[ATTW-L] mobile-friendly documentation in the introductory tech comm course

Wed Jan 8 15:43:27 UTC 2020

 Hello Mark,
Speaking from a workflow management angle we have been using Trello on
occasion to keep groups and projects together. Trello allows the labor and
writing to be spread out and directed. My students have started to compose
some of their notes, field notes, reports, meeting minutes, and
communications in there directly on the Trello cards. Later they assemble
the phone/pad generated data in a sandbox (Google docs, Canvas LMS, Slack,
etc.) sometimes linked through Trello. These sandbox assemblages serve as
working documents and then they finalize them in the traditional formats
for shipping.

This works exceptionally well for field work as all sorts of media can be
gathered and deposited in addition to the text that they generate (e.g.
Worksite plans, progress/observation photos, sound recordings, GPS data,
live verbal survey responses).

So, no not on the back end in the way of finished documents . . . BUT there
are vast unexplored avenues on the front end:

   - legwork
   - data gathering
   - background data storage
   - logistics
   - request for assistance
   - workflow management
   - progress annotation

 Conjecture: I see this as integrated writing and research which may be
necessary for my students who chose to work for smaller companies or
freelance. It may even be the future for financially driven companies to
seek writers who can do more.

The cellphone isn't quite a Star Trek tricorder yet but it is getting
closer.
(If you don't believe me check this app out:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lpellis.sensorlab&hl=en_US
)

I hope this is useful in some way.
Best,
Joseph W. Robertshaw

On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 9:35 AM Joseph Robertshaw <jwr0015 at uah.edu> wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> I haven't ever posted on the list yet but I enjoy reading the thing
> through my email.
> If you think it might be useful I wouldn't be opposed to it.
> Best,
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 9:13 AM Mark Crane <craniac at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> This is amazing and I am so on board.  I'm prepping for my rhetorical
>> theory class at this moment but want to revisit this.  Did you mean to send
>> this to the list as well?
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 7:48 AM Joseph Robertshaw <jwr0015 at uah.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello Mark,
>>> Speaking from a workflow management angle we have been using Trello on
>>> occasion to keep groups and projects together. Trello allows the labor and
>>> writing to be spread out and directed. My students have started to compose
>>> some of their notes, field notes, reports, meeting minutes, and
>>> communications in there directly on the Trello cards. Later they assemble
>>> the phone/pad generated data in a sandbox (Google docs, Canvas LMS, Slack,
>>> etc.) sometimes linked through Trello. These sandbox assemblages serve as
>>> working documents and then they finalize them in the traditional formats
>>> for shipping.
>>>
>>> This works exceptionally well for field work as all sorts of media can
>>> be gathered and deposited in addition to the text that they generate (e.g.
>>> Worksite plans, progress/observation photos, sound recordings, GPS data,
>>> live verbal survey responses).
>>>
>>> So, no not on the back end in the way of finished documents . . . BUT
>>> there are vast unexplored avenues on the front end:
>>>
>>>    - legwork
>>>    - data gathering
>>>    - background data storage
>>>    - logistics
>>>    - request for assistance
>>>    - workflow management
>>>    - progress annotation
>>>
>>>  Conjecture: I see this as integrated writing and research which may be
>>> necessary for my students who chose to work for smaller companies or
>>> freelance. It may even be the future for financially driven companies to
>>> seek writers who can do more.
>>>
>>> The cellphone isn't quite a Star Trek tricorder yet but it is getting
>>> closer.
>>> (If you don't believe me check this app out:
>>> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lpellis.sensorlab&hl=en_US
>>> )
>>>
>>> I hope this is useful in some way.
>>> Best,
>>>
>>>
>>> documents
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 7:34 AM Mark Crane <craniac at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Some possibilities include:
>>>> 1. Responsive web layouts or "mobile-first development" designed to
>>>> adapt to phones
>>>>
>>>> 2. Exporting documents as Epubs, which scale nicely with most ebook
>>>> readers, as long as you are primarily concerned about words and not fixed
>>>> layouts with images
>>>>
>>>> 3. PDF files with 24 point fonts.  These look great on my iPad mini.
>>>>
>>>> With the disclaimer that I don't really know what I'm talking about,
>>>> designing for mobile first disrupts or erases many of the genres that are
>>>> the foundation of the conventional tech comm class.  I'm not saying that
>>>> that these genres cease to be in use, but that many of their conventions
>>>> tend to matter less.
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 6:24 AM Josephine Walwema <walwema at oakland.edu>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have thought about this mobile friendly format, but have not figured
>>>>> out how to achieve it yet.
>>>>> Following closely.
>>>>>
>>>>> jw
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 7:59 AM Mark Crane <craniac at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm thinking of having my students in "Introduction to Technical
>>>>>> Communications" deliver their assignments in multiple formats.  Generally,
>>>>>> they submit a Word document or in situations where the layout and
>>>>>> formatting might be at risk, a PDF file.  I've been thinking about having
>>>>>> each assignment submitted in a conventional, A4-sized electronic format,
>>>>>> and in a format that might retain readability on a cellphone or smaller
>>>>>> tablet.  My concern is that this may be too much technical overhead in an
>>>>>> introductory course and take time away from other important areas.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So I guess I'm asking if anyone is already asking their students to
>>>>>> deliver mobile-friendly documents, and if so, what resources are you
>>>>>> finding helpful?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> MC
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> ATTW-L mailing list
>>>>>> ATTW-L at attw.org
>>>>>> http://attw.org/mailman/listinfo/attw-l_attw.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>>
>>>>> Josie
>>>>>
>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>>
>>>>> Josephine Walwema, PhD
>>>>>
>>>>> Associate Professor, Writing and Rhetoric
>>>>>
>>>>> Oakland University
>>>>>
>>>>> 308 O'Dowd Hall, 586 Pioneer Drive
>>>>>
>>>>> Rochester, MI 48309-4482
>>>>>
>>>>> 248-370-4136
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> ATTW-L mailing list
>>>> ATTW-L at attw.org
>>>> http://attw.org/mailman/listinfo/attw-l_attw.org
>>>>
>>>
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