Teaching the History of Technical Communication: A Lesson with Franklin and Hoover

Todd, J. (2003). Teaching the History of Technical Communication: A Lesson with Franklin and Hoover. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 33(1),65-81.

Annotation by Erin Trauth

Todd examines the history of technical communication from a primarily pedagogical standpoint. After illustrating how historical research in technical communication has increased both in “quantity and sophistication” over the last several decades, Todd asserts that pedagogical scholarship to work in tandem with it, however, has remained stagnant. Thus, the first half of his article serves to provide a four-part set of “guidelines” for incorporating historical scholarship into the technical communication classroom, including suggestions to:

 “1) maintain a continued research interest in teaching history; 2) limit to technical rather than scientific discourse; 3) focus on English-language texts; and 4) focus on American texts, authors, and practices” (66).

The remainder of the article focuses on technical texts from Benjamin Franklin and Herbert Hoover. The texts illustrate society’s change in focus from the individual to the corporation before and after the American Industrial Revolution. By way of a textual analysis, Todd uses the each document’s focus to illustrate the shift. Todd posits that this revision also mimics a novice technical communicator’s move from the academic to the workplace setting. Using quotes from both technical documents, Todd asserts we can use these documents as “mirrors” to teach students how they will likely move from individual concerns such as programs of study and grades to corporate issues such as employer and client expectations.

An interesting mix of history and pedagogy, the second half of the article serves the budding technical writing teacher well, as it is helpful in illuminating changes in technical writing through the Industrial Revolution while also providing valuable pedagogical suggestions.