Corrine Renguette, School of Engineering and Technology
Principal Investigator: Corrine Renguette, assistant professor, director of technical communication, Department of Technology Leadership and Communication, School of Engineering and Technology
Project Title: Facilitating Cross-Cultural Technical Communication through Intergroup Dialogue
Funding Level: $5,000
Abstract:
The Technical Communication program (TCM) launched a new B.S. degree in the fall of 2013. The field of Technical Communication is growing faster than average; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2012). As the field and the major grow, the need for the TCM program to create new courses also increases. International, global, and diverse workplaces are becoming more common in all fields, but especially in engineering, technology, and technical communication. With the increasing diverse workforce comes the need for employees who have a better understanding of cross-cultural communication and awareness of inequalities and how to address discrimination. The Intergroup Dialogue Model can provide an environment in which students can safely learn to collaborate with others to understand inequalities and how to address discrimination and social issues that arise in a diverse workforce. These courses would be designed to improve student outcomes in intergroup understanding, intergroup relationships, and intergroup collaboration and engagement. In addition, the courses will include a civic engagement component to involve students in experiential learning. Ongoing assessment tools will be developed as well, so that future offerings of the courses can be revised using the findings.
