technical communication for admin staff

1. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Associate Professor Dr Zulikha Jamaludin
Faculty of Information Technology
Universiti Utara Malaysia
zulie@uum.edu.my
URL:http://stafweb.uum.edu.my/zulikha/
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TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION –KASTAM, ALOR SETAR

2. Universiti Utara Malaysia
What we will learn today
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Reading & Writing
•Introduction to the workshop
•Technical communication basics
•Types of writing
•The writing process
•Evaluation
•Activity
•Conclusion
Speaking
•Speaking in public
•Similarities and differences between public speaking and
conversation
•Analysing the audience
•Beginning and ending the speech
•Delivery
•Using visual aids
•Organising the body of the speech
•Activity: post oral presentation
•Conclusion

3. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Technical Communication…where in KSA?
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KSA
K
general working detailed
S
vocational
Content skills
math
Basic arith
statistics
Problem-
solving
reasoning
compare
classify
analyse
evaluate
HR
PR
coaching
negotiating
supervising
Team-
working
Self mgt
prioritising
ambiguity
Fluctuating
w/load
Time mngt
language
read
write
speak
A

4. Universiti Utara Malaysia
SKILL  Language
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Language
Reading
To file
Std E/M text
technical
Writing
basic
visualization
business
Speaking
basic
conversational
public
extemporaneous
Different b/g
biligual
Phone reception
impromptu
The language component

5. Universiti Utara Malaysia
R, W, S  Search, Generate, Communicate
 Read  search truth
 Write  generate analytical
 Speak  communicate info sharing
component skills objective
Master the Language & terms!
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Analytical
Need a proper analysis to prove this!Intro
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• Are the squares marked A and B of the same shade of gray?
• Need to prove
• Thus, need to master the language & analytical skill somehow…
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10. Universiti Utara Malaysia
What is TC?
TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION?
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A process of conveying information,
(of course, the useful one) related to
a particular technical area, to a
group of audience of different
background, including general
audience.

11. Universiti Utara Malaysia
What is NOT TC?
 Comics
 Poems
 Novels
 Rhyme
....and all other forms of
writing in the category of
creative writing.
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12. Universiti Utara Malaysia
TC
....must be supported with facts, must be
precise, and can be proven as accurate before
any conclusion be made.
....clarify
Purpose – why you write
Content – what we write
Audience – who reads what we write
Style – how we write
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13. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Examples: PUT FACTS!
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For TC- lots of facts, less logical inferences, almost none opinion
 The sun has risen every day of our lives.
 The sun will rise tomorrow.
 The sun rises too early on workdays.
 KDRM officers are fantastic! I like them.
 KDRM Kedah involved in administrating and collecting indirect tax for
the government.
 There are six KDRM stations in Kedah namely, Customs Alor Star,
Langkawi, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kuala Kedah, Sungai Petani, dan Kulim.
 Tn. Hj. Ahmad Maher Abd. Manaf is the director of KDRM Kedah.
 The director of KDRM Kedah is above 40 in age.
 Everybody in KDRM Kedah like their director.

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Examples: PRECISE & ACCURATE
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Avoid wordy phrases
•afford an opportunity to  permit
•at this point in time  now
Writes directly
Indirect: “We would like to suggest that you consider
directing your attention toward completing the project
before the commencement of the seasonal monsoon
or rains in the region of the project area.”
Direct: “We suggest you complete the project before
the monsoons begin.”

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Examples
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Replace long words
•approximately about
•modification change
Cut off extra words
Most KDRM managers generally agree that all of the
company's employees at all the offices deserve at
lease some degree of training each year that they
work for the firm.

16. Universiti Utara Malaysia
TC in the Internet Era
In the IT era, TC has
becomed very
’rich’, can be done
eletronically, involvin
g multimedia
elements –the
objective is to
communicate the
information easily.
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Must follow proper TC
rules (however you
can still write
chaotically, then in the
readers’ eye you are a
chaotic person, and
that you are attached
to a chaotic
organisation!)

17. Universiti Utara Malaysia
The forms of writing
The
document
informative analytical persuasive
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18. Universiti Utara Malaysia
TC: Informational, Analytical, Persuasive
types explanation example
Informativ
e
Convey facts
without bias
A report on your visit to UUM
A list of performance indicators used by
Alor Star Office
A report on the release of tax exempted
products at BKH
Analytical Interprate based
on facts
A comparison report regarding KDRM
visit to UUM and UTM.
Should KDRM performance indicators be
changed?
Why are there more tax exempted
products released at BKH and not at
Golok?
Persuasiv
e
Use the
information and its
interpretation to
influence decision
The probability of improving KDRM by
introducing change in performance
indicators.
Economic benefits to KDRM by investing
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19. Universiti Utara Malaysia
The writing process
1.4 complete the
framework
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20. Universiti Utara Malaysia
The writing process
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When you sit down to write...
- Does your mind turn blank?
- … have nothing to say?
If so, you're not alone! Everyone experiences this, but
some people have strategies or techniques to get
them started.
try these suggestions…
1. EXPLORE the problem
2. MAKE your goals operational
3. GENERATE some ideasbrainstorming, talk to
reader, ask questions, compare,…
Refer handoutTC

21. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Example
You are now following a course on _________ (state the course’s name)
Why?
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
resulting
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
The TC course should be made compulsary to all staffs of _________(your org)
Why?
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
resulting
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
Write the frameworkdraftcomplete the draftedit
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22. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Sharing the information
COMMUNICATING INFO VIA
PRESENTATION
Professional but friendly
Fluent
Keep eye contact
Confident
Authoritative
Leave impact
The voice –clear, confident
Do not reaaaaaaadddd
Rehearse with
friends, mum&dad, wife, husband, cats, goats…
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23. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Activity
1. Look sharp at the figure…
2. Write a short memo to your leader, explain what you have seen
(one memo from each group)
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24. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Conclusion
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What is TC What is Not TC
Technical/science/technology-
based
Creative/arts-based
inform, analysis-based, persuade Fun, leisure-based,
unconvincing though not vain
IT era Traditional
Computers, Internet, mm Pen & paper, no mm support
Making it works Not making it works
Lots of facts, some logical
inference, no opinion, precise,
proper process, less wordy, direct
Little facts, lots of opinion and
assumptions, vague, Ad-hoc
process, wordy, indirect

25. Universiti Utara Malaysia
Final remarks and Q & A
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1.Read at least 4 pages a
day (excluding
newspaper & Quran)
2.Write at least one
proper e-mail a day
(excluding sms)