Professionalizing the tc field lava con_nov 2011
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LavaConNovember 2011
So what’s all this about a Technical Communication certification?
Hillary Hart
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How does a profession become recognized as such?
• Organizes/develops a Body of Knowledge
• Has strong academic programs
• Has some form of professional certification or licensure
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Benefits of TC certification• The profession has long needed recognition and
definition.
• This credential, specifically for technical communicators, should help employers understand what TCers can do.
• Once the program achieves a critical mass of certifications, a TC certification should give a technical and financial edge.
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How was the TC Certification program developed?
• STC Certification Committee studied models of certification: e.g., Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Committee included consultant with expertise in setting up certification programs.
• Committee did literature review and job-tasks analysis.
• Committee established key knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) of technical communication; organized them into areas of practice.
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How is the program administered?• Certification Commission administers the program.
This commission is legally separate from STC; the Board is completely separate from the STC Board.
• First set of portfolio-evaluators are the seven Commissioners, who developed the evaluation criteria.
• Those who are certified are eligible to become evaluators.
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The TC certification is based on five broad areas of practice.
• User/task/experience analysis
• Information design
• Process management
• Information development
• Information production
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These areas cover experience with processes and collaboration, as well as with products.
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The evaluation is portfolio-based and not just about “products.”• Applicants demonstrate competence in the five areas of
practice via a packet of materials they produce.
• Applicants answer questions about their work practice, processes, and production.
• Technical communicators with widely varying titles have expertise in (at least) those five areas.
• No exam.
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All TCers analyze users/stakeholders and negotiate best ways to design, develop, and produce/deliver the information. And manage the whole process.
Analyze userDesign info
Develop infoDeliver info
Manage/Reuse info
Manage the whole processContent StrategistTechnical Writer
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Who is eligible?
• Evaluators look for a combination of experience and education in a sliding scale. Scale is definitely tipped toward experience because this certification is not an exam.
• You do NOT have to be an STC member.
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Professional certification is not a substitute for an academic degree
• Certification is an additional credential. Training for certification should become part of continuing professional development, not a substitute for gaining the education offered by academic degree programs.
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Education and training are a continuum.
Academic certificate or undergraddegree Workplace
training
Graduate degree
Certificationtraining
Professionalcertification