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The needs of business and industry dictate that students be taught skills transferable to the workplace. Teaching collaborative writing for real-world application to the field of technical writing is one way to help prepare students for future employment in scientific and technical industries where the communication of technical information is part of conducting daily business.

This paper is to present a student interior design laboratory manual for Perspective Drawing 134. A mechanical and freehand approach to the grid method of perspective is used. Chapter I reviews the significance of the problem, definitions of terms of perspective, data sources and method of procedure. Chanter II explains a brief overview of perspective from primitive man to its present use in interior design. Chapter III reviews the general principles of perspective. Chapter IV presents the grid method to one-point and two-point perspective, both mechanical and freehand approaches. Included are step by step illustrations and explanations of the method. Chapter V summarizes the intent of this study.

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Research has demonstrated the positive effects on reading achievement measures when content is conditioned as a reinforcer for prolonged reading. While previous research has focused on conditioning narrative texts on the relation to increased comprehension, there is no current research on the effects of conditioning informational texts. Experiment 1 examined whether the effects of conditioning narrative texts as a reinforcer extends to technical writing for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content for third graders with and without Individualized Education Plans. We replicated the conditioning procedures used with elementary-aged participants in previous studies for narratives texts. Using a four-step, peer-collaborative procedure, peer interactions were paired with reading activities to condition narrative texts as reinforcers for prolonged reading. Results indicated that reinforcement value of conditioned narrative texts did not transfer to STEM texts. Experiment 2 examined whether the effects of conditioning STEM texts as reinforcer extends to narrative texts. Academic achievement was also measured after conditioned reinforcement for STEM texts was established using the four-step peer collaborative procedure. Results indicated that the reinforcement value for STEM texts did not transfer to narrative texts. Keywords: conditioned reinforcement, narrative, pairing, peers

The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether a paradigm shift is occurring or has occurred in technical writing textbooks since 1994. This study will further the work of Jerold J. Jeansonne, who chronicled the paradigm shift in technical writing textbooks from 1900 to 1994. Using product and process orientation guidelines, this thesis will examine several technical writing textbooks produced after 1994. The findings will then be calculated to determine the present status of the paradigm shift. The thesis will also propose that the technical writing paradigm shift mirrors the paradigm shift in academic writing textbooks. To make this connection, the rhetoric of Aristotle will be employed to show that textbooks, whether they are academic or technical, are essentially argumentative. In light of this, particular attention will be given to Aristotle's characteristics of artistic argument: rational, ethical, and emotional appeal.

Copyright law, in general, is a multi-faceted and sometimes difficult to understand process. Although it is law, it is often not straight-forward and cannot be applied universally. While the concepts of copyright infringement and plagiarism may sometimes overlap, many confuse one for the other or think they are the same offense. This thesis is intended to serve as a primer to some basic aspects of copyright law for technical communicators, including issues surrounding public domain works, the fair use doctrine, the copyright clearance process, as well as why we should be concerned about our current copyright laws. Over the past few decades, Congress has increased the number of copyright extensions, and these extensions are pushing out works that were to expire into the public domain. This thesis provides details about the growing copyright reform movement to explore the possibilities of making our culture more egalitarian and democratic when it comes to the exchange of ideas and information. Those who support copyright reform believe current copyright laws increasingly favor corporations and special interest groups rather than the public, and insist on a balance in copyright laws to loosen some of the restrictions. This thesis illustrates the importance of the knowledge of copyright and its associated laws for technical communicators especially in these current times. With the growth of the Internet within the last 20 years, some of the core concepts of how copyright works for the analog age present some challenges when translated into our digital age. Young professionals - particularly those working in web-based media - are faced with some contradicting ideas on copyright, sharing, and piracy, especially when surrounded by peers who perpetuate incorrect notions about these topics. Technical communicators also need to be aware of the risks they run if they choose to ignore the law (or choose to remain ignorant of it), but, on a deeper level, they also need be prepared to deal with the philosophical and ethical inquiries that tie into the concept of copyright. This thesis also provides practical applications of the knowledge of copyright laws for technical communicators.

Communication builds the foundation for the law in the United States, as it involves ample verbal and written communication. Legal documents, such as legislation and case transcripts, enter the "public domain," so the public at large can freely access these documents. However, the complexity of the legal language and style severely limits the average citizen's ability to understand the contents. The same anomalies confront laypeople on juries. In the case of the law, intelligibility is a serious issue. Problems arise for laypeople when legal professionals do not consider the public. Legalese, the exceptionally abstruse legal vocabulary; Latin terms, which abound in legal language; and other legal writing style issues create serious difficulties for a lay audience. Effective technical communication conveys field-specific information with a level of technicality appropriate for the needs and experience of the target audience. Topics commonly studied in technical communication-such as audience analysis, a plain style, and usability testing-offer solutions to the problems that legal language causes. This study includes an examination of certain sections of the Florida Statutes and various case transcripts to identify deficiencies in making legal matters clear to the lay public. It also demonstrates the application of technical communication principles to improve public access to the law and advocates the involvement of technical communicators in the legal arena.

Corporations work to create, define, and refine their corporate images through many means including logos, slogans, advertising campaigns, community involvement, products, and philanthropic activity. As a composite or individually, these elements can be used to identify things associated with the corporation, the corporation itself, or distinguish it from other corporations. In addition to these prevalent corporate "identifiers," every corporation has its own voice, comprised of numerous facets of style and design that combine to create an identity. This voice is present in the written word of a corporation-correspondence with clients and customers, reports to shareholders, internal memorandums to employees, and website content that reaches worldwide. The voice may vary somewhat between audiences, but it is unilaterally present. While the subtleties of voice may not be recognized by the general public, the resulting rhetorical effects are-giving significance to corporate voice. The research involves an in-depth study of the voice of Lockheed Martin Corporation. With permission, a variety of non-proprietary LMCO documents have been analyzed using a rubric based on Thomas Gibson's "Style Machine," presented in his 1966 book, Tough, Sweet, and Stuffy: A Study of Modern American Prose. The analysis has resulted in conclusions regarding LMCO's corporate voice.