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- Title
"From Homeless to Human Again": A Teaching Case on an Undergraduate "Tiny Houses and Technical Writing" Course Model.
- Authors
Trauth, Erin
- Abstract
Purpose: This teaching case discusses a community-engaged, service-learningbased, undergraduate introductory technical communication course that employed storytelling as a pedagogical method and a key element in the deliverables produced, including instructional documents for volunteers, program informational brochures for potential volunteers, and a guidebook for a new career readiness construction training program for program participants. Method: The course, titled "Tiny Houses and Technical Writing" partnered with a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Tiny House Community Development (THCD), which builds free tiny homes and offers construction-based career training programs for those experiencing homelessness. We used several techniques to elevate our community partner's narrative and highlight local issues of homelessness, utilizing storytelling and personas as methods to provide human-centered designs. We also employed technical communication's emphases on optimal format, arrangement, and style to revise and build documents. The course engaged in project-based service by producing various technical documents as well as providing direct service building tiny homes; this work was often completed alongside clients the THCD organization serves. Ultimately, we aimed to engage the stories of those the organization serves and reflect those stories within the deliverables. Results: The students in this course ultimately helped THCD streamline communications, increase build productivity, and communicate its mission to the local community. Additionally, the organization used several of our documents in a grant competition and ultimately won $12,000 in future funding. We believe the storytelling element present in the technical documents elevated these communications. The course also sparked several new collaborations, conversations, and publications, thus propelling the organization's stories--and its human elements--into the larger community. Conclusion: "Tiny Houses and Technical Writing" serves as an example of a community partnership model for undergraduate introductory technical writing courses and tiny house building groups.
- Publication
Technical Communication, 2021, Vol 68, Issue 4, p88
- ISSN
0049-3155
- Publication type
Article