Faculty and Staff

Sara Raffel

Sara Raffel, Ph.D.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Texts & Technology from University of Central Florida (2018)
  • M.Phil. in Film Theory & History from Trinity College, University of Dublin (2012)
  • B.A. in Media Studies from Hunter College, City University of New York (2005)

Selected Publications

Edited Collections

  • Lester, Connie L., Patricia Carlton, and Sara Raffel. “Interpreting Pulse: Three Public History Projects Engaging Community Interpretations of Tragedy.” LGBTQ Public History: Reports from the Field, edited by Nicole Belolan and Sarah Case, National Council on Public History, 2019, 39-44.https://ncph.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/LGBTQePubOct212019FINAL.pdf. 

Conference Papers/Presentations

Courses

No courses found for Spring 2026.

No courses found for Fall 2025.

No courses found for Summer 2025.

Course Number Course Title Mode Date and Time Syllabus
19270 ENC4262 Int Technical Communication Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable
<p>International Technical Communication focuses on the development of documentation for international audiences. Students will learn to address the challenges of communicating across cultures; they will learn to prepare documentation for translation and to create visuals for global audiences.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Upon completion of the course students will have gained valuable skills, experience, and knowledge. The course objectives are:</p> <ul> <li>To develop an understanding of the challenges of international technical communication and learn key strategies to address those challenges</li> <li>To learn theories of intercultural communication and to understand their application in the workplace</li> <li>To learn to write for international audiences</li> <li>To learn to create visuals for international audiences</li> <li>To design and produce a documentation project</li> <li>To learn to prepare documentation for translation</li> <li>To develop project management skills</li> <li>To meet the challenges of working as part of a virtual team</li> </ul>
19537 ENC6296 Interactive Design in Tc Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable
<div>Interactive Design in Technical Communication is an introduction to writing and designing different kinds of online help files, help systems, and tutorials with a focus on the theory and practice of designing interactive products. Students will study tutorials, procedures, and reference guides. The major focus will be on designing an interactive tutorial from a task-oriented point of view.</div><div>The course has two overarching goals:</div><div><ol><li>To explore and critique the modes of interactivity best suited to procedural software documentation and the relationship between designers and users. (Weeks 1-8)</li><li>To design and develop a product that follows task-oriented writing principles while incorporating interactive and human-centered design elements. (Weeks 9-16)</li></ol></div>
Course Number Course Title Mode Date and Time Syllabus
92290 ENC4215 Document Design and Publicatn Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable
Prerequisite: ENC 3241.

This course focuses on the theory and practice of technical document design, including style, format, and layout. Students can also expect to explore issues of accessibility and usability, and will apply skills they learn to practical design projects created for an outside client of their choosing.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and critique basic principles of page design, layout, typography, and graphics.
  • Apply various design principles according to the document type and rhetorical situation.
  • Schedule and plan collaborative design projects according to the best practices of project management using current project management tools.
  • Recognize the different considerations for print and digital design.
  • Understand and utilize company branding and style to create documents with the appropriate tone.
93061 ENC4215 Document Design and Publicatn Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable
92616 ENC6931 Topics in Tech Comm Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable

This course is an exploration of the theoretical frameworks that led to what is commonly known as the “social justice turn” in technical communication, and how those frameworks have guided subsequent technical communication scholarship and pedagogy. The major focus will be a pedagogical project and supporting theoretical paper.

By the end of the course, students will:
1. Explore literature related to technical communication and inclusion, and critique how such literature has guided pedagogical practices. (Weeks 1-8)
2. Develop pedagogical materials and a supporting theoretical framework that demonstrate an understanding of how that framework can support a practical educational context. (Weeks 9-16)

No courses found for Summer 2024.

Course Number Course Title Mode Date and Time Syllabus
10427 ENC4215 Document Design and Publicatn Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable
Prerequisite: ENC 3241.

This course focuses on the theory and practice of technical document design, including style, format, and layout. Students can also expect to explore issues of accessibility and usability, and will apply skills they learn to practical design projects created for an outside client of their choosing.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and critique basic principles of page design, layout, typography, and graphics.
  • Apply various design principles according to the document type and rhetorical situation.
  • Schedule and plan collaborative design projects according to the best practices of project management using current project management tools.
  • Recognize the different considerations for print and digital design.
  • Understand and utilize company branding and style to create documents with the appropriate tone.
20250 ENC4262 Int Technical Communication Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable

Prerequisite: ENC 3241.


International Technical Communication, focuses on the development of documentation for international audiences. Students will learn to address the challenges of communicating across cultures; they will learn to prepare documentation for translation and to create visuals for global audiences.

Upon completion of the course students will have gained valuable skills, experience, and knowledge. The course objectives are:

  • To develop an understanding of the challenges of international technical communication and learn key strategies to address those challenges
  • To learn theories of intercultural communication and to understand their application in the workplace
  • To learn to write for international audiences
  • To learn to create visuals for international audiences
  • To design and produce a documentation project
  • To learn to prepare documentation for translation
  • To develop project management skills
  • To meet the challenges of working as part of a team
20292 ENC6951 Tech Comm Capstone Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable

Online, WWW 

This capstone course will support you in creating a digital portfolio, with the overarching goal to produce and articulate a professional identity based in reflective, collaborative practices bolstered by rigorous theoretical framing. Your portfolio will contain a set of artifacts (documents you have produced) for specific audiences and purposes in alignment with your professional identity and the M.A. program in Technical Communication. 

Your sense of professional identity as a competent technical communicator will vary depending on your goals and career trajectory. The capstone experience can help you to synthesize content from your work throughout the program as you recognize habits of mind, skills, and key theoretical or methodological approaches that have emerged across your programmatic experiences. Ultimately, a well-composed portfolio demonstrates a clear sense of professional identity, ability to reflect upon and illustrate skills, and preparedness to transition to another setting (e.g., the workplace, the academy, a doctoral program). 

Questions you’re invite to explore include: 

  • How do I develop a portfolio that showcases my rhetorical finesse, design savvy, and academic acumen? 

  • Why is theoretical framing important for portfolio development and artifact revision? 

  • How do I showcase ethical communication competencies and why does it matter in a portfolio? 

  • What are distinctions between an industry-, teaching-, and research-focused portfolio, and what role does academic framing play across these genre variations? 
Course Number Course Title Mode Date and Time Syllabus
81631 ENC4215 Document Design and Publicatn Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable

This course focuses on the theory and practice of technical document design, including style, format, and layout. Students can also expect to explore issues of accessibility and usability, and will apply skills they learn to practical design projects created for an outside client of their choosing.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

·         Identify and critique basic principles of page design, layout, typography, and graphics.

·         Apply various design principles according to the document type and rhetorical situation.

·         Schedule and plan collaborative design projects according to the best practices of project management using current project management tools.

·         Recognize the different considerations for print and digital design.

·         Understand and utilize company branding and style to create documents with the appropriate tone.
92631 ENC6296 Interactive Design in Tc Web-Based (W) 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Unavailable
No Description Available

No courses found for Summer 2023.

Updated: Oct 30, 2019