The YEDA Online Writing Courses provide a unique and highly effective way to master the art of technical writing and marcom in a relatively short time and in the privacy of your own home. The courses combine years of experience in teaching technical writing together with a Competency Based Education (CBE) approach. Through a combination of written lectures, exercises, regular critiques, on-line tutorials, and regular classroom lectures, the student gains the necessary skills and experience to succeed as a Technical Communicator.
 

The Method
 
Course material takes shape around stated skills. For example, the ability to write a User's Guide is one such skill. Achieving proficiency in writing User's Guides requires mastering a specific set of knowledge and skill requirements. The mastery of any particular skill, such as writing a User's Guide, is accomplished through acquiring:
 
- A thorough understanding of the course material.
 
- The ability to apply theoretical principles to real, concrete situations.
 
- Proficiency in performing certain skilled activities. These include types of writing, technical editing, information organization and management, document design, layout and graphic design, and using state-of-the-art software tools.
 

How it Works
 
Lectures
Each lecture is emailed to you as a pdf file and consists of both lecture material and exercises. As you study the material, you complete the exercises for each section - you then email the exercises back to YEDA.
 
Analysis of your Writing
Students receive a detailed analysis of their work along with the next
lecture. If you need extra help, or have questions regarding the
material, you may contact the instructor using a chat program, Voice
over IP, or by phone.
 
Virtual Tutorials
Using VoIP, students are able to communicate directly with the instructor and participate in small group tutorials that answer questions, provide more information, and enable the student to master skills on which they need more work. Students can show each other their work, ask questions, and exchange ideas.

Internship: Hands-on Practice
When the instructor is satisfied that the student can handle a certain amount of “real world” experience, the student will be given the opportunity to work on actual projects for hi-tech companies. This work is carefully monitored by the instructor and is for the purpose of gaining experience, expanding one’s portfolio of work, gaining a recommendation from the host company for whom the student works, and, in some cases, establishing a contact that will lead to employment at the company.
 
YEDA does not believe in placing students in companies before they are trained to produce professional documentation - anymore than it believes that someone learning to swim should be thrown into a deep pool without prior swimming lessons. Such methods are unproductive both for the learner, as well as for the host company.

Advantages of Online Learning
- Interaction with the instructor on a one-on-one basis.
 
- Extensive feedback on writing assignments.
 
- Use of internet resources to enrich the learning experience.
 
- Enables students to take the course even if they live far away, or
 
have work schedules that do not permit attending regularly scheduled
classes.
 
- Students have more time to complete assignments and can proceed at
their own pace.
 
- Students benefit from the more individualized learning experience
permitted by an online course. They can work longer on some areas than
on others, depending on their background and expertise.