Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2020 Technical communication as design: A design pedagogy study Philip Brandon Gallagher Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Recommended Citation Gallagher, Philip Brandon, "Technical communication as design: A design pedagogy study" (2020). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 17885. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/17885 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Technical communication as design: A design pedagogy study by Philip Brandon Gallagher A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Rhetoric and Professional Communication Program of Study Committee: Charlie Kostelnick, Major Professor Barbara Blakely Stacy Tye-Williams Margaret LaWare Carol Faber The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this dissertation. The Graduate College will ensure this dissertation is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2020 Copyright © Philip Brandon Gallagher, 2020. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION To my most compassionate, loving, supportive, and unflappable family, I want you to know that I could not have accomplished this feat without each and every one of you. I dedicate this project to my best-friend and partner, Marci, my creative and wonderful children, Nyxie and Triston, my loving mother, Connie, and supportive father-in-law, Marshall. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii NOMENCLATURE .................................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. ix ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1. BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................1 Addressing the Design Problem ................................................................................................ 2 Entering Communication Design History ................................................................................. 4 Empowering the Multimodal in Composing ............................................................................. 6 A Design Process Engaging all the Modes .......................................................................... 8 Moving toward Design Pedagogy Via Technical Communication’s Past ......................... 10 Evolving from Text Theory-based to Cognitive User-Based Design Pedagogy ..................... 11 User-Centric Design Thinking Practices and Today’s Zeitgeist ............................................. 19 Design Thinking Practices in the Future of Technical Communication ................................. 23 Positive Implications of Using Design Thinking Seen from Business .............................. 24 Potential Drawbacks of Design Thinking .......................................................................... 26 Conclusion and Forecasting the Project .................................................................................. 27 Chapter Summaries ............................................................................................................ 27 CHAPTER 2. THEORY ................................................................................................................32 New Literacy Layering ............................................................................................................ 34 Multimodal Literacy ........................................................................................................... 35 Rhetorical Literacy ............................................................................................................. 36 Sociocultural Literacy ........................................................................................................ 37 Ethical Literacy .................................................................................................................. 38 Technological Literacy ....................................................................................................... 39 Principles of Rhetorical Design Literacy ................................................................................. 40 Design Literacy Course Concept ............................................................................................. 42 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER 3. PEDAGOGY ..........................................................................................................46 Defining Design Pedagogy ...................................................................................................... 47 Advancing Design Thinking .................................................................................................... 49 Design Thinking Instruction .................................................................................................... 51 Communication Design Assignments ..................................................................................... 53 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 55 iv CHAPTER 4. METHODS .............................................................................................................57 Design Pedagogy Research: Introduction ................................................................................ 57 Guiding Research Questions ................................................................................................... 58 Defining the Situation of Research .......................................................................................... 59 Site ...................................................................................................................................... 59 Timing ................................................................................................................................ 61 Training .............................................................................................................................. 62 Methodological Framework .................................................................................................... 65 Qualitative interviews......................................................................................................... 66 Field Observations .............................................................................................................. 67 Phenomenological Inquiry ................................................................................................. 68 Participant Information by Group ............................................................................................ 70 Faculty ................................................................................................................................ 70 Students .............................................................................................................................. 75 Global Limitations and/or Constraints .................................................................................... 78 People ................................................................................................................................. 79 Setting ................................................................................................................................. 79 Investigation ....................................................................................................................... 80 Methods .............................................................................................................................. 81 CHAPTER 5. RESULTS ...............................................................................................................83 Navigating Chapter Contents ................................................................................................... 83 Pre-Design Pedagogy Faculty Results ..................................................................................... 85 Previous Teaching Experience and Pedagogy.................................................................... 86 Previous Design Pedagogy Connections ............................................................................ 87 The Intervention ................................................................................................................