A Field-Wide Examination of Assignments in the Service Course in Technical and Professional Communication

Abstract

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. We asked the question: 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? And if so, do the common genres align with what TPC knows about the genres most frequently written in the workplace? Data gathered from syllabi (n=90) revealed the most common assignments across the service course in the US are 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.