MA Technical Communication & E-Learning: On Reflection

As the semester draws to a close, it is time for me to look back on my student experience as a whole and reflect on what I have learnt, what I liked and what I didn't like so much. Firstly, of course, it has to be said that there are the personal opinions of only one student and all of my fellow students are from different backgrounds with different levels of experience in Technical Communication and E-Learning. To put this into my personal context, I am a male in his late 40s, working full-time in higher education, studying part-time and trying to fit in everything required alongside family life, hobbies and additional work projects. Just like everyone else, that profile makes me unique so getting a consensus from the cohort will probably be impossible, but maybe there are some things we all agree on.

The curriculum of the MA Technical Communication & E-Learning degree combines modules covering two different, but related, fields into one program:

Technical Communication

Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design

Theory of Technical Communication

Workplace Issues in Technical and Professional Communication

E-Learning

Instructional Design

Interactive Courseware Workshop

E-Learning Theories and Practices

Learning and Collaboration Technologies

In addition, there is one module covering both areas "Research Methods in Technical Communication and E-Learning" and of course the final dissertation or project.

Adding together, this means the degree includes 27 ECTS of technical communication subjects, 30 ECTS of E-Learning modules, and 3 ECTS which cover both. Personally, and probably because I already have some experience in E-Learning, I would have loved to have had more content relating to Technical Communication. I can quite imagine that someone who had a background in technical communication would have exactly the opposite wish and want more content on E-Learning instead.

Right from the very first module, "Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design" I was learning about new theories and in the assessments also putting them into practice. I have enjoyed writing since I was in school, and when I have time still like to write flash fiction as a creative outlet and a way to relax. Technical writing isn't quite the same, but it still feels like a creative process, and I really enjoyed it. As a lecturer teaching English as a foreign language, I also found it great to metaphorically "sharpen my pencil" and think about my own writing and what I can do to improve it. The assignment rewriting a school letter demonstrated that technical writing is really everywhere, and redesigning the safety instructions for a thermal mug was a great experience too.

The module title "Workplace Issues in Technical and Professional Communication" didn't really give away too much about the actual contents, but I really enjoyed the chance to interview someone actually working in the area, especially because this is something I wouldn't have been able to do so easily otherwise. Before I started this course, I didn't know anyone personally working in technical communication, but now I know several.

As far as E-Learning goes, I really enjoyed working with Articulate Storyline. My previous E-Learning experience was only using the built-in functions of an LMS which seems quite different from the "corporate" world of E-Learning. If it had been possible, I would really have liked to attend a workshop in person. It would also have been great to get a student licence for Storyline, rather than repeatedly using 30-day trial versions for my assignment. This added additional stress and time-pressure which could have been avoided. "E-Learning Theories and Practices" is one of the final modules this semester and for a part-time student it seems out of place in the fourth or four semesters. It covers a lot of basic theory and technologies, which I think would have been better to cover in the first or second semester. On the other hand, the assignment to create a portfolio is only possible now that we have finished everything else, so I think a module or curriculum redesign would be required to make this more logical.

All-in-all, I have really enjoyed this program. My only regret is a personal one rather than to do with the degree itself. Working full-time and having various side projects meant I never had time to do all the additional reading, which I am sure would have added even more to my appreciation of the subjects. I hope that once I have finished the degree entirely, I will be able to find time to revisit some of the resources made available to us.

On reflection, this degree program was definitely a good choice and has opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in technical communication and has shown me E-Learning in a new light too. It has definitely already informed my teaching practice and I am sure I will continue to use my new knowledge and skills in the future too.