User-centered Design (UCD) and Transcreation of Non-profit Communications in a Technical Communication Classroom

Technical communication (TC) instruction is challenging given several dynamics including its interdisciplinary nature and that designing for usability requires a deep understanding of the target user and social and contextual factors that affect usability. Moreover, given that professional TC often involves international collaboration, teaching effective TC knowledge and skills becomes increasingly important. This presentation will describe the informally named, “Throw Them into the Fire” (TTITF) approach implemented in a TC classroom over the course of the Fall 2021 semester. The TTITF way of teaching TC involved work with a real-life client, UCD processes, and collaboration with international translation students to complete a TC project. The knowledge, assignments, activities, and interactions students had with each other, the client, and the translators will be discussed in detail providing academics and scholars an effective approach to teaching the messy, complicated, yet valuable TC principles and practices.