[IxDA Discuss] How far have we come?

[Michael Albers]

When I teach my technical communication classes, I tell the students 
they must include graphics.  I get totally blank looks and finally 
someone asks where do they get them.  They have absolutely no idea 
how to even roughly sketch out a graphical idea.  And I don't require 
a finished diagram, all they need is something that could be passed 
to a graphic artist.  A technical writer doesn't need to know how to 
draw, just know what needs to be drawn.

Of course, the last art class most kids have is around 8th grade. And 
that was fine art, not technical art. Their entire vision of creating 
stuff is writing double spaced text which says what the teacher told 
them to say.

>I also don't happen to believe in all this "teaching creativity" crap. Kids
>start out creative, and learn not to be. Some survive their "education" with
>their creativity intact. Business classes, such as learning "brainstorming,"
>are not about creativity.

Mike

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Dr. Michael J. Albers
Professional Writing Program
Department of English
University of Memphis
Memphis  TN  38152