Education
- Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition (ABD) Miami University, tbd
- M.A. in Rhetoric and Compostion Wright State University, 2016
Technical Writing Instructor & AI Integration Strategist
Alan Knowles
Teaching AI collaborative writing workflows for clearer, more accountable professional and scholarly communication.
Alan Knowles helps students and academic teams design writing practices that pair human judgment with responsible AI assistance. His work emphasizes process transparency, revision literacy, and practical methods for producing rigorous technical prose.
About Alan
Research Interests
Teaching Experience
Select a course below to view a short description of its focus, methods, and learning goals.
Publications & Speaking
Publications
- “Machine-in-the-Loop Writing: Optimizing the Rhetorical Load” Computers and Composition, 71, 102826, 2024
- “Rhetorical Analysis of Predictive LLMs” In A. Vee, T. Laquintano, & C. Schnitzler (Eds.), TextGenEd: Teaching with Generation Technologies, WAC Clearinghouse, 2023
- “Human-AI Collaborative Writing: Sharing the Rhetorical Task Load” IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm), pp. 257–261, 2022
- “Human-AI Teaming: Cases and Considerations for Professional Communicators” With Ann Hill Duin, Heidi A. McKee, Isabel Pedersen, and James E. Porter; IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm), pp. 201–202, 2022
Academic Conferences
- “Rhetorical Load Sharing Theory: Developing AI-Optimized Writing Workflows” Panel presentation with Bill Hart-Davidson, Ben Lauren, and Joanna Johnson; Computers and Writing Conference, July 2023
- “Ethical LLM Usage: HITL Writing Workflows” Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW), June 2023
- “Human-AI Collaborative Writing: Reduction of the Human Cognitive Task Load” Panel presentation with Ann Hill Duin, Heidi McKee, Isabel Pedersen, and James Porter; IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm), Limerick, Ireland, July 2022
- “Emerging Rhetorical Praxes: Welcoming AI Collaborators to the Classroom” Panel presentation with Heidi McKee and Nathan Riggs; Computers and Writing Conference, Greenville, NC, May 2022
- “Universal Adversarial Triggers in Machine Writing: AI Mirroring Our Worst Natures” Computers and Writing Conference, Greenville, NC, May 2022
- “Computing Rhetorical Profiles: The Imitatio Model of Machine Pedagogy” Computers and Writing Conference (CWCON), East Lansing, MI, June 2019
- “Location-Based Participation: YikYak as a Research Site for Local Discourse Community Formation” Panel presentation with Ashley Hall and Zack Gregory; Thomas R. Watson Conference, Louisville, KY, October 2016
Other Professional Speaking Events
- AI Collaborative Writing Workflows Workshop and invited talk placeholder, forthcoming
Services
Consulting Services
Practical support for organizations adopting AI responsibly, improving professional communication, and building tools around real workplace needs.
AI Workflow Training
Hands-on instruction that helps staff integrate AI technologies into existing workflows with clear human checkpoints, responsible use practices, and measurable goals.
Custom Prompt Libraries & AI Agents
Strategy and development support for reusable few-shot prompt libraries and task-specific AI agents, delivered through public experiences or secure internal interfaces.
Guest Speaking
Talks and workshops on AI and data security, AI integration strategies, and organizational AI governance. Have another topic in mind? Custom speaking requests are welcome—ask about a program tailored to your audience and goals.
Contact
Start a Conversation
Tell Alan what your team is trying to accomplish, whether you need staff training, a custom AI interface, or a speaker for an event.