The field of technical and professional communication (TPC) does not have a baseline about what is currently being assigned in the service course. We offer a field-wide snapshot of assignments in the service course from a diverse range of institutions. Our goal is that field-wide insights can assist TPC program administrators (PAs) and faculty in considering the kinds of assignments that should be included in their own service courses.
Although the TPC service course serves thousands of students a year, the field has few insights into assignments and their efficacy for achieving the overall goal of the service course. If we gathered information on assignments students are asked to complete from a diverse range of institutions across the US, would a set of common field-wide assignments emerge?
Based on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), we used a purposive sampling plan, and assignment data (n=519) from syllabi from 90 institutions to discover if common assignments emerged across the field. Data revealed common assignments across the service course in the US: reports, proposals, job materials, instructions, presentations, and business correspondence. Findings suggest faculty should consider the number of assignments, improve terminology used in syllabi and assignments, and improve assignment design. In sum, field-wide insights into assignments currently offered in the service course reveals information that can assist TPC PAs and faculty in course and assignment design.
PhD in Rhetoric and Composition | TPC Scholar 