Classroom culture models corporate culture: the technical communication instructor as manager

Abstract

To create a classroom culture that inspires student success in technical communication assignments, the author advocates the use of Japanese management techniques: participative management, process-oriented quality control, and continual improvement. A model is introduced that can adapt these methods for the persuasive presentation assignment. It is concluded that, using this model, students begin to realize that they can develop the representation skills that are a major requirement in industry, business, and academia. Those who begin the semester with negative ideas about oral presentations find that with suggestions and encouragement from other team members, hints on coping with nervousness, and other useful techniques, they are better equipped to face the challenge of their first professional postgraduation talk.<>