Chapter 1, Additional Case 2: Introducing the Fundamentals of Technical Communication

Chapter 1, Additional Case 2: Introducing the Fundamentals of Technical Communication

This case is best for groups.

Background

As discussed in Chapter 1 of the text, two fundamental characteristics of technical communication are that it is addressed to a particular audience and that it has a specific purpose—to help that audience understand and use a body of information. This case will help you understand those two characteristics by studying a typical example of technical communication.

Every year, 200,000 American children are injured in playground accidents. The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), a nonprofit organization headquartered at the University of Northern Iowa and supported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was established to reduce the number and severity of these accidents. Staff at the NPPS are interested in some feedback on the effectiveness of their website. For this case, you will study the NPPS site and report your findings to NPPS in a memo.

Your Assignment

Follow these steps to carry out this task.

  1. Study Chapter 1 of the text, focusing on the characteristics of a technical document.
  2. Study each of the eight major sections of the NPPS site.
  3. Focus on the site's audience and purpose by considering the following questions:
    • Who are the people and what are the organizations that make up NPPS? How do the authors of the site describe these people and organizations? How effective are these descriptions?
    • Who is the intended audience of the NPPS site? How do the authors of the site attempt to appeal to the needs and interests of this audience? How effective are these attempts?
    • What does the NPPS hope that readers will know or do after having visited the site? How clearly does this information come across on the site? How effective do you think this information is?
    • Which aspects of the site are most effective in appealing to the needs and interests of the audience and in communicating the purpose of the site? Why do they work well? Which aspects of the site are least effective in appealing to the audience and communicating the purpose? What changes would you make?
  4. Present your findings in a 500-word memo to the NPPS staff. (See Chapter 14 for information about memos.)