Volume 6 Issue 2 i Programmatic Perspectives is published twice a year by the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication. The journal is available at ‹http://www.cptsc.org/pp/›. Editors Associate Editor Tracy Bridgeford Laurence José University of Nebraska at Omaha Grand Valley State University Department of English Arts & Sciences Hall 189P 6001 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68182 402.554.3312 ‹[email protected]› Kirk St. Amant East Carolina University Department of English Bate 2201 Greenville, NC 27858-4353 252-737-2540 ‹[email protected]› © 2008–2014 Programmatic Perspectives, Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication ISSN 2326-1412 Authors retain all rights to their articles. Reviewers Kaye Adkins Barbara Heifferon Geoff Sauer Missouri Western State University Rochester Institute of Technology Iowa State University Jo Allen James Henry J. Blake Scott Widener University University of Hawai’i at Manoa University of Central Florida Cheryl E. Ball Brent Henze Graham Smart Illinois State University North Carolina State University Carleton University Stephen A. Bernhardt K. Alex IIyasova Kirk St. Amant University of Delaware University of Colorado at Colorado East Carolina University Kelli Cargile Cook Springs Barry Thatcher Texas Tech University Dan Jones New Mexico State University J. Harrison Carpenter University of Central Florida Wanda Worley University of Colorado at Boulder Laurence José Purdue University Nancy W. Coppola Grand Valley State University Dave Yeats New Jersey Institute of Technology Bill Karis Perceptive Sciences Corporation David Dayton Clarkson University Melody Bowden Towson University Kevin LaGrandeur University of Central Florida Stan Dicks New York Institute of Technology Karl Stolley North Carolina State University Barbara L’Eplattenier Illinois Institute of Technology Sam Dragga University of Arkansas at Little Rock Brian Ballentine Texas Tech University Bernadette Longo West Virginia University James Dubinsky University of Minnesota Julie Dyke Ford Virginia Tech Michael G. Moran New Mexico Tech Angela Eaton University of Georgia Henrietta Shirk Texas Tech University Richard Mott Montana Tech Michelle Eble Eastern Kentucky University Donna Kain East Carolina University Kathryn Northcut East Carolina University Doug Eyman Missouri University of Science and Stuart Selber George Mason University Technology Pen State Tim Fountaine Cezar Ornatowski Ann Blakeslee St. Cloud State University San Diego State University Eastern Michigan University Jay L. Gordon Elizabeth Pass Rich Rice Youngstown State University James Madison University Texas Tech Jeffrey T. Grabill Janice (“Ginny”) Redish Teresa Henning Michigan State University Redish & Associates, Inc. Southwest Minnesota State University Jingfang Ren Michigan Technological University iii Programmatic Perspectives Volume 6, Issue 2 Fall 2014 Front Matter. i From the Editors Issue Preview ................................................... 1 Tracy Bridgeford and Kirk St. Amant Articles Certification and Its Implications to the Academic . 3 Community in Professional and Technical Communication Saul Carliner, Liz Pohland, and Steven Jong Teaching and Learning with Social Media: Tools, .................21 Cultures, and Best Practices Alice R. Daer and Liza Potts Integrating Chinese Emphasis into a Professional . 41 Communication Program Jennifer deWinter Program Showcase University of Limerick's MA in Technical Communication ........ 62 and E-Learning Darina M. Slattery and Yvonne Cleary Curriculum Showcase Overcoming Workplace Writing Norms: Empowering ............ 81 Technical-Writing Students Through Stylistic Analysis Brian D. Blackburne Guest Editorial Challenges and Opportunities Facing Programs ................ 113 Robert R. Johnson, Pavel Zemliansky, and Heidi McKee Book Review Start Your Career: 5 Steps to Finding the Right Job after . .. 123 College Jessica Lauer iv FROM THE EDITORS Issue Preview Tracy Bridgeford University of Nebraska at Omaha Kirk St. Amant East Carolina University e’re pleased to present the second issue of 2014. With this issue, we are excited to present some editorial staff changes. Laurence WJosé will be stepping down as Book Review Editor and assuming one of the main roles as a developmental editor. Taking her place is Joanna Schreiber from Georgia Southern University. We welcome both of them to their new roles. The articles in this issue reflect the changing field of technical communication, from the influence of social media to an increasingly diverse work environment. These realities and more are impacting academic programs. The first article by Saul Carliner, Liz Pohland, and Steven Jong address- es a growing post-graduate and workplace expectation, certification. To verify professional competence, many communication organizations have developed certification programs. The authors present various credential- ing options, the impact on programs, and how to get involved. Noting that research studies and jobs in the field increasingly show the need for social media skills, Alice R. Daer and Liza Potts extend ideas for incorporating digital tools in the curriculum. The authors expose the myth of digital natives, promote the use of critical thinking skills within the constantly changing digital environment, and point out that social media literacy is a practice, not a static skill. Another aspect of the changing workplace, internationalism, forms the backdrop for Jennifer deWinter’s article framing the purpose and process of offering linguistic and cultural competencies. Her program has enacted a China emphasis within a Professional Writing track utilizing faculty, grants, curriculum, and international opportunities to expand global un- derstanding. Programmatic Perspectives, 6(2), Fall 2014: 1-2. Contact authors: ‹tbridgeford@ unomaha.edu› and ‹[email protected]›. Teaching and Learning with Social Media Continuing a focus on the changing environment for technical com- municators, Darina M. Slattery and Yvonne Cleary describe the MA in Tech- nical Communication and E-Learning in this issue’s Program Showcase. Graduates learn traditional skills of communicating clearly and concisely along with an emphasis on e-learning , which situates them for positions not only in technical communication but also instructional design and interactive courseware development, sought-after skills in many markets. The unique program is now moving toward offering a fully online MA. Brian D. Blackburne considers the marketplace, especially the work- place challenges graduates may face, as he explores a method of stylistic analysis in this issue’s Curriculum Showcase. This article presents specific instructions on implementation and rationale as Blackburne analyzes the ineffective writing style of airline safety briefings and the implications for passengers, technical communicators, and curriculum. Curriculum is only one issue addressed in the Guest Editorial by Robert R. Johnson, Pavel Zemliansky, and Heidi McKee reviewing challenges and opportunities of technical communication programs. The editorial stemmed from a plenary panel at the 2013 CPTSC Conference. Johnson confronts the issue of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and the need for faculty to stand together “as the heart and soul of the university.” Zemliansky advocates fostering collaboration between technical and scientific communication and writing across the curriculum to strengthen both programs. McKee promotes the need to keep curriculum current, resist program take-overs, and maintain program identity. Finally, a shared closing reflection directs attention to the decline of tenure. Rounding out the coverage on the marketplace, Jessica Lauer reviews Susan Katz’s book, Start Your Career: 5 Steps to Finding the Right Job after College. In her review, Lauer notes that the e-book format and comprehen- sive information make the book useful for both advanced students prepar- ing to enter the job market and for the program administrators who are helping to prepare them. We hope you enjoy the issue, and we look forward to the conversa- tions it may provoke, perhaps at the CPTSC 2014 Annual Meeting. Have a good fall semester, everyone. Tracy and Kirk 2 ARTICLE Certification and Its Implications to the Academic Community in Professional and Technical Communication Saul Carliner, CTDP Concordia University Liz Pohland Society for Technical Communication Steven Jong Oracle Corporation Abstract. Interest in certification has grown in recent years with the growth in credentialing options available to professional and technical communicators. This article provides a foundation for considering certification. It first explains the purpose of certification and contrasts it with other types of credentialing, including licensure, accreditation, and certificates. Then this article identifies the certifications and certificates available to professional and technical communica- tors, and explains how third-party certifications differ from degree programs. Next, this article explains why organizations serving professional and technical communicators have increasingly stressed certification and how certifications encompass critical thinking. The article closes by suggesting how certifications affect academic programs in the field and how faculty can become involved with the process. Keywords. Certification, credentialing, competencies n the 2013 book Solving Problems in Technical Communication, Kelli Car- gile Cook, Emily Cook, Ben Minson, and Stephanie Wilson