Cook, Kelli Cargile. "Layered Literacies: A Theoretical Frame for Technical Communication Pedagogy."

Daniel Reifsnider

Cook, Kelli Cargile. "Layered Literacies: A Theoretical Frame for Technical Communication Pedagogy." Technical Communication Quarterly 11.1 (2002): 5-29

This article argues for a six layered literacy frame for discussing technical communication pedagogy. The article uses this frame to show how it can be applied to whole programs of study or individual courses “in order to establish teaching objectives; develop course and lesson activities; and assess pedagogical materials, students, and programs” (Cook).

This article is useful because it begins with a look at the beginnings of teaching technical communications and how the need arose to create more complex pedagogical goals for the students of technical communications. The frame that Cook proposes in this article is helpful at determining and defining the field of technical communication, since it is a critical part in the teaching of the field and understanding the expected outcomes and goals for the students. This article is helpful in understanding what technical communications is since it looks at how the teaching of technical communications has transformed since its earliest incarnation and how the pedagogical goals have transformed along with it. This article helps at viewing technical communications from an inward out perspective, and by understanding how technical communications has been taught and the goals of teaching it, it becomes easier to define the field of technical communications itself.