INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEWS
The Packaging and Labeling of Cannabis Edibles: Opportunities for Professional Communication Researchers, M. J. Madson
I examined a corpus of 25 empirical studies that covered five aspects of packaging and labeling of cannabis edibles: label accuracy; visual content, appeal, and compliance; comprehension of serving size and dosage; perceptions of warnings; and possible enhancements through innovative technologies. The most common intervention types were laboratory analyses (n = 8), followed by surveys paired with experimental tasks (n = 7) and content analyses (n = 4), two of which included a compliance audit. Based on the current literature, more empirical studies are needed overall, as well as more geographic and linguistic coverage. These needs align with our field’s calls for more experimental and quasi-experimental research, alongside longstanding commitments to translation and localization, including participatory localization
Teaching AI Ethics in Technical and Professional Communication: A Systematic Review, N. Ranade and M. Saravia
Recent trends within AI ethics education document and advocate for a redesign of educational programs and curricula. To be more intentional in adopting AI ethics in pedagogy, we propose a three-level framework (consisting of institutional, course, and instruction levels) that can be aligned to include AI ethics literacy in course and program objectives and outcomes. By drawing from technical communication work on AI literacy and mapping other TPC work that can be utilized for teaching AI ethics, we recommend incorporating AI ethics in existing courses or new ones. We also list the challenges of choosing one approach over another. A systematic approach to AI pedagogy can help TPC instructors use existing resources to help students use, understand, and evaluate AI technology in strategic ways.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
What Is Technical About Technical Editing?, J. Schreiber
This article reflects on the nature of technical editing alongside descriptive data from editors and editing instructors. I present survey data from editors and editing instructors from a larger study on trends in technical and professional editing. I focus on the types of content that editors take on, the types of editing that they do, the industries in which they work, and their job titles. Alongside that data, I present data from editing teachers, including the topics and roles that they include in their courses. The field has an important role to play in theorizing professional and technical editing, including attending to quality as a distinguishing characteristic, drawing from and shaping other TPC knowledge domains, and directly addressing accessibility. I conclude by identifying avenues for future research in technical editing and the ways in which we might think more critically about how we use and define technical editing in the classroom and the workplace.
Effects of Instruction–Problem Arrangements in Video Tutorials for Software Training, H. van der Meij and T. Voerman
In this study we examined the effectiveness of three instruction-production arrangements: instruction-problem solving (I-PS), problem solving-instruction (PS-I), and problem solving-instruction-problem solving (PS-I-PS) in video tutorials for software training. We followed an experimental approach with these three conditions. In all conditions, all videos were viewed nearly in full. Replays of sections were scarce. In all conditions, self-efficacy rose substantially and more in I-PS than in PS-I. All conditions achieved very high scores on a final procedural knowledge test. I-PS did significantly better than PS-I on this test. The high absolute scores for self-efficacy and procedural knowledge presumably reflect the quality of the Demonstration-Based-Training videos developed for the study. Self-efficacy and procedural knowledge development was significantly higher in I-PS than in PS-I. In short, the data show that the best results were obtained for the video tutorial in which instruction preceded problem solving.
Getting it Wrong: Student Estimations of Time and the Number of Drafts in Linked Computer Science and Technical Communication Courses, O. Menagarishvili, R. E. Burnett, and A. Frazee
We examine two aspects of project schedule management—estimating time and the number of drafts—that affect undergraduate computer science students in linked computer science-technical communication courses as they prepare documents for their client-based team project. To discuss this research question, we introduce the participants, explain our informed consent, describe our survey instrument for collecting data, and detail our research design. We present student estimations in two categories: estimated vs. actual time to complete assignments and the number of estimated vs. actual drafts completed. We learn that students misjudge the amount of time and the number of drafts needed to complete a project, suggesting that technical communication coursework can better prepare students in developing these competencies.
TEACHING CASE
Training Empathy Competence in a Professional Communication Program: Course Development, Evaluation, and Student Reflections, M. M. Fuller, M. D. T. de Jong, and H. A. van Vuuren
We describe the development and evaluation of a course aimed at increasing students’ empathy competence in the final year of a Dutch bachelor-level communication program, including a detailed description of the course. It focuses on empathy-related skills, knowledge, and attitudes.Experiential learning and student-led discussions are core elements in the course. It was taught in two different classes (N = 47). Student evaluations and reflections included standard institutional course assessment data, a report from an institution-led student panel evaluation, and student reflections during coursework as well as before, immediately after, and two years after the course. Student reflections show that they had a great appreciation for the course overall, as well as for specific course elements.