Resisting the Lure of Technology-driven Design: Pedagogical Approaches to Visual Communication

Abstract

Technical communicators are expected to work extensively with visual texts in workplaces. Fortunately, most academic curricula include courses in which the skills necessary for such tasks are introduced and sometimes developed in depth. We identify a tension between a focus on technological skill vs. a focus on principles and theory, arguing that we subvert the potential benefits of an education if we succumb to the allure of software. We recommend several classroom practices that help educate students toward greater visual literacy, based not only on recommendations from the research but also from our experience as teachers of visual communication.

Department(s)

English and Technical Communication

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0047-2816

Electronic OCLC #

760046823

Print OCLC #

1800187

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2010 SAGE Publications, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2010

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