The internship course in Technical Communication is ENGL 5378 (3 credits). Internships for course credit must be approved by the TCR DGS. They allow students to apply technical communication skills in the real, professional world.
ENGL 5388: User Experience [UX] Research
Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Jason Tham
Day: Tuesday
Time: 6:00-8:50pm [Central]
CRN: 37088 [onsite] | 35503 [online]
Modality: Hybrid
Course Description
This course introduces students to foundational principles and theories of user experience (UX) design and prepares them to perform basic usability testing of user-facing documents. Students will explore and practice user research and usability testing, human-centered design, and digital prototyping. Upon completion of this course, students should feel confident about:
- Constructing rigorous and validating UX and usability test plans
- Practicing a variety of approaches to researching user experiences and goals
- Analyzing user and usability data in appropriate ways
Advising
Eligible Students: PhD, MATC
Degree Plan Category: Required Methods – Option (PhD), Theory and Research Requirement option (MATC, 9 hours required total),
Notes:
PhD students– If you are interested in UX or are planning to do UX-related research in your dissertation project prioritize completing this requirement.
MATC students– An excellent Theory and Research Requirement option (9 hours required total) or Tailoring Your Degree Plan option (9 hours required total) for students interested in UX research or are thinking about doing PhD work in TCR with a focus on UX.
ENGL 5376: Online Publishing
Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Geoffrey Sauer
Day: Wednesday
Time: 6:00-8:50pm [Central]
CRN: 47688 [onsite] | 47689 [online]
Modality: Online
Course Description
This graduate-level seminar will overview the practical and theoretical aspects of designing effective online communication, publishing content such as websites and mobile apps. Our work will focus on process and planning, content development, site structure, navigation, visual design, interface design, usability, and accessibility. The course will cover practical skills with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and content management systems. Assignments will focus on analyzing and developing online content using various tools and development methods. The course will also address theoretical issues in the history of publishing, contemporary online publication, database-driven content management, intellectual property, and technology.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Describe tasks that comprise the process of developing websites.
- Apply principles of site structure and design to developing websites.
- Identify approaches and testing methods for website user experience.
- Explain how issues of content management affect the development of online publications.
Advising
Eligible Students: PhD, MATC, CERT (G&P)
Degree Plan Category: Specialization Courses (PhD), Application Requirement option (MATC, 12 hours required total), Advanced Practice Elective (G&P, 1 required total)
Notes: An excellent elective course option provided it does not conflict with outstanding required courses offered this semester (or that have been previously completed).