Spring 2025 

ENG 271W: Technical Communication 

There are multiple sections of ENG 271W offered each semester both online and in-person. 

ENG 4/566: Usability (Bakke) 

Online M, 7-8:30pm 

4 credits undergrad, 3 credits grad 

Introduces students to theories of usability and teaches students various methods to evaluate design for usability including heuristic evaluations, card-sorting, task-based evaluations, and fieldwork. 

ENG 466 is an elective towards the Technical Communication BS and minor.  

ENG 566 is an elective towards the Technical Communication GC and MS. 

ENG 4/577w: Technical Documentation, Policies, and Procedures (Dover) 

Online T, 7-8:30pm 

4 credits undergrad, 3 credits grad 

Creating both online and print documentation for products, with emphasis on computer software and hardware documentation for users. Attention also to policies and procedures as written for a range of uses (e.g., employee handbooks, manufacturing processes, usability testing).  

477’s major project is a large, team-based crafting of technical documentation, mirroring the real-world. 

577’s major project is tailored to the student. For example, a student may select a practical-orientation and learn about project management alongside technical documentation or may select a research-orientation and do a case study as well as the technical documentation. 

ENG 477w is required for the Technical Communication BS.  

Minors must choose from ENG 474w, 457, OR 477w. 

ENG 577 is an elective towards the Technical Communication GC and MS. 

ENG 673: Research Methods for the Technical Communicator (Dover) 

Online W, 7-8:30pm 

3 credits 

The course addresses the use of research to answer questions and solve problems in the technical communication workplace. The course addresses research methods commonly used by technical communicators, such as interviewing, surveys, usability testing, and secondary research. 

Importantly, everything in this course is open access, which means that there is no additional cost to the course. 

ENG 673 is an elective towards the GC. 

MS students must choose from ENG 673 OR ENG 681 to meet the research requirement for the MS. ENG 673 and ENG 681 are offered in alternating springs. 

Summer 2025 

ENG 4/572: Topics – Antiracist Technical Communication (Dover) 

Online Asynchronous 

2 credits 

First session  

In this course, we will examine technical communication in the light of the “social justice” turn. To this end, we will be examining the field itself, methodologies and methods, research, and pedagogy. This is a discussion-based, reading/writing-intensive course, and there are no texts to purchase. 

ENG 472 is an elective towards the Technical Communication BS and minor. May be repeated under different topics. 

ENG 572 is an elective towards the GC and MS. May be repeated under different topics. 

Tentative offerings – Fall 2025 

ENG 4/569, Project Management in Technical Communication (Dover) 

ENG 4/575, Editing Technical Publications (Gresbrink) 

ENG 4/583, Writing About Health and Medicine (Bakke) 

ENG 667, Content Strategy (Bakke) 

Tentative Offerings - Spring 2026 

ENG 4/567, International Technical Communication (Dover) 

ENG 4/571, Visual Communication (Westerman) 

ENG 474W, Research and Writing Technical Reports (Dover) 

ENG 681, User Experience (Bakke)