S1E6 Audience versus User - Why the difference matters! with Timothy Ponce

Inside Tech Comm with Zohra Mutabanna

Timothy suggests that no matter what profession you belong to, you are doing technical writing at some level. Drawing from this philosophy, he shares an interesting perspective on how his nursing students became invested in tech comm after taking an introductory tech comm course. Understanding the nuanced difference between audience and user can be the difference between good and bad communication. Listen in for a fascinating conversation from an academic and practitioner who brings a 360-degree view of the field.
Guest Bio
Dr. Timothy Ponce holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas in Literature, as well as an MA and BA in English from Sam Houston State University. He currently serves as a Senior Lecturer of Technical Writing and Professional Design and Coordinator of Internships in the Department of English at the University of Texas Arlington. While his doctoral research focused on perceptions of heroism in sixteenth and seventeenth-century England, he has since published and presented papers focused on technical communication, writing pedagogy, literary pedagogy, and curricular accreditation. He also serves as a board member at the Society for Technical Communication Loan Star Chapter, as well as on grant review committees for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
He currently lives in Mansfield, Texas with his wife, daughter, and poodle. In his spare time, he enjoys baking, sewing, painting, quilting, hiking, and vegetable gardening.