, has been well established, teachers underutilize it, particularly in technical writing courses. We introduce the term expressive/exploratory technical writing (XTW), which is the use of informal, self-directed writing to problem-solve in technical fields. We describe…
Why It Is so Hard for Academics to Write Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sternberg, Robert J.
2017-01-01
Although academics are accustomed to writing articles and books, they much less frequently write textbooks. When they do, they likely find it much harder to do well than they ever would have imagined. This difficulty is likely to surprise them, because they have considerable experience in writing research articles and in teaching. I argue in this…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Vidoli, Carol A.
1992-01-01
This manual covers the fundamentals of organizing, writing, and reviewing NASA technical reports. It was written to improve the writing skills of LeRC technical authors and the overall quality of their reports.
WikiTextbooks: Designing Your Course around a Collaborative Writing Project
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Katz, Brian P.; Thoren, Elizabeth
2014-01-01
We have used wiki technology to support large-scale, collaborative writing projects in which the students build reference texts (called WikiTextbooks). The goal of this paper is to prepare readers to adapt this idea for their own courses. We give examples of the implementation of WikiTextbooks in a variety of courses, including lecture and…
1980 Bibliography of Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Book, Virginia Alm; And Others
1981-01-01
Offers resources on technical writing that were published in 1980. Arranges the citations under 12 categories: bibliographies, books, reviews, and articles on theory and philosophy; pedagogy; writing technical articles and reports; research; technical writing and the computer; graphic/visual aids; correspondence; technical speech; and designing…
1981 Bibliography of Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Book, Virginia Alm; And Others
1982-01-01
Offers resources on technical writing published in 1981. Arranges the citations under the following categories: bibliographies, books, reviews, and articles on the profession; theory and philosophy; pedagogy; technical speech; research; designing degree programs; technical writing and the computer; writing technical articles and reports;…
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of student textbook summary writing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Demaree, Dedra; Allie, Saalih; Low, Michael; Taylor, Julian
2008-10-01
The majority of "special access" students at the University of Cape Town are second language English speakers for whom reading the physics textbook is daunting. As a strategy to encourage meaningful engagement with the text, students wrote textbook summaries due the day material was covered in class. The summaries were returned, and they could bring them or re-write them for use during their examinations. A framework was developed to analyze the summaries based on Waywood, defining three cognitive levels seen in mathematics journaling: recounting, summarizing, and dialoging. This framework was refined, expanded, and tested. Interviews with students were conducted for their views on summary writing and survey questions were included on their final exams. The study was carried out in the 2007 spring semester of the "Foundation Physics Course," a component of the special access program.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kennedy, Patrick M.
2004-01-01
The main reason engineers, technicians, and programmers write poor technical documents is because they have had little training or experience in that area. This article addresses some of the basics that students can use to master technical writing tasks. The article covers the most common problems writers make and offers suggestions for improving…
Textbook Writing and Creativity: The Case of Mendeleev.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Graham, Loren R.
1983-01-01
Historical reconstruction of Dmitrii Mendeleev's part in the creation of the Periodic Table of Elements illustrates how important the process of textbook writing was in this scientific development. A clear difference is seen between logical reconstruction of the discovery process and the insights provided by historical reconstruction of the same…
Reader-Centered Technical Writing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Narayanan, M.
2012-12-01
Technical writing is an essential part of professional communication and in recent years it has shifted from a genre-based approach. Formerly, technical writing primarily focused on generating templates of documents and sometimes it was creating or reproducing traditional forms with minor modifications and updates. Now, technical writing looks at the situations surrounding the need to write. This involves deep thinking about the goals and objectives of the project on hand. Furthermore, one observes that it is very important for any participatory process to have the full support of management. This support needs to be well understood and believed by employees. Professional writing may be very persuasive in some cases. When presented in the appropriate context, technical writing can persuade a company to improve work conditions ensuring employee safety and timely production. However, one must recognize that lot of professional writing still continues to make use of reports and instruction manuals. Normally, technical and professional writing addresses four aspects. Objective: The need for generating a given professionally written technical document and the goals the document is expected to achieve and accomplish. Clientele: The clientele who will utilize the technical document. This may include the people in the organization. This may also include "unintended readers." Customers: The population that may be affected by the content of the technical document generated. This includes the stakeholders who will be influenced. Environment: The background in which the document is created. Also, the nature of the situation that warranted the generation of the document. Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget's view of Learning focuses on three aspects. The author likes to extend Jean Piaget's ideas to students, who are asked to prepare and submit Reader-Centered Technical Writing reports and exercises. Assimilation: Writers may benefit specifically, by assimilating a new object into
Some technical writing skills industry needs
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Smith, F. R.
1981-01-01
It is suggested that engineers and other technical students be taught three classes of skills in technical writing. First, "Big Picture Things", which includes: the importance of clear writing, the wide scope of writing, the wide scope of writing tasks that will be faced in industry, and the principles of organization of technical materials such as; how to analyze, classify, partition, and interpret. Second, "Writing Procedures", which encompasses: how to get words on paper efficiently and team-write. Third, "Writing Details", in which two considerations are important: how to achieve precision in the use of language and the aspects of style. Three problems in style are cited: the problem of sentence transition, overuse of attributive adjectives, and verbosity in paragraph structure. The most important thing in technical writing is considered to be functionality, economy and clarity.
Reflections and recommendations on writing textbooks in the course of a career in academia.
Ginsberg, Jerry H
2012-03-01
The genesis of this paper was notification to the author that he would receive the 2010 Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education, which carried the responsibility of giving a lecture at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. He decided to draw on his remembrances of writing several textbooks during a 40 year career as a professor to discuss the facets of writing that a faculty member might encounter. This paper is an expanded version of that lecture [J. H. Ginsberg, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128, 2389 (2010)]. An opening section elucidating the author's experiences as an author is followed by a discussion intended to motivate and encourage those who are undecided about taking on this activity. Suggestions are offered as to how to organize and proceed through a writing project as well as what elements should be included. An explanation of the author's role in the process of producing a printed textbook is provided. Guidance is offered as to how one can focus on writing a book in the face of teaching, research, and personal responsibilities. The closure discusses current trends that endanger the ongoing flow of high quality textbooks. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America
Implementing Recommendations for Introductory Biology by Writing a New Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barsoum, Mark J.; Sellers, Patrick J.; Campbell, A. Malcolm; Heyer, Laurie J.; Paradise, Christopher J.
2013-01-01
We redesigned the undergraduate introductory biology course by writing a new textbook ("Integrating Concepts in Biology" ["ICB"]) that follows first principles of learning. Our approach emphasizes primary data interpretation and the utility of mathematics in biology, while de-emphasizing memorization. This redesign divides biology into five big…
Autobiographical Writing in the Technical Writing Course
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gellis, Mark
2011-01-01
Professionals in the workplace are rarely asked to write autobiographical essays. Such essays, however, are an excellent tool for helping students explore their growth as professionals. This article explores the use of such essays in a technical writing class.
Technical Writing Practically Unified through Industry.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Houston, Linda S.
Two technical writing courses at a two-year agricultural college were designed to meet the individualized needs of students in various agricultural studies in the animal industries, horticulture, agricultural business, and agricultural mechanics. Offering a technical writing program based upon the writing tasks of the students' intended…
Teaching Technical Writing: Focusing on Process.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Santelmann, Patricia Kelly
In preparing students for business writing, a technical writing class should foster (1) a sensitivity to audience and an understanding of the business or technical organizational audience, (2) analytical problem solving that precedes any but the simplest writing task, (3) understanding of the patterns of organization that make information clear to…
Technical Writing in Hydrogeology.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tinker, John R., Jr.
1986-01-01
A project for Writing Across the Curriculum at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is described as a method to relate the process of writing to the process of learning hydrology. The project focuses on an actual groundwater contamination case and is designed to improve the technical writing skills of students. (JN)
SCMLA: Technical Writing. Proceedings (Houston, Texas, October 1987).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater.
In order to make information about technical writing more available, the South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA) has collected the papers not subject to copyright restrictions that were presented at the technical writing section of its 1987 meeting. The essays cover a wide range of topics in technical writing pedagogy and research. The…
Conversations with Technical Writing Teachers: Defining a Problem.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Selting, Bonita R.
2002-01-01
Considers if teaching technology is problematic for technical writing instructors. Presents ideas of 64 Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW) members who were queried on their roles as teachers of technical writing in relation to the demands made upon them to also be teachers of technology skills. Concludes with a call for more…
Technical Writing Teachers and the Challenges of Desktop Publishing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kalmbach, James
1988-01-01
Argues that technical writing teachers must understand desktop publishing. Discusses the strengths that technical writing teachers bring to desktop publishing, and the impact desktop publishing will have on technical writing courses and programs. (ARH)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ding, Daniel; Jablonski, John
2001-01-01
Relates the authors' experience teaching technical writing for two weeks at Suzhou University in China. Discusses activities; examines four technical writing textbooks purchased there; and offers suggestions about how technical communication might be established as a separate academic discipline in Chinese universities. Discusses technical…
Teaching Technical Report Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
De Pasquale, Joseph A.
1977-01-01
A high school electronics teacher describes the integration of technical report writing in the electronics program for trade and industrial students. He notes that the report writing rather than just recording data seemed to improve student laboratory experience but further improvements in the program are needed. A sample lab report is included.…
Technical writing in the radiologic technology curriculum.
Bell, R
1979-01-01
Although courses in technical writing are no longer suggested in the Curriculum Guide for Programs in Radiologic Technology, the writer believes that writing is essential to the growth of the profession and development of the professional. Emphasis is placed on some of the benefits that accrue to students who are exposed to technical writing as part of their technology curriculum.
Writing Clinic for Business and Technical Writers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mercer County Community Coll., Trenton, NJ.
This document offers brief lesson plans for four courses: (1) an 8-hour refresher course for employees who write memos, short reports, and letters; (2) an 8-hour refresher course on creating a short document; (3) a 16-hour course on technical manual writing; and (4) an 8-hour course on technical manual writing. The courses were part of a workplace…
Technical writing practically unified through industry
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Houston, L. S.
1981-01-01
General background details in the development of a university level technical writing program, based upon the writing tasks of the student's occupations, are summarized. Objectives and methods for unifying the courses of study with the needs of industry are discussed. Four academic course divisions, Industries Technologies, in which preparation and training are offered are: Animal, Horticulture, Agriculture, and Agricultural Business. Occupational competence is cited as the main goal for these programs in which technical writing is to be practically unified through industry. Course descriptions are also provided.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zielinska, Dorota
2003-01-01
Outlines the technical writing tutorial (TWT) that precedes an advanced English as a second language (ESL) writing course for students of English Philology at the Jagiellonian University, Poland. Finds a statistically significant increase in the performance of the students who had taken the TWT. Indicates that technical writing books and journals…
Deconstructing Composition Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Edwards, Bruce L., Jr.
All textbooks, regardless of their orientation or vocabulary, are equally unhelpful in the processes of teaching and learning writing. For the most part the textbooks seem to blend two sets of functions within the discipline of rhetoric as it is manifested in writing pedagogy. Whether it goes by the label "current-traditional" or…
How to develop and write a case for technical writing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Couture, B.; Goldstein, J.
1981-01-01
Case of different sizes and shapes for teaching technical writing to engineers at Wayne State University have been developed. The case approach was adopted for some assignments because sophomores and juniors lacked technical expertise and professional knowledge of the engineering world. Cases were found to be good exercises, providing realistic practice in specific writing tasks or isolating particular skills in the composing process. A special kind of case which narrates the experiences of one technical person engaged in the problem-solving process in a professional rhetorical situation was developed. This type of long, realistic fiction is called a an "holistic" case. Rather than asking students to role-play a character, an holistic case realistically encompasses the whole of the technical writing process. It allows students to experience the total communication act in which the technical task and data are fully integrated into the rhetorical situation and gives an opportunity to perform in a realistic context, using skills and knowledge required in communication on the job. It is believed that the holistic case most fully exploits the advantages of the case method for students of professional communication.
Middlesex Community College Software Technical Writing Program.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Middlesex Community Coll., Bedford, MA.
This document describes the Software Technical Writing Program at Middlesex Community College (Massachusetts). The program is a "hands-on" course designed to develop job-related skills in three major areas: technical writing, software, and professional skills. The program was originally designed in cooperation with the Massachusetts High…
Technical Writing, Revision, and Language Communities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Petersen, Bruce T.
To examine the writing process of personnel who write as part of their jobs and the relation of that process to the context in which they worked, a study was undertaken in a major corporation. Its aim was to research a model for teaching technical writing students that would bridge the gap between the classroom and the probable writing situations…
Oral Communication and Technical Writing: A Reconsideration of Writing in a Multicultural Era
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cibangu, Sylvain K.
2009-01-01
This article investigates the status of orality in the history of technical communication. The article calls for orality as an integral part and driving force of technical writing. The article brings to light the misconceptions that have led to a diminished role of oral communication in technical writing. The article shows the implications of oral…
Word Processors and Invention in Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barker, Thomas T.
1989-01-01
Explores how word processing affects thinking and writing. Examines two myths surrounding word processors and invention in technical writing. Describes how word processing can enhance invention through collaborative writing, templates, and on-screen outlining. (MM)
Reading and Writing from Textbooks in Higher Education: A Case Study from Economics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Richardson, Paul W.
2004-01-01
Reading and writing at university is infused by the cultural context of a particular discipline or field so that academic literacies are located, described, interpreted and studied in disciplinary contexts. This study explores the roles and functions textbooks have in the disciplinary culture of Economics in the academy, where there are many…
Some Perceptions of English Geography Textbook Authors on Writing Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee, Jongwon; Catling, Simon
2016-01-01
There has been much research into the nature and uses of school geography textbooks as teaching resources, yet the perceptions of their authors have been neglected. This study investigated the perspectives of a sample of authors of English primary and secondary school geography textbooks on their experiences as textbook authors. It enquired into…
A Theory of the Function of Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ross, Donald, Jr.
1981-01-01
Advances the theory that technical writing functions as a replacement for memory--an information storage receptacle. Lists the formal and stylistic features implied by such a theory. Considers the future development of technical writing within the context of this theory. (RL)
Invention and Writing in Technical Work: Representing the Object.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Winsor, Dorothy A.
1994-01-01
Describes the way invention is relevant to the practice of technical writing. Studies three engineering students engaged in a real-world project. Shows how the students' technical work and invention for the final report were simultaneous activities. Claims that invention for and through writing overlaps with technical invention. (HB)
Technical Writing: Past, Present, and Future.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mathes, J. C., Comp.; Pinelli, Thomas E., Comp.
This compilation of papers addresses the history, present status, and trends of technical and related writing. The first of the eight papers surveys the present environment of the technical report and assesses the effectiveness of the technical report format of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in transmitting information.…
Recommended Textbooks (Booksearch).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
English Journal, 1988
1988-01-01
Evaluates four textbooks recommended by junior high and high school teachers for teaching writing and literature: "Enjoying Literature" (published by Macmillan, 1985); "Exposition: Critical Writing and Thinking" (Robert J. Gula); "Situational Writing" (Gene Krupa); and "Double Exposure: Composing through Writing…
Scaffolding Collaborative Technical Writing with Procedural Facilitation and Synchronous Discussion
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yeh, Shiou-Wen; Lo, Jia-Jiunn; Huang, Jeng-Jia
2011-01-01
With the advent of computer technology, researchers and instructors are attempting to devise computer support for effective collaborative technical writing. In this study, a computer-supported environment for collaborative technical writing was developed. This system (Process-Writing Wizard) provides process-oriented scaffolds and a synchronous…
Using Television Technology to Teach Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wallisch, Bill
Technical writing teachers at the U.S. Air Force Academy enhance student motivation by bringing real Air Force writing situations into the classroom through short videotapes which allow students to see how scientists and engineers cope with report writing in their daily work. Also, a special English honors course, which is part of the "Blue…
Technical Writing across the Curriculum: Epics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Olds, Barbara M.
Noting that technically competent graduates of professional schools need additional skills to function effectively in an increasingly complex and global society, this paper describes an innovative program in technical writing developed for undergraduate engineering students at the Colorado School of Mines. The paper first provides background…
Role-Playing as Critical Thinking in the Technical Writing Classroom.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilner, Arlene
Given the affective dimension of writing in the workplace, assignments based on casebook scenarios have definite advantages in a technical or professional writing course. An English professor surveyed faculty in the Schools of Business and Education at Rider College prior to revising a course in technical writing. A majority of faculty, when asked…
Ideas for clear technical writing
Robinson, B.P.
1984-01-01
The three greatest obstacles to clear technical-report writing are probably (1) imprecise words, (2) wordiness, and (3) poorly constructed sentences. Examples of category 1 include abstract words, jargon, and vogue words; of category 2, sentences containing impersonal construction superfluous words; and of category 3, sentences lacking parallel construction and proper order of related words and phrases. These examples and other writing-related subjects are discussed in the report, which contains a cross-referenced index and 24 references.
Technical Writing Needs Assessment.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oakland Community Coll., Farmington, MI. Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis.
In fall 1991, a study was conducted by Oakland Community College (OCC) to evaluate the need for a proposed Technical Writing program. General information was gathered from a literature review, Michigan Occupational Information System data, interviews with professionals in the field, and a 1987 needs assessment conducted by Washtenaw Community…
Scholarship, Textbooks, and Mythology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Noell, Laura K.
2004-01-01
A new textbook designed for first- or second-year courses in mythology as an introduction to literature shows that a community college faculty member who writes a textbook adds teaching experience to scholarship.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moore, Patrick
2006-01-01
Carolyn Miller's oft-cited "Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing," published in 1979, tries to give technical communication faculty more cultural capital in English departments controlled by literature professors. Miller replaces a positivistic emphasis in technical communication pedagogy with rhetoric. She shows how technical knowledge is…
The problems inherent in teaching technical writing and report writing to native Americans
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Zukowski/faust, J.
1981-01-01
Teaching technical writing to Native Americans contending with a second language and culture is addressed. Learning difficulties arising from differences between native and acquired language and cultural systems are examined. Compartmentalized teaching, which presents the ideals of technical writing in minimal units, and skills development are considered. Rhetorical problems treated include logic of arrangement, selection of support and scope of detail, and time and space. Specific problems selected include the concept of promptness, the contextualization of purpose, interpersonal relationships, wordiness, mixture of registers, and the problem of abstracting. Four inductive procedures for students having writing and perception problems are included. Four sample exercises and a bibliography of 13 references are also included.
Mentoring disadvantaged nursing students through technical writing workshops.
Johnson, Molly K; Symes, Lene; Bernard, Lillian; Landson, Margie J; Carroll, Theresa L
2007-01-01
Recent studies have identified a problematic gap for nursing students between terse clinical writing and formal academic writing. This gap can create a potential barrier to academic and workplace success, especially for disadvantaged nursing students who have not acquired the disciplinary conventions and sophisticated writing required in upper-level nursing courses. The authors demonstrate the need for writing-in-the-discipline activities to enhance the writing skills of nursing students, describe the technical writing workshops they developed to mentor minority and disadvantaged nursing students, and provide recommendations to stimulate educator dialogue across disciplines and institutions.
Technical Writing Redesign and Assessment: A Pilot Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Winter, Gaye Bush
2010-01-01
The purpose of this study was to compare scores on writing assignments from traditional, fully online courses in technical writing to pilot, hybrid courses at a southern university. A total of 232 students' assignments were compared in this study. All writing assignments were scored by six trained instructors of English using the same five point…
United States History Textbooks: Cloned Mediocrity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Siler, Carl R.
1990-01-01
Using content analysis, presents a study of 14 U.S. history textbooks. Analyzes textbook treatment of the Declaration of Independence, the atomic bomb, and the Holocaust. Examines nontextual materials. Finds errors of omission, boring writing styles, and a basic similarity between the textbooks. (RW)
The Writer's Mind: Ethics in the Teaching of Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rubens, Philip M.
As opposed to being a "closed" text (tightly constrained by physical formats, corporate style, and specialized vocabulary), technical writing is actually "open" in the sense that such a text can be interpreted subjectively by an informed audience. Three ethical issues that should be explored in teaching technical writing include personality--the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yu, Han
2008-01-01
To teach students how to write for the workplace and other professional contexts, technical writing teachers often assign writing tasks that reflect real-life communication contexts, a teaching approach that is grounded in the field's contextualized understanding of genre. This article argues to fully embrace contextualized literacy and better…
Implementing Recommendations for Introductory Biology by Writing a New Textbook
Barsoum, Mark J.; Sellers, Patrick J.; Campbell, A. Malcolm; Heyer, Laurie J.; Paradise, Christopher J.
2013-01-01
We redesigned the undergraduate introductory biology course by writing a new textbook (Integrating Concepts in Biology [ICB]) that follows first principles of learning. Our approach emphasizes primary data interpretation and the utility of mathematics in biology, while de-emphasizing memorization. This redesign divides biology into five big ideas (information, evolution, cells, emergent properties, homeostasis), addressing each at five levels of organization (molecules, cells, organisms, populations, ecological systems). We compared our course outcomes with two sections that used a traditional textbook and were taught by different instructors. On data interpretation assessments administered periodically during the semester, our students performed better than students in the traditional sections (p = 0.046) and exhibited greater improvement over the course of the semester (p = 0.015). On factual content assessments, our students performed similarly to students in the other sections (p = 0.737). Pre- and postsemester assessment of disciplinary perceptions and self-appraisal indicate that our students acquired a more accurate perception of biology as a discipline and may have developed a more realistic evaluation of their scientific abilities than did the control students (p < 0.05). We conclude that ICB improves critical thinking, metacognition, and disciplinary perceptions without compromising content knowledge in introductory biology. PMID:23463233
Implementing recommendations for introductory biology by writing a new textbook.
Barsoum, Mark J; Sellers, Patrick J; Campbell, A Malcolm; Heyer, Laurie J; Paradise, Christopher J
2013-01-01
We redesigned the undergraduate introductory biology course by writing a new textbook (Integrating Concepts in Biology [ICB]) that follows first principles of learning. Our approach emphasizes primary data interpretation and the utility of mathematics in biology, while de-emphasizing memorization. This redesign divides biology into five big ideas (information, evolution, cells, emergent properties, homeostasis), addressing each at five levels of organization (molecules, cells, organisms, populations, ecological systems). We compared our course outcomes with two sections that used a traditional textbook and were taught by different instructors. On data interpretation assessments administered periodically during the semester, our students performed better than students in the traditional sections (p = 0.046) and exhibited greater improvement over the course of the semester (p = 0.015). On factual content assessments, our students performed similarly to students in the other sections (p = 0.737). Pre- and postsemester assessment of disciplinary perceptions and self-appraisal indicate that our students acquired a more accurate perception of biology as a discipline and may have developed a more realistic evaluation of their scientific abilities than did the control students (p < 0.05). We conclude that ICB improves critical thinking, metacognition, and disciplinary perceptions without compromising content knowledge in introductory biology.
Technical Writing 1987: Galloping Off in at Least Two Directions.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stohrer, Freda F.
Technical writing instructors generally agree about the absolute need for communication skills throughout the technological work place, but a survey of technical writing journal articles shows a lack of focus on ways to address business's needs for on-the-job literacy. One major advance within the profession in recent years has been the…
Using sentence combining in technical writing classes
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rosner, M.; Paul, T.
1981-01-01
Sentence combining exercises are advanced as a way to teach technical writing style without reliance upon abstractions, from which students do not learn. Such exercises: (1) give students regular writing practice; (2) teach the logic of sentence structure, sentence editing, and punctuation; (3) paragraph development and organization; and (4) rhetorical stance. Typical sentence, paragraph, and discourse level sentence combining exercises are described.
Management Textbooks as Propaganda.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cameron, Kim S.; Ireland, R. Duane; Lussier, Robert N.; New, J. Randolph; Robbins, Stephen P.
2003-01-01
Four management textbook authors react to the metaphor of textbooks as propaganda. All write to support managerial ideology and are aware of the market, but believe their role in shaping the field is limited. Includes two responses: "Propaganda, Trusteeship, and Artifact" (Daniel R. Gilbert) and "The Hegemonic Discourse of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zielinska, Dorota
2003-01-01
The article outlines the technical writing tutorial (TWT) that preceded an advanced ESL writing course for students of English Philology at the Jagiellonian University. Having assessed the English skills of those students at the end of the semester, we found a statistically significant increase in the performance of the students who had taken the…
A "Virtual Fieldtrip": Service Learning in Distance Education Technical Writing Courses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Soria, Krista M.; Weiner, Brad
2013-01-01
This mixed-methods experimental study examined the effect of service learning in a distance education technical writing course. Quantitative analysis of data found evidence for a positive relationship between participation in service learning and technical writing learning outcomes. Additionally, qualitative analysis suggests that service learning…
English Skills for Engineers Required by the English Technical Writing Test
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kyouno, Noboru
Japanese English education has focused mainly on teaching passive skills such as reading and listening, whereas actual business activities in society require active skills such as writing and speaking in addition to the passive skills. This educational situation is estimated to be a reason Japanese engineers are less confident in writing and speaking than in reading and listening. This paper focuses on details of the English Technical Writing Test provided by the Japan Society of Technical Communication and emphasizes the importance of the active skills, mainly focusing on what skills should be taught in the future and how to develop these skills. This paper also stresses the necessity of learning rhetoric-related skills, concept of information words, as well as paragraph reading and writing skills based on the concept of the 3Cs (Correct, Clear, and Concise) as a means to develop technical writing skills for engineers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCarthy, Brian D.; Dempsey, Jillian L.
2017-01-01
A graduate-level course focused on original research proposals is introduced to address the uneven preparation in technical writing of new chemistry graduate students. This course focuses on writing original research proposals. The general course structure features extensive group discussions, small-group activities, and regular in-class…
Writing the Trenches: What Students of Technical Writing and Literature Can Learn Together
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baake, Ken; Shelton, Jen
2017-01-01
We argue for a course in which students analyze writing about a common topic--in this case World War I--from multiple genres (e.g., poetry and technical manuals). We address the divide between instruction in pragmatic and literary writing and calls to bridge that gap. Students working in disparate areas of English learn the strengths and the…
Integrate oral communication with technical writing: Towards a rationale
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Skelton, T.
1981-01-01
Integrating oral communication and technical writing instruction, to give students the opportunity to learn and practice interpersonal skills, is proposed. By linking speech and writing the importance of small-group interaction in developing transferrable ideas is acknowledged. Three reasons for integration are examined: workday activities, application of role-taking to writing, and conflict resolution. Four advantages of integration are stated.
Expanding and Redirecting Historical Research in Technical Writing: In Search of Our Past.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tebeaux, Elizabeth; Killingsworth, M. Jimmie
1992-01-01
Suggests an approach for expanding and integrating research to produce a history of technical writing. Defines problems that reside in writing such a history, suggests research premises and questions, and then applies these questions to technical writing as it existed in the English Renaissance, 1475-1640. (SR)
Teaching Technical Writing in a Lab Course in Chemical Engineering
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lombardo, Stephen J.
2010-01-01
Techniques are presented for improving the technical writing of chemical engineering students enrolled in an undergraduate laboratory course. The principles of writing covered are adopted from the book, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M. Williams: General examples of writing are taken from this book and then are recast into examples…
Introducing Past and Present Technical Writing into the Freshman Composition Course.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weaver, Laura H.
Using technical writing in the regular freshman composition course stimulates student interest by having the appeal of novelty and expands the horizons of students in the humanities and the pure and applied sciences. To begin the unit, one might stimulate interest in the content and style of technical writing of the past by using Robert M.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moradian, Motahareh; Rahmatian, Rouholah
2016-01-01
This paper analyses the written competence and corpus of Iranian learners of French at two levels (A1 and A2). The data were collected in a quantified and qualified manner with auto evaluation grids and narrative text writing to analyze the action-oriented approach textbooks' efficiency in writing. Basically the approach of the three manuals,…
Enlightened Use of Passive Voice in Technical Writing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Trammell, M. K.
1981-01-01
The passive voice as a normal, acceptable, and established syntactic form in technical writing is defended. Passive/active verb ratios, taken from sources including 'antipassivist' text books, are considered. The suitability of the passive voice in technical writing which involves unknown or irrelevant agents is explored. Three 'myths' that the passive (1) utilizes an abnormal and artificial word order, (2) is lifeless, and (3) is indirect are considered. Awkward and abnormal sounding examples encountered in text books are addressed in terms of original context. Unattractive or incoherent passive sentences are explained in terms of inappropriate conversion from active sentences having (1) short nominal or pronominal subjects or (2) verbs with restrictions on their passive use.
Some Characteristics and Writing Problems of Technically Oriented Students.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ruehr, Ruthann
An understanding of the writing problems and personalities of some of the technically oriented students at Michigan Technological University may help others who teach similar students. Although their scores on aptitude tests are high, these students have had very little experience in writing. In addition, the majority of the students have had very…
Supplementing Tribal Culture Using Technical Writing Basics
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tichenor, Stuart
2008-01-01
Using technical writing basics, a cohort of Lighthorse Police Officers from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation added to their tribe's cultural history by recording part of their family and clan history as well as documenting their law enforcement careers and education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Smith, Summer
2003-01-01
Presents the results of an empirical study comparing writing and engineering instructors' responses to students' technical writing. Indicates that the gap between engineering and writing teachers' standards for evaluating technical writing is not as wide as is generally assumed. Concludes that the differences that do emerge suggest ways that the…
Relevance in Basic Composition: Writing Assignments for Technical Students.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tichenor, Stuart
Generally, students in vocational and technical colleges are in writing classes because they must be, not because they want to be. As a rule, students in basic composition classes have been more or less continually exposed to writing classes since middle school where they been asked to keep journals, read articles and short stories, and write…
Analysis of the Technical Writing Profession through the DACUM Process.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nolan, Timothy; Green, Marc
To help develop a curriculum program for technical writers, Cincinnati Technical College used the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) method to produce a technical writing skills profile. DACUM develops an occupation analysis through a modified brainstorming process by a panel of expert workers under the direction of a qualified coordinator. This…
Using a Business Framework to Teach Technical Writing to Nonscientists
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Devet, Bonnie
2005-01-01
Today, students other than biology, computer science, or physics majors are enrolling in technical writing. English and communication students, seeking lucrative careers as professional writers or editors, are increasingly signing up for the course. Lacking extensive scientific backgrounds, these students may have a difficult time writing about…
The Great Instauration: Restoring Professional and Technical Writing to the Humanities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Di Renzo, Anthony
If you wish to start an undergraduate professional and technical writing (PTW) program at a small liberal arts college, you will find good arguments for your project in the educational writings of Sir Francis Bacon. This paper gathers some of Bacon's educational ideas from various writings and applies them to the five stages of undergraduate…
The Great Instauration: Restoring Professional and Technical Writing to the Humanities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Di Renzo, Anthony
2002-01-01
Gathers some of Sir Francis Bacon's educational ideas from his various writings and applies them to the five stages of undergraduate professional and technical writing program development: planning, implementation, mission, design and development, staffing, and administration. (SG)
The Write Stuff: Teaching the Introductory Public Relations Writing Course.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
King, Cynthia M.
2001-01-01
Outlines an introductory public relations writing course. Presents course topics and objectives, and assignments designed to meet them. Provides a sample grading rubric and evaluates major public relations writing textbooks. Discusses learning and assessment strategies. (SR)
Increasing Student Interaction in Technical Writing Courses in Online Environments
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Virtue, Drew
2017-01-01
This article examines how the levels of student interaction change through the use of small groups and moderators in online writing courses. The study examines three technical and professional online writing courses: one course that employs small groups and group moderators and two courses that have no small groups or moderators. The results of…
The Educational Design of Textbooks: A Text for Being Interdisciplinary
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Golding, Clinton
2014-01-01
This paper provides insights into both the educational design of textbooks and interdisciplinary education. The author introduces two educational principles for textbook design--instructional alignment and balancing diversity and meaningful guidance for readers--and applies them to writing his own textbook chapter for being interdisciplinary. The…
Online Textbooks Deliver Timely, Real-World Content
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Seidel, Kim
2009-01-01
Faced with the challenge of keeping up with the rapidly changing field of information systems, author and teacher John Gallaugher opted to write an open source textbook with a new online company, Flat World Knowledge (FWK). Gallaugher's open source textbook, "Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology", has an expected…
Textbook Utilization in a Broadcast Journalism Emphasis.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reppert, James E.
Do textbooks matter in an ever-changing field of broadcast journalism? Are some teaching materials irrelevant or out of touch with equipment needs, or lack thereof, at small institutions? Noting that these questions need to be considered when evaluating broadcast or mass communication writing and production textbooks by national companies, this…
My Career and the "Rhetoric of" Technical Writing and Communication
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schuster, Mary Lay
2015-01-01
This article traces the history of Mary Schuster's career in technical writing and communication from 1968 when she took a position in the Publications Department at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to her work at "Technical Communication Quarterly" ("TCQ") in 2003 and forward. She discusses the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Killingsworth, Jimmie, Ed.; And Others
The 27 articles in this 6-part guide provide information on developing and implementing writing instruction as part of content-area courses in two-year vocational-technical colleges. Part One, General Concerns, includes "Making Writing Work for You in the Interactive Classroom" (Killingsworth, Rude); "Evaluating and Responding to Student Writing"…
Rhetorical Strategies in Chinese and English: A Comparison of L1 Composition Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Liao, Ming-Tzu; Chen, Ching-Hung
2009-01-01
The present study compared the rhetorical strategies for argumentative writing in Chinese and English composition textbooks. The textbooks were selected based on four criteria. The results of the study revealed that there are similarities and differences in Chinese and English argumentative writing. Both Chinese and English agree upon the function…
Writing Technical Documents for the Global Pharmaceutical Industry.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bonk, Robert J.
1998-01-01
States that technical writers in the global pharmaceutical industry write for two audiences: regulatory agencies and healthcare practitioners. Contends that information products that address these audiences must balance the competing forces of business interests, market penetration, and the cultural variables of products so tied to people's…
A technical writing programme implemented in a first-year engineering course at KU Leuven
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Heylen, Christel; Vander Sloten, Jos
2013-12-01
Technical communication and technical writing are important skills for the daily work-life of every engineer. In the first-year engineering programme at KU Leuven, a technical writing programme is implemented within the project-based course 'Problem Solving and Engineering Design'. This paper describes a case study for implementing a writing programme based on active learning methods and situated learning in large classes. The programme consists of subsequent cycles of instructions, learning by doing and reflection on received feedback. In addition, a peer-review assignment, together with an interactive lecture using clicking devices, is incorporated within the assignments of the second semester. A checklist of desired writing abilities makes it easier to grade the large number of papers. Furthermore, this ensures that all staff involved in the evaluation process uses the same criteria to grade and for providing feedback.
Goel, Trilok Chandra; Goel, Apul; Kumar, Sandeep
2018-04-01
In India, although the native language is not English but the medical education is imparted in English. The authors have written a textbook of surgery in Hindi with the intention of promoting the understanding of surgery and encouraging reflective and deep learning for students whose native language is Hindi. In this article, the authors share experiences of writing such a book, the reasons for the same and also discuss the creation of new medical nomenclature in Hindi.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dew, Stephen H.
This self-paced library workbook is a course requirement of all "technical writing" freshman English classes at the University of Arkansas. The technical writing course is required of all engineering students, and its major focus is on writing a term paper containing a bibliography produced through library research. The workbook…
Technical Writing in the Computer Industry: Job Opportunities for PH.D.'s.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Turnbull, Andrew D.
1981-01-01
Answers questions about the field of technical writing, especially in the computer industry. Explains what "software" and "software documentation" are, what the "software documentation specialist" (technical writer) does, and how to prepare for such a job. (FL)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hampson, Margaret P.
2009-01-01
As part of its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaffirmation process, Caldwell Community College (CCC) and Technical Institute's (TI) Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), entitled "Enhancing Writing--Write On!" demonstrates the need to improve student writing through multifaceted interventions. The goals of CCC's and TI's…
The Academy's Contribution to the Impoverishment of America's Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tyson-Bernstein, Harriet
1988-01-01
Builds on the author's book, "A Conspiracy of Good Intentions: America's Textbook Fiasco." Concludes that tenure rules, scholarly hyperspecialization, widespread contempt for "commercial" writing, and lack of ethical standards are obstacles to textbook reform at all education levels. Advocates sequence of learning tasks in each subject discipline.…
Technical Writing Resources. A Handbook for Engineering and Technology Faculty at Purdue.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cheek, Madelon
Ideas for technical writing assistance and resources that are available to Purdue University faculty who incorporate a writing component into their courses are presented in this guide. Following an introduction containing the purpose, background, and scope of the guide, three main topics and their subtopics form the guide's structure: (1)…
Evaluating Environmental Chemistry Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hites, Ronald A.
2001-01-01
A director of the Indiana University Center for Environmental Science Research reviews textbooks on environmental chemistry. Highlights clear writing, intellectual depth, presence of problem sets covering both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the material, and full coverage of the topics of concern. Discusses the director's own approach…
The Struggle for American Identity: Treatment of Ethnic Groups in United States History Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Foster, Stuart J.
1999-01-01
Provides a historical overview of two centuries of change in history textbook writing. Focuses on the social attitudes toward ethnic groups as portrayed in U.S. history textbooks from 1800s-1960s and discusses the conservative themes that are present in U.S. history textbooks. Questions why textbooks adhered to conservative themes. (CMK)
Teaching Technical Writing and Editing -- In-House Programs That Work. Anthology Series No. 5.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shaw, James G., Ed.
The 12 articles in this publication provide indepth treatment of important aspects of in-house training programs for technical writing and editing. The articles deal with the following topics: the value of an in-house writing course, teaching in industry, developing an in-house writing course for engineers and scientists, a new approach to…
Exploring Atypical Verb+Noun Combinations in Learner Technical Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Luzon Marco, Maria Jose
2011-01-01
Professional and academic discourse is characterised by a specific phraseology, which usually poses problems for students. This paper investigates atypical verb+noun collocations in a corpus of English technical writing of Spanish students. I focus on the type of verbs that most frequently occurred in these awkward or questionable combinations and…
Applied tagmemics: A heuristic approach to the use of graphic aids in technical writing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Brownlee, P. P.; Kirtz, M. K.
1981-01-01
In technical report writing, two needs which must be met if reports are to be useable by an audience are the language needs and the technical needs of that particular audience. A heuristic analysis helps to decide the most suitable format for information; that is, whether the information should be presented verbally or visually. The report writing process should be seen as an organic whole which can be divided and subdivided according to the writer's purpose, but which always functions as a totality. The tagmemic heuristic, because it itself follows a process of deconstructing and reconstructing information, lends itself to being a useful approach to the teaching of technical writing. By applying the abstract questions this heuristic asks to specific parts of the report. The language and technical needs of the audience are analyzed by examining the viability of the solution within the givens of the corporate structure, and by deciding which graphic or verbal format will best suit the writer's purpose. By following such a method, answers which are both specific and thorough in their range of application are found.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carter, Michael; Anson, Chris M.; Miller, Carolyn R.
2003-01-01
Notes that technical writing instruction often operates in isolation from other components of students' communication education. Argues for altering this isolation by moving writing instruction to a place of increased programmatic perspective, which may be attained through a means of assessment based on educational outcomes. Discusses two models…
Basic Skills, Basic Writing, Basic Research.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Trimmer, Joseph F.
1987-01-01
Overviews basic writing instruction and research by briefly discussing the history of remediation, results of a survey of basic writing programs in U.S. colleges and universities, and interviews with developmental textbook editors at major publishing houses. Finds that basic writing instruction continues to focus on sentence grammar. (MM)
A Real-Life Basis for Reports in Business and Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stephenson, William
1987-01-01
For students who have difficulty finding material for writing formal business and technical reports, suggests keeping a file folder of clippings about new products and services taken from a leading newspaper.(NH)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gragson, Derek E.; Hagen, John P.
2010-01-01
Writing formal "journal-style" lab reports is often one of the requirements chemistry and biochemistry students encounter in the physical chemistry laboratory. Helping students improve their technical writing skills is the primary reason this type of writing is a requirement in the physical chemistry laboratory. Developing these skills is an…
International Students in the Scientific and Technical Writing Class.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Constantinides, Janet C.
A course sequence for teaching the forms and formats of scientific and technical writing to English as a second language (ESL) learners is described. The first assignment, a letter of application, serves as a diagnostic indication of the student's ability. The second assignment, a narrative, is designed to define the importance of audience and…
Nonsexist Use of Language in Scientific and Technical Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Billingsley, Patricia A.; Johnson, Neil A.
The need to introduce nonsexist language into scientific and technical writing is addressed. By taking advantage of the versatility of the English language, it can easily and clearly be indicated that either one or both of the sexes is being discussed, without resorting to biased, euphemistic, or newly-invented wording. There are two conceptually…
Writing Better Software for Economics Principles Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Walbert, Mark S.
1989-01-01
Examines computer software currently available with most introductory economics textbooks. Compares what is available with what should be available in order to meet the goal of effectively using the microcomputer to teach economic principles. Recommends 14 specific pedagogical changes that should be made in order to improve current designs. (LS)
Louis's Lightbulb Lesson (and Other Advice for Textbook Writers)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sheinkin, Steve
2009-01-01
In this article, the author reflects on his work as a textbook writer. Given that knowledge is memorable when it is related to engaging stories, the author wonders if it is possible to turn the history of our great nation into such tales to motivate children's learning. Attempts to make his textbook writing more vivid, however, are met with a…
Aligning Theme and Information Structure to Improve the Readability of Technical Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moore, N. A. J.
2006-01-01
The readability of technical writing, and technical manuals in particular, especially for second language readers, can be noticeably improved by pairing Theme with Given and Rheme with New. This allows for faster processing of text and easier access to the "method of development" of the text. Typical Theme-Rheme patterns are described, and the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Matveeva, Natalia
2008-01-01
This research article reports the results of an online survey distributed among technical writing instructors in 2006. The survey aimed to examine how we teach intercultural communication in basic technical writing courses: our current practices and methods. The article discusses three major challenges that instructors may face when teaching about…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
White, Kate; Rumsey, Suzanne Kesler; Amidon, Stevens
2016-01-01
This article reexamines the treatment of gender and feminism in technical, business, and workplace writing studies--areas in which the three of us teach. Surprisingly, the published discourse of our field seems to implicitly minimize the gendered nature of business and technical writing workplaces and classrooms. To understand this apparent lack…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ma, Yongjun; Wan, Yanlan
2017-08-01
Based on previous international studies, a content analysis scheme has been designed and used from the perspective of culture to study the history of science (HOS) in science textbooks. Nineteen sets of Chinese science textbooks have been analyzed. It has been found that there are noticeable changes in the quantity, content, layout, presentation, and writing intention of the HOS sections in textbooks from different time periods. What's more, the textbooks aim at presenting the scientific culture and aim to help students understand it better. However, the cultural associations of the HOS in textbooks is insufficient and significant differences exist among textbooks of different subjects. In order to explore the reasons why the presentation of HOS in various subjects is different, we made a specific comparison of curriculum standards of two subjects with great differences and interviewed the editors-in-chief of two textbooks. Results show that one of the most important reasons for the different writings of the HOS in textbooks is that different subject curriculum standards attach greater importance to the HOS. In addition, the attention to the HOS by editors-in-chief, the tradition of studying the HOS within the history of the discipline, and the reference textbooks in compiling textbooks are all important influence factors. Some suggestions for future textbooks compilation are given at the end.
Ninth Edition: Adventures with a Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bragdon, Henry Wilkinson
1978-01-01
Nearly three decades ago, the author started writing an American history textbook. He recently finished the revisions on the ninth edition and here he describes the struggles he had with his publisher, The Macmillan Publishing Company, in developing his history text. (Author/RK)
Textbooks and technical references for remote sensing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rudd, R. D.; Bowden, L. W.; Colwell, R. N.; Estes, J. E.
1980-01-01
A selective bibliography is presented which cites 89 textbooks, monographs, and articles covering introductory and advanced remote sensing techniques, photointerpretation, photogrammetry, and image processing.
Technical Writing and Communication in a Senior-Level Seminar
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wallner, A. S.; Latosi-Sawin, Elizabeth
1999-10-01
To prepare chemistry majors for entry into graduate school and professional life, a senior-level seminar has been designed at Missouri Western State College that introduces students to scientific journals and aspects of professional communication. Students select topics, conduct research, report progress, write summaries for technical and nontechnical audiences, prepare abstracts, organize outlines, and present a formal research paper. At semester's end, each student delivers a 45-minute seminar to peers and departmental faculty, using easily learned presentation software. Faculty who would adopt this approach need to guide student research, emphasize purpose and audience, illustrate a synthesis of sources, support writing as a process, and help students overcome their fear of public speaking.
The First American Textbook of Surgery
Smythe, W. Roy
2003-01-01
The first systematic textbook of surgery written in the United States, The Elements of Surgery, was completed in 1813 by John Syng Dorsey, a University of Pennsylvania surgeon. The work thoroughly covered all major clinical areas of surgery of that time in a two-volume, 797-page text. Subsequent editions were published in 1818, 1823, and 1831. It became the standard surgical textbook in this country during that era and was the first American medical text exported abroad for use at the more established European centers of medical education. The reasons for writing the text included a desire to put into print the teachings of Philip Syng Physick (first Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dorsey’s uncle), the new American nationalism, and socioeconomic pressures forced on the American publishing industry by the War of 1812 and preceding trade embargoes. In addition to extensive exposure to Physick, Dorsey was also uniquely qualified to write and illustrate this text, as he exhibited an unusually succinct style and was a remarkable medical artist. The book was the forerunner to William Gibson’s The Institutes and Practice of Surgery and all American surgical textbooks to follow. PMID:12677156
Movie-Generated EFL Writing: Discovering the Act of Writing through Visual Literacy Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hekmati, Nargess; Ghahremani Ghajar, Sue-san; Navidinia, Hossein
2018-01-01
The present article explores the idea of using movies in EFL classrooms to develop students' writing skill. In this qualitative study, 15 EFL learners were engaged in different writing activities in a contextualized form of movies, meaning that the films acted as text-books, and activities were designed based on the contexts of the films. Taking…
Writing on the Threshold: Investigating New Media Concerns in Composition Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Etlinger, Sarah A.
2012-01-01
This dissertation examines three recent first-year composition textbooks' treatments of new media. These textbooks treat new media as equivalent to print media; I offer "media equivalency" to describe the problem. This concept suggests that one medium is understood by the same methods as another. I argue that the media equivalency…
Degrees of systematic thoroughness: A text analysis of student technical science writing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Esch, Catherine Julia
This dissertation investigates student technical science writing and use of evidence. Student writers attended a writing-intensive undergraduate university oceanography course where they were required to write a technical paper drawing from an instructor-designed software program, Our Dynamic Planet. This software includes multiple interactive geological data sets relevant to plate tectonics. Through qualitative text analysis of students science writing, two research questions frame the study asking: How are the papers textually structured? Are there distinctions between high- and low-rated papers? General and specific text characteristics within three critical sections of the technical paper are identified and analyzed (Observations, Interpretations, Conclusions). Specific text characteristics consist of typical types of figures displayed in the papers, and typical statements within each paper section. Data gathering consisted of collecting 15 student papers which constitute the population of study. An analytical method was designed to manage and analyze the text characteristics. It has three stages: identifying coding categories, re-formulating the categories, and configuring categories. Three important elements emerged that identified notable distinctions in paper quality: data display and use, narration of complex geological feature relationships, and overall organization of text structure. An inter-rater coding concordance check was conducted, and showed high concordance ratios for the coding of each section: Observations = 0.95; Interpretations = 0.93; and Conclusions = 0.87. These categories collectively reveal a larger pattern of general differences in the paper quality levels (high, low, medium). This variation in the quality of papers demonstrates degrees of systematic thoroughness, which is defined as how systematically each student engages in the tasks of the assignment, and how thoroughly and consistently the student follows through on that systematic
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, G. H.; Steinberg, E. R.
The Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW) offered by Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania) is designed for students who want careers as document designers in industry and government, where they will plan, write, and evaluate computer manuals and on-line documentation, training and instructional materials, technical reports, and a wide…
Introductory Textbooks and Plagiarism in Higher Education: A Case Study from Economics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Richardson, Paul
2002-01-01
Textbooks are powerful technologies that are foundational to introductory level courses. In the research site of an introductory economic classroom, the textbook is positioned as having status similar to that of a canonical religious text. This study investigated how student reading and writing can be problematic when introductory level courses…
Importance of Technical Writing in Engineering Education
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Narayanan, M.
2010-12-01
It is important to recognize technical writing as a creative vehicle to communicate with the audience. It is indeed possible to motivate a reluctant learner by encouraging student writing combined with reading and research. John Kosakowski is of the opinion that writing assignments actually help to strengthen the self-confidence of a lethargic learner (Kosakowski, 1998). Researchers in the area of cognitive science and educational psychology are also of the opinion that encouraging students to writing actually helps the learners cultivate a positive attitude toward the subject matter in question. One must also recognize the fact that the students are indeed very reluctant to devote time and effort that requiress descriptive long writing assignments. One has to be more creative towards assignments that utilize problem-solving pedagogy (Saxe, 1988; Senge, 1990; Sims, 1995; Young & Young, 1999). Education World writer Gloria Chaika (Chaika, 2000) states that “Talent is important, but practice creates the solid base that allows that unique talent to soar. Like athletes, writers learn by doing. Good writing requires the same kind of dedicated practice that athletes put in. Young writers often lack the support they need to practice writing and develop their talent to the fullest, though.” Writing assignments have several key elements and the author has outlined below, some ideas for conducting assessment. 1. Identification of a purpose. 2. Focusing on the subject matter. 3. Attracting the attention of audience. 4. Format, flow and familiarity of the structure. 5. Observation of formality, voice and tone. 6. Promotion of critical thinking. 7. Importance of Logic and evidence-based reasoning. 8. Follows a realistic time line. 9. Process and procedure are properly outlined. References: Barr, R. B., & Tagg, J. (1995, November/December). From teaching to learning: A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Education, 13-24. Cox, M. D
Building Science-Relevant Literacy with Technical Writing in High School
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Girill, T R
2006-06-02
By drawing on the in-class work of an on-going literacy outreach project, this paper explains how well-chosen technical writing activities can earn time in high-school science courses by enabling underperforming students (including ESL students) to learn science more effectively. We adapted basic research-based text-design and usability techniques into age-appropriate exercises and cases using the cognitive apprenticeship approach. This enabled high-school students, aided by explicit guidelines, to build their cognitive maturity, learn how to craft good instructions and descriptions, and apply those skills to better note taking and technical talks in their science classes.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCann, Lee I.; Immel, Kathy R.; Kadah-Ammeter, Tammy L.; Adelson, Sarah K.
2016-01-01
Introductory psychology students at a technical college, 2-year community college, and a regional university rated how important textbook chapters or topics were to them now and in the future and how interesting they were. Importance and interest ratings were highly correlated, and the whole course was rated of greater importance and interest than…
FLIS, IVAN
2016-01-01
This article aims to provide an overview of the historiography of psychology textbooks. In the overview, I identify and describe in detail two strands of writing histories of introductory textbooks of psychology and juxtapose them to provide an integrated historiography of textbooks in psychology. One strand is developed by teachers of psychology—first as a general approach for investigating textbooks in a pedagogical setting, and then later upgraded into a full history of psychology textbooks in America. The other strand follows a more familiar perspective of historians of science and historians of psychology who build on various post‐Kuhnian and post‐Foucauldian perspectives on textbooks. I make an argument for integrating these two views for a more comprehensive historiography of textbooks in psychology, recasting textbooks as objects of research and sources that are interesting sui generis for historians of psychology in their investigations. PMID:27152736
Perceptions of Memo Quality: A Case Study of Engineering Practitioners, Professors, and Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Amare, Nicole; Brammer, Charlotte
2005-01-01
One goal of college technical writing courses is to prepare students for real-world writing situations. Business writing textbooks function similarly, using guidelines, sample assignments, and model documents to help students develop rhetorical strategies to use in the workplace. Students attend class, or read and perform exercises in a textbook,…
Radiological Defense. Textbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DOD), Washington, DC.
This textbook has been prepared under the direction of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DCPA) Staff College for use as a student reference manual in radiological defense (RADEF) courses. It provides much of the basic technical information necessary for a proper understanding of radiological defense and summarizes RADEF planning and expected…
Technical Writing in English Renaissance Shipwrightery: Breaching the Shoals of Orality
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tebeaux, Elizabeth
2008-01-01
Describing the emergence of the first shipbuilding texts, particularly those in English provides another chapter in the story of the emergence of English technical writing. Shipwrightery texts did not appear in English until the middle decades of the seventeenth century because shipwrightery was a closed discourse community which shared knowledge…
Report Writing for Technical Staff. P.R.I.D.E. People Retraining for Industry Excellence.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Burt, Lorna
This guide, part of a series of workplace-developed materials for retraining factory workers, provides teaching materials for a workplace course in report writing skills for technical staff. The course has been designed to help new engineers with all aspects of report writing. It covers the outline and structure of reports, brainstorming,…
Doing a Good Deed or Confounding the Problem? Peer Review and Sociology Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kendall, Diana
1999-01-01
Examines how the peer review process influences the writing and publication of sociology textbooks and the teaching of sociology. States that the peer review process may influence the final textbook in five ways: (1) degree of innovation; (2) length; (3) reading level; (4) cloning ancillaries and accessories; and (5) using reviewers as marketing…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tatzl, Dietmar; Hassler, Wolfgang; Messnarz, Bernd; Fluhr, Holger
2012-01-01
The present article describes and evaluates collaborative interdisciplinary group projects initiated by content lecturers and an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instructor for the purpose of teaching technical writing skills in an aeronautical engineering degree program. The proposed technical writing model is assessed against the results of a…
Flis, Ivan
2016-07-01
This article aims to provide an overview of the historiography of psychology textbooks. In the overview, I identify and describe in detail two strands of writing histories of introductory textbooks of psychology and juxtapose them to provide an integrated historiography of textbooks in psychology. One strand is developed by teachers of psychology-first as a general approach for investigating textbooks in a pedagogical setting, and then later upgraded into a full history of psychology textbooks in America. The other strand follows a more familiar perspective of historians of science and historians of psychology who build on various post-Kuhnian and post-Foucauldian perspectives on textbooks. I make an argument for integrating these two views for a more comprehensive historiography of textbooks in psychology, recasting textbooks as objects of research and sources that are interesting sui generis for historians of psychology in their investigations. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sophistic Ethics in the Technical Writing Classroom: Teaching "Nomos," Deliberation, and Action.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scott, J. Blake
1995-01-01
Claims that teaching ethics is particularly important to technical writing. Outlines a classical, sophistic approach to ethics based on the theories and pedagogies of Protagoras, Gorgias, and Isocrates, which emphasizes the Greek concept of "nomos," internal and external deliberation, and responsible action. Discusses problems and…
Terra, Sandra Marlene; Byrne, Amanda
2016-01-01
This article reviews the various types of technical and clinical denials that are usually "written off" and proposes strategies to prevent this loss. For purposes of this writing, avoidable technical and clinical denial write-offs are defined as revenue lost from "first-pass" denials rejections. For example, a procedure that requires an authorization is performed without having had an authorization obtained. After appeals and attempts to recoup the revenue, often unsuccessful, the organization ultimately "writes off" the revenue as not collectable. The question to ask is: Are these claims really not collectable or can actionable steps be taken to conserve these dollars and improve the bottom line? Acute care hospitals, physician offices, and clinics. In today's environment, the need to manage costs is ubiquitous. Cost management is on the priority list of all savvy health care executives, even if margins are healthy, revenue is under pressure, and the magnitude of cost reduction needed is greater than what past efforts have achieved. As hospitals and physician clinics prioritize areas for improvement, reduction in lost revenue-especially avoidable lost revenue-should be at the top of the list. Attentively managing claim denial write-offs will significantly reduce lost revenue. There is significant interface between case management and the revenue cycle. Developing core competencies for reducing clinical and technical denials should be a critical imperative in overall cost management strategy. Case managers are well placed to prevent these unnecessary losses through accurate status determination and clinical documentation review. These clinical professionals can also provide insight into work flow and other processes inherent in the preauthorization process.
Can Students Write Their Own Textbooks? Thoughts on a New Type of Writing Assignment.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Frye, David
1999-01-01
Describes an assignment in an undergraduate course on Roman history for junior and senior history majors in which students create their own 15-page textbook using primary sources. Explains how each class session developed student analysis of primary sources. (CMK)
The STEMWiki Hyperlibrary: A Collaborative Multidisciplinary Textbook Environment
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Halpern, J. B.
2015-12-01
The STEMWiki Hyperlibrary Project is a collaborative effort directed by Prof. Delmar Larsen of UC Davis to replace printed textbooks with a no-fee, high quality, on line textbook environment for STEM courses and informal education. Instructors can build textbooks for their students by linking modules in the Hyperlibrary, write their own texts or use those built by others. The flexibility of the Hyperlibrary allows instructors to address the needs of diverse students in all types of institutions. At present over 4 million people per month visit the site, which makes it a primary global source of STEM educational material. The seed was the ChemWiki, which is the most developed, but there is also a GeoWiki that is being used for courses on Structural Geology, Sediments and Strata and Oceanography at UC Davis as well as including core components on geochemistry, geophysics, mineralogy, oceanography, paleobiology, paleoenvironments, petrology and plate tectonics. In addition to using and contributing to the GeoWiki, AGU members can participate in the other STEMWikis by writing (or editing) core components that involve geophysical topics and make use of the core components in the other areas for their teaching. The GeoWiki can be accessed at http://geowiki.ucdavis.edu/
American Nursing's First Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flaumenhaft, Eugene; Flaumenhaft, Carol
1989-01-01
Discusses the four textbooks, written in the last quarter of the 19th century, that shaped nursing in the United States. They provided technical information in a systematic fashion, established an autonomous literature that guided nurses in school and beyond, and defined the training school curriculum. (JOW)
Potential benefits of student- and junior doctor-led textbooks.
Qureshi, Zeshan U; Lattey, Katherine; Bryne, Patrick; Rodrigues, Mark; Ross, Michael; Maxwell, Simon
2015-06-01
Medical textbooks are an important teaching supplement. Few have junior doctors or medical students ('juniors') as primary contributors. However, the strengths of junior-led face-to-face teaching are now well-established, and we hypothesized that similar advantages would be transferrable to a textbook setting. Juniors were approached to contribute to an independently published medical textbook, with senior clinicians recruited in parallel to ensure factual accuracy. Juniors directed every aspect of textbook writing and the production process. The published book stressed that it was an open collaboration with readers, inviting them to get in touch to evaluate the text and suggest ideas for new titles. Of 75 respondents, 93 % awarded the first textbook in the series 4 or 5 out of 5 for overall quality. Five other titles have been released, with seven more in development. Over 100 juniors are currently involved, with two students progressing from reviewers to editors after less than a year of mentorship. Juniors can be a motivated, dynamic, innovative group, capable of significant contributions to the medical textbook literature. This initiative has generated a sustainable infrastructure to facilitate junior-led publishing, and has the capacity for expansion to accommodate new initiatives and ideas.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flowerdew, Lynne
2003-01-01
Reports on research describing similarities and differences between expert and novice writing in the problem-solution pattern, a frequent rhetorical pattern of technical academic writing. A corpus of undergraduate student writing and one containing professional writing consisted of 80 and 60 recommendation reports, respectively, with each corpus…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, Karen H.; And Others
1993-01-01
The readability, reading ease, interest level, and writing style of 20 current textbooks in secondary marketing education were evaluated. Readability formulas consistently identified lower reading levels for special needs education, human interest scores were not very reliable information sources, and writing style was also a weak variable. (JOW)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee, Jongwon; Catling, Simon
2017-01-01
This study investigated the perspectives of seven English authors, on aspects of their geography textbook writing for schools in England, through a questionnaire-based enquiry. This investigation asked about the features that geography textbook authors consider to be the most important when designing student activities, and which criteria they…
Investigation Report on the Teaching of Practical English Writing of English Majors
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Liu, Xiaojuan
2010-01-01
The practical writing course aims at helping students have a comprehensive understanding of writing subjects and improve their abilities of analyzing and understanding texts. This paper has explored how writing textbooks are used in the writing course and pointed out that the aim should be to help students improve their ability of analysis and…
Using a Collaborative Critiquing Technique to Develop Chemistry Students' Technical Writing Skills
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carr, Jeremy M.
2013-01-01
The technique, termed "collaborative critiquing", was developed to teach fundamental technical writing skills to analytical chemistry students for the preparation of laboratory reports. This exercise, which can be completed prior to peer-review activities, is novel, highly interactive, and allows students to take responsibility for their…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mahamud, Kira
2016-01-01
This paper aims to highlight the prominence and relevance attached by the Franco dictatorial regime to emotions and sentiments in primary education textbooks. The authors of school textbooks employed a singular writing style, which enabled them to permeate the regime's ideology within the primary education community and classroom. Overcoming the…
Conceptual Variation or Incoherence? Textbook Discourse on Genes in Six Countries
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gericke, Niklas M.; Hagberg, Mariana; dos Santos, Vanessa Carvalho; Joaquim, Leyla Mariane; El-Hani, Charbel N.
2014-02-01
The aim of this paper is to investigate in a systematic and comparative way previous results of independent studies on the treatment of genes and gene function in high school textbooks from six different countries. We analyze how the conceptual variation within the scientific domain of Genetics regarding gene function models and gene concepts is transformed via the didactic transposition into school science textbooks. The results indicate that a common textbook discourse on genes and their function exist in textbooks from the different countries. The structure of science as represented by conceptual variation and the use of multiple models was present in all the textbooks. However, the existence of conceptual variation and multiple models is implicit in these textbooks, i.e., the phenomenon of conceptual variation and multiple models are not addressed explicitly, nor its consequences and, thus, it ends up introducing conceptual incoherence about the gene concept and its function within the textbooks. We conclude that within the found textbook-discourse ontological aspects of the academic disciplines of genetics and molecular biology were retained, but without their epistemological underpinnings; these are lost in the didactic transposition. These results are of interest since students might have problems reconstructing the correct scientific understanding from the transformed school science knowledge as depicted within the high school textbooks. Implications for textbook writing as well as teaching are discussed in the paper.
Textbooks in German 1942-1973: A Descriptive Bibliography.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Buck, Kathryn, Comp.; Haase, Arthur, Comp.
This annotated bibliography lists German textbooks published in the United States for use in junior high, high school, and college by students whose first language is English. Intended for those interested in researching old and writing new texts, as well as for those searching for an extant volume for classroom use, the bibliography consists of…
Lost Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: Writing Assigned at Howard University, 1919-31.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zaluda, Scott
1998-01-01
Examines writing assignments, articles, textbooks, and other expressions of faculty thinking from courses about relationships among education, writing, and society in philosophy, English, history, and sociology at Howard University, a historically black university. Finds writing assignments at once conservative, subversive, and creative, in a…
Summary Writing in Academic Contexts: Implicating Meaning in Processes of Change
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hood, Susan
2008-01-01
The practice of summary writing from source texts has long been a core activity in academic writing programs. When described as precis writing, textbooks focusing on teaching this skill date back to the second half of the nineteenth century. In current guidelines, students are typically asked to demonstrate an understanding of the key meanings…
The potential for advanced computerized aids for comprehensible writing of technical documents
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kieras, D. E.
1985-01-01
It is widely agreed that technical documents for equipment are poorly written and hard to comprehend. This has been a long-standing problem because the information-processing demands of editing and revision are so high that many comprehensibility problems go undetected. However, many of these problems can be detected by computerized systems that scan a document and point out where the writing can be improved. Existing systems of this type are based on conventional writing customs, rather than on the research literature on comprehension, and give poor advice or miss important problems. They also do not process the input document to any depth. An approach to advanced writing aids is described; such a system would base its criticisms on what is known about the cognition psychology of comprehension, and would make use of techniques from artificial intelligence for processing the language. Some examples of the relevant research results are presented, and a demonstration system of this type is briefly described.
Web Based Technical Problem Solving for Enhancing Writing Skills of Secondary Vocational Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Papantoniou, Eleni; Hadzilacos, Thanasis
2017-01-01
We discuss some aspects of a pilot e-learning technical writing course addressed to 11th grade vocational high school students in Greece. The application of this alternative teaching intervention stemmed from the researcher-instructor's reflections relating to the integration of a problem based e-pedagogy that aims not just to familiarize students…
Writing Skills for Technical Students. Fourth Edition.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carlisle, Vicky; Smith, Harriet; Baker, Fred; Ellegood, George; Kopay, Carol; Tanzer, Ward; Young, Diana; Dujordan, Jerome; Webster, Ron; Lewis, Sara Drew
This self-paced text/workbook is designed for the adult learner who needs a review of grammar and writing skills in order to write clearly and concisely on the job. It offers career-minded students 14 individualized instructional modules on grammar, paragraph writing, report writing, letter writing, and spelling. It is designed for both self-paced…
Task-Based EFL Language Teaching with Procedural Information Design in a Technical Writing Context
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Roy, Debopriyo
2017-01-01
Task-based language learning (TBLL) has heavily influenced syllabus design, classroom teaching, and learner assessment in a foreign or second language teaching context. In this English as foreign language (EFL) learning environment, the paper discussed an innovative language learning pedagogy based on design education and technical writing. In…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Joseph, Christine M.
2012-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate how writing in mathematics is treated in one 4th grade National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded mathematics textbook titled "Everyday Mathematics" and one publisher-generated textbook titled "enVision MATH." The developed framework provided categories to support each of the research…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schuhart, Arthur L.
This is a two-part dissertation. The primary part is the text of a science-based composition rhetoric and reader called The Science Writing Tool. This textbook has seven chapters dealing with topics in Science Rhetoric. Each chapter includes a variety of examples of science writing, discussion questions, writing assignments, and instructional resources. The purpose of this text is to introduce lower-division college science majors to the role that rhetoric and communication plays in the conduct of Science, and how these skills contribute to a successful career in Science. The text is designed as a "tool kit," for use by an instructor constructing a science-based composition course or a writing-intensive Science course. The second part of this part of this dissertation reports on student reactions to draft portions of The Science Writing Tool text. In this report, students of English Composition II at Northern Virginia Community College-Annandale were surveyed about their attitudes toward course materials and topics included. The findings were used to revise and expand The Science Writing Tool.
Technical Writing: Process and Product. Third Edition.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gerson, Sharon J.; Gerson, Steven M.
This book guides students through the entire writing process--prewriting, writing, and rewriting--developing an easy-to-use, step-by-step technique for writing the types of documents they will encounter on the job. It engages students in the writing process and encourages hands-on application as well as discussions about ethics, audience…
Profiling the Collocation Use in ELT Textbooks and Learner Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tsai, Kuei-Ju
2015-01-01
The present study investigates the collocational profiles of (1) three series of graded textbooks for English as a foreign language (EFL) commonly used in Taiwan, (2) the written productions of EFL learners, and (3) the written productions of native speakers (NS) of English. These texts were examined against a purpose-built collocation list. Based…
Teachers Beware: Elementary Social Studies Textbooks Are Getting Harder to Read.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Johnson, Roger E.
An evaluation of elementary social studies textbooks indicates that eight factors are making textbooks harder to read. These factors are: (1) the reading level of the book and/or the range of reading levels within it; (2) long sentences and/or too many concepts within a sentence or paragraph; (3) the use of vague terms, technical vocabulary, and…
Essence or Practice? Conflicting Cultural Values in Chinese EFL Textbooks: A Discourse Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Xiong, Tao
2012-01-01
While increasing attention is being paid to the ideological debate on Confucian-influenced cultural values communicated in Chinese language textbooks, EFL textbooks remain under-examined since the TEFL/TESOL is typically assumed to be "technical" and "neutral". Drawing on critical theoretical perspectives on curriculum,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Longo, Bernadette
The roots of technical writing are deeply planted in the field of mining engineering, with its emphasis on economics, value, and social stability. In the mid-16th century, Georgius Agricola published "De Re Metallica," a compilation of knowledge about mining and metallurgy. Agricola sought to explain the reasoning behind some of the…
Concept mapping: Impact on content and organization of technical writing in science
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Conklin, Elaine
The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the relationship between concept mapping and the content and organization of technical writing of ninth grade biology students. All students in the study completed a prewriting assessment. The experimental group received concept map instruction while the control group performed alternate tasks. After instruction, both groups completed the postwriting assessment and mean differences were compared using the t statistic for independent measures. Additionally, scores on the concept map were correlated to the scores on the postwriting assessment using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Finally, attitudes toward using concept mapping as a prewriting strategy were analyzed using the t statistic for repeated measures. Concept mapping significantly improved the depth of content; however, no statistical significance was detected for organization. Students had a significantly positive change in attitude toward using concept mapping to plan a writing assessment, organize information, and think creatively. The findings indicated concept mapping had a positive effect on the students' abilities to select concepts appropriate to respond to a writing prompt, integrate facts into complete thoughts and ideas, and apply it in novel situations. Concept maps appeared to facilitate learning how to process information and transform it into expository writing. Sustained practice in designing concept maps may influence organization as well as content. Developing a systematic approach to synthesize well-organized and coherent arguments in response to a writing task is an invaluable communication skill that has implications for the learner across disciplines and prepares them for higher education and the workforce.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cardenas, Diana L.
2012-01-01
Community-based projects immerse technical writing students in intercultural communication, addressing local needs and shaping documents in human terms. Students at a South Texas university work to establish communication with clients in a city-county health department to create effective documents and disseminate family health legislation. To…
An Approach for Embedding Critical Thinking in Second Language Paragraph Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chason, Lisa; Loyet, Dianne; Sorenson, Luann; Stoops, Anastasia
2017-01-01
Writing textbooks for English language learners frequently teach a paragraph pattern that is limited to topic sentence, support, and concluding sentence. Although beginning second language (L2) writers benefit from having a structured way to organize their ideas, as they advance, this type of writing can sound trite and uncritical. To provide a…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Warren, Thomas L.
2015-01-01
Teaching technical writing without formal training can be daunting. However, there are many resources available that can provide background and materials for teaching. My approach involved reading textbooks and articles not only on approaches to technical writing but also on what students can expect once they complete their education and are…
Experiences of a high-school physics textbook author
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zitzewitz, Paul W.
2004-05-01
For the past twenty years I have been involved writing a widely used high school physics textbook. I will discuss my experiences with the many forces that shape such a book, including state requirements, the publisher, editors, free-lance writers, reviewers, high school teachers, and students. Attempts to incorporate the results of physics education research and the changing role of technology in the production process will also be discussed.
Whys and hows of in-house writing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lane, J. C.
1981-01-01
The combining of requisite technical knowledge with requisite writing ability is addressed. Considerations in the development of in-house writing courses, in-plant training, are presented and evaluated. Specific problems in past methodology are also detailed. It is suggested that teachers of technical writing should be technical people themselves, preferably with working experience in industry or business; the training provided should be user-oriented, not theory oriented.
[Discussion on several contents of textbook Acupuncture and Moxibustion (New Century 4th Edition)].
Tian, Kaiyu
2018-02-12
The textbook Acupuncture and Moxibustion (New Century 4th Edition) was published by China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine in August of 2016. The author proposed several discussions in the textbook. The information, including the issue date of China national standard Standardized Manipulations of Acupuncture and Moxibustion , the number of foreign countries where China medical teams were assigned, and the number of acupuncture indications recommended by WHO, was not accurate. The content, including several methods of acupoint location, specification of filiform needles, rotating angle of needle, disinfection of needles and skin, locations and indications of scalp acupuncture, etc. should be corrected. Besides, the writing of textbooks should follow national or industry standards.
Technical communication. Perspectives for the Eighties, part 2
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mathes, J. C. (Compiler); Pinelli, T. E. (Compiler)
1981-01-01
The importance of technical writing as a separate discipline is suggested. Some specific areas addressed were: technical writing skills industry needs, definitions of technical writing, the hows and whys of inhouse writing, and the nature of the composing process in technical comunication.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Munson, Margaret
2013-01-01
Writing programs in institutions of higher education work to prepare students for real-world writing within any field of study. The composition of "Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing" offers an open-source text for students, teachers, and policy-makers at all levels. Exposure to an open space for learning encourages access to information,…
Writing in Multimodal Texts: A Social Semiotic Account of Designs for Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bezemer, Jeff; Kress, Gunther
2008-01-01
Frequently writing is now no longer the central mode of representation in learning materials--textbooks, Web-based resources, teacher-produced materials. Still (as well as moving) images are increasingly prominent as carriers of meaning. Uses and forms of writing have undergone profound changes over the last decades, which calls for a social,…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Donnelly, Suzanne M.
This study features a comparative descriptive analysis of the physics content and representations surrounding the first law of thermodynamics as presented in four widely used introductory college physics textbooks representing each of four physics textbook categories (calculus-based, algebra/trigonometry-based, conceptual, and technical/applied). Introducing and employing a newly developed theoretical framework, multimodal generative learning theory (MGLT), an analysis of the multimodal characteristics of textbook and multimedia representations of physics principles was conducted. The modal affordances of textbook representations were identified, characterized, and compared across the four physics textbook categories in the context of their support of problem-solving. Keywords: college science, science textbooks, multimodal learning theory, thermodynamics, representations
Nuclear War in High School History Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fleming, Daniel B.
1983-01-01
A review of 19 recently published, secondary-level United States and world history textbooks found only brief coverage of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan) bombings, slight attention to the arms race and disarmament, and concentration on scientific and technical developments behind the atomic bomb rather than on its effects. (Author/RW)
Ng, K H; Peh, W C G
2010-02-01
A technical note is a short article giving a brief description of a specific development, technique or procedure, or it may describe a modification of an existing technique, procedure or device applicable to medicine. The technique, procedure or device described should have practical value and should contribute to clinical diagnosis or management. It could also present a software tool, or an experimental or computational method. Technical notes are variously referred to as technical innovations or technical developments. The main criteria for publication will be the novelty of concepts involved, the validity of the technique and its potential for clinical applications.
Assessing Coverage of Maslow's Theory in Educational Psychology Textbooks: A Content Analysis
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wininger, Steven R.; Norman, Antony D.
2010-01-01
Although Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory (HNT) is one of the most prevalent theories in psychology, the authors argued that it is also one of the most misinterpreted or misrepresented, particularly in educational psychology textbooks. Therefore, after carefully reading Maslow's writings on HNT they conducted a content analysis of 18 educational…
Effects of Student-Written Wiki-Based Textbooks on Pre-Service Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ren, Zhongtang; Baker, Peter; Zhang, Shaoan
2009-01-01
Use of web technology in student construction of knowledge through writing their own textbooks via the Wikibooks platform may affect their epistemological beliefs. By using Epistemological Beliefs Inventory, this article investigates whether two groups (n = 229) of pre-service teachers' epistemological beliefs change in different learning…
Basic Writing Concepts for Scientists and Engineers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mitchell, John H.
1980-01-01
Notes the differences between poetry and technical communication. Charges English teacher/humanists with confusing students about emotional writing, style, and effective technical communication. Offers five concepts that technical writing teachers can use to place "style" on a rational basis and to make students understand the true purposes of…
Ideology in Writing Instruction: Reconsidering Invention Heuristics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Byard, Vicki
Modern writing textbooks tend to offer no heuristics, treat heuristics as if they do not have different impacts on inquiry, or take the view that heuristics are ideologically neutral pedagogies. Yet theory about language demonstrates that ideological neutrality is impossible. Any use of language in attempting to represent reality will inevitably…
Collaborating with human factors when designing an electronic textbook
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ratner, J.A.; Zadoks, R.I.; Attaway, S.W.
The development of on-line engineering textbooks presents new challenges to authors to effectively integrate text and tools in an electronic environment. By incorporating human factors principles of interface design and cognitive psychology early in the design process, a team at Sandia National Laboratories was able to make the end product more usable and shorten the prototyping and editing phases. A critical issue was simultaneous development of paper and on-line versions of the textbook. In addition, interface consistency presented difficulties with distinct goals and limitations for each media. Many of these problems were resolved swiftly with human factors input using templates,more » style guides and iterative usability testing of both paper and on-line versions. Writing style continuity was also problematic with numerous authors contributing to the text.« less
Bridges or Barriers: Analysis of Logodiversity in College Biology Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Burton, Rebecca S.
2011-01-01
When selecting a textbook, college instructors must weigh a variety of factors. One is whether the text is written at a level that is accessible to one's students. An important factor in this is how many technical words are used. I developed an index to calculate logodiversity, a term I coined that reflects the number of technical words and the…
Applications of the Functional Writing Model in Technical and Professional Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brostoff, Anita
The functional writing model is a method by which students learn to devise and organize a written argument. Salient features of functional writing include the organizing idea (a component that logically unifies a paragraph or sequence of paragraphs), the reader's frame of reference, forecasting (prediction of the sequence by which the organizing…
Electronic textbooks as a professional resource after dental school.
Bates, Michael L; Strother, Elizabeth A; Brunet, Darlene P; Gallo, John R
2012-05-01
In two previous studies of dental students' attitudes about the VitalSource Bookshelf, a digital library of dental textbooks, students expressed negative opinions about owning and reading electronic textbooks. With the assumption that dentists would find the digital textbooks useful for patient care, the authors surveyed recent graduates to determine if their attitude toward the VitalSource Bookshelf had changed. A brief survey was sent to 119 alumni from the classes of 2009 and 2010 of one U.S. dental school. Forty-seven (39.5 percent) completed the questionnaire. Eighteen respondents (48.3 percent) reported using the e-textbooks often or sometimes. The twenty-nine dentists who said they have not used the collection since graduation reported preferring print books or other online sources or having technical problems when downloading the books to a new computer. Only five respondents selected the VitalSource Bookshelf as a preferred source of professional information. Most of the respondents reported preferring to consult colleagues (37.8 percent), the Internet (20 percent), or hardcopy books (17.8 percent) for information. When asked in an open-ended question to state their opinion of the Bookshelf, nineteen (42.2 percent) responded positively, but almost one-third of these only liked the search feature. Six respondents reported that they never use the program. Twenty-two said they have had technical problems with the Bookshelf, including fifteen who have not been able to install it on a new computer. Many of them said they have not followed up with either the dental school or VitalSource support services to overcome this problem. Our study suggests that dentists, similar to dental students, dislike reading electronic textbooks, even with the advantage of searching a topic across more than sixty dental titles.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dole, Janice; And Others
A study followed three textbook adoption committees as they evaluated basal reading programs. The committees used "A Guide to Selecting Basal Reading Programs" (developed at the Center for the Study of Reading) to help them evaluate the quality of instruction in existing programs. Case studies of the three committees sought to address the…
Reading in the Writing Class: Conventions, Socialization, and Revision.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Werner, Warren W.
On the premise that the kind of writing done in business and technical writing classes is a social act, the business and technical writing courses at Auburn University (Alabama) use peer interaction, revision, and audience awareness to help students become aware of and internalize the conventions of writing. Students are required to read each…
Technical Mathematics: Restructure of Technical Mathematics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flannery, Carol A.
Designed to accompany a series of videotapes, this textbook provides information, examples, problems, and solutions relating to mathematics and its applications in technical fields. Chapter I deals with basic arithmetic, providing information on fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions, percentages, and order of operations. Chapter II focuses on…
Assessing the Writing of Deaf College Students: Reevaluating a Direct Assessment of Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schley, Sara; Albertini, John
2005-01-01
The NTID Writing Test was developed to assess the writing ability of postsecondary deaf students entering the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and to determine their appropriate placement into developmental writing courses. While previous research (Albertini et al., 1986; Albertini et al., 1996; Bochner, Albertini, Samar, & Metz, 1992)…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weiss-Magasic, Coleen
2012-01-01
Writing activities are a sure way to assess and enhance students' science literacy. Sometimes the author's students use technical writing to communicate their lab experiences, just as practicing scientists do. Other times, they use creative writing to make connections to the topics they're learning. This article describes both types of writing…
Teaching Technical and Business Writing: Strategies and Evaluation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alexander, Clara
1985-01-01
Describes a course that gives students the kinds of writing and oral communication experiences they will need on the job. The course gives students information about effective speaking and teaches them how to write business letters, prepare simple visuals for written and oral reports, and write formal proposals. (EL)
Usher, K; Tollefson, J; Francis, D
2001-01-01
This paper outlines a research project aimed at changing the levels of reflection of preregistration nursing students in a tertiary institution. Whilst reflection is widely espoused now in nursing, few studies have been found that identify whether the level of reflective writing can be identified or developed by students. Anecdotal and research evidence (Powell 1989; van Manen 1977) however indicates that most student reflective writing occurs at the technical level. A descriptive exploratory study using both qualitative and quantitative techniques was undertaken to apply van Manen's (1977) levels in a structured way in an attempt to facilitate the student's understanding and use of the levels in their reflective writing. The findings of the study indicate that student self evaluation and identification of the levels in their own writing can lead to change in the levels of critical reflective writing achieved by undergraduate students.
Learning about Fictionalized Biographies: A Reading and Writing Approach.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zarnowski, Myra
1988-01-01
Describes in detail a three-month class project focusing on fictionalized biographies and the life of Benjamin Franklin. Notes that in-depth integration of reading, writing, and content area instruction improves reading skills, as well as learning from content area textbooks, especially for low ability readers. (MM)
Textbooks on Argumentative Writing Display Much Agreement, though Each Has Own Slant.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beason, Larry
1995-01-01
A study of 10 freshman composition argumentative textbooks shows that there is a common core, grounded in but not dependent on classical rhetoric (Aristotelian rhetoric in particular). A cursory glance--which is all that many teachers can afford to give such books--might suggest they are all clones. But such is not the case. The authors forefront…
5 CFR 2635.807 - Teaching, speaking and writing.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... announced policy, program or operation of the agency; or (3) In the case of a noncareer employee as defined... writing or editing a textbook on the treatment of all cancers, provided that the book does not focus on... contain any significant discussion of labor relations cases handled at the Department of Commerce, or the...
The Student's Only Survival Guide to Essay Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Good, Steve; Jensen, Bill
Designed primarily with the student in mind, this guide focuses on what the student needs to know about essay writing to survive in college. It details a proven, consistent, and effective method for the preparation of undergraduate essays across the disciplines. Not intended as a textbook, the guide speaks directly to the student, providing…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lipson, C. S.
1981-01-01
The cultural and historical influences that students from foreign countries bring with them to technical and report writing classes, in particular those influences that would affect their receipt of instruction in American principles for written prose are examined. The grouping of sentences into idea units and into paragraphs, and the grouping of the paragraphs into whole structures are considered. The different cultures, different habits and norms for handling prose, and the dictates for style and structure and sufficiency and approach are also considered.
The Write Brain: How to Educate and Entertain with Learner-Centered Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Iverson, Kathleen M.
2009-01-01
This article presents a conceptual framework for the writing process to facilitate motivation, learning, retention, and knowledge transfer in readers of expository material. Drawing from four well-developed bodies of knowledge--cognitive science, learning theory, technical communication, and creative writing--the author creates a model that allows…
Radtka, Catherine
2016-12-01
Argument In this paper, I argue that studying school textbooks is a fruitful way to investigate mathematical conceptions in different national contexts. These sources give access to the written production of an extended mathematical milieu whose members write for various audiences. By studying the case of late 1950s French and English textbooks issued for a growing audience of 11- to 15-year-old pupils, I show that a plurality of conceptions was projected at the time onto pupils and their teachers in both national contexts. I link this diversity to contemporaneous debates regarding mathematics teaching and argue that textbooks themselves have to be considered as active agents of such debates.
Technical Writing: Past, Present and Future
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mathes, J. C. (Compiler); Pinelli, T. E. (Compiler)
1981-01-01
The training of technical writers and the objectives of such education are discussed. Special emphasis was placed on the communication between technical personnel and non-technical personnel. The liabilities that affect technical writers were also discussed.
Science and thinking: The write connection
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Butler, Gene
1991-09-01
The effective use of writing in science instruction may open the way for students to grow in their ability to exercise higher order thinking skills (Bland & Koppel, 1988). Scinto (1986) makes a compelling case for writing as a means of stimulating thinking when he states: The production of written text demands more elaborate strategies of preplanning. Written language demands the conscious organization of ensembles of propositions to achieve its end. The need to manipulate linguistic means in such a conscious and deliberate fashion entails a level of linguistic self-reflection not called forth in oral discourse (p. 101). Science educators may find that the writing process is one technique to help them move away from the teacher-centered, textbook-driven science classroom of today, and move toward the realization of science education which will ensure that students are able to function as scientifically literate citizens in our contemporary society.
25 CFR 41.10 - Technical assistance.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
... Community College's request in writing. In any case, where the type and source of technical assistance is... for technical assistance under this section shall be made in writing and sent to the applicant within... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Technical assistance. 41.10 Section 41.10 Indians BUREAU...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Block, Meghan K.
2013-01-01
The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS) emphasize the importance of writing and specify that students should write for external, and, at times, unfamiliar audiences. Given the relationship between audience specification and quality writing in older…
A Cognitive Science Approach to Writing. Technical Report No. 89.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bruce, Bertram; And Others
This paper explores the process of writing from several perspectives, as a first step toward a more comprehensive theory. The first perspective sees writing as a communicative act. The observation that to write is to communicate, though commonplace, has major and sometimes surprising implications for a theory of writing. It forces a focus on the…
Teaching audience analysis to the technical student
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Debs, M. B.; Brillhart, L. V.
1981-01-01
Teaching audience analysis, as practiced in a technical writing course for engineering students, is discussed. Audience analysis is described as the task of defining the audience for a particular piece of writing and determining those characteristics of the audience which constrain the writer and effect reception of the message. A mature technical writing style that shows the tension produced when a text is written to be read and understood is considered in terms of audience analysis. Techniques include: (1) conveying to students the concept that a reader with certain expectations exist, (2) team teaching to preserve the context of a given technical discipline, and (3) assigning a technical report that addresses a variety of readers, thus establishing the complexity of audience oriented writing.
What Consultation and Freelance Writing Can Do for You and Your Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muller, John A.
1978-01-01
Urges teachers of technical writing and graduate students in English to get off campus and engage in giving businesses advice intended to solve problems in technical communication, editing technical communication publications, and researching and writing such publications. (GW)
Writing Commons: A Model for the Creation, Usability, and Evaluation of OERs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Herron, Josh
2016-01-01
As Open Educational Resources (OER) increasingly receive attention from academics, educational foundations, and government agencies, exemplars will emerge that lower student textbook costs by moving away from commercial publishers through self-publishing or curating web-based resources. Joe Moxley's "Writing Commons" serves as a scaled…
48 CFR 1552.237-71 - Technical direction.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
.... (d) Technical direction will be issued in writing or confirmed in writing within five (5) days after... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Technical direction. 1552... Technical direction. As prescribed in 1537.110, insert a clause substantially the same as the following...
48 CFR 1852.242-70 - Technical direction.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
... Direction (SEP 1993) (a) Performance of the work under this contract is subject to the written technical... the Contracting Officer in writing in accordance with NASA FAR Supplement 1842.270. “Technical... in writing by the COTR. (d) The Contractor shall proceed promptly with the performance of technical...
A Preliminary Rhetoric of Technical Copywriting.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Henson, Leigh
1994-01-01
Discusses the rhetorical elements of technical copywriting, including its shared communicative aims with technical writing; authorship considerations such as ethics, education, and professionalism; and the concerns of promotional strategy, audience analysis, choice of media and materials, writing strategy, and style. (SR)
What Do Writers in Industry Write?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Locker, Kitty O.
Noting that one of the biggest factors in motivating students in technical writing classes is to convince them that they will need to write in their future jobs, this paper offers evidence for use by teachers in persuading students of the importance of developing their writing skills. The first part of the paper presents refutations of some of the…
Technology and Textbooks: The Future
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baglione, Stephen L.; Sullivan, Kevin
2016-01-01
This article describes two separate studies: a survey of students' textbook perceptions, purchases, and usage for e-textbooks and print textbooks and a conjoint analysis on e-textbook attributes. Print textbooks were perceived as easier to read, understand, and navigate, whereas e-textbooks were perceived to be cheaper. Students were willing to…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wang, Junhua; Zhu, Pinfan
2011-01-01
Scholars have consistently claimed that rhetorical patterns are culturally bound, and indirectness is a defining characteristic of Chinese writing. Through examining how the rhetorical mechanism of directness and indirectness is presented in 29 English business communication textbooks published in China, we explore how English business…
Technical Writing for Software Engineers
1990-05-01
Writing models 3. Analogies: Software Development and Composing 3.1 Art / Science /Design 3.2 General Correspondence Between the Disciplines 3.3...The first subsection describes a dialogue common to both fields, one that considers these disciplines as art , science , and design. The second notes...find additional similarities between software development and composing in these and other sources. 3.1 Art / Science /Design Ongoing discussions about
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Faigley, Lester; And Others
This report contains the results of a study of the writing of college-trained personnel that examined: (1) the importance of their writing abilities in the world of work and in situations other than work, (2) the types of writing done on and off the job and the composing processes used, (3) the media college-trained people use for writing, and (4)…
History Textbooks at the New Century: A Report of the American Textbook Council.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sewall, Gilbert T.
The American Textbook Council identified the nation's leading social studies textbooks based on estimated volume of sales and on adoptions in California, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, and New York. Three multi-volume elementary-level programs and about a dozen secondary-level history textbooks command the market. The history textbooks at the…
Evaluation of WorldView Textbooks; Textbooks Taught at a Military University
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Khalili, Masoud; Jodai, Hojat
2012-01-01
This paper intends to evaluate the WorldView series textbooks of English learning, which are being taught at an Iranian military university foreign language center. No textbook evaluation had been conducted by the university administration prior to the introduction of the textbooks to the language program. Theorists in the field of ELT textbook…
Islam and the Textbooks. A Report of the American Textbook Council.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sewall, Gilbert T.
How widely adopted world history textbooks cover Islam and the history of the Middle East is a timely and important subject to explore. In 2001 the American Textbook Council began a comprehensive review of middle school and high school world history textbooks. The Council relied on respected historians and standard sources, influential articles…
What Makes a Top-Selling Textbook? Comparing Characteristics of AIS Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Badua, Frank; Sharifi, Mohsen; Mendez Mediavilla, Francis
2014-01-01
The factors involved in the selection of accounting textbooks are under-investigated, and most of the research is survey-based, largely ignoring the information that could be analyzed by direct inspection of textbook content and its impact on textbook selection. In this study the authors fill this lacuna by deploying content analysis of the…
Writing and Reading: The Transactional Theory. Technical Report No. 416.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rosenblatt, Louise M.
Because any reading or writing research project or teaching method rests on some kind of epistemological assumptions and some models of reading and writing processes, a coherent theoretical approach to the interrelationships of the reading and writing processes is needed. In light of the post-Einsteinian scientific paradigm and Peircean semiotics,…
Assessment of Evidence in University Students' Scientific Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Takao, Allison Y.; Kelly, Gregory J.
2003-01-01
Examines uses of evidence in university students' writing of scientific argument in an introductory-level oceanography course. Provides students with an interactive CD-ROM entitled 'Our Dynamic Planet' to write a scientific technical paper. Discusses ways of teaching students the construction of argument in scientific writing. (KHR)
Seid-Karbasi, Puya; Ye, Xin C; Zhang, Allen W; Gladish, Nicole; Cheng, Suzanne Y S; Rothe, Katharina; Pilsworth, Jessica A; Kang, Min A; Doolittle, Natalie; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Stirling, Peter C; Wasserman, Wyeth W
2017-03-01
Student creation of educational materials has the capacity both to enhance learning and to decrease costs. Three successive honors-style classes of undergraduate students in a cancer genetics class worked with a new software system, CuboCube, to create an e-textbook. CuboCube is an open-source learning materials creation system designed to facilitate e-textbook development, with an ultimate goal of improving the social learning experience for students. Equipped with crowdsourcing capabilities, CuboCube provides intuitive tools for nontechnical and technical authors alike to create content together in a structured manner. The process of e-textbook development revealed both strengths and challenges of the approach, which can inform future efforts. Both the CuboCube platform and the Cancer Genetics E-textbook are freely available to the community.
Seid-Karbasi, Puya; Ye, Xin C.; Zhang, Allen W.; Gladish, Nicole; Cheng, Suzanne Y. S.; Rothe, Katharina; Pilsworth, Jessica A.; Kang, Min A.; Doolittle, Natalie; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Stirling, Peter C.; Wasserman, Wyeth W.
2017-01-01
Student creation of educational materials has the capacity both to enhance learning and to decrease costs. Three successive honors-style classes of undergraduate students in a cancer genetics class worked with a new software system, CuboCube, to create an e-textbook. CuboCube is an open-source learning materials creation system designed to facilitate e-textbook development, with an ultimate goal of improving the social learning experience for students. Equipped with crowdsourcing capabilities, CuboCube provides intuitive tools for nontechnical and technical authors alike to create content together in a structured manner. The process of e-textbook development revealed both strengths and challenges of the approach, which can inform future efforts. Both the CuboCube platform and the Cancer Genetics E-textbook are freely available to the community. PMID:28267757
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Peckham, Robert F.
1987-04-01
The creating of intelligent marks on a substrate by means of thermal energy has been in use for thousands of years, e.g., branding of livestock and burning images onto wood. During the past 30 years, this type of imaging has been significantly refined. Recent advances allow the creation of color images, 16 shades of gray and letter quality printing on white substrates. Permanent images are now being written with direct thermal processes. The foregoing make thermal writing very attractive for numerous applications. The general technology of how thermal writing is accomplished today, its applications, and why society should use thermal writing are the topics of this paper. To attempt to cover in great technical detail all of the current advancements in thermal writing is beyond our scope here. What is intended is the proposition that THERMAL WRITING is a superior form of creating images on paper substrates for Society's on demand hard copy requirements. First let's look at how thermal writing is being accomplished with today's technologies.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Karp, Walter
1980-01-01
Focuses on how political attitudes have been influenced by American history textbooks at various times throughout history. Excerpts from traditional and revisionist textbooks are presented, with emphasis on "America Revised" by Frances FitzGerald. Journal available from Harper's Magazine Co., 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. (DB)
Analysis of a Typical Chinese High School Biology Textbook Using the AAAS Textbook Standards
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Liang, Ye; Cobern, William W.
2013-01-01
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a typical Chinese high school biology textbook using the textbook standards of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The data were composed of three chapters selected from the textbook. Each chapter was analyzed and rated using the AAAS textbook standards. Pearson correlations…
The Voice of the Technical Writer.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Euler, James S.
The author's voice is implicit in all writing, even technical writing. It is the expression of the writer's attitude toward audience, subject matter, and self. Effective use of voice is made possible by recognizing the three roles of the technical writer: transmitter, translator, and author. As a transmitter, the writer must consciously apply an…
Writing Together: Gender's Effect on Collaboration.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rehling, Louise
1996-01-01
Analyzes the behaviors of over 60 student groups in professional writing classes. Finds gender-related effects on collaboration: tendencies to stereotype men as technical experts and to self-segregate into gendered working teams. Suggests new perspectives on the role of gender for collaborative groups in professional writing classrooms. (PA)
What Consultation and Freelance Writing Can Do for You and for Your Students.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muller, John A.
This paper advises teachers of technical writing to "practice what they preach" by occasionally doing field work in technical communication. The possibilities for off-campus work include consultation, perhaps for an in-house manual of technical writing procedures and skills, editing assignments for businesses and public agencies, and freelance…
What Really Happens to Complimentary Textbook Software? A Case Study in Software Utilization.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vernon, Robert F.
1993-01-01
Discussion of complimentary computer software for college-level textbooks focuses on a study that investigated how a complimentary program was used and identified factors that influenced its use or nonuse. Barriers to use are described, including personal, technical, process, political, and economic factors. (Contains four references.) (LRW)
Acquisition of Expository Writing Skills. Technical Report No. 421.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Raphael, Taffy E.; And Others
Four studies by the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing project at the Institute for Research on Teaching, Michigan State University, examined the acquisition of expository writing skills in fifth and sixth grade students. The first study examined the effects of teaching sixth grade students about comparison/contrast text structure. Results…
Integrating Effective Writing Skills in the Accounting Curriculum.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
May, Gordon S.; Arevalo, Claire
1983-01-01
The J. M. Tull School of Accounting at the University of Georgia has developed a program that integrates the teaching of writing skills with the regular accounting courses. Students in a three-course sequence write a total of eight papers--technical, memos, or reports--in assignments that resemble writing tasks encountered by professional…
English 308J: Organizational Report and Letter Writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pytlik, Betty P.
The organizational report and letter writing course at Ohio University (Athens) is an advanced composition course designed to help students who expect to do such writing in their future jobs, but for whom technical writing and business communication courses are either inappropriate or insufficient. Students work in groups of four, investigating a…
Reading and Writing for Civic Literacy: The Critical Citizen's Guide to Argumentative Rhetoric
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lazere, Donald
2005-01-01
This innovative textbook, for first-year English and more advanced composition and critical thinking courses, addresses the need for college students to develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills for self-defense in the contentious arena of American civic rhetoric. In a groundbreaking reconception of composition theory, it presents a…
The Past and Likely Future of an Educational Form: A Textbook Case
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Friesen, Norm
2013-01-01
At a time when it is seen as increasingly "obsolete," this article analyzes the textbook as an evolving pedagogical form, as a changing medium comprised of smaller media components. These components include images, diagrams and also oral prompts, which have changed not so much through technical innovation as in synchrony with larger…
Teaching Writing in Japanese. Instructional Materials for the Less Commonly Taught Languages.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Yonkers, NY.
This volume offers a set of writing activities designed to correspond with two levels of proficiency on the American Council of Foreign Languages scale: Novice and Intermediate. The activities have been designed to accompany any type of textbook in any type of instruction. The intention is to provide learners with the opportunity to use Japanese…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gamble, Michael W.; Gamble, Teri Kwal
Communication instructors rely on textbook writers to present the latest course content in ways that will motivate students to learn and prepare them for class discussion and activities. Targeting the works they create to reflect student needs and shaping their materials to stimulate and involve their readers, these textbook writers-as-artists…
Integrating writing research with curricular development in large-enrollment introductory physics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Demaree, Dedra
2008-05-01
Multiple research projects have been undertaken as part of an ongoing study to develop methods to do quantitative assessment of writing to learn within physics. The ability to make use of writing to learn at first glance appears limited in large-enrollment courses due to the time-intensive nature of essay writing and grading. However, effective ways to implement writing are quite possible. One study that will be discussed required students to do textbook summary writing in introductory physics in the 2007 spring semester of the ``Foundation Physics Course'' at the University of Cape Town. This course is a component of the special access program which contains mostly second language English speakers. Another use of writing will be reported that is currently being used in the introductory physics course at Oregon State University as a way to enhance problem solving. This project is also aimed at scaffolding students toward goals in our upper division courses. This talk will report on some of what we know about writing to learn, how we are working to improve ways to study it quantitatively, and how we are incorporating some aspects of it in accessible ways in large-enrollment introductory courses.
Women and Economics Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hahn, Carole L.; Blankenship, Glen
1983-01-01
A content analysis of 22 secondary economics textbooks revealed the textbooks to be less sex-biased than the books examined in earlier studies. However, women are still underrepresented in most of the textbooks, and little attention is given to economic realities which women face. (Author/RM)
World History Textbooks: A Review
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sewall, Gilbert T.
2004-01-01
This world history review examines standard textbooks used between the sixth and twelfth grades in schools across the nation. These established textbooks dominate the field and set the pitch for new and forthcoming volumes. The 2002 Texas history textbook adoption and the California list have influenced what textbooks will dominate the national…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lokar, Matija
2015-01-01
Electronic versions of textbooks (e-textbooks) have recently become a hot topic in the educational community. A good e-textbook should be quite different from a printed textbook. It should provide much more besides the obvious additions and improvements such as interactivity, multimedia, and ease of navigation. As the need for individual approach…
Developing a Pedagogical-Technical Framework to Improve Creative Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chong, Stefanie Xinyi; Lee, Chien-Sing
2012-01-01
There are many evidences of motivational and educational benefits from the use of learning software. However, there is a lack of study with regards to the teaching of creative writing. This paper aims to bridge the following gaps: first, the need for a proper framework for scaffolding creative writing through learning software; second, the lack of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Focus in Change, 1992
1992-01-01
Textbooks have an enormous influence on the curriculum of schools across the nation. Many issues are taken into consideration when selecting textbooks. Textbooks that present students with a multicultural curriculum are often at the center of debate among school administrators. This journal presents a series of articles based on interviews with…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Salpeter, Judy
2009-01-01
Is the print textbook--that old-fashioned, heavy, expensive staple of the 20th-century classroom--soon to be a thing of the past? While it's hard to imagine the K-12 world, known for its resistance to change, throwing out math, language, and science textbooks in favor of digital content, the nation's current fiscal crisis, combined with major…
The composing process in technical communications
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hertz, V. L.
1981-01-01
The theoretical construct under which technical writing exercises operate and results from a survey distributed to a random sample of teachers of technical writing are described. The survey, part of a study to develop materials that did not stress prescriptive formats, drew on diverse elements in report writing to enhance writing as a process. Areas of agreement and disagreement related to problem solving, paper evaluation, and individualizing instruction were surveyed. Areas of concern in contemplating the composition process include: (1) the need to create an environment that helps students want to succeed, (2) the role of peer group activity in helping some students who might not respond through lecture or individual study, and (3) encouraging growth in abilities and helping motivate students' interest in writing projects through relevant assignments or simulations students perceive as relevant.
Writing in the Field of Education: The "Inquiry" on Portuguese Schools (1875)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Magalhães, Justino
2016-01-01
Writing is basically representation. Ways of writing have evolved and become adapted to circumstances and needs at material, symbolic, formal, technical, social and cultural levels. Moreover, there are forms of writing within educational writing. In the history of educational writing, it is possible to identify and distinguish educational writing,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baek, Eun-Ok; Monaghan, James
2013-01-01
eTextbooks have steadily and recently more rapidly penetrated the textbook market. In order to effectively support students' learning, it is important to comprehend students' experiences using eTextbooks. This survey study was designed to gain an understanding of students' experiences in using eTextbooks and variables that impact their…
Experimental Evaluation of Textbooks and Multimedia.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mikk, Jaan
This paper begins by providing an overview of three types of textbook research methods: asking teachers, parents, or students about the different aspects of textbook quality; textbook analysis, i.e. counting some characteristics of a textbook using strictly fixed rules; and the experimental evaluation of textbooks, usually carried out in schools.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hopkins, Charles R.; Kim, Paul Y.
1974-01-01
Since the reading abilities of general business students vary from one individual to the next, the author's report on the readability of three general business textbooks to guide business teachers in their selection of textbooks. (AG)
Technical communication: Notes toward defining discipline
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rubens, P. M.
1981-01-01
In the field of technical communication, definitions posited in virtually any major text violate every major rule of definitions. The most popular method for defining the field is to state that technical writing is any writing that supports technology or technological activities. There is a need for a nice yardstick for measuring what "technology" is. Some ways in which the field can be defined in a tightly structured empirical way and some implications of technical communication for a humanistic education in a technological age are suggested.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Koch, James V.
2006-01-01
Between 1986 and 2004, textbook prices rose 186 percent in the United States, or slightly more than six percent per year. Meanwhile, other prices rose only about three percent per year. This paper examines the economic reasons why textbook prices have escalated so briskly and what reasonable alternatives are available that might slow down these…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hubisz, John
2004-05-01
While accuracy in Middle School science texts is most important, the texts should also read well, stimulating the student to want to go on, and the material must be relevant to the subject at hand as the typical student is not yet prepared to ignore that which is irrelevant. We know that children will read if the material is of interest (witness The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter book sales) and so we must write in a way that stimulates the student to want to examine the subject further and eliminate that which adds nothing to the discipline. Examples of the good and the bad will be presented.
Peace Values in Language Textbooks: The Case of "English for Ethiopia Student Textbook"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gebregeorgis, Mehari Yimulaw
2017-01-01
Textbooks are not only meant to deliver subject knowledge; they are also a medium to convey universal and community-specific values. Aiming to explore the social and emotional development goals of "English for Ethiopia Student Textbook Grade 9," this study reviews the content and activities of the textbook by searching for embedded peace…
Assessing the writing of deaf college students: reevaluating a direct assessment of writing.
Schley, Sara; Albertini, John
2005-01-01
The NTID Writing Test was developed to assess the writing ability of postsecondary deaf students entering the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and to determine their appropriate placement into developmental writing courses. While previous research (Albertini et al., 1986; Albertini et al., 1996; Bochner, Albertini, Samar, & Metz, 1992) has shown the test to be reliable between multiple test raters and as a valid measure of writing ability for placement into these courses, changes in curriculum and the rater pool necessitated a new look at interrater reliability and concurrent validity. We evaluated the rating scores for 236 samples from students who entered the college during the fall 2001. Using a multiprong approach, we confirmed the interrater reliability and the validity of this direct measure of assessment. The implications of continued use of this and similar tests in light of definitions of validity, local control, and the nature of writing are discussed.
Simon, Josep; García-Belmar, Antonio
Education and textbooks have traditionally been standard objects of research in the history of science, technology, and medicine. However, they have often remained marginal in the formulation of large historiographical questions. In the last decades, the work of some historians of science has challenged this state of affairs. STEP has promoted a distinctive focus on education and textbooks, compared to other scholarship cultures such as the Anglo-American. This essay reviews its work in this field and stresses the potential of education and textbooks to produce interdisciplinary research in local, national, and international perspective.
The Other Side of the Story: Israeli and Palestinian Teachers Write a History Textbook Together
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Steinberg, Shoshana; Bar-On, Dan
2009-01-01
In this essay, Shoshana Steinberg and Dan Bar-On present the work of a team of Israeli and Palestinian teachers who developed a history textbook that includes both groups' narratives of the same events side by side. These teachers then tested the effects of its use in both Israeli and Palestinian classrooms; for the first time, students on each…
Bridging the Gap: Contextualizing Professional Ethics in Collaborative Writing Projects
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rice, J. A.
2007-01-01
Many business and technical writing students find classroom discussions of professional ethics interesting and enjoyable. However, when trying to incorporate the content of discussions directly into their writing practices, they often experience difficulties linking ethical concepts to writing process. This article discusses how instructors can…
Purpose and Process in Exemplary Teen Writings
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Olthouse, Jill M.; Sauder, Adrienne E.
2016-01-01
Exemplary adolescent creative writers' stories and poems demonstrate a connection between personal purposes for writing and the development of advanced technical skills. This hermeneutic analysis of 33 student texts (which were chosen because of their relation to the topic of literacy) reveals three main reasons for writing (remembrance,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Houston, Linda; Johnson, Candice
After much trial and error, the Agricultural Technical Institute of the Ohio State University (ATI/OSO) discovered that training of writing lab tutors can best be done through collaboration of the Writing Lab Coordinator with the "Development of Tutor Effectiveness" course offered at the institute. The ATI/OSO main computer lab and…
Bismarck in the Bush: Year 12 Write Zambia's History for Zambian Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gray, Peter
2011-01-01
Peter Gray explains how his Year 12 students came to research and write a resource on the history of Zambia, for history teachers "in" Zambia. The construction of the resource stretched the Year 12 students in new ways: the Internet was useless and there were no easy digests in A-Level textbooks to get them started. They would have to…
Making an Interactive Calculus Textbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Larson, Timothy R.
1995-01-01
Presents a case study of the design and production of "Interactive Calculus," an interactive multimedia textbook. Discusses reasons for using multimedia textbooks; what an interactive textbook is; content, organization, graphic design, authoring and composition; and work flow. (AEF)
Textbooks: Prospects for the Technological Era.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bettex, Maurice
1995-01-01
Examines why textbooks will survive despite competition from new technological inventions. Discusses opposition to textbooks through the development of audiovisual aids, multimedia, and interactivity; advantages of textbooks over other educational media; development of print media; five principles for developing textbook content; and future…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nelson, Jennie; Hayes, John R.
Observing the composing processes of students working over real time in naturalistic settings, two exploratory studies asked: (1) What skills and assumptions do freshman and advanced writers invoke when they are searching for information to be used in writing? (2) What strategies and goals do students bring to a typical writing-from-sources task…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gad-El-Hak, Mohamed
2015-11-01
The humanities teach students how to learn and communicate. Science teaches why everything works. Engineering teaches how to make things work. But scientists and engineers need to communicate their ideas amongst themselves as well as to everyone else. A newly developed technical writing course is outlined. In the class, offered to senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students, we read numerous short novels, essays, and op-eds. Some of the reading materials are technical but many are not. The students also have weekly writing assignments. When the first assignment is returned to the students with a grade of 20-30%, their first reaction is, ``how come I did not receive my usual 80-90%?'' I retort, ``you reach that level only when your essay is ready to be published in The New York Times.'' What is emphasized in the class is the process of creating something to write about, researching that something, expressing ideas coherently and comprehensibly, then endlessly editing the essay. The elective class has been offered three times thus far, all of its available seats are always filled, the students' evaluations have been outstanding, and the improvements in the students' ability to write by the end of the semester is quite impressive.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mathes, J. C. (Compiler); Pinelli, T. E. (Compiler)
1981-01-01
Proceeding of the technical communication sessions at the 32nd annual meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication held in Dallas, Texas, March 26-28, 1981 are summarized. The proceeding suggest that technical communication has become an important subfield and is becoming an intrinsic part of many undergraduate curricula. Technical communication as a separate discipline, however, is relatively new. For that reason, proceedings that can make current research available as quickly as possible are suggested for preparation. The following topics were addressed: (1) a history and definition of technical writing, (2) the case method is technical communication (3) teaching technical writing (4) oral communication and rhetorical theory, and (5) new approaches in and practical applications of technical writing.
Mini-Thesis Writing Course for International Graduate Students.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wyatt-Brown, Anne M.
An approach to teaching academic writing to foreign graduate students at the University of Florida is described. The course combines general and technical writing assignments to sharpen students' critical thinking skills while improving their organizational techniques and editing strategies. Assignments are designed to help students discover the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pallo, Gabor
2006-01-01
Textbooks and encyclopedias represent different genres of scientific literature. Textbooks help the students to prepare for their examinations in various subjects taught at schools, such as logic, metaphysic, chemistry. In the 17th Century some Calvinist professors, mostly in Germany, thought that a universal wholeness should be taught for the…
Students' Intentions to Purchase Electronic Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stone, Robert W.; Baker-Eveleth, Lori J.
2013-01-01
Textbooks have played an important role in education for decades. Given the significant number of technology applications in education, it is not surprising that at least one such application is the electronic textbook (e-textbook). There are a variety of motivations to adopt an e-textbook, including frequent content updates and low costs. The…
Open Textbook Proof-of-Concept via Connexions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baker, Judy; Thierstein, Joel; Fletcher, Kathi; Kaur, Manpreet; Emmons, Jonathan
2009-01-01
To address the high cost of textbooks, Rice University's Connexions and the Community College Open Textbook Project (CCOTP) collaborated to develop a proof-of-concept free and open textbook. The proof-of-concept served to document a workflow process that would support adoption of open textbooks. Open textbooks provide faculty and students with a…
What Produces a History Textbook?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chughtai, Mariam
2015-01-01
In this dissertation, I undertake a sequential analysis of an elaborate system of forces that contribute to the production of history textbooks in Pakistan. I review longitudinal series of data on education policies and history textbooks from 1938-2012, and examine the decision-making processes, which inform said policies and textbooks, at the…
Evaluation of Two ESP Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Al Fraidan, Abdullah
2012-01-01
This paper evaluated two ESP textbooks using the evaluation of McDonough and Shaw (2003) based on external and internal evaluation. The first textbook is "Business Objectives" (1996) by Vicki Hollett, and the second textbook is "Business Studies, Second Edition" (2002) by Alain Anderton. To avoid repetition, I will use BO and…
[Joint contractures in nursing textbooks].
Bartoszek, G; Meyer, G; Thiesemann, R
2014-01-01
The transparency criteria of the German statutory health insurance on joint contracture prevention have led to controversies about the appropriate assessment, prevention and treatment as well as to various actions in nursing practice. However, appropriate nursing assessments and proven treatment options are lacking so far. It is unclear whether textbooks on nursing reflect these uncertainties. Search for textbooks on nursing through internet-based search engines and publisher registers, data extraction by one investigator and control by a second. A total of 35 textbooks with contributions on joint contractures were identified of which 25 included a definition, causes/risk factors are presented in 32 textbooks and assessments are presented in 5 books. Most often positioning into a physiological or functional neutral position and passive moving of limbs are recommended as passive prophylaxis. Recommended therapeutic and preventive options do not differ. None of the textbooks reflect that there is a lack of scientific knowledge on the subject. Textbooks on nursing do not deal with complete and scientific sound information on joint contractures.
The Predictive Validity of CBM Writing Indices for Eighth-Grade Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Amato, Janelle M.; Watkins, Marley W.
2011-01-01
Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an alternative to traditional assessment techniques. Technical work has begun to identify CBM writing indices that are psychometrically sound for monitoring older students' writing proficiency. This study examined the predictive validity of CBM writing indices in a sample of 447 eighth-grade students.…
7 CFR 1728.50 - Removal of an item from listing or technical acceptance.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... equipment will be notified in writing of a proposal to remove such item from the listing or technical... unanimous, the item will be referred to Technical Standards Committee “B.” Written notice of Technical...” decision, a sponsor may appeal in writing to Technical Standards Committee “B” to review Committee “A's...
Provocative Opinion: Elephantiasis of the Textbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kerber, Robert C.
1988-01-01
Addresses the growing size of college organic chemistry textbooks. Notes that at the current rate of growth, average textbooks will be 1544 pages long in year 2000. Suggests methods to reduce textbook size. (ML)
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
... in writing. The term “technical direction” includes, without limitation, direction to the contractor... the actions of the contractor's employees. (d) Technical direction may be oral or in writing. The COTR... Technical Representative (COTR) Designation and Authority. 1052.201-70 Section 1052.201-70 Federal...
2012-01-01
Background The consistency of treatment recommendations of evidence-based medical textbooks with more recently published evidence has not been investigated to date. Inconsistencies could affect the quality of medical care. Objective To determine the frequency with which topics in leading online evidence-based medical textbooks report treatment recommendations consistent with more recently published research evidence. Methods Summarized treatment recommendations in 200 clinical topics (ie, disease states) covered in four evidence-based textbooks–UpToDate, Physicians’ Information Education Resource (PIER), DynaMed, and Best Practice–were compared with articles identified in an evidence rating service (McMaster Premium Literature Service, PLUS) since the date of the most recent topic updates in each textbook. Textbook treatment recommendations were compared with article results to determine if the articles provided different, new conclusions. From these findings, the proportion of topics which potentially require updating in each textbook was calculated. Results 478 clinical topics were assessed for inclusion to find 200 topics that were addressed by all four textbooks. The proportion of topics for which there was 1 or more recently published articles found in PLUS with evidence that differed from the textbooks’ treatment recommendations was 23% (95% CI 17-29%) for DynaMed, 52% (95% CI 45-59%) for UpToDate, 55% (95% CI 48-61%) for PIER, and 60% (95% CI 53-66%) for Best Practice (χ 2 3=65.3, P<.001). The time since the last update for each textbook averaged from 170 days (range 131-209) for DynaMed, to 488 days (range 423-554) for PIER (P<.001 across all textbooks). Conclusions In online evidence-based textbooks, the proportion of topics with potentially outdated treatment recommendations varies substantially. PMID:23220465
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee, Helen C.
How economics can be taught through a student-developed textbook is described. Having secondary students construct their own economics textbook can be an exciting process. During the initial six- or nine-week segment of a course, materials can be collected and organized to make a book that the class can study for the rest of the semester or year.…
What Every Textbook Evaluator Should Know.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muther, Connie
1985-01-01
Presents information on textbook design and marketing practices, and their consequences for textbook content; recommends that selection committees firmly define the role of the textbook in curriculum, and adapt published materials to their school system's unique requirements. (MCG)
25 CFR 36.41 - Standard XIV-Textbooks.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
... Standard XIV—Textbooks. (a) Each school shall establish a textbook review committee composed of teachers, parents, and students, and school board members. Appointment to the textbook review committee shall be subject to school board approval. (b) The textbook review committee shall establish a procedure and...
Dubrowski, Adam; Alani, Sabrina; Bankovic, Tina; Crowe, Andrea; Pollard, Megan
2015-11-02
Simulation is an important training tool used in a variety of influential fields. However, development of simulation scenarios - the key component of simulation - occurs in isolation; sharing of scenarios is almost non-existent. This can make simulation use a costly task in terms of the resources and time and the possible redundancy of efforts. To alleviate these issues, the goal is to strive for an open communication of practice (CoP) surrounding simulation. To facilitate this goal, this report describes a set of guidelines for writing technical reports about simulation use for educating health professionals. Using an accepted set of guidelines will allow for homogeneity when building simulation scenarios and facilitate open sharing among simulation users. In addition to optimizing simulation efforts in institutions that are currently using simulation as an educational tool, the development of such a repository may have direct implications on developing countries, where simulation is only starting to be used systematically. Our project facilitates equivalent and global access to information, knowledge, and highest-caliber education - in this context, simulation - collectively, the building blocks of optimal healthcare.
The Great Depression: A Textbook Case of Problems with American History Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Miller, Steven L.; Rose, Stephen A.
1983-01-01
The 16 US history textbooks reviewed failed to incorporate economists' research on the causes of the Great Depression and consistently presented information that the economics profession has rejected. Strategies that social studies educators might adopt to improve the quality of economic analysis in textbooks is suggested. (Author/RM)
Unified Technical Concepts. Physics for Technicians.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.
Unified Technical Concepts (UTC) is a modular system for teaching applied physics in two-year postsecondary programs. This UTC classroom textbook, consisting of 14 chapters, deals with physics for technicians. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: force, work, rate, momentum, resistance, power, potential and…
The New Paradox of the College Textbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lichtenberg, James
1992-01-01
As college textbooks have become more attractive, sophisticated, and useful, the textbook industry is suffering from high costs, increased popularity of used books, effects of rapidly advancing information and instructional technology, the atypical business structure of the college textbook market, and changing textbook development processes. (MSE)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kitao, Kenji; And Others
A study of reading textbooks for English as a second language published in Japan evaluated 150 traditional reading textbooks and 32 new reading textbooks published for use in 1985. Traditional reading textbooks are those with main texts and notes and sometimes a few comprehension questions. New reading textbooks have main texts, comprehension…
EDI and the Technical Communicator.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eiler, Mary Ann
1994-01-01
Assesses the role of technical communicators in electronic data interchange (EDI). Argues that, as experts in information design, human factors, instructional theory, and professional writing, technical communicators should be advocates of standard documentation protocols and should rethink the traditional concepts of "document" to…
Writing social psychology: fictional things and unpopulated texts.
Billig, Michael
2011-03-01
This paper presents the author's position on the question how to write social psychology. It reflects the author's long-term interest in rhetoric and his more recent concerns about the writing of social scientists. The author argues that social psychologists tend to produce unpopulated texts, writing about 'fictional things' rather than people. Social psychologists assume that their technical terms are more precise than ordinary language terms. The author contests this assumption. He suggests that when it comes to describing human actions, ordinary language on the whole tends to be more precise. The paper analyses why this should be the case, drawing on ideas from linguistics and Vaihinger's notion of fictions. The author presents examples to show how psychological writers, by using passives and nominals, can omit information about the agents of action and the nature of the actions that they are performing. Although their texts may appear impressively technical, they can, in fact, be highly imprecise. Moreover, social psychologists, by using this nominal style of writing, tend to write about processes as if they were things and then attribute actions to these things. In so doing, they create 'fictional things', which they treat as if they were real things. The author offers six recommendations for writing in simpler, clearer ways. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.
Developing Textbook Materials in Uncommon Languages.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lathrop, Thomas A.
Guidelines are offered for preparing and publishing textbook materials in Portuguese and other uncommonly taught languages. The available options for publishing Portuguese materials include two textbook publishers, three university presses, self-publication, and the Cabrilho Press, which produces language textbooks. Methods for submitting…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alford, Elisabeth; And Others
A pilot project tested and evaluated teleconferencing as a medium for training engineering teaching assistants in technical writing. The teleconference, which linked 15 participants in the engineering departments and writing centers of the University of South Carolina and Ohio State University, also included a training session on the use of genre…
The normal vulva in medical textbooks.
Andrikopoulou, M; Michala, L; Creighton, S M; Liao, L-M
2013-10-01
When a healthy woman expresses concerns about her vulva, the doctor's response should be informed by clinical knowledge. For many doctors, accumulation of such knowledge would have begun with undergraduate teaching and medical textbooks. The aim of this study is to examine the information on female genital morphology in medical textbooks. A total of 59 gynaecology and anatomy textbooks were searched for information on the dimensions of vulval constitutent parts. No textbook gave measurements for all vulval structures. Vaginal length was reported in 21/59 textbooks, clitoral size in 15/59 and labia minora in 1/59. Where measurements appear, they suggest narrower ranges than recent reports. Information of vulval morphology is scanty and inaccurate in medical textbooks. The general lack of professional resources means that doctors may consciously or non-consciously rely upon personal experiences and popular culture to form their opinions, as do their patients.
Collaborative writing: Tools and tips.
Eapen, Bell Raj
2007-01-01
Majority of technical writing is done by groups of experts and various web based applications have made this collaboration easy. Email exchange of word processor documents with tracked changes used to be the standard technique for collaborative writing. However web based tools like Google docs and Spreadsheets have made the process fast and efficient. Various versioning tools and synchronous editors are available for those who need additional functionality. Having a group leader who decides the scheduling, communication and conflict resolving protocols is important for successful collaboration.
Alternatives to Piloting Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muther, Connie
1985-01-01
Using short-term pilot programs to evaluate textbooks can lead to unreliable results and interfere with effective education. Alternative methods for evaluating textbook-based programs include obtaining documented analyses of competitors' products from sales agents, visiting districts using programs being considered, and examining publishers' own…
Unified Technical Concepts. Math for Technicians.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.
Unified Technical Concepts (UTC) is a modular system for teaching applied physics in two-year postsecondary technician programs. This UTC classroom textbook, consisting of 10 chapters, deals with mathematical concepts as they apply to the study of physics. Addressed in the individual chapters of the text are the following topics: angles and…
Psychology Ethics in Introductory Psychology Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zucchero, Renee' A.
2011-01-01
Previous research revealed that introductory psychology textbooks included limited information about psychology ethics. This study reviewed 48 current introductory psychology textbooks for research and other APA ethics content. These textbooks included slightly more total ethics content and were more thorough in their review of research ethics…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
DeRose, John J.
2009-01-01
Old textbooks are one resource for teaching about the evolution of historical interpretation. Some libraries contain collections of U.S. history textbooks spanning multiple years and some schools even keep older textbooks used in past years. Recently, the author used a book by Kyle Ward entitled "History in the Making: An Absorbing Look at How…
New Perspectives on the Technical Communication Internship: Professionalism in the Workplace
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bourelle, Tiffany
2014-01-01
This article argues for developing linked courses in technical communication where the instructor facilitates a service-learning curriculum and then serves as faculty advisor within subsequent internships. In these linked courses, students write technical documents before moving into internships where they write similar documents. Specifically,…
The Mad, Mad World of Textbook Adoption
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thomas B Fordham Foundation and Institute, 2004
2004-01-01
Textbook Adoption: The process, in place in twenty-one states, of reviewing textbooks according to state guidelines and then mandating specific books that schools must use, or lists of approved textbooks that schools must choose from. It consistently produces second-rate textbooks that replicate the same flaws and failings over and over again.…
Introducing the Process into Tertiary Level ESP Writing Classes.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rea, Simon; Brewster, Eric
1993-01-01
Insights from first- and second-language learning research have been used to help prepare a process-based writing course for large nonnative speaker classes at a commercial and technical university in Austria. Methods used during the 21-hour course are described, including think-aloud writing tapes. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/LB)
Angst about Academic Writing: Graduate Students at the Brink
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Holmes, Barbara; Waterbury, Theresa; Baltrinic, Eric; Davis, Arielle
2018-01-01
This paper offers some insights into the anxieties graduate students bring into the classroom about academic or technical writing. In this qualitative study, a focus group of graduate students was utilized to describe the specific negative feelings, attitudes and experiences held about writing. Findings suggest that students were able to identify…
Critical Competitors. Evaluation of the Bay Area Writing Project. Technical Report.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thomas, Susan; Watson, Patti
Prepared as part of the evaluation of the Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP), this report compares BAWP to its "critical competitors" (other inservice teacher programs and programs for improving student writing). The BAWP model and ten other program descriptions are presented in identical descriptive formats. Three types of competitors are…
Multidirectional War Narratives in History Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
van der Vlies, Tina
2016-01-01
This article aims to contribute to the field of textbook research by exploring a new approach in textbook analysis. Inspired by Michael Rothberg's concept of multidirectional memory, this article examines multidirectional narratives in history textbooks: narratives that combine different histories, places and times in a productive way. They…
Politics of Textbook Selection.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Keith, Sherry
The process of determining textbook content and selecting textbooks for classroom use in public schools throughout America is highly political and raises many fundamental questions about the relationship between education as a social enterprise and other aspects of society--economic, ideological, political, and legal. This study focuses on three…
Should Geography Educators Adopt Electronic Textbooks?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Romig, Kevin
2017-01-01
Significant changes in textbook publishing are at college instructors' door. Textbook representatives are directed to mesmerize potential clients with eye-catching displays and statements about digital literacy of the next generation of college students. Based on a one-year pilot study, in 2014-2015, of an electronic textbook, this commentary…
Explaining Teachers' Use of Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reichenberg, Monica
2016-01-01
In educational systems without comprehensive systems for regulating textbooks, teachers can exert considerable influence on the use of textbooks. However, existing research has not yet identified the mechanisms of this use. Accordingly, the aim of this article is to examine and explain teachers' strategic use of textbooks. I administered a…
Refining scientific writing skills with feedback that works for students and instructors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kiani, Leily S.; Menke, Carrie
2015-10-01
Evaluation of student learning through assessment of communication skills is a generally important component of undergraduate education and particularly so for promotion of interdisciplinary research conducted by future scientists. To better build these skills we aim to quantify the effectiveness of feedback on student writing of technical reports in an upper-division physics lab course. In one implementation, feedback utilization - in the form of observing commented technical reports, attending office hours or emailing rough drafts of their reports was monitored then correlated with improvement in student writing. The improvement in student writing is quantified as the single-student normalized gain. A slight positive relationship was found between the number of times a student utilized feedback and the improvement in student writing. A subsequent study involved correlation of two complimentary assessments of student work. In the first assessment students received consistent feedback throughout the semester on all sections of a technical report in the form of highlighted bullet points in a detailed rubric. In the second assessment method students received varying amounts of feedback for each section of the technical paper throughout the semester with a focus on one section each week and follow-up feedback on previously covered sections. This approach provides focused feedback that can be scalable to larger classes. The number of highlighted bullet points in the rubric clearly decreases as a function of the focused feedback implementation. From this we conclude that student writing improves with the focused feedback method.
What's Wrong with Economics Textbooks?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Culyer, A. J.
1985-01-01
Many things are wrong with college level economics textbooks. For example, they are too ahistorical, too particularist, or unsystematically eclectic. The requirements of a good college economics textbook are examined. (RM)
Curriculum-Based Measures of Writing for High School Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Diercks-Gransee, Barbara; Weissenburger, Jacalyn Wright; Johnson, Cindy L.; Christensen, Paul
2009-01-01
The purpose of this study was to determine whether technically adequate curriculum-based measures of writing could be identified for use with high school students. The participants included 10th-grade general and special education students from two public school districts in Wisconsin. Students (n = 82) completed two narrative writing samples in…
Should You Know How to Do Marketing, Advertising, & Public Relations Writing?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sides, Charles H.
1992-01-01
Argues that technical writers who develop broader writing skills prove to be more valuable to their employers during periods of economic downturn. Offers an overview of the basic skills needed to write marketing, advertising, and public relations documents. (PRA)
"World Religions" in Introductory Sociology Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carroll, Michael P.
2017-01-01
A section on "world religions" (WRs) is now routinely included in the religion chapters of introductory sociology textbooks. Looking carefully at these WR sections, however, two things seem puzzling. The first is that the criteria for defining a WR varies considerably from textbook to textbook; the second is that these WRs sections…
Do E-Textbooks Impact Learning Outcomes?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fike, David; Fike, Renea
2016-01-01
The primary focus of this study was to determine if student learning outcomes in an undergraduate Statistics course differed based upon the type of textbook used (e-textbook or hardcopy). Fifty-six students enrolled in the course were allowed to choose textbook type. After controlling for student demographics and academic preparedness, student…
Why and How to Advance Technical Copywriting.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Henson, Leigh
1996-01-01
States that promotional writing for industrial/high-tech products, or technical copywriting, is gaining more attention in technical communication, although it is neglected in higher education. Testifies to the significance of technical copywriting. Suggests that dialogical audience analysis and an emphasis on rational appeal will contribute to…
7 CFR 652.4 - Technical service standards.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... technologies and practices. (c) A technical service provider must assume responsibility in writing for the... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Technical service standards. 652.4 Section 652.4..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDER ASSISTANCE General Provisions § 652.4...
Queering high school biology textbooks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Snyder, Vicky L.; Broadway, Francis S.
2004-08-01
As teachers committed to educating all students, we need to learn more about how instructional materials shape representations of sexuality and gender. Through its insistent deconstruction of the norms that structure practice and belief, queer theory offers perspectives from which science educators can question assumptions embedded in textbooks. This article applies queer theory to analyze eight biology textbooks used in the United States. Specifically, we ask how biology textbooks address sexuality outside the heterosexual norm and if they propagate heteronormative attitudes. The textbooks examined offer deafening silences, antiseptic factoids, socially sanitized concepts, and politically correct binary-gendered illustrations. In these textbooks, the term homosexuality was used only in the context of AIDS where, along with iv drug users, they were identified as an affected group. The pervasive acceptance of heteronormative behavior privileges students that fit the heterosexual norm, and oppresses through omission and silence those who do not. We offer implications for practice to help science educators broaden their perspectives on the constructs of sexuality and gender to construct new ways of knowing and understanding differences in science classrooms and the natural world.
The composing process in technical communication
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Masse, R. E.
1981-01-01
The theory and application of the composing process in technical communications is addressed. The composing process of engineers, some implications for composing research for the teaching and research of technical communication, and an interpretation of the processes as creative experience are also discussed. Two areas of technical communications summarized concern: the rhetorical features of technical communications, and the theoretical background for a process-based view, a problem-solving approach to technical writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kao, Kung-yi; And Others
An intermediate-level textbook intended for those who have had at least 2 1/2 years of Chinese language study is presented. The objective of the text is to assist in developing the reading and conversational skills required for dealing with general topics in the pure and applied sciences. Common terms and concepts from three general fields (Life…
A readability analysis of elementary-level science textbooks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Trainer, Robyn
Given both the unprecedented attention to the importance of providing children with the best possible science textbooks and the overwhelming evidence that students in the United States are severely lacking the most basic science knowledge, the decline in the number of students pursuing science degrees is alarming. In spite of all the efforts being made, a disparity still exists between (1) the wealth of science information available, (2) the apparent ease of access to scientific information, and (3) the lack of scientific academic progress being made in classrooms across the United States. A literature review was conducted which included the areas of textbook analysis and textbook readability levels, the fields of textbook analysis and readability, and findings from recently published books about textbook readability. The majority of the literature reflected an urgent need for science textbooks to be revised. Based on the information gathered during the literature review, the study examined the readability levels of elementary level science textbooks that were published by six textbook publishers. Results from the study revealed that when used properly, readability formulas provide an objective look at textbooks. After applying these formulas to the selected elementary level science textbooks, it became clear that very few changes were implemented between the most recent previous editions and the current editions. The textbooks remain too difficult for the students using them. The findings from this study will help science textbook publishers and textbook writers see that some changes need to be made in the way their textbooks are written. In order to maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace, more students need to pursue science. In order for more students to do that, they need to pursue science degrees, but in order for them to pursue science degrees, they need to have a certain degree of confidence and level of interest in the subject matter. For
The Evolution of International Business Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sagafi-nejad, Tagi; Limaye, Aditya
2014-01-01
As a field of study, international business (IB) has evolved with accelerated tempo in the last four decades. The subject has brought with it an increasing plethora of textbooks. We analyze the contents of major textbooks, both classic and new, to find the extent to which these textbooks cover the various components of the common body of knowledge…
Unified Technical Concepts. Application Modules Volume II.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.
Unified Technical Concepts (UTC) is a modular system for teaching applied physics in two-year postsecondary technician programs. This UTC laboratory textbook, the second of two volumes, consists of 45 learning modules dealing with basic concepts of physics. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: force…
48 CFR 952.242-70 - Technical direction.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
... contract. (d) All technical direction shall be issued in writing by the COR. (e) The Contractor must... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Technical direction. 952... FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Text of Provisions and Clauses 952.242-70 Technical...
Programmatic Knowledge Management: Technology, Literacy, and Access in 21st-Century Writing Programs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
York, Eric James
2015-01-01
Growing out of research in Technical Communication, Composition Studies, and Writing Program Administration, the articles in this dissertation explicitly seek to address changes in the practices and products of writing and writing studies wrought by the so-called "digital revolution" in communication technology, which has been ongoing in…
Using Popular Magazine Articles to Teach the Art of Writing for Nontechnical Audiences
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sivey, John D.; Lee, Cindy M.
2008-01-01
Many undergraduate chemistry curricula are devoting increasing amounts of time to teaching technical writing skills. Significantly less attention, however, is given toward training students in nontechnical writing strategies. The ability of chemistry students to communicate effectively in writing to a wide variety of audiences is an essential (and…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Salvato, Steven Walter
The purpose of this study was to analyze questions within the chapters of a nontraditional general chemistry textbook and the four general chemistry textbooks most widely used by Texas community colleges in order to determine if the questions require higher- or lower-order thinking according to Bloom's taxonomy. The study employed quantitative methods. Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956) was utilized as the main instrument in the study. Additional tools were used to help classify the questions into the proper category of the taxonomy (McBeath, 1992; Metfessel, Michael, & Kirsner, 1969). The top four general chemistry textbooks used in Texas community colleges and Chemistry: A Project of the American Chemical Society (Bell et al., 2005) were analyzed during the fall semester of 2010 in order to categorize the questions within the chapters into one of the six levels of Bloom's taxonomy. Two coders were used to assess reliability. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods. The descriptive method involved calculation of the frequencies and percentages of coded questions from the books as belonging to the six categories of the taxonomy. Questions were dichotomized into higher- and lower-order thinking questions. The inferential methods involved chi-square tests of association to determine if there were statistically significant differences among the four traditional college general chemistry textbooks in the proportions of higher- and lower-order questions and if there were statistically significant differences between the nontraditional chemistry textbook and the four traditional general chemistry textbooks. Findings indicated statistically significant differences among the four textbooks frequently used in Texas community colleges in the number of higher- and lower-level questions. Statistically significant differences were also found among the four textbooks and the nontraditional textbook. After the analysis of
Writing Technical Reports for Simulation in Education for Health Professionals: Suggested Guidelines
Alani, Sabrina; Bankovic, Tina; Crowe, Andrea; Pollard, Megan
2015-01-01
Simulation is an important training tool used in a variety of influential fields. However, development of simulation scenarios - the key component of simulation – occurs in isolation; sharing of scenarios is almost non-existent. This can make simulation use a costly task in terms of the resources and time and the possible redundancy of efforts. To alleviate these issues, the goal is to strive for an open communication of practice (CoP) surrounding simulation. To facilitate this goal, this report describes a set of guidelines for writing technical reports about simulation use for educating health professionals. Using an accepted set of guidelines will allow for homogeneity when building simulation scenarios and facilitate open sharing among simulation users. In addition to optimizing simulation efforts in institutions that are currently using simulation as an educational tool, the development of such a repository may have direct implications on developing countries, where simulation is only starting to be used systematically. Our project facilitates equivalent and global access to information, knowledge, and highest-caliber education - in this context, simulation – collectively, the building blocks of optimal healthcare. PMID:26677421
["Basics of delivery" by Dr Miladin Velickovic, the first text-book on obstetrics in our country].
Krstić, Miomir; Mirković, Ljiljana; Pantović, Dragoljub; Pantović, Sveto; Janjić, Tijana
2011-01-01
In order to establish the School of Medicine in Belgrade it was necessary, among other things, to prepare textbooks for undergraduate studies in Serbian language. Considering the gynaecology and obstetrics in general, it is interesting to mention that the manuscript "Basics of delivery", which may be considered the first textbook of obstetrics in our country, was prepared to be published in 1925 by Dr. Miladin Velickovic, a Head of Gynaecology Department of the State Hospital in Novi Sad. that is, the author who had never been engaged in teaching activities. This text of 502 pages and 220 pictures encompassed the teaching material in obstetrics and basics of neonatology in such a way that it fulfilled the void in this kind of literature in our milieu. Three years later, Dr. Velickovic had his book "Gynaecological haemorrhages and menstrual disorders" published, which was meant to assist medical students to study gynaecology more comprehensively. Dr. Velickovic was inspired to write this text by emotional reasons as well. Namely since he had been granted the scholarship by baroness 'Eufemija Jovic' Fund, he was sent to study medicine in Budapest. Without sufficient knowledge of Hungarian, he realized the importance of having the textbooks for medical students in their native language, and therefore, he did his best to achieve this vision. This paper includes the review of book, "Basics of delivery", which may be considered the first textbook of obstetrics in our country, as well as biographical data of Dr. Velickovic, whose personality has been gradually falling into oblivion.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kavcar, Nevzat; Kaya, Uǧur
2017-02-01
In the study the four problems defined on three units in the textbooks in accordance with the 2013 Secondary School Physics Curriculum have been investigated. The study carried out in the Spring semester of education year 2015 - 2016, within the scope of an undergraduate course. Method of the study is the descriptive model based on qualitative research technics. The data collection instruments were textbook evaluation reports prepared by the participants and pre -service teachers, and presentations reflecting teachers' and pre-service teachers' ideas on the textbooks. A document analysis was conducted by means of these data collection tools. It has been concluded that in the related units a significant shortcoming is not found regarding being student-centered, activity-based and contex-based approximations. However, some shortcomings were found in activity-gain concordance with assessment and evaluation applications. On the basis of the collected data, some recommendations for improving the textbooks have been presented.
Park, H W
1998-01-01
Kwang Hye Won(Je Joong Won), the first western hospital in Korea, was founded in 1885. The first western Medical School in Korea was open in 1886 under the hospital management. Dr. O. R. Avison, who came to Korea in 1893, resumed the medical education there, which was interrupted for some time before his arrival in Korea. He inaugurated translating and publishing medical textbooks with the help of Kim Pil Soon who later became one of the first seven graduates in Severance Hospital Medical School. The first western medical textbook translated into Korean was Henry Gray's Anatomy. However, these twice-translated manuscripts were never to be published on account of being lost and burnt down. The existing early anatomy textbooks, the editions of 1906 and 1909, are not the translation of Gray's Anatomy, but that of Japanese anatomy textbook of Gonda. The remaining oldest medical textbook in Korean is Inorganic Materia Medica published in 1905. This book is unique among its kind that O. R. Avison is the only translator of the book and it contains the prefaces of O. R. Avison and Kim Pil Soon. The publication of medical textbook was animated by the participation of other medical students, such as Hong Suk Hoo and Hong Jong Eun. The list of medical textbooks published includes almost all the field of medicine. The medical textbooks in actual existence are as follows: Inorganic Materia Medica (1905), Inorganic Chemistry (1906), Anatomy I (1906), Physiology (1906), Diagnostics I (1906), Diagnostics II (1907), Obstetrics (1908), Organic Chemistry (1909), Anatomy (1909), and Surgery (1910).
Government Projects and Teaching the Technical Proposal.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Butler, Douglas R.
1987-01-01
Describes a technical proposal writing assignment modeled after the conditions in industry. Provides a paradigm of government project proposals and then outlines the stages of the assignment that allow student to rework and revise, thereby discouraging students from writing formulaic and superficial proposals. (SRT)
Unified Technical Concepts. Application Modules Volume I.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.
Unified Technical Concepts (UTC) is a modular system for teaching applied physics in two-year postsecondary technician programs. This UTC laboratory textbook, the first of two volumes, consists of 56 learning modules dealing with basic concepts of physics. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: force, work,…
Sociology of health textbooks and narratives: historical significance.
Nunes, Everardo Duarte
2016-03-01
This article has as its starting point two central ideas: textbooks as a means of production and dissemination of knowledge and narrative as an approach. After a brief review of studies on health/medical sociology textbooks, I analyze a few of these textbooks from the 1900-2012 period, produced in the United States and England. I have selected eleven textbooks which I thought were representative. In addition to a content analysis, the textbooks are located within the process of constitution of the health/medical sociology with brief references to the biographies of the authors. The textbooks analyzed were classified according to the main narrative features: doctor-centered; interdisciplinary; pedagogical; analytical; almost autobiographical; critical; and synthetic-reflective. In the final remarks, some points about the textbooks, limits and possibilities are presented.
7 CFR 1580.302 - Technical assistance and services.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... producers written confirmation of all technical assistance meetings. Producers shall also have access to technical information provided in writing and electronically. (d) Producers shall also be provided... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Technical assistance and services. 1580.302 Section...
Implementing a writing course in an online RN-BSN program.
Stevens, Carol J; D'Angelo, Barbara; Rennell, Nathalie; Muzyka, Diann; Pannabecker, Virginia; Maid, Barry
2014-01-01
Scholarly writing is an essential skill for nurses to communicate new research and evidence. Written communication directly relates to patient safety and quality of care. However, few online RN-BSN programs integrate writing instruction into their curricula. Nurses traditionally learn how to write from instructor feedback and often not until midway into their baccalaureate education. Innovative strategies are needed to help nurses apply critical thinking skills to writing. The authors discuss a collaborative project between nursing faculty and technical communication faculty to develop and implement a writing course that is 1 of the 1st courses the students take in the online RN-BSN program.
Methods of Use of an Online Economics Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Miller, Jon R.; Baker-Eveleth, Lori
2010-01-01
The rising cost of college textbooks over the last decade provides an opportunity for alternatives. Electronic or online textbooks are an effective substitute to the traditional paper-based textbooks, although students have been slow to transition to the new method. A custom, professor-written online textbook not only addresses the reduction in…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Van Steenbrugge, H.; Valcke, M.; Desoete, A.
2013-01-01
The debate on the differential effects of mathematics textbook series is a recurrent topic in the research literature. Research results remain inconclusive, pointing to a lack of evidence to decide on the relevance of the selection by schools of a mathematics textbook series. Studies also point to difficulties in comparing textbooks. Recently, in…
Geometric Transformations in Middle School Mathematics Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zorin, Barbara
2011-01-01
This study analyzed treatment of geometric transformations in presently available middle grades (6, 7, 8) student mathematics textbooks. Fourteen textbooks from four widely used textbook series were evaluated: two mainline publisher series, Pearson (Prentice Hall) and Glencoe (Math Connects); one National Science Foundation (NSF) funded curriculum…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Riddell, William T.; Courtney, Jennifer; Constans, Eric; Dahm, Kevin; Harvey, Roberta; von Lockette, Paris
2010-01-01
An integrated technical writing and design course has been developed at Rowan University. This course was developed using aspects of project-based learning and recent discussions about design education, as well as pedagogical approaches from the write-to-learn and the writing in the disciplines (WID) movements. The result is a course where the…
One College's Use of an Open Psychology Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hilton, John, III; Laman, Carol
2012-01-01
The high cost of textbooks is of concern not only to college students but also to society as a whole. Open textbooks promise the same educational benefits as traditional textbooks; however, their efficacy remains largely untested. We report on a case study about one community college's adoption of a free online psychology textbook. During the fall…
A Study of Four Textbook Distribution Models
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Graydon, Benjamin; Urbach-Buholz, Blake; Kohen, Cheryl
2011-01-01
Textbooks too often hinder rather than help students because of their prohibitively expensive prices. Colleges and universities facing intense pressure to lower education expenses while increasing access, retention, and achievement now find addressing the textbook problem more and more urgent. Used textbook sales have grown dramatically over the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kogman, Tal
2016-01-01
This article focuses on the cultural functions of Hebrew letter-writing manuals published in German-speaking countries in the 18th and 19th centuries, aimed at young people. I argue that these books, which were used frequently as textbooks for studying Hebrew writing, conveyed modern ideological values and at the same time corresponded to the…
[General principles for scientific reading and writing].
Seda Diestro, José; Garrido Díaz, Isabel; López Rodríguez, Luis; Aparcero Bernet, Luis; Chacartegui Martínez, E Ildefonso
2002-10-01
To present an introduction to scientific writing and reading. To analyse the most frequently used different formats of scientific-technical documents as reported by UNESCO (1983) including Scientific journals, books, monographs, presentations to congresses, technical reports, yearbooks and bulletins. We describe the main characteristics of each one. To emphasize the importance of written communication, in its different formats, in health sciences, for health care professionals formation and information.
College Student Use of Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Aagaard, Lola; Skidmore, Ronald L.
2009-01-01
It has been reported (Aagaard & Skidmore, 2004; Sikorski et al., 2002) that only a minority of college students actually read the course textbook in preparation for examinations. Although professors widely lament students' propensity to ignore the carefully chosen textbooks, research specifically investigating why this phenomenon occurs is…
Biochemistry Textbooks for Effective Learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vella, F.
1992-01-01
Suggests that more attention be paid by biochemistry textbook authors to the breadth of contemporary learning strategies, given the fact that an increasing number of medical schools have adopted an integrated, self-paced, problem-based curriculum. Discusses the theoretical characteristics desirable in the ideal biochemistry textbook. (JJK)
Development of Open Textbooks Learning Analytics System
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Prasad, Deepak; Totaram, Rajneel; Usagawa, Tsuyoshi
2016-01-01
Textbook costs have skyrocketed in recent years, putting them beyond the reach of many students, but there are options which can mitigate this problem. Open textbooks, an open educational resource, have proven capable of making textbooks affordable to students. There have been few educational development as promising as the development of open…
Textbook Graphics and Maps: Keys to Learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Danzer, Gerald A.
1980-01-01
Explains how social studies pupils can use an awareness of textbook design to become better students. Suggestions include reproducing the collage on an American history textbook as a large poster for classroom use and directing students to design a graphic unit opener in the same style as the ones in their textbooks. (DB)
An Inclusive Process for Departmental Textbook Selection
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Altman, William S.; Ericksen, Kristen; Pena-Shaff, Judith B.
2006-01-01
This article reports on the development and use of an inclusive process to select a departmental textbook for general psychology. It describes a method for developing department-specific instruments to narrow the available textbook choices and an in-class textbook trial used in the final selection. Reported advantages of this method include…
Alternate Realizations of Purpose in Computer-Supported Writing. Technical Report No. 492.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rubin, Andee; Bruce, Bertram
This report examines a variety of ways that the QUILL program for teaching writing was realized in elementary classrooms. In particular, the report looks at the different ways purposeful writing was achieved using MAILBAG, the electronic mail component of QUILL. The analysis shows that innovations in education should be viewed as objects created…
Representation of scientific methodology in secondary science textbooks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Binns, Ian C.
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the representation of scientific methodology in secondary science textbooks. More specifically, this study looked at how textbooks introduced scientific methodology and to what degree the examples from the rest of the textbook, the investigations, and the images were consistent with the text's description of scientific methodology, if at all. The sample included eight secondary science textbooks from two publishers, McGraw-Hill/Glencoe and Harcourt/Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Data consisted of all student text and teacher text that referred to scientific methodology. Second, all investigations in the textbooks were analyzed. Finally, any images that depicted scientists working were also collected and analyzed. The text analysis and activity analysis used the ethnographic content analysis approach developed by Altheide (1996). The rubrics used for the text analysis and activity analysis were initially guided by the Benchmarks (AAAS, 1993), the NSES (NRC, 1996), and the nature of science literature. Preliminary analyses helped to refine each of the rubrics and grounded them in the data. Image analysis used stereotypes identified in the DAST literature. Findings indicated that all eight textbooks presented mixed views of scientific methodology in their initial descriptions. Five textbooks placed more emphasis on the traditional view and three placed more emphasis on the broad view. Results also revealed that the initial descriptions, examples, investigations, and images all emphasized the broad view for Glencoe Biology and the traditional view for Chemistry: Matter and Change. The initial descriptions, examples, investigations, and images in the other six textbooks were not consistent. Overall, the textbook with the most appropriate depiction of scientific methodology was Glencoe Biology and the textbook with the least appropriate depiction of scientific methodology was Physics: Principles and Problems. These findings
Proof-Related Reasoning in High School Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Johnson, Gwendolyn J.; Thompson, Denisse R.; Senk, Sharon L.
2010-01-01
Recognizing that textbooks play a prominent role in fostering students' understanding of reasoning and proof, the authors conducted a study to examine the extent to which textbooks used in U.S. high schools provide opportunities for students to encounter proof-related reasoning and how the nature of proof-related reasoning in textbooks varies by…
History Textbook Controversies in Japan. ERIC Digest.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Masalski, Kathleen Woods
Currently, there is a controversy in Japan about textbook treatments of Japanese military actions during World War II. This digest examines: (1) the importance of history textbooks in schools in Japan and the United States; (2) the context of history textbook controversies in Japan; (3) the current issues and contending positions in the Japanese…
A Framework for Open Textbooks Analytics System
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Prasad, Deepak; Totaram, Rajneel; Usagawa, Tsuyoshi
2016-01-01
In the last few years, open textbook development has picked up dramatically due both to the expense of commercially published textbooks and the increasing availability of high-quality OER alternatives. While this offers a tremendous benefit in terms of lowering student textbook costs, the question remains, to what extent (if any) do open textbooks…
Introductory Psychology Textbooks: An Objective Analysis Update
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Griggs, Richard A.; Jackson, Sherri L.
2013-01-01
It has been 13 years since the last objective analysis of full-length introductory psychology textbooks was published and 15 years since the textbook copyright period used in that study, 1995-1997. Given the importance of informed textbook evaluation and selection to the introductory course but the difficulty of this task because of the large…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zajkov, Oliver; Gegovska-Zajkova, Sonja; Mitrevski, Boce
2017-01-01
A physics textbook for the 8th grade was analyzed, in particular the section on the interaction between electric current and magnetic field. The textbook is written in the Macedonian language, but is translated into Albanian, Serbian, and Turkish, which provides an opportunity to influence a larger population of children, in a larger ethnic area.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ko, Charles
2014-01-01
In the present research, it will be shown how grammar activities in textbooks still retain the structural method of teaching grammar. The results found by previous scholars' research will be covered, and illustrated by excerpts of textbooks, including comparison of Hong Kong and Malaysian textbooks. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)…
Green Engineering Textbook and Training Modules
EPA's Green Engineering textbook, Green Engineering: Environmentally Conscious Design of Chemical Processes, is a college senior-to-graduate-level engineering textbook. The primary authors are Dr. David Allen and Dr. David Shonnard.
Identity Options in Russian Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shardakova, Marya; Pavlenko, Aneta
2004-01-01
This article introduces a new analytical approach to the study of identity options offered in foreign and second language textbooks. This approach, grounded in poststructuralist theory and critical discourse analysis, is applied to 2 popular beginning Russian textbooks. Two sets of identity options are examined in the study: imagined learners…
Syntactical Analysis of Economics Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilcox, George K.
An analysis of the syntax of economics textbooks was undertaken to (1) provide real-language examples of the difficult grammatical structures being taught in an advanced economics reading course, and (2) construct a factual database of the nature of economics textbooks. Five texts representative of those typically used in introductory economics…
Which Textbook--Does It Matter?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McLeod, P. J.; Harden, R. M.
1986-01-01
Reports on a content analysis of 14 textbooks on endocrinology. Using thyrotoxicosis as the content maker, the study indicated major differences between books with regard to the information provided and the number of words devoted to the subject. Suggests that medical teachers selecting textbooks be aware of such differences. (TW)
How Texas Rewrote Your Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moyer, Wayne A.
1985-01-01
Reviews issues and events related to adopting high school biology textbooks in Texas. Specific reference is given to the viewpoints of Mel and Norma Gabler. It is argued that factors controlling textbook content should not result from past market forces, but from a permanent science constituency and an informed public. (DH)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kavcar, Nevzat; Özen, Ali Ihsan
2017-02-01
In the present study, three units in textbooks in accordance with the 2013 Secondary School Physics Curriculum were analyzed in defined four problems, and some recommendations were made. The study carried out in the Spring semester of education year 2015-2016, within the scope of an undergraduate course. Method of the study is the descriptive model based on qualitative research technics. The data collection instruments were textbook evaluation reports prepared by the participants and pre-service teachers, and presentations reflecting teachers' and pre-service teachers' ideas on the textbooks. A document analysis was conducted by means of these data collection tools. It has been concluded that in the related units a significant shortcoming is not found regarding being student-centered, activity and contex-based approximations. However, some shortcomings were found in activity-gain concordance with measurement and evaluation applications. On the basis of the collected data, some recommendations for improving the textbooks have been presented.
A Student-Created, Open Access, Living Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Galarza, Sualyneth; Perry, Sarah; Peyton, Shelly
2017-01-01
Textbooks are expensive, updated infrequently, and rarely used effectively by students. We discuss here a way for students to create the textbook for the course, helping them feel ownership over the course material. This Wiki-based, student-created textbook is online free for use, widely accessible by all, and editable during the course of and as…
The Object Formerly Known as the Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Young, Jeffrey R.
2013-01-01
Textbook publishers argue that their newest digital products should not even be called "textbooks." They are really software programs built to deliver a mix of text, videos, and homework assignments. But delivering them is just the beginning. No old-school textbook was able to be customized for each student in the classroom. The books never graded…
One-Semester Introductory Economics Textbooks: Echoes and Choices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shackelford, Jean
1991-01-01
Reviews 21 one-semester economics textbooks using Kenneth E. Boulding's ideas for introductory textbooks. Lists 240 concepts and topic areas in macroeconomics, microeconomics, public policy, and international economics that may be covered in a textbook. (NL)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jackson, Mark
2016-01-01
"Artwork as technics" opens discussion on activating aesthetics in educational contexts by arguing that we require some fundamental revision in understanding relations between aesthetics and technology in contexts where education is primarily encountered instrumentally and technologically. The paper addresses this through the writing of…
The Social Perspective and Pedagogy in Technical Communication.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thralls, Charlotte; Blyler, Nancy Roundy
1993-01-01
Notes that as teachers integrate social theory into the technical communication classroom, they interpret the connection between writing and culture in different ways. Describes four social pedagogies of writing--the social constructionist, the ideologic, the social cognitive, and the paralogic hermeneutic--distinguishing them by their pedagogic…
Genocide in World History Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fleming, Dan
1987-01-01
Analyzes the treatment of genocide in secondary world history textbooks. Acknowledges that textbook space is limited, but argues that all should contain some reference to the subject. Concludes that the Armenian genocide, as well as the genocidal acts of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung should be presented in all survey texts. (GEA)
South Korean Digital Textbook Project
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kim, Jackie Hee-Young; Jung, Hye-Yoon
2010-01-01
South Korea has adopted the widespread use of digital textbooks. Part school reform and part an effort to prepare today's children for tomorrow's challenging world, the way in which this effort was implemented and the lessons learned are valuable. This article highlights the history of the digital textbook project and compares printed textbooks…
Family Textbooks Twelve Years Later
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Glenn, Norval D.
2009-01-01
In 1996 the author conducted an intensive study of twenty current family textbooks published in the United States, the results of which appeared in an academic journal article and a nonacademic report in 1997. The study included practical "functionalist" marriage and family textbooks and more academic sociology of the family books; these…
Effects of E-Textbook Instructor Annotations on Learner Performance
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dennis, Alan R.; Abaci, Serdar; Morrone, Anastasia S.; Plaskoff, Joshua; McNamara, Kelly O.
2016-01-01
With additional features and increasing cost advantages, e-textbooks are becoming a viable alternative to paper textbooks. One important feature offered by enhanced e-textbooks (e-textbooks with interactive functionality) is the ability for instructors to annotate passages with additional insights. This paper describes a pilot study that examines…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vestøl, Jon Magne
2016-01-01
Drawing on perspectives from sociocultural theory, this article investigates how Christian denominations are represented in Norwegian textbooks of religious education and by young believers. The main finding is that textbooks and young adherents present religion in substantially different ways. While textbooks relate religion to global and…
Nursing Student Perceptions of Digital Textbooks: A Pilot Study.
Mennenga, Heidi A
2016-01-01
Digital textbooks are increasing in popularity, often resulting from the perception that students demand the use of technology in academics. However, few studies have been done on student perceptions of digital textbooks. A pilot study was conducted with students enrolled in a nursing research course; 123 nursing students participated. This study found that students overwhelmingly preferred print textbooks over digital textbooks. More research needs to be done before assuming students would prefer digital textbooks over print.
A Pox on Pithy Prescriptions. CDC Technical Report No. 9.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Steinberg, Erwin R.
Intended for writing teachers, this paper shows how "pithy prescriptions" for writing, such as "use definite, specific, concrete language," can be misleading or wrong. To support this thesis, the paper examines a technical writing book advocating short sentences and finds that it has sentences averaging 27.8 words in one section and 30.18 in…
Accessibility, Textbooks, and Access Services
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kahler, Janice E.
2017-01-01
Putting access in Access Services is the goal. The Course Reserves unit is the place. Textbooks are the focus. Electronic technologies are the future. Patron-centric services will be our standard. Access to textbooks by all patrons will be the achievement. Course Reserves located in Library West at the University of Florida George A. Smathers…
History Textbook Writing in a Post-Totalitarian and Authoritarian Context: The Case of Belarus
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zadora, Anna
2013-01-01
This paper analyses school history writing in a specific context: Belarus--a post-totalitarian and authoritarian state. School history teaching has always been a powerful instrument for transmitting national identity and legitimising political structures, and political authorities tend to control it. Perestroika marked the beginning of a new…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shepherd, Mary D.; Selden, Annie; Selden, John
2009-01-01
This exploratory study examined the experiences and difficulties certain first-year university students displayed in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. We interviewed eleven precalculus and calculus students who were considered to be good at mathematics, as indicated by high ACT mathematics scores. These students were also …
Assessing Children's Writing Products: The Role of Curriculum Based Measures
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dockrell, Julie E.; Connelly, Vincent; Walter, Kirsty; Critten, Sarah
2015-01-01
The assessment of children's writing raises technical and practical challenges. In this paper we examine the potential use of a curriculum based measure for writing (CBM-W) to assess the written texts of pupils in Key Stage 2 (M age 107 months, range 88 to 125). Two hundred and thirty six Year three, five and six pupils completed a standardized…
MED40/472: A WWW Multimedia Textbook of Internal Propedeutics
Zelenková, J; Vejvalka, J; Holá, D; Segethová, J
1999-01-01
Introduction Traditional ways of teaching techniques of physical examinations in the first clinical courses are rather demanding in terms of teacher involvement and a pool of patients suitable for demonstrations. For a long time, various audio-visual tools have been used to save teachers' and students' time and patients' patience. The modern technology of WWW publishing of multimedia allows good access to such teaching materials - and there already exist several collections of heart sounds, breath sounds etc. The aim of our project is to design and set up a comprehensive multimedia textbook of internal propedeutics that would present various physiological and pathological findings (auscultation, inspection, basic imaging) in the context of diagnostic patient investigation - the status praesens - as it is taught in the first clinical courses. Methods Unlike classical textbooks, hypertext presentation allows to ogranize the material into several structures - reflecting various approaches: systemic (digestive, cardiovascular etc.) approach, nosological, differential diagnoses, etc. To identify and implement the various useful approaches is the most difficult part of the task. The accompanying illustrative material is being prepared with the use of modern technologies - digital camera, scanner, video-camera and digitizer, digital audio recording, etc. Results In the first year of the project, the skeleton of the multimedia presentation is being constructed - corresponding to the various approaches to the subject. Concurrently, suitable illustrative material is being gathered from cases of the Internal Clinic. Various existing WWW presentations dealing with heart and breath sounds and other relevant investigations have been searched and listed. Discussion Experience and feedback from other projects of this type confirm that a rather elaborate logical and technical construction of multimedia textbooks is rewarded by a good acceptance by both students and teachers. Good
Going Online: Helping Technical Communicators Help Translators.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flint, Patricia; Lord van Slyke, Melanie; Starke-Meyerring, Doreen; Thompson, Aimee
1999-01-01
Explains why technical communicators should help translators. Offers tips for creating "translation-friendly" documentation. Describes the research and design process used by the authors to create an online tutorial that provides technical communicators at a medical technology company the information they need to help them write and…
State Competencies for Writing: Grades K-6. Technical Note.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lawlor, Joseph
This paper contains descriptions of mandated minimum competency documents from seven states: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Each description provides a picture of the general nature of the state requirements and a discussion of the specific writing skills requirements. The procedures used to compile a…
D'Alessandro, D M; Kreiter, C D; Erkonen, W E; Winter, R J; Knapp, H R
1997-11-01
The goal of this prospective, interinstitutional study was to compare the long-term instructional effectiveness of a pediatric multimedia textbook (MMTB) to that of a standard lecture and a printed textbook. A randomized cohort of 89 3rd-year medical students from two institutions were initially evaluated from June 1992 to June 1993 and reevaluated in May 1994. Students were randomly assigned to one of four instructional groups: computer-aided instruction by means of MMTBs (n = 21), traditional lecture (n = 23), printed textbook (n = 19), and a control group (n = 26). After instruction, all groups were tested by means of a multiple choice test at the end of their pediatric clerkship; they were given this same test 11-22 months later. The long-term instructional effectiveness of the MMTB, printed textbook, and lecture were the same as that in the control group, as determined by analysis of variance of mean test scores. The educational advantage of MMTBs observed immediately after instruction was not detected 1 year later. Because attrition reduced statistical power, further research is necessary to determine how educational fading affects these instructional formats.
A Role for Language Analysis in Mathematics Textbook Analysis
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Keeffe, Lisa; O'Donoghue, John
2015-01-01
In current textbook analysis research, there is a strong focus on the content, structure and expectation presented by the textbook as elements for analysis. This research moves beyond such foci and proposes a framework for textbook language analysis which is intended to be integrated into an overall framework for mathematics textbook analysis. The…
Introductory Business Textbook Revision Cycles: Are They Getting Shorter?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zinser, Brian; Brunswick, Gary
2010-01-01
The rate of textbook revision cycles is examined in light of the recent trend towards more rapid revisions (and adoptions of textbooks). The authors conduct background research to better understand the context for textbook revision cycles and the environmental forces that have been influencing what appears to be more rapid textbook revisions. A…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hampson, Margaret P.; Hearron, Tom; Noggle, Mary
2009-01-01
Though Writing Across the Curriculum is not a new concept, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute offers a two-semester professional development program that combines this instructional approach with emerging technology. Though this program focuses on the use of writing to enhance student learning, this training format can be…
Breastfeeding information in pharmacology textbooks: a content analysis.
Amir, Lisa H; Raval, Manjri; Hussainy, Safeera Y
2013-07-01
Women often need to take medicines while breastfeeding and pharmacists need to provide accurate information in order to avoid undue caution about the compatibility of medicines and breastfeeding. The objective of this study was to review information provided about breastfeeding in commonly used pharmacology textbooks. We asked 15 Australian universities teaching pharmacy courses to provide a list of recommended pharmacology textbooks in 2011. Ten universities responded, generating a list of 11 textbooks that we analysed for content relating to breastfeeding. Pharmacology textbooks outline the mechanisms of actions of medicines and their use: however, only a small emphasis is placed on the safety/compatibility of medicines for women during breastfeeding. Current pharmacology textbooks recommended by Australian universities have significant gaps in their coverage of medicine use in breastfeeding. Authors of textbooks should address this gap, so academic staff can recommend texts with the best lactation content.
Vitamin E: Textbooks Require Updating
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Azzi, Angelo; Zingg, Jean-Marc
2005-01-01
Vitamin E was discovered in 1922, but in more than 60 years many new findings have added to the early one. However, its description in many textbooks has not been proportionally updated. The result is an inaccurate, incomplete, and often incorrect description of the function of this vitamin. In some other textbooks, vitamin E is absolutely…
Can Tech Transcend the Textbook?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Waters, John K.
2011-01-01
After traveling a long, tortuous road, the much-anticipated e-book revolution has finally arrived. So where is the revolution in the "e-textbook" market? According to the National Association of College Stores (NACS), digital books currently account for less than 3 percent of textbook sales. NACS expects that percentage to reach 10 to 15 percent…
Evaluating Junior Secondary Science Textbook Usage in Australian Schools
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McDonald, Christine V.
2016-08-01
A large body of research has drawn attention to the importance of providing engaging learning experiences in junior secondary science classes, in an attempt to attract more students into post-compulsory science courses. The reality of time and resource constraints, and the high proportion of non-specialist science teachers teaching science, has resulted in an overreliance on more transmissive pedagogical tools, such as textbooks. This study sought to evaluate the usage of junior secondary science textbooks in Australian schools. Data were collected via surveys from 486 schools teaching junior secondary (years 7-10), representing all Australian states and territories. Results indicated that most Australian schools use a science textbook in the junior secondary years, and textbooks are used in the majority of science lessons. The most highly cited reason influencing choice of textbook was layout/colour/illustrations, and electronic technologies were found to be the dominant curricula material utilised, in addition to textbooks, in junior secondary science classes. Interestingly, the majority of respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction with their textbooks, although many were keen to stress the subsidiary role of textbooks in the classroom, emphasising the textbook was `one' component of their teaching repertoire. Importantly, respondents were also keen to stress the benefits of textbooks in supporting substitute teachers, beginning teachers, and non-specialist science teachers; in addition to facilitating continuity of programming and staff support in schools with high staff turnover. Implications from this study highlight the need for high quality textbooks to support teaching and learning in Australian junior secondary science classes.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Epstein, Terrie L.
1994-01-01
Contends that differences in historical interpretations presented in textbooks have implications for citizenship education. Compares the treatment of the civil rights movement in two secondary level U.S. history textbooks. Concludes that selection committees should examine historical interpretation as well the amount of information about…
Readability and Reading Ease Revisited: State-Adopted Science Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chavkin, Laura
1997-01-01
Examines if the reading levels of state-adopted science textbooks at the high-school level are consistent with their intended reader levels. Finds that four of five chemistry textbooks had reading levels beyond high school, while biology textbooks fared better but not as well as the physics and physical science textbooks, which were on grade level…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Byrd, Patricia, Ed.
This guide is a collection of essays on the writing of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) textbooks and other instructional materials. Articles include: "Writing and Publishing Textbooks (Patricia Byrd); "The Craft of Materials Writing" (Fraida Dubin); "Considering Culture: Guidelines for ESL/EFL Textbook Writers" (Gayle Nelson); "Issues in the…
Reading the Writing in Radiology: 1923-2013.
Scott, James A; Palmer, Edwin L; Connolly, Leonard P
2015-07-01
The style and tone of the writing in Radiology has changed over the years since its first publication in 1923. Many of the tonal changes have occurred transiently and likely in relation to political and professional issues in play at a particular time. Others represent more consistent trends in the evolution of the professional writing style. In this report, we analyze the tone of the editorial content from 1923 to 2013 in a historical context as well as progressive changes in readability parameters involving both editorial and technical content.
Faculty Views on eTextbooks: A Narrative Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bossaller, Jenny; Kammer, Jenna
2014-01-01
eTextbooks are both texts and tools. They provide opportunities for textbook companies to expand their services. Some large textbook companies are offering extensive educational technology products and services along with texts. These etexts, integrated into the Learning Management System (LMS), give instructors opportunities to use integrated…
Writing on Riding: The Value of Experiential Learning and Multidisciplinary Experience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ryan, Mollison
2017-01-01
Mollison Ryan served as the undergraduate intern for "About Campus" during the 2016-2017 academic year. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 2017 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in Creative Writing and Professional and Technical Writing. She also holds a 2016 United States Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year title…
E-Books or Textbooks: Students Prefer Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Woody, William Douglas; Daniel, David B.; Baker, Crystal A.
2010-01-01
Previous research has demonstrated that the experience of reading e-books is not equivalent to reading textbooks. This study examines factors influencing preference for e-books as well as reported use of e-book content. Although the present student cohort is the most technologically savvy to ever enter universities, students do not prefer e-books…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eisenstadt, Marc; Brayshaw, Mike
This paper describes a Prolog execution model which serves as the uniform basis of textbook material, video-based teaching material, and an advanced graphical user interface for Prolog programmers. The model, based upon an augmented AND/OR tree representation of Prolog programs, uses an enriched "status box" in place of the traditional…
New Edition of Chinese Biochemistry Textbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jian-Chuan, Ma
1988-01-01
Discusses the four previous editions of the biochemistry medical textbooks called the "Nationwide Unified Textbooks." Notes the new (1989) edition is much smaller, is organized differently, has new material, has a reorganized Dynamic Biochemistry core, and shows great importance to clinical biochemistry. (MVL)
Australia in German Geography Textbooks for Middle Schools
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hamann, Berta
2007-01-01
German Geography textbooks are structured using the principle of "Systematic Geography based on a regional example" that is predominant in Germany. Compared to other macroregions such as Europe, North America, Africa, or Asia, however, Australia is presented less frequently in school textbooks. Those textbooks which deal with Australia…
Narrative in Essays: A Challenge of Textbook Truisms.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hesse, Douglas
Most textbooks, ignoring current narrative theory, fail to explain a large number of published essays containing narrative. To challenge textbook definitions of narratives, three points should be made: (1) a clear distinction should be recognized between narratives making points and narratives proving points, (2) the textbook equating of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Liberatore, Matthew
2017-01-01
Textbooks are experiencing a 21st century makeover. The author has created a web-based electronic textbook, Material and Energy Balances zyBook, that records students' interactions. Animations and question sets create interactive and scaffolded content. The interactive format is adopted successfully in other engineering disciplines and is now…
Learning English with Electronic Textbooks on Tablet PCs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lin, Chih-cheng
2017-01-01
Previous studies on electronic textbooks were all survey studies of college students in the U.S.A. Their main findings revealed that using electronic textbooks and using print textbooks showed no statistical differences in learning achievements. As mobile devices became popular in classrooms, the present study was intended to confirm the…
Manufacturing Visions of Society and History in Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Perlmutter, David D.
1997-01-01
Finds that the secondary-school textbook vision of society is homogenized and sanitized to reduce the risk of controversy. Reveals three domains of control that influence textbook visual content: industrial (how the image world of a textbook is created); commercial (marketing pressures); and social (interest groups that influence the visual…
Representation of Scientific Methodology in Secondary Science Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Binns, Ian C.
2009-01-01
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the representation of scientific methodology in secondary science textbooks. More specifically, this study looked at how textbooks introduced scientific methodology and to what degree the examples from the rest of the textbook, the investigations, and the images were consistent with the text's…
Key Concepts in Geomorphology - NSF supports community-based creation of a new style of textbook
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bierman, P. R.; Montgomery, D. R.; Massey, C. A.
2013-12-01
Using support from the National Science Foundation, we have created an all new textbook that differs from existing books and serves as a model for extensive community involvement and vetting at all stages from initial outlining through chapter development and revision to final review. The new textbook is designed to serve undergraduate students in first year courses about Earth Surface Processes, Physical Geography, and Quaternary Geology. The approach we employed to create this book could easily be adapted to creating books in other disciplines. The new textbook differs from existing books because it is shorter and focuses on the key concepts of the discipline rather than on specific derivations or place-based examples. A series of >200 electronic resources developed by community members as part of this project (http://serc.carleton.edu/vignettes) provide more detail and geographically specific case-studies that faculty and students need for place-or content-based teaching and learning. NSF support provided for extensive review to ensure accuracy and completeness. Each chapter was reviewed at least twice by two experts in the chapter's content area. Every chapter was also vetted by 8 to 10 generalist reviewers before extensive copyediting. The entire textbook was edited by two senior geomorphologists and a technical editor with expertise in geomorphology. The textbook has 14 chapters organized into four sections. Each chapter includes between 10 and 14 newly drafted, full-color figures designed specifically for novice learners. Between 20 and 30 annotated color photographs illustrate each of the chapters. At the end of each chapter, the Digging Deeper section presents an in depth look at the development of scientific thought on a problem relevant to the chapter along with a worked problem and a series of questions that allow students to test their mastery of the material.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dorn, Charles
2008-01-01
For most educational historians, the Harold Rugg textbook controversy serves as an example of the mid-twentieth-century "assault" on progressive education. By restricting their analyses of the textbook controversy to the "rise and fall" of the progressivism paradigm, however, scholars have generally missed Americans' more measured approach to the…
The Effect of Using Cooperative and Individual Weblog to Enhance Writing Performance
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Karsak, H. Gulhan Orhan; Fer, Seval; Orhan, Feza
2014-01-01
Academic writing, whether individual or cooperative, is an essential skill for today's graduates. However, motivating and helping students to learn to write effectively, either in cooperative or individual scenarios, poses many challenges, many of which can be overcome by technical means. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of using…
32 CFR 203.12 - Technical assistance for public participation provider qualifications.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-07-01
... waste problems. (2) Experience in making technical presentations. (3) Demonstrated writing skills. (4... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Technical assistance for public participation... THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (TAPP...
Information retrieval for a document writing assistance program
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Corral, M.L.; Simon, A.; Julien, C.
This paper presents an Information Retrieval mechanism to facilitate the writing of technical documents in the space domain. To address the need for document exchange between partners in a given project, documents are standardized. The writing of a new document requires the re-use of existing documents or parts thereof. These parts can be identified by {open_quotes}tagging{close_quotes} the logical structure of documents and restored by means of a purpose-built Information Retrieval System (I.R.S.). The I.R.S. implemented in our writing assistance tool uses natural language queries and is based on a statistical linguistic approach which is enhanced by the use of documentmore » structure module.« less
Navigating the Minefield of Self-Publishing E-Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schultz, Leah
2017-01-01
This paper examines the issues useful for faculty members that are considering electronically self-publishing their course textbook. A brief history of the use of electronic textbooks is presented as well as the advantages and disadvantages associated with self-publishing and electronic textbooks. A brief overview is provided on the process of…
Coordinating Multiple Representations in a Reform Calculus Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chang, Briana L.; Cromley, Jennifer G.; Tran, Nhi
2015-01-01
Coordination of multiple representations (CMR) is widely recognized as a critical skill in mathematics and is frequently demanded in reform calculus textbooks. However, little is known about the prevalence of coordination tasks in such textbooks. We coded 707 instances of CMR in a widely used reform calculus textbook and analyzed the distributions…
Coordinating Multiple Representations in a Reform Calculus Textbook
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chang, Briana L.; Cromley, Jennifer G.; Tran, Nhi
2016-01-01
Coordination of multiple representations (CMR) is widely recognized as a critical skill in mathematics and is frequently demanded in reform calculus textbooks. However, little is known about the prevalence of coordination tasks in such textbooks. We coded 707 instances of CMR in a widely used reform calculus textbook and analyzed the distributions…
Usability of PDF based Digital Textbooks to the Physically Disabled University Student.
Oku, Hidehisa; Matsubara, Kayoko; Booka, Masayuki
2015-01-01
Digital textbooks have been expected for providing multimedia information that the print textbooks could not handle. The original digital textbook can be fabricated relatively easily by using Epub or DAISY. Print textbooks are, however, employed as textbooks in the most of lectures in universities. Therefore, it is considered necessary to convert the content of the print textbook to the digital textbook simply and in a short time. In this paper, the digital textbook using PDF files of the print textbook was suggested as one of simple and practical solution to provide an alternative textbook for the physically disabled university student who has difficulty handling the print textbook. Then usability of the suggested method was evaluated experimentally from the point of workload. Result of the experiment indicates that the digital textbook fabricated as the alternative one for the print textbook by the suggested method has a potential to reduce workload for the physically disabled university students. In addition, the digital textbook with larger LCD display needs less workload than the print textbook. Then, there are not so much difference in the workload between the print book which is smaller than the print textbook and the digital book made from the print book.
Diminishing Marginal Utility in Economics Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dittmer, Timothy
2005-01-01
Many introductory microeconomics textbook authors derive the law of demand from the assumption of diminishing marginal utility. Authors of intermediate and graduate textbooks derive demand from diminishing marginal rate of substitution and ordinal preferences. These approaches are not interchangeable; diminishing marginal utility for all goods is…
Paper-Based Textbooks with Audio Support for Print-Disabled Students.
Fujiyoshi, Akio; Ohsawa, Akiko; Takaira, Takuya; Tani, Yoshiaki; Fujiyoshi, Mamoru; Ota, Yuko
2015-01-01
Utilizing invisible 2-dimensional codes and digital audio players with a 2-dimensional code scanner, we developed paper-based textbooks with audio support for students with print disabilities, called "multimodal textbooks." Multimodal textbooks can be read with the combination of the two modes: "reading printed text" and "listening to the speech of the text from a digital audio player with a 2-dimensional code scanner." Since multimodal textbooks look the same as regular textbooks and the price of a digital audio player is reasonable (about 30 euro), we think multimodal textbooks are suitable for students with print disabilities in ordinary classrooms.
On the Web, a Textbook Proliferation of Piracy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Young, Jeffrey R.
2008-01-01
Book publishers are stepping up efforts to stop college students from downloading illegal copies of textbooks online. One Web site, Textbook Torrents, promises more than 5,000 textbooks for download in PDF format, complete with the original books' layouts and full-color illustrations. Users must simply set up a free account and download a free…
Textbook Evaluation for the Students of Speech Therapy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jamshidi, Tahereh; Soori, Afshin
2013-01-01
This study aimed to evaluate an ESP textbook in terms of McDonough and Shaw (2003) based on external and internal evaluation. The ESP textbook was "Special English for Computer Sciences" (2010) by Hojjat Baghban. This study also discussed the external evaluation and a detailed evaluation of a chapter of the ESP textbook. This ESP…
The Content Analysis of Sixth Grade Computer Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Keser, Hafize; Aydin, Burcu
2007-01-01
In this study, the content analysis' categories and sub topics were drawn up for sixth and seventh grade computer textbooks in order to compare visual and verbal contents of these textbooks. Totally nine sixth and seventh grade computer textbooks which were chosen by Ministry of National Education were included in this study. These nine textbooks…
Higher Education Faculty Perceptions of Open Textbook Adoption
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jung, Eulho; Bauer, Christine; Heaps, Allan
2017-01-01
The high cost of tuition and textbooks can have a negative impact on potential students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Open Educational Resources (OER) offers students a way to save educational costs while utilizing high-quality open textbooks. Up until now, there have been few studies focused on a specific provider of open textbooks. This…
Teachers' Use of Textbooks in the Digital Age
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Knight, Bruce Allen
2015-01-01
This paper explores teachers' use of textbooks in the digital age. After discussing student expectancies and needs, textbook use and the affordances of modern technology, the paper reports the results of a small-scale pilot study involving eight higher education teachers in Australia who discuss the use of textbooks in higher education in the…
Improving Student Writing: Methods You Can Use in Science and Engineering Classrooms
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hitt, S. J.; Bright, K.
2013-12-01
Many educators in the fields of science and engineering assure their students that writing is an important and necessary part of their work. According to David Lindsay, in Scientific Writing=Thinking in Words, 99% of scientists agree that writing is an integral part of their jobs. However, only 5% of those same scientists have ever had formal instruction in scientific writing, and those who are also educators may then feel unconfident in teaching this skill to their students (2). Additionally, making time for writing instruction in courses that are already full of technical content can cause it to be hastily and/or peremptorily included. These situations may be some of the contributing factors to the prevailing attitude of frustration that pervades the conversation about writing in science and engineering classrooms. This presentation provides a summary of past, present, and ongoing Writing Center research on effective writing tutoring in order to give science and engineering educators integrated approaches for working with student writers in their disciplines. From creating assignments, providing instruction, guiding revisions, facilitating peer review, and using assessments, we offer a comprehensive approach to getting your students motivated to improve their writing. Our new research study focuses on developing student writing resources and support in science and engineering institutions, with the goal of utilizing cross-disciplinary knowledge that can be used by the various constituencies responsible for improving the effectiveness of writing among student engineers and scientists. We will will draw upon recent findings in the study of the rhetoric and compositional pedagogy and apply them to the specific needs of the science and engineering classroom. The fields of communication, journalism, social sciences, rhetoric, technical writing, and philosophy of science have begun to integrate these findings into classroom practice, and we will show how these can also
An Overview of Clarkson's Technical Communications Program.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barkman, Patricia R.
The technical communications program at Clarkson College (New York) offers students 23 courses in subjects ranging from interpersonal behavior to engineering and scientific report writing to computer documentation and the development of technical manuals. With the help of an advisor, each student works out a course of study appropriate to his or…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sevig, Todd; Bogan, Yolanda; Dunkle, John; Gong-Guy, Elizabeth
2015-01-01
Administrative writing is a crucial skill needed for the counseling center professional to be able to transmit knowledge and values for the rest of the campus community. This article highlights both conceptual and technical aspects of effective writing.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Phillips, Amy Criniti
2009-01-01
During the fourth year of Amy Phillips' teaching assistantship in the spring semester of 2008, she was asked to teach a 300-level advanced writing course in which she was given the creative freedom to design the syllabus, choose the textbooks, craft all assignments, and organize the course content. However, there was one stipulation: the course,…
Brief Introductory Psychology Textbooks: An Objective Analysis Update
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Griggs, Richard A.; Jackson, Sherri L.
2013-01-01
It has been 12 years since the last objective analysis of brief introductory psychology textbooks was published and 13 years since the textbook copyright period used in that study, 1997-2000. Given the importance of informed textbook evaluation and selection to the introductory course but the difficulty of this task because of the large number of…
Addressing An Audience: A Study of Expert-Novice Differences in Writing. Technical Report No. 3.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Atlas, Marshall A.
To investigate differences in the writing processes of novice and expert writers, a test of writing skills was developed that required subjects to write a business letter in defense of a particular system of public transportation in response to a letter objecting to that system. In the first of three experiments, significant differences were found…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Olson, Carol Booth; Kim, James S.; Scarcella, Robin; Kramer, Jason; Pearson, Matthew; van Dyk, David A.; Collins, Penny; Land, Robert E.
2012-01-01
In this study, 72 secondary English teachers from the Santa Ana Unified School District were randomly assigned to participate in the Pathway Project, a cognitive strategies approach to teaching interpretive reading and analytical writing, or to a control condition involving typical district training focusing on teaching content from the textbook.…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Oman, Auna
This action research project investigated fourth grade students¡¦ motivation to learn science using a digital science techbook. Participants in the study included 29 fourth grade students in two different classrooms. One classroom of 16 students used a digital science techbook to learn science while the other classroom of 13 students used a traditional paper science textbook to learn science. Students in both classrooms answered five sets of questions regarding their experience using a digital science techbook and a paper science techbook to understand science, find science information, solve science problems, learn science, and assess learning science was fun. Results were compiled and coded based on positive and negative responses to conditions. A chi-square was used to analyze the ordinal data. Overall differences between techbooks vs. textbook were significant, X2 (1, N = 29) = 23.84, p = .000, justifying further examination of individual survey items. Three items had statistically significant difference for finding science information, solving science problems, and learning science. A gender difference was also found in one item. Females preferred to use paper science textbooks to understand science, while males preferred digital techbooks to learn science. The fourth graders in this study indicated that digital techbooks were a powerful learning tool for increasing interest, excitement and learning science. Even though students reported paper science textbooks as easy to use, they found using digital science techbooks a far more appealing way to learn science.
Effectiveness of Electronic Textbooks with Embedded Activities on Student Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Porter, Paula L.
2010-01-01
Current versions of electronic textbooks mimic the format and structure of printed textbooks; however, the electronic capabilities of these new versions of textbooks offer the potential of embedding interactive features of web-based learning within the context of a textbook. This dissertation research study was conducted to determine if student…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Matthews, Dorothy, Ed.
1978-01-01
The ten articles in this journal report on research and practice in the teaching of writing. Topics covered include sentence combining as a composition technique, peer evaluation in a technical writing class, a plan for teaching paragraph construction, the use of literary humor in a writing class, methods for setting the scene, how students view…
Vietnam Revised: Are Our Textbooks Changing?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fleming, Dan B.; Nurse, Ronald J.
1982-01-01
Describes a study which analyzed 10 current and widely used secondary U.S. history textbooks for their coverage of the Vietnam War to determine their accuracy, completeness, and objectivity. Most of the textbooks studied offered a too sketchy account of the Vietnam War. Certain key topics are often neglected. (RM)
Consumer Economics and Consumer Mathematics Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eastern Michigan Univ., Ypsilanti. National Inst. for Consumer Education.
This publication lists a selection of consumer economics and consumer mathematics textbooks available for review from the National Institute for Consumer Education. Twenty-six textbooks for the secondary level are cited. Nine advanced level texts are also listed. These texts are generally considered college level texts but could be adapted for…
Immigrant Success Stories in ESL Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gulliver, Trevor
2010-01-01
Immigrant success stories found in English as a second language (ESL) textbooks used in government-funded language instruction in Canada imagine Canada as a redeemer of immigrant newcomers. Through a critical discourse analysis of ESL textbooks used in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada classes in Ontario, I identify two primary…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shepherd, Mary D.; Selden, Annie; Selden, John
2011-01-01
This paper reports the observed behaviors and difficulties that eleven precalculus and calculus students exhibited in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. To gauge the effectiveness of these students' reading, we asked them to attempt straightforward mathematical tasks, based directly on what they had just read. These …
Who's Who in Introductory Psychology Textbooks: A Citation Analysis Redux
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Griggs, Richard A.; Christopher, Andrew N.
2016-01-01
It is important to assess periodically how introductory textbooks portray our discipline because introductory psychology is the most popular psychology course, almost all teachers use textbooks for it, and textbooks play a major role in defining the course for students. To do so, past studies have used textbook citation analyses. We analyzed…
The Introductory Psychology Textbook Market: Perceptions of Authors and Editors.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Griggs, Richard A.; Jackson, Sherri L.
1989-01-01
Surveys psychology textbook authors and editors on their perceptions of the introductory psychology textbook market. Finds that the textbook market is divided into three levels according to quality, and that authors and editors are not familiar with most textbooks. Notes that the growth of used book companies has adversely affected the market.…
Evaluating the effectiveness of case method instruction in technical communication
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Feinberg, S. G.
1981-01-01
The effectiveness of the case method as an instructional technique in improving technical writing was evaluated. The development of a self-report instrument that attempts to measure changes in attitude toward technical communication and the presentation results change are the purpose of this paper. Standards for developing a case set forth by Goldstein and Couture, were used to design an evaluation instrument to measure the effect instruction on student attitude toward technical communication. This self-report instrument is based on model developed and tested by Daly and Miller who studied writer attitude and apprehension toward writing. It was the most important objective of any evaluation is to provide information for improving the program.
Open-Access Electronic Textbooks: An Overview
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ovadia, Steven
2011-01-01
Given the challenging economic climate in the United States, many academics are looking to open-access electronic textbooks as a way to provide students with traditional textbook content at a more financially advantageous price. Open access refers to "the free and widely available information throughout the World Wide Web. Once an article's…
High School Government Textbooks. ERIC Digest.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Patrick, John J.
Textbooks may indicate the quantity and quality of subject content in a secondary school curriculum. They tend to conform to state departments of education and large local school districts' curriculum guides and to be the dominant instructional medium in high school courses. Examinations of widely-used textbooks may indicate the strengths and…
Educators Weigh E-Textbook Cost Comparisons
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tomassini, Jason
2012-01-01
During the first-ever Digital Learning Day, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Commission chief Julius Genachowski unveiled an ambitious plan earlier this year to get schools to switch from print to digital textbooks by 2017. Dubbed the Digital Textbook Playbook, it's a recommendation for how schools could transform…
Results of a Textbook Survey Given in Introductory Astronomy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Willoughby, Shannon
2007-05-01
Textbooks are required for virtually all college science courses taught around the country, but whether students use them and find them valuable is not clear. In order to get a better idea about what the students thought of the textbook and how they spent their time using it, an anonymous survey was taken by 305 (out of 400) students enrolled in Physics 101 during the Fall semester of 2005. Developed and administered by www.textrev.com, this is a free survey that college faculty may use for physics and chemistry textbooks. This survey revealed two interesting points. First, although 75% of the students found the textbook to be moderately to very challenging, only 38% of students reported spending 2 or more hours per week reading the text. Reading was assigned the majority of class periods, with the intention that they would read the material before it was covered in class. Second, 81% of the students found that the end of chapter problems were moderately to very challenging, but 62% reported spending one hour or less per week working on the assigned questions. Homework was assigned regularly from the textbook for the first half of the class, after which point we experimented with an online homework system. Next semester a new textbook is being adopted for this class, which has no color pictures and is significantly slimmer than the current textbook. This textbook survey will be given again at the end of next semester to look for any changes in textbook usage.
Sex division of labour in Syrian school textbooks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alrabaa, Sami
1985-12-01
The sexist division of labour, particularly in the occupational sector, which is believed to be more eminent in developing countries than in the developed ones, is reinforced by school textbooks. This state of affairs is hampering sex-role equality on the way to emancipation. Various Syrian school textbooks have been scrutinized and proved to be malebiased in content and language. Despite quantitative growth of education, the emancipatory quality of the school textbooks leaves much to be desired. The government has had the chance since 1963 to produce textbooks conductive to its promise of sex-role equality in education. The textbooks portray males for a bustling world of decision making, while conditioning the females to seek fulfilment in the background where servitude and support are the only requirement. Females are derogated and victimized. These contents, which are internalized at school and reproduced in society, certainly do not serve development. The exclusion of one-half of the population from contributing to the tasks of development is a waste of human talent which no society can afford. Furthermore, the sexist portrayal of females in Syrian textbooks is a pale reflection of Arab women in Arab history and literature.
Motivating students to read the textbook before class
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pepper, Rachel E.
2016-11-01
Many faculty in STEM courses assign textbook reading in advance of lecture, yet evidence shows few students actually read the textbook. Those students that do read often do so only after the material has been presented in class. Preparing for class by reading the textbook beforehand improves student learning and is particularly critical for classes that employ active engagement strategies. Here I present strategies I have used to successfully motivate my students to read the textbook before class in physics classes ranging from introductory algebra-based physics to advanced courses for physics majors. In the introductory course, I used pre-class reading quizzes, a common strategy that has been shown effective in previous studies, but one that is somewhat time-consuming to implement. In my more advanced courses I used reading reflections, which required considerably less time. While it was typical for less than 25% of students to read the textbook before I implemented reading quizzes or reflections, after implementing these strategies 70-90% of students reported reading the textbook before class most of the time. Students also report finding both the readings themselves and the quizzes and reflections valuable for their learning.
Scientific explanations in Greek upper secondary physics textbooks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Velentzas, Athanasios; Halkia, Krystallia
2018-01-01
In this study, an analysis of the structure of scientific explanations included in physics textbooks of upper secondary schools in Greece was completed. In scientific explanations for specific phenomena found in the sample textbooks, the explanandum is a logical consequence of the explanans, which in all cases include at least one scientific law (and/or principle, model or rule) previously presented, as well as statements concerning a specific case or specific conditions. The same structure is also followed in most of the cases in which the textbook authors explain regularities (i.e. laws, rules) as consequences of one or more general law or principle of physics. Finally, a number of the physics laws and principles presented in textbooks are not deduced as consequences from other, more general laws, but they are formulated axiomatically or inductively derived and the authors argue for their validity. Since, as it was found, the scientific explanations presented in the textbooks used in the study have similar structures to the explanations in internationally known textbooks, the findings of the present work may be of interest not only to science educators in Greece, but also to the community of science educators in other countries.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hampton, David D.; Lembke, Erica S.
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to examine 4 early writing measures used to monitor the early writing progress of 1st-grade students. We administered the measures to 23 1st-grade students biweekly for a total of 16 weeks. We obtained 3-min samples and conducted analyses for each 1-min increment. We scored samples using 2 different methods: correct…
It's Not "Just the Facts, Ma'am": Writing for Success in Career Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Converse, Caren Wakerman
2012-01-01
Writing across the secondary curriculum has been viewed primarily through the lens of traditional academic courses taught in comprehensive high schools. In this paper the author draws on her past experience as a criminal justice teacher at a career and technical high school to describe writing that facilitates and demonstrates learning of subject…
Annotated bibliography of structural equation modelling: technical work.
Austin, J T; Wolfle, L M
1991-05-01
Researchers must be familiar with a variety of source literature to facilitate the informed use of structural equation modelling. Knowledge can be acquired through the study of an expanding literature found in a diverse set of publishing forums. We propose that structural equation modelling publications can be roughly classified into two groups: (a) technical and (b) substantive applications. Technical materials focus on the procedures rather than substantive conclusions derived from applications. The focus of this article is the former category; included are foundational/major contributions, minor contributions, critical and evaluative reviews, integrations, simulations and computer applications, precursor and historical material, and pedagogical textbooks. After a brief introduction, we annotate 294 articles in the technical category dating back to Sewall Wright (1921).
Textbooks on the Move: Transforming a Textbook Collection
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ferguson, Yoko Inagi; Riley-Reid, Trevar
2017-01-01
Recently, The City College of New York (CCNY) libraries engaged in a collaborative project to transfer the bibliographic holdings for textbook course reserves to a new module when their integrated library systems, the Ex Libris Aleph Integrated Library System, underwent a system upgrade. In this article, the Chief of Circulation and the Chief of…
INTERGROUP RELATIONS IN SOCIAL-STUDIES TEXTBOOKS.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
HARRIS, JUDAH J.
RESULTS OF SURVEYS OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEXTBOOKS USED IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS ARE PRESENTED. IN SECONDARY TEXTBOOKS, FOCUS WAS ON THE ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE TREATMENT OF JOBS, OF AMERICAN NEGROES, OF IMMIGRANTS, AND OF MINORITIES UNDER NAZISM. IT WAS FOUND THAT (1) ANCIENT HEBREW HISTORY, TO THE EXCLUSION OF…
E-Textbooks and Students' Learning Experiences
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sun, Jun; Flores, Javier; Tanguma, Jesus
2012-01-01
The contribution of the e-textbooks can be enormous considering their additional supporting features, but adoption has not crystallized yet. This study examines the relevant experiences of college students in terms of how the use of e-textbooks may enhance their learning. A survey study was conducted to measure the perceptions of each student on…
Stepwise Approach to Writing Journal-Style Lab Reports in the Organic Chemistry Course Sequence
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wackerly, Jay Wm.
2018-01-01
An approach is described that gradually transitions second-year organic chemistry students to writing full "The Journal of Organic Chemistry" ("JOC") style lab reports. The primary goal was to introduce students to and build rhetorical skills in scientific and technical writing. This was accomplished by focusing on four main…
The ABCs of Writing a Technical Glossary.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gray, Evie; Ingram, William; Bodson, Dennis
1998-01-01
Explains format, style rules, and lexicographic conventions that improve clarity and precision in a technical glossary. Discusses general rules, rules of style, rules of grammar and syntax, and rules for figures. Describes the computer display techniques and file management system used to develop such a glossary. (SR)
What Happens When I Write? Pupils' Writing about Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barbeiro, Luis Filipe
2011-01-01
This article presents pupils' awareness of writing as elicited through a metawriting task, in other words a task in which pupils from the third, fourth and sixth forms (grades) were required to write about writing. The analysis of the texts revealed the pupils' increasing ability to write texts focusing on writing and on the subject's relationship…
Women in Astronomy: Inclusion in Introductory Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Larsen, Kristine M.
1995-01-01
Discusses the reasons for identifying the contributions of women astronomers in introductory textbooks. The evolution of inclusion over the past 4 decades is explored by examining the rates of inclusion of 10 women astronomers in textbooks. Contains 100 references. (DDR)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alajmi, Amal Hussain
2012-01-01
Textbooks play an important part in the design of instruction. This study analyzed the presentation of fractions in textbooks designed for the elementary grades in Kuwait, Japan, and the USA. The analysis focused on the physical characteristics of the books, the structure of the lessons, and the nature of the mathematical problems presented.…
Textbook Forum: The Nernst Equation in High School Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Perrine, Daniel M.
1984-01-01
Presents a problem on nonstandard concentrations at nonstandard temperature modeled after an example problem on the Nernst equation found in a high school chemistry textbook. Discusses why the problem is incorrect, offering a second problem which is correctly solved. Implications for teaching the Nernst equation are considered. (JN)
Reasoning and Proving Opportunities in Textbooks: A Comparative Analysis
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hong, Dae S.; Choi, Kyong Mi
2018-01-01
In this study, we analyzed and compared reasoning and proving opportunities in geometry lessons from American standard-based textbooks and Korean textbooks to understand how these textbooks provide student opportunities to engage in reasoning and proving activities. Overall, around 40% of exercise problems in Core Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP)…
Coverage and Representations of Sexuality in Introductory Sociology Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Suarez, Alicia E.; Balaji, Alexandra
2007-01-01
Mirroring increased cultural and disciplinary attention to sexuality, many introductory sociology textbooks have begun to include coverage of the topic. Our study first assesses the extent of textual coverage of sexuality in a sample of 38 introductory textbooks published after 2000. Secondly, we focus on 14 textbooks with a sexuality chapter…
Islam in the Classroom: What The Textbooks Tell Us
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sewall, Gilbert T.
2008-01-01
This review samples ten of the nation's most widely used junior and senior high school history textbooks comparing what respected historians say about Islam in authoritative histories to what is being said in textbooks. It assesses how today's history textbooks characterize Islam's foundations and creeds; changes and additions that have occurred…
Physics That Textbook Writers Usually Get Wrong.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bauman, Robert P.
1992-01-01
Examines problems that commonly appear in the definition and discussion of work in physics textbooks. Presents the work-energy theorem, provides examples contradicting erroneous statements often found in textbook, and discusses the inconsistent terminology utilized with respect to force and work. (MDH)
Textbook Adoption in Kentucky. Reading Education Report No. 64.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Winograd, Peter; Osborn, Jean
Kentucky is one of twenty-four states that rely upon a state adoption process for selecting school textbooks, a procedure that occurs every six years. Publishers' bids are solicited and evaluated by the State Textbook Commission, and the Textbook Selection Criteria Committee for Reading makes recommendations that will be of help to people…
Writing: the Quarterly as text.
Locke, Lawrence F
2005-06-01
The purpose of this essay is to examine how writing has shaped the nature of the Quarterly over 75 years. Here I explore how stylistic elements have changed over time, how form has interacted with function and content, and how well the resulting text has served the several communities within physical education. I make the following assertions. First, the writing style that has become the model for research reports is needlessly dense and daunting for readers. Second, the desire to maintain a journal that serves both as an interdisciplinary resource for a broad audience of physical educators and as an outlet for reports directed to limited audiences of technical specialists has prevented full performance of either function. Those concerns notwithstanding, I find good cause for celebration--as well as for guarded optimism about the future.
Released Textbooks, Films and Other Teaching Materials.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.
Some course and curriculum improvement projects funded by the National Science Foundation have produced definitive editions of textbooks, other printed materials, and instructional films. This bulletin lists materials available in 1968 through commercial or college and university sources. The publications include textbooks, laboratory guides,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Becker, Norbert
1974-01-01
In learning to read technical language, texts in specialized technical fields are preferable to "neutral area" or popular science texts. Assorted textbooks are suggested, along with suitable types of exercises and their use. Model preparatory exercises and model drills are included. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thompson, Hilary H.; Cotton, Jennifer E. M.
2017-01-01
In Fall 2014 the University of Maryland Libraries launched a textbook reserves program to help relieve the burden of high textbook costs on students. Although its initial performance was lackluster, workflow refinements and expanded promotion greatly improved usage, resulting in a tenfold increase in circulation and expansion of the program. This…
An Innovative Course in Technical Communication and More
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cranor, Maria B.; Price, Richard H.
2004-05-01
Several studies have shown that otherwise well-prepared physics undergraduates do not develop writing and speaking skills sufficient to the demands of graduate school or the technical workplace. To rectify this, we have developed and taught, for five semesters, a very successful course for junior and senior physics majors. Students improve their writing and speaking skills through technical projects and through a reading list which includes modules on scientific practice and ethics, pseudo science, management, and workplace collaboration. We present here an overview of this course, and discuss the pros and cons of introducing a useful, yet unusual and highly labor-intensive (for teachers and for students) class into the traditional physics curriculum.
The Determinants of Electronic Textbook Use among College Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Miller, Jon R.; Nutting, Andrew W.; Baker-Eveleth, Lori
2012-01-01
Electronic books are a fast-growing component of the publishing industry. Sales of electronic textbooks (e-textbooks) are growing, but at a slower rate. In this research we use data from an undergraduate student survey to estimate the determinants of e-textbook use. We find that students who are younger, lower-income, and from larger high schools…
Islam and Muslim Life in Current Bavarian Geography Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zecha, Stefanie; Popp, Stephan; Yasar, Aysun
2016-01-01
This paper investigates the Islam and Muslim life in German textbooks. The study is based on the analysis of current Geography textbooks in Bavarian secondary schools. As a first step, the authors developed a system for objective analysis of the textbooks that structures the content in categories. In a second step, the authors used the qualitative…
Emerging Technologies: E-Textbooks, One Piece of the Puzzle
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wiese, Melanie; Du Plessis, Giselle
2017-01-01
The Internet has not only brought about a new technological era, but also seen the introduction of a number of emerging technologies such as e-textbooks. However, the slow acceptance of e-textbooks is an issue of concern. The objective of this study is to investigate students' perceptions and use of e-textbooks. Data was collected by using a…
A tale of two textbooks: Experiments in genre.
Kaiser, David
2012-03-01
Though the notion of a scientific textbook has been around for almost three centuries, the category has hardly been stable. The plasticity of the textbook genre may be illustrated by recent variations as well as long-term trends. In this brief essay I examine two idiosyncratic but highly successful physics books, each published in the mid 1970s, whose production, marketing, and adoption reveal some of the slippage between such categories as textbook, scholarly monograph, and popular best seller.
"Essential Principles of Economics:" A Hypermedia Textbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCain, Roger A.
2000-01-01
Discusses an electronic textbook called "Essential Principles of Economics." Explains that economic concepts are found by following links from the table of contents, while each chapter includes both expository information and interactive material including online multiple-choice drill questions. States that the textbook is a "work…
Physics that Textbook Writers Usually Get Wrong: III.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bauman, Robert P.
1992-01-01
Examines inconsistencies in science textbook discussions of vector quantities and force. Provides illustrations of textbook inconsistencies related to Newton's laws of motion and the concepts of centrifugal and coriolis force. (MDH)
48 CFR 2452.237-73 - Conduct of Work and Technical Guidance.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
... conditions of the contract. (c) The GTR will issue technical guidance in writing or, if issued orally, he/she... Technical Guidance. 2452.237-73 Section 2452.237-73 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF... Provisions and Clauses 2452.237-73 Conduct of Work and Technical Guidance. As prescribed in 2437.110(d...
Comparing the development of the multiplication of fractions in Turkish and American textbooks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kar, Tuğrul; Güler, Gürsel; Şen, Ceylan; Özdemir, Ercan
2018-02-01
This study analyzed the methods used to teach the multiplication of fractions in Turkish and American textbooks. Two Turkish textbooks and two American textbooks, Everyday Mathematics (EM) and Connected Mathematics 3 (CM), were analyzed. The analyses focused on the content and the nature of the mathematical problems presented in the textbooks. The findings of the study showed that the American textbooks aimed at developing conceptual understanding first and then procedural fluency, whereas the Turkish textbooks aimed at developing both concurrently. The American textbooks provided more opportunities for different computational strategies. The solutions to most problems in all textbooks required a single computational step, a numerical answer, and procedural knowledge. Furthermore, compared with the Turkish textbooks, the American textbooks contained a greater number of problems that required high-level cognitive skills such as mathematical reasoning.
Social issues in high school biology textbooks: 1963- 1983
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rosenthal, Dorothy B.
Twenty-two high school biology textbooks published between 1963 and 1983 were analyzed for their treatment of social issues. Textbooks were selected from among those used most frequently by teachers and/or having the highest sales. The textbooks were read in random order and the amount of space, to the nearest tenth of a page, devoted to each social issue was expressed as a percentage of total length of text. The results showed that attention to social issues decreased between 1963 and 1983 in the textbooks studied. The implications of these results for biology education in the 1980s are discussed.
Textbook Development and Selection in Japan and the United States.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tani, Masaru; And Others
1993-01-01
Reports on a study trip by 13 U.S. social studies educators and publishers to Japan. Compares development, marketing, and selection of textbooks in the United States and Japan. Concludes that both nations should improve textbooks and textbook selection processes. (CFR)
Improving the Textbook Adoption Process in Taiwan
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ho, Hsuan-fu; Hsu, Ying-tsun
2011-01-01
Textbooks were centrally selected in Taiwan until 1996 when the government commissioned its Textbook Liberalization Reform. Although this policy received complements from scholars and the general public, it encounters many unexpected problems in its implementation. The aims of this research are thus to identify the major criteria used by…
A Consumer's Guide to Biology Textbooks 1985.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moyer, Wayne A.; Mayer, William V.
Presented are critical reviews of 18 biology textbooks submitted for consideration by the Texas State Board of Education during 1984. These reviews are provided in three categories: (1) general biology textbooks: "Biology and Human Progress"--Prentice Hall; "Scott, Foresman Life Science"--Scott, Foresman; "Living Things"--Holt, Rinehart, and…
An Exploration of Alternative Scoring Methods Using Curriculum-Based Measurement in Early Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Allen, Abigail A.; Poch, Apryl L.; Lembke, Erica S.
2018-01-01
This manuscript describes two empirical studies of alternative scoring procedures used with curriculum-based measurement in writing (CBM-W). Study 1 explored the technical adequacy of a trait-based rubric in first grade. Study 2 explored the technical adequacy of a trait-based rubric, production-dependent, and production-independent scores in…
Doctors writing outside the square.
Hurley, Thomas H
2011-01-17
Publications written by doctors about subjects outside their professional activities are often widely read and may be more enduring than their technical publications. Dr Graeme Robertson, Sir Clive Fitts and Professor Richard Lovell were three doctors from Victoria who wrote with skill and artistry about subjects outside their professional work. Here I discuss these publications and the reasons these doctors came to write them, and offer some reasons for the enduring interest of these publications.
Towards an Intelligent Textbook of Neurology
Reggia, James A.; Pula, Thaddeus P.; Price, Thomas R.; Perricone, Barry T.
1980-01-01
We define an intelligent textbook of medicine to be a computer system that: (1) provides for storage and selective retrieval of synthesized clinical knowledge for reference purposes; and (2) supports the application by computer of its knowledge to patient information to assist physicians with decision making. This paper describes an experimental system called KMS (a Knowledge Management System) for creating and using intelligent medical textbooks. KMS is domain-independent, supports multiple inference methods and representation languages, and is designed for direct use by physicians during the knowledge acquisition process. It is presented here in the context of the development of an Intelligent Textbook of Neurology. We suggest that KMS has the potential to overcome some of the problems that have inhibited the use of knowledge-based systems by physicians in the past.
Representations of the Nature of Scientific Knowledge in Turkish Biology Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Irez, Serhat
2016-01-01
Considering the impact of textbooks on learning, this study set out to assess representations of the nature of scientific knowledge in Turkish 9th grade biology textbooks. To this end, the ten most commonly used 9th grade biology textbooks were analyzed. A qualitative research approach was utilized and the textbooks were analyzed using…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Olds, Barbara M.; Miller, Ronald L.
The "HumEn" (Humanities/Engineering Integration) program developed at the Colorado School of Mines integrates humanities and engineering through reading and writing. Through integrative reading and writing engineering students are led to make appropriate connections between the humanities and their technical work, connections that will…
Technical Features of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Writing: A Literature Review
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McMaster, Kristen; Espin, Christine
2007-01-01
This article reviews research examining technical features of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in written expression. Twenty-eight technical reports and published articles are included in this review. Studies examining the development and technical adequacy of measures of written expression are summarized, beginning with research conducted at…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Arthur, Gabriella Colussi
1995-01-01
Considers the most recently published or re-edited North American textbooks for Italian with a view to discussing the current methodological trends they illustrate. Findings indicate that all except one of the seven textbooks reviewed have been upgraded to reflect an integrated or eclectic approach and that they differ mainly in the authors'…
Innovative Writing Instruction: Writing Selves, Writing Stories
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kinloch, Valeria, Ed.
2009-01-01
In this third "Innovative Writing Instruction" column, the author invited a former high school teacher on the verge of preparing for doctoral candidacy exams, an instructor and doctoral student interested in writing research/practice, and a university supervisor for teacher education preservice students to share aspects of their writing selves,…
A Profile of In-House Teachers of Technical Communication.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mazzatenta, Ernest
To develop a profile of inhouse, company teachers of technical communication, a six-page questionnaire was administered to technical writing teachers. Of the 52 respondents, 24 offered both formal inhouse courses and informal training while 22 conducted only formal courses. Titles, course outlines, and other survey comments revealed that many…
Textbooks for Responsible Data Analysis in Excel
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Garrett, Nathan
2015-01-01
With 27 million users, Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, WA) is the most common business data analysis software. However, audits show that almost all complex spreadsheets have errors. The author examined textbooks to understand why responsible data analysis is taught. A purposeful sample of 10 textbooks was coded, and then compared against…
American History Textbooks: An Assessment of Quality.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sewall, Gilbert T.
United States history as a linchpin in the school curriculum and as a potentially exciting, sometimes electrifying, subject was the conviction underlying this analysis of U.S. history textbooks. This assessment investigates the capacity of leading U.S. social studies and history textbooks to inspire the imagination of students through effective…
Principles of Economics Textbooks: Innovation and Product Differentiation--A Response.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sichel, Werner
1988-01-01
Focusing on areas of contention, the author responds to "Principles of Economics Textbooks: Innovation and Product Differentiation" by Stiglitz. Contends that Stiglitz's description of principles textbooks is insufficient, states that the textbook market is more oligopolistic than monopolistic, and cautions writers against deleting parts…
Textbooks of the Future: It's Time the Textbook Industry Redefined What They Do and How They Do It
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Warlick, David
2004-01-01
That students will eventually use computers in place of traditional textbooks is almost certain. Just watch the eight-year-old children at your local elementary school pulling their backpacks (now on wheels). Will the digital textbook become more than a CD-ROM of the print version? First, like most other education technologies, it will be an…
Communicating Physics and the Design of Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barojas, Jorge; Trigueros, Maria
1991-01-01
The planning of an introductory calculus textbook in classical mechanics is shown as an example of an approach to textbook design that uses four main cognitive categories: sources of learning, instruments of learning, processes of knowing, and mechanisms of knowing. The aspects, domains, description, and elements of each section of the textbook…
Open Introductory Psychology Textbooks: Prose and Qualms
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Griggs, Richard A.; Jackson, Sherri L.
2017-01-01
Given their high cost, many students no longer buy textbooks for all of their courses, impacting their learning and performance in these courses. This is especially prevalent at community colleges. Open (digitally free) textbooks constitute one solution to this problem, but the latest national survey of college faculty found that 66% were not…
46 CFR 310.63 - Uniforms and textbooks.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Uniforms and textbooks. 310.63 Section 310.63 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRAINING MERCHANT MARINE TRAINING Admission and Training of Midshipmen at the United States Merchant Marine Academy § 310.63 Uniforms and textbooks. The Academy shall supply midshipmen uniforms an...
Between training and popularization: Regulating science textbooks in secondary education.
Shapiro, Adam R
2012-03-01
Recruitment into the scientific community is one oft-stated goal of science education--in the post-Sputnik United States, for example--but this obscures the fact that science textbooks are often read by people who will never be scientists. It cannot be presupposed that science textbooks for younger audiences, students in primary and secondary schools, function in this way. For this reason, precollegiate-level science textbooks are sometimes discussed as a subset of literature popularizing science. The high school science classroom and the textbook are forums for exposing the public to science. The role of governments and educational institutions in regulating the consumption of these texts not only determines which books are used; it influences how they are written, read, and deemed authoritative. Therefore such science textbooks should not be seen as (at best) the disjunction of texts-for-training and books-for-popularization. A changing sense of what "textbooks" are compels a different understanding of their use in the history of science.
Understanding textbook quality in the USA: How governments distort the market
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Oliveira, João Batista
1995-11-01
Textbooks deliver education and shape the daily routines of classrooms. Even in countries where schools enjoy ample and various instructional resources, text-books are the single most important support for teachers and students. It is not surprising, then, that textbooks are a major concern of states, schools, teachers, parents, publishers, and the research community. But textbooks often become a scapegoat for educational evils. In the USA, government regulation, special interest groups, and publishers exert pressure on textbook policies and state and local adoption processes. The result: textbooks are published to conform to a market distorted by government regulation. This paper discusses how their quality is constrained by government and special interest groups that interfere with the natural course of regulations and markets.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Koops, John Bernard
A review of research and literature in the teaching of writing suggests two divergent forces operating simultaneously. First, the conservative tradition perpetuates the national mania for correctness and reverence for standard English. Second, a wide range of theoretical approaches proliferates through professional journal articles and books. To…
Development of medical writing in India: Past, present and future.
Sharma, Suhasini
2017-01-01
Pharmaceutical medical writing has grown significantly in India in the last couple of decades. It includes preparing regulatory, safety, and publication documents as well as educational and communication material related to health and health-care products. Medical writing requires medical understanding, knowledge of drug development and the regulatory and safety domains, understanding of research methodologies, and awareness of relevant regulations and guidelines. It also requires the ability to analyze, interpret, and present biomedical scientific data in the required format and good writing skills. Medical writing is the fourth most commonly outsourced clinical development activity, and its global demand has steadily increased due to rising cost pressures on the pharmaceutical industry. India has the unique advantages of a large workforce of science graduates and medical professionals trained in English and lower costs, which make it a suitable destination for outsourcing medical writing services. However, the current share of India in global medical writing business is very small. This industry in India faces some real challenges, such as the lack of depth and breadth in domain expertise, inadequate technical writing skills, high attrition rates, and paucity of standardized training programs as well as quality assessment tools. Focusing our time, attention, and resources to address these challenges will help the Indian medical writing industry gain its rightful share in the global medical writing business.
Development of medical writing in India: Past, present and future
Sharma, Suhasini
2017-01-01
Pharmaceutical medical writing has grown significantly in India in the last couple of decades. It includes preparing regulatory, safety, and publication documents as well as educational and communication material related to health and health-care products. Medical writing requires medical understanding, knowledge of drug development and the regulatory and safety domains, understanding of research methodologies, and awareness of relevant regulations and guidelines. It also requires the ability to analyze, interpret, and present biomedical scientific data in the required format and good writing skills. Medical writing is the fourth most commonly outsourced clinical development activity, and its global demand has steadily increased due to rising cost pressures on the pharmaceutical industry. India has the unique advantages of a large workforce of science graduates and medical professionals trained in English and lower costs, which make it a suitable destination for outsourcing medical writing services. However, the current share of India in global medical writing business is very small. This industry in India faces some real challenges, such as the lack of depth and breadth in domain expertise, inadequate technical writing skills, high attrition rates, and paucity of standardized training programs as well as quality assessment tools. Focusing our time, attention, and resources to address these challenges will help the Indian medical writing industry gain its rightful share in the global medical writing business. PMID:28194338
Visuals in Perspective: An Analysis of U.S. History Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bliss, Traci
1990-01-01
Traces the changes in the visuals used in U.S. history textbooks since the 1900s, concentrating on contemporary texts. Provides questions educators can use in assessing the educational value of textbook visuals. Critiques current textbook visuals, and suggests ways that they enhance understanding of educational information. (RW)
Supporting Classroom Instruction: The Textbook Navigator/Journal
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cogan, Leland S.; Burroughs, Nathan; Schmidt, William H.
2015-01-01
Researchers at the Center for the Study of Curriculum at Michigan State University have developed a tool to help teachers implement the Common Core State Standards in mathematics by letting standards, not textbooks, guide their instruction. Using the web-based Textbook Navigator/Journal, teachers can pick a standard and ask which portions of the…
Introduction: The secret lives of textbooks.
Vicedo, Marga
2012-03-01
Textbooks have a low status in the history of science because they have been seen as mere repositories for scientific knowledge. But historians have recently shown how they play a number of roles that can illuminate different aspects of the history of science, from priority disputes to pedagogical practices. The essays in this Focus section aim to expand our vision of textbooks further by showing how they perform various hybrid functions in scientific development.
Student Perceptions of Textbook Layout and Learnability in Private Schools
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hoshangabadwala, Alefiyah
2015-01-01
This research is an exploratory study that investigates students' perceptions pertinent to textbook layout and organization and their evaluation of the textbook ease of learning. The objective is to find out whether the layout dynamics of school textbooks make any difference in students' interest in studying or subject understanding. 73 students…