The situational approach is one effective way of presenting students with technical writing assignments that represent "a close approximation of the writing chores which befall the gainfully employed technical writer in industry." The approach includes elements of both simulation and game playing, with some significant differences. The situational writing assignment includes three elements: (1) the situation, i.e., a detailed statement of the circumstances under which the writing job is to be performed; (2) the task, i.e., a description of what the writer must do to successfully deal with the demands of the situation and the specifications that apply to the writing assignment; and (3) feedback, i.e., the process of assigning a point score to the writing effort and of indicating the probable consequences of the effort in terms of its usefulness. The situational approach can be adapted to most technical writing assignments and tailored to students at any college level, and instructors who use the approach can expect a favorable response from students who benefit from authentic industrial writing situations, reinforced by appropriate feedback. (RO)