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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:"Steve Schwarzman" <steve -at- writersbookmall -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 15 Apr 2004 23:15:20 -0400
Joe wrote:
>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...").
First, if it's training, it shouldn't be a lecture. People learn by doing.
Yes, it's a good idea for an instructor to first demonstrate a complicated
procedure, than walk the students through doing it themselves. But lectures
by themselves do not make training.
Second, basing it on the system is like reading a reference manual aloud.
Not an effective method, especially for tasks that go across menus and
multi-step tasks. And people will tune out after a few minutes, because
there is no way to readily justify (see my post from yesterday) why they
need to know what's in the File menu. What they need to know is how to get
their job done the right way using the new version.
The only time I could imagine using her approach is if I were making an
internal presentation (not training) on only the changes from the previous
version to a group of people who specifically needed to know what's new in
the File menu. Even that's a stretch, because the only context that comes to
mind would be an engineering meeting, where a designer might be presenting a
proposed approach to meet a new requirement.
>I as a tech writer need an outside authority to validate my knowledge and
experience.
Well, you can tell them *I* said so! :) But if that's not enough - and
Rachael, I should have thought of this for you, too - try www.langevin.com.
They are a respected name in the business of training trainers, and their
information is good. You might also try http://www.mapnp.org/library/trng_dev/trng_dev.htm and www.astd.org, where
they have a conference called "Telling Ain't Training".
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