Fall 2026
ENG 5305: Video for Technical Communication (Instructional Design Focus)
Instructor: Dr. Timothy Ponce
Description/Goals:
Most workplace videos are not cinematic productions. They are training modules, onboarding walkthroughs, procedural demonstrations, and instructional explainers. This course is built around that reality. Instead of focusing only on editing software, in this class, we approach video as a form of technical communication grounded in instructional design (ID) theory.
You will learn how effective training videos are created by analyzing audience needs, defining measurable learning outcomes, structuring information intentionally, and evaluating whether viewers can successfully apply what they learned. We will work with widely used ID frameworks such as ADDIE (a five-phase model that moves from Analysis and Design through Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) and the Successive Approximation Model (SAM), applying them to plan, script, and storyboard to produce professional-quality instructional videos.
Throughout the semester, you will create a portfolio of polished samples that demonstrate not only production ability but design reasoning. These projects are designed to show future employers that you understand how communication choices support learning, usability, and workplace performance.
We will also explore current industry tools, including features embedded in professional video platforms and optional AI-supported workflows that can assist with planning and development. The emphasis is not on mastering a particular software interface, but on understanding how technologies support a thoughtful and ethically grounded instructional design process.
By the end of the course, you will be able to design video content that is visually competent, instructionally effective, rhetorically informed, and professionally credible.
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ENG 5311: Foundations of Technical Communication
Instructor: Dr. Chris Dayley
Description/Goals:
Foundations of Technical Communication introduces graduate students to technical and professional communication as an academic discipline and a professional practice. The course provides a conceptual, historical, and methodological foundation for advanced study in the field while supporting students’ professional identity development. Students will examine key definitions of technical communication; explore the field’s history, values, and ethical commitments; and analyze how power, culture, and institutions shape professional communication practices.
The course also introduces common research methods, core theories, and contemporary tools used in the field. Through applied projects, students will design and produce representative technical communication genres while reflecting on the relationship between theory and practice.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Define and contextualize technical communication as a field of study and professional practice, drawing on key historical developments and foundational scholarship.
2. Explain major theoretical frameworks and research methods used in technical and professional communication.
3. Analyze the role of ethics, power, and social context in shaping technical communication practices and outcomes.
4. Articulate the relationship between theory and practice, demonstrating how scholarship informs professional communication work.
5. Plan, draft, and design representative technical communication genres (e.g., proposals, reports, instructions, user-facing documents) using principles of audience awareness and document design.
6. Apply core writing processes and collaborative strategies appropriate for professional and academic contexts.
7. Demonstrate foundational competence with common technical communication tools and technologies.
8. Develop a personalized plan of study aligned with MATC degree requirements and professional goals.
9. Identify and strategically use graduate and professional resources (e.g., professional organizations, conferences, research venues, campus support systems).
10. Begin constructing a professional identity as a technical communicator, informed by career pathways in industry, nonprofits, government, and academia.
Book: Open Technical Writing: An Open Access Text for Instruction in Technical and Professional Writing
- This is an open-access textbook. You do not need to purchase it.
Email: c_d470@txstate.edu
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ENG 5314: Coding for Technical Communicators
Instructor: Jas D. James
Description/Goals:
This course is designed to equip technical communicators with essential coding skills to create and manage digital content effectively. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React, enabling them to develop interactive and dynamic web-based materials.
The course begins with an exploration of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), the foundational language for creating web pages. Students will learn how to structure content using HTML elements, including text formatting, lists, links, and images. Emphasis will be placed on understanding semantic markup and best practices for accessibility and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Subsequently, students will delve into CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), focusing on the design and layout aspects of web development. They will learn how to style HTML elements, customize typography, utilize CSS selectors, and implement responsive design principles to ensure content displays optimally across various devices and screen sizes.
As the course progresses, students will be introduced to JavaScript, the web programming language. They will learn fundamental concepts such as variables, data types, control structures, and functions. Through hands-on exercises and projects, students will gain proficiency in using JavaScript to enhance interactivity and user experience on web pages.
Furthermore, students will be introduced to React, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. They will learn how to create reusable components, manage state and props, handle events, and implement routing in single-page applications.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a solid foundation in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React, empowering them to create engaging and interactive digital content tailored to the needs of diverse audiences in technical communication contexts. They will be equipped with the skills necessary to collaborate effectively with developers and other stakeholders in multidisciplinary teams, bridging the gap between technical expertise and effective communication in the digital realm.
Books: Clean Code: By Robert C. Martin
Evaluation
Project I – Project Proposal & HTML Base (Part 1 of cumulative project) 20%
Project II – Design and CSS (Part 2) 20%
Project III – Addition of Javascript (Part 3) 20%
Project IV – Completed React Project 20% Discussion Forums – 20%
Email:qvj17@txstate.edu
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ENG 5314: Policy Writing
Instructor: Dr. Lauren Brentnell
Description: Policies and procedures are important documents within institutions that can shape decisions, guide behavior, and define processes—among many other things.
Through this course, students will learn to:
• distinguish policy, procedure, guidelines, and operational documentation and their roles within an organization
• translate legal requirements and organizational priorities into clear policy documents • Create step-by-step instructions for implementation (procedures) of policy
• Draft policy briefs to recommend revisions to current policy
• Write clear, easy-to-understand policies that are appropriate for the needs of an organization
Books: All course materials are open access.
Evaluation: Weekly reflections; larger projects throughout the semester include the creation of policies, policy briefs, and procedures.
Office: Avery 206 (Round Rock Campus)
Phone: 512-408-6809
Email: brentnell@txstate.edu
ENG 5383: Studies in Rhetorical Theory
Instructor: Dr. Deb Balzhiser
Description: An introduction to classical and rhetorical theory in various areas of English studies. Recent emphases include Teaching of Composition and Technical Communication. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.
All courses are open to MATC students on a first-come, first-served basis. Register on CatsWeb as soon as registration opens to secure your spot. Contact Dr. Chris Dayley (c_d470@txstate.edu) with advising/degree audit questions.
Instructions for non-MATC students: Contact Taylor Cortesi (tc1224@txstate.edu) to be authorized to add a MATC course. To allow new MATC students to enroll in courses, non-MATC students will be informed of the possibility to take MATC courses a month prior to classes starting in the Spring. Note: MATC course wait lists are not managed on CatsWeb—they are managed by the MATC Program director and Taylor Cortesi.
If you are not sure about the method of delivery (online, online asynchronous, face-to-face), contact the instructor for the course to confirm.