Rebecca Birch 

Rebecca is a New Mexico Tech graduate who recently discovered the joys of tutoring and mentoring high school students in mathematics and language arts. While working with her students, Rebecca has learned much about the nuances of touchscreen technology and the role it plays in their communication. Other tactile activities include rock climbing, playing the viola, and enhancing her side work as a photographer.

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

Survey

Discussion on HTDs in Regard to Literature and Survey

Considerations and the Future of HTDs

Works Cited

Appendix A

Abstract

Mobile, handheld technology has become a common part of our daily lives, and the integration of touchscreen technology into mobile handheld devices is quickly becoming equally common. Much research has been conducted on how people interact with handheld devices and on different types and uses of touchscreen technology. However, little attention has been given to how touchscreens, when integrated with handheld mobile devices, either inhibit communication by frustrating users or encourage communication by ease of use. This article seeks to examine perceived usability of handheld, touchscreen devices and how their usability or lack thereof affects communication.

About the Author

Danielle Rose has lived in New Mexico her whole life. She has a B.A. in English from New Mexico State University and hopes to soon complete her B.S. in Technical Communication from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. She is looking forward to joining the work force.

Contents

Introduction

Literature Review

About VSM Websites

Concerns about using VSM

Applications for VSM

Conclusion

Works Cited

Introduction

Technical communicators specialize in the development of communication materials. These materials are developed specifically to instruct and provide information in a format that is designed for the audience. Part of being a technical communicator is learning and working with new technologies and information as they develop. Current levels of technological sophistication allow the internet to be a large source for finding, creating, and incorporating new technologies. The internet is often the starting point for finding information and communicating with others. Some of the most popular websites focus on communication as their drawing point. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are more popular every day. Facebook integrates more than 10,000 websites daily and has 70% of their 500 million users outside of the United States (Facebook). Twitter averages about “300,000 new users a day,” and Twitter users are posting “55 million tweets daily” (Bosker). Many businesses and corporations already use Twitter and Facebook because of their popularity, accessibility, and global reach. Technical communicators also use these social media sites for some of the same reasons. They have embraced social media sites as a means of connecting with the technical communication community. The networking and communication features of these sites make them useful communication tools because of the ease of audience interaction. Audiences like how easy it is to interact with social media (SM) sites.

YouTube is the most popular and well-known video social media (VSM) site of its kind according to statistics from internet surveys (Bonson 24). There are more videos “uploaded to YouTube in 60 days than the 3 major US networks created in 60 years” and YouTube monetizes “over 2 billion video views per week globally” (YouTube). VSM sites like YouTube are potentially very valuable to technical communicators who want to reach and interact with a large audience because VSM sites allow for communication in a unique visual and interactive format. SM has become increasingly interconnected. This interconnection allows for aspects of one site to be linked or embedded within another website or SM site. This interconnection includes videos from VSM sites. VSM videos can be used to convey information like news, history, personal blog entries, and reviews of books, articles, and movies. A viewer can also use VSM sites to look up information on how to use software or find instructions on tasks ranging from “how to assemble your document printer” to “writing an essay in 5 easy steps.” The audience of these videos can link other users to them, comment on the videos, or post videos along the same topic as a “response.” VSM sites use an easy format that allows any audience member, from anywhere in the world, the opportunity to link, comment, or post videos and this maximizes audience interaction. 

Much has been written in the technical communication field regarding the possible uses and areas of caution for social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, there is very little written by technical communicators about the incorporation of the popular website YouTube and other such VSM sites. YouTube has developed a format that allows any user to upload and share a video easily and quickly. Videos can become “viral” overnight, garnering millions of views, and thousands of comments simply from sharing on social media sites and among friends. This type of power, to reach and interact with a large audience, is what technical communicators need to harness. Although YouTube is the most recognized VSM site and garners 100 million views per day on mobile applications alone, there are a variety of VSM sites, and they all have their own rules and formatting (YouTube). The features of YouTube, such as channels, comments, and linked videos, are all features that are copied among the majority of VSM sites and are the important features to address. This thesis will introduce Video Social Media, as well as the need to incorporate VSM as a technical communicator because of the way VSM sites allow content to be delivered visually. These topics will be addressed by focusing on the features of VSM sites and discussing how those features, and VSM sites as a whole, can be used to help technical communicators achieve a common technical communication goal: quick and easy communication with the audience. Using the information in this article, technical communicators can efficiently start to use VSM for specific projects and applications with reservations and concerns minimized.

About the Author

Penny Bencomo is a technical writer residing in Albuquerque, NM. She has two Bachelor of Science degrees from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: one in geology, and one in technical communication. She credits her success in life to her husband Michael.

Contents

Introduction

How Technical Communicators Can Use Educational Theory

Transitioning Education

Computer-Based Learning

Conclusion

Works Cited

Introduction

Education is a continually evolving field, as is technical communication. However, technology is quickly outpacing education, and educational technology is often being developed without regard to the learners. Because many technical communicators create projects intended to educate their audiences, technical communicators should have a basic understanding of educational theory. Activity theory is a natural fit due to the many commonalities it has with technical communication practices. Technical communicators receive training about rhetorical concepts and technology, but they may not be provided with instruction on educational theory. Activity theory is a basic principle regarding the education of people, and it forms an important educational foundation that technical communicators should know. Together, activity theory and technical communication create a powerful combination that gives technical communicators a strong reference point for creating educational materials. Computer-based education is used in this paper as an example of how technical communicators can apply activity theory. This paper’s goal is to stimulate discussion regarding the role of technical communication in education. This paper will first create an argument for why technical communicators should be taught about educational theories, provide a brief background on activity theory, describe some of the principles of activity theory, and then show how one sector of technical communication, computer-based education, would benefit from the application of activity theory.