Date: Feb. 24, 2012
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

PNC Faculty Member Earns Campus Compact Grant

Dr. Dominic A. Micer assistant professor of English

Westville – Dr. Dominic A. Micer , assistant professor of English , has earned an Indiana Campus Compact Scholarship of Engagement Grant for the Spring 2012 semester. The grant allows Micer and the students in his Technical Writing class to partner with the PNC Office of Learning and Technology (OLT) to develop technical documentation packages for new instructional technology software applications utilized by the OLT.

OLT provides access and support for technology teaching tools, consulting for instructional design and redesign and improving the quality of online and hybrid courses at PNC. Sophisticated technology allows for OLT services to be utilized across the University and into the community.

OLT has an ongoing need for documentation created in a timely manner in the form of paper, digital and online documents including quick start guides, operating manuals and tutorials.

Because new software becomes available on an almost daily basis, the Technical Writing students will provide an invaluable service through learning the technology and creating user-centered documentation for use by the OLT. In addition, the long-term goal is to use the OLT and Technical Writing student partnership to develop the capacity to serve other parts of the area non-profit community.

During this project, the students will meet with OLT representatives to complete a needs assessment and discuss its documentation needs. The students will return to the classroom to develop their project proposal.

The students will learn a variety of multimedia techniques so that they will be able to create user-centered documentation, including written instructions, screenshots and videos. In addition, they will lead live usability tests with the OLT, faculty, staff and student volunteers who will have varying levels of technological expertise. Students will learn to analyze the results and how to use that information to create a report that will outline their findings and their plans for revisions based on those findings.

Ultimately, the students will author white papers to add best practices for the software or hardware they are documenting and deliver their documentation and white papers to the Office of Learning and Technology.

This documentation will appear on the OLT website to be accessed by PNC faculty, staff, students and the surrounding community. This will strengthen student awareness of how their academic skills impact the larger community.

Because the OLT has developed multiple technology-involving learning initiatives, the need for accurate and tested documentation is expected to increase. The resources these students develop will provide the necessary technical support documents to support OLT well into the future.

It is planned that a permanent service learning component will be incorporated into the Technical Writing course.

The Scholarship of Engagement Grant focuses on integrating service learning into new or existing courses or community based research, or provides professional service that engages faculty, students and community organizations in reciprocal community-campus partnerships. Through this and other programs, Indiana Campus Compact serves as a catalyst for campuses and communities to improve people's lives through service learning and civic engagement initiatives. Indiana Campus Compact is a network of 42 college campuses. It serves to support higher education's efforts to develop students into well-informed, engaged citizens.