Dubinsky, J. M. (2002). More than a Knack: Techne & Teaching Technical Communication. Technical Communication Quarterly, 11(2), (pp. 129-145).

In James M. Dubinsky’s (2002) article, “More than a Knack: Techne & Teaching Technical Communication” he argued “for a more deliberate emphasis on teacher training by reinvigorating techne as a concept that is far more than instrumental or prescriptive” (p. 129). Dubinsky illustrated the need but lack of technical communicators which can lead to a system-centered perspective, the reliance of teachers on a formulaic pedagogy, the relevance of techne to technical communication, Aristotle’s distinction between knack (what one comes to know from repeated practice/habit) and art (techne) where he says that knowledge belongs to art because an artist knows the cause (understands the why) and men of experience do not, the techne of teaching with reliance upon the contingent which has the ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice, techne being a reasoned state of capacity to make, knowledge of the purpose and the audience, the importance of the situational component of teaching an understanding of the students, learning to teach, a user-centered approach to teacher training in the classroom, and using stories to show the reasons for recommendations. Dubinsky’s purpose was to show that “If we prepare prospective teachers to master the techne of teaching, we encourage them to become user-centered, reflective practitioners who understand the critical need for situational uses of knowledge” (p. 129). Dubinsky’s intended audience was teachers of technical communication needing training in how to become more user-centered and on how to teach. Dubinsky skillfully examined the historical context behind techne, which helped to inform the rest of his article and why it’s an important part of the technical communication pedagogy.