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"On a visit" to ZHAW in Wallisellen

We provided ZHAW students some virtual insights into the world of technical writing.

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Once again this year, we were pleased to welcome four students (this time online) to kothes Schweiz GmbH.

In cooperation with lecturer Dr. Rolf Keller from ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences), we assembled an informative program – because of the Coronavirus, held online – for the participants on December 4th. Dr. Keller is also a consultant to our cooperation partner, Quanos Content Solutions.

The goal was to give the students some insight into the job description of a Technical Editor at a service provider, to shed some light on the transition from technical documentation to proactive smart information, and to introduce the COSIMA go! Content Management System from DOCUFY, which had been previously unknown to the students.

Since we couldn't meet in person, we used the Mural virtual whiteboard tool. In a "Mural Hurdle Race" warm-up exercise, all participants introduced themselves, and at the same time, familiarized themselves in a practical way with the functions of the whiteboard tool.

After a short introduction to our company, we introduced the students to the processes and procedures of a technical documentation service provider: all the way from order acknowledgement to delivery.

Then, it was time for the topics of quality management and proofreading, rounded out by practical examples in the COSIMA go! Content Management System. The students had previously worked with SCHEMA ST4 and were now able to get to know and evaluate a second CMS.

After a well-deserved virtual coffee break, we looked into the future together and discussed the development of technical documentation. In doing so, we considered examples of the use of Augmented Reality, as well as a demonstration with the HoloLens for Remote Technical Service work.

At the end of the virtual practice day, we had a kind of "reality check" (University vs. Everyday work) and shared our experiences. The students took the opportunity to ask questions about working as a Technical Editor at a service provider. 

We'd like to thank Dr. Keller, wish the students every success in their upcoming exams and in their final theses, and we look forward to hopefully meeting them again, both live and on-site in Wallisellen in 2021.

Michael Bos
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Blog post Michael Bos