Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Technical Writing

Writing people use to get something done: audience and purpose, plain and precise sentences, step-by-step instructions with safety notices, headings, tables, graphs and accessible design, emails, memos, proposals and reports, and the research, revision and ethics behind them. Six modules at your own pace, with real drafts revised in front of you and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: What technical writing is

    Analyze a document's audience and purpose and revise a passage into plain language.

    • Writing people use
    • Knowing your audience
    • Plain language
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Clear sentences

    Revise sentences for concision, active voice, strong verbs, precision and consistent terms.

    • Concision
    • Active voice and strong verbs
    • Precision
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Instructions and procedures

    Write numbered instructions with correctly placed safety notices and plan a usability test.

    • Writing steps that work
    • Safety notices
    • Testing instructions
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Document design and visuals

    Design a scannable, accessible document and choose and evaluate tables and graphs.

    • Designing for scanning
    • Tables and graphs
    • Accessible documents
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Workplace documents

    Write work emails, memos, proposals, reports and definitions that a reader can act on.

    • Emails and memos
    • Reports and proposals
    • Definitions and descriptions
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Research, revision and the profession

    Gather information from experts, revise in levels, and evaluate documents for ethical problems.

    • Gathering information
    • Revising and editing
    • Ethics and careers
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 1 · Plain language

Worked example: a plain language revision

  1. Original: In the event that the alarm is activated, it is imperative that all personnel proceed to the designated assembly location in an expeditious manner.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in technical writing: you can analyze who will read a document and what they need to do, revise stiff, wordy prose into plain, active, precise sentences, write numbered instructions with safety notices at the right level and test them with real users, design scannable, accessible pages and choose honest tables and graphs, write emails, memos, proposals, reports and definitions that readers can act on, interview experts and revise in levels, and spot ethical problems in workplace documents. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 taking a technical writing, business writing or career and technical education course, students heading toward engineering, health care, the trades, science or business who will write documents others rely on, and homeschool families who want a practical writing course with real-world tasks.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Plain Language Guidelines: plainlanguage.gov
  2. W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, WCAG 2 overview: w3.org/WAI
  3. U.S. Access Board and GSA, Section 508 guidance on accessible documents: section508.gov
  4. ANSI Z535 series, the U.S. standards for safety signs and signal words, as summarized by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Technical Writers: bls.gov/ooh

Technical Writing is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. Its examples of safety notices teach the general conventions; real products follow the specific standards and laws that apply to them. Example numbers in documents are for teaching. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.