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RE: More Training Discussion: Task-based lecture vs. Systems-based lecture
Subject:RE: More Training Discussion: Task-based lecture vs. Systems-based lecture From:"John Posada" <JPosada -at- isogon -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 15 Apr 2004 16:01:15 -0400
>I am the doc lead for a software product. The QA
>person is in charge of training a new (and radically
>different) version. She plans to lecture it based
>on the menus ("The File menu contains these items..."),
>while I strongly suggested the lecture should be
>task based ("To create XX, select File>Option...").
Any outside authorities won't make a difference, because to a person
like that, they are outside. When I come across someone taking that
approach, I constantly ask "WHY?", or "Why would I do that?" or How do I
know to do that and not something else."
One of two things will happen. She'll get the point or she won't invite
you any more, and in either case, you problem is solved.
Last night I experienced an epiphany. Last night, I was reading one of
my major sections on the buss, and I'd used the following as the header:
Activity Management.
Out of the blue...it struck me..my users haven't the faintest idea of
what an Activity is, let alone be able to understand anything having to
do with using it to manage anything.
All day, I've spend renaming headers. An example:
"Activity Management" became "Use XX to Help You Manage Software and
Hardware Assets"
"Activity Roles" became "Why Does a Software Asset Manager Use XX"
"Create an Activity" became "What Kind of Activity Should I Create"
I showed my boss. He shook my hand.
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Isogon Corporation http://www.isogon.com
"Realizing Your Business Goals
Through Software Asset Management"
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