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I need your collective help. I am a graduate student in STC at the Univ. of MN,
and I am currently taking a course in audience analysis. On Monday Oct10 I am
giving a workshop to my class on the problems associated with writing
effectively for several audiences at once. The basis for our discussion centers
on a paper by Holland, et.al.(1988) from _Solving Problems in Technical
Writing_. Perhaps some af you are familiar with it? In this paper, Holland,
et.al. offer solutions to the multiple audience problem via case examples. What
I am looking for from you are possible writing situations/scenarios which take
multiple audience into account. Also your suggestions of reference material
that I might give to the class would be very helpful. Finially, I would be
greatful if you could share any of your personal acecdotes/experiences with this
problem, with the understanding that I would share them with the class.
For examlpe, after reading the Holland, et.al. piece I have come up with a
question for the class. Namely, given the way Holland describes the manner
audiences differ, can all documents, discussions, etc, be considered
multi-audience, even those documents just read by yourself? The idea is that
even in a document written just for yourself, you may go back to it several
time, each time with different reading goals, thereby making it a multi-audience
document.
Do you have an insights as to how I could use these ideas as a basis for a
sucessful, interesting and hopefully fun workshop on Monday.
Thanks again for your time,
Jon B.
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^ Jon D. Benson ^
^ University of Minnesota, Dept of Surgery ^
^ Center for Wound Healing And Repartive Biology ^
^ (612) 626-6282 FAX (612) 624-8909 ^
^ Box 120 UMHC ^
^ Mpls.,MN 55455 ^
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