Discussion Question

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• Field: English
• Posted: 3 Days Ago
• Due: 11/02/2018
• Budget:  $20

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 Part 1:

Please respond to the following:

• Review the nine steps to composing instructions (see attachments). Then, assess which is the most likely violation that can occur when writing instructions. Provide your reason(s).
• Discuss and give an example when it might be appropriate to omit explanations from your instructions. Then, discuss the possible consequence(s) of the omission.

Part 2:

Write a substantive response (about 200 words) adding to one of the two student discussion post: (choose one)

a.  

• Review the nine steps to composing instructions. Then, assess which is the most likely violation that can occur when writing instructions. Provide your reason(s).

I feel like one step that is easy to violate is “only one instruction per step”. I feel that is something people do subconsciously without even realizing it. For example “Turn left onto Pratt Street and then left President’s Street” is one such direction you might hear from your GPS.

In the case I provided, it might be to a driver’s advantage to have more than one step given. When driving it might be an advantage hearing more than one instruction in certain situations when the driver will need to make more than one move in a short period of time.

• Discuss and give an example when it might be appropriate to omit explanations from your instructions. Then, discuss the possible consequence(s) of the omission. 

One such scenario where it might seem like a good idea to leave out a step is when the writer perceives the step not be important. 

An example is when operating dangerous tools such as a chainsaw. One might assume that the operator is already wearing the proper safety gear while using it. They might typically wear gloves, safety glasses, steel toe boots, and a hard hat. Instead, the writer should instructors the user to put one such safety gear at the beginning of the manual before writing anything about how to start the chainsaw. If an injury or death is accidentally caused due the misuse of the chainsaw, then the writer may be held liable for those injuries or death. 

b.  

Of the steps of writing instructions, I feel that the step asking to “Use short sentences” can often be violated. The reason I feel that it can often be violated is really dependent on the difficulty of the product use or assembly. I feel that the harder the instructions are, more detail will be required to explain certain steps.

Sometimes the writer of instructions may feel the need to omit explanations because of simplicity or what they may consider common knowledge. For example, when working on a hot tub, it is important to turn the electricity off before attempting to work on the main power consol. The writer may not feel the need to explain how the owner should turn off electricity and this could lead to problems. The owner may turn off all electricity to the house when they only needed to find the right switch on the circuit breaker. By turning off all electricity, they may cause issues with other systems in the house, such as their air conditioning, water heater (if it’s electric), or, depending on amount of time turned off, spoiling food in the freezer or refrigerator. It is very important to include as much detail as possible since it will lessen the liability of the writer.

 

  

Chapter 10

Instructions

Goals

· Analyze your audience’s expectations and the steps required for instructions

· Determine an appropriate format for instructions

· Prepare a clear, concise set of instructions

Terms

· cautions,

p. 233

· concurrent testing,

p. 241

· explanation,

p. 239

· field-test,
p. 241

· imperative mood,

p. 237

· instructions,

p. 231

· online instructions,

p. 243

· retrospective testing,

p. 242

· step,
p. 237

· warnings,
p. 233

WRITE TO LEARN

Think of the last time you followed instructions. Maybe the instructions were from an instructor, your parent or guardian, your employer, a textbook, or an online help manual. In a short journal entry, answer these questions: Under what circumstances did you read the instructions? Were the instructions easy or difficult to follow? Explain. How did you handle any problems that resulted from poorly written instructions? If graphics were included, what kind were they? Were they helpful? Why or why not?

Focus on Instructions

Read the sample instructions on the next page and answer these questions:

· How does the writer make it clear what to do first, second, and so on?

· How many actions does each step represent?

· How does each step begin?

· Under “Charge the Battery,” besides telling the reader what to do, what other information is included?

· What is the purpose of the two boxed notes, the graphics, and the two headings?

What If?

· The user had previously owned a BlackBerry® phone?

· The user had never owned a cell phone?

· The user was not a strong native speaker of English?

· The instructions were spoken rather than written?

Sample Instructions

Adapted from BlackBerry® User Guide. Reprinted with permission of BlackBerry®.

Writing@Work

Aaron Wartner is an application and database administrator for Accenture, an IT consulting firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. In his role, he is responsible for maintaining a digital planning system used by Accenture’s customers.

Courtesy of Stephen Freas

Aaron’s job creates a link between customers who use Accenture’s technology and the technology itself. He has the tricky task of communicating with both his “techy” colleagues and with clients. “Much of my time is spent e-mailing information to or requesting action from my coworkers. I also write instructions for customers’ scheduled maintenance activities that describe how to perform the work, how to coordinate with other teams, and the timing for each action.”

Writing technical instructions that are easy to follow is not an easy task. “Instructions must be interpreted the same way by every reader to be successful,” says Aaron. “So they must be understandable, and the intent must be clear. Consistency in describing objects and activities and careful use of technical jargon are a few ways I try to meet these goals.”

Aaron begins writing a set of instructions for a certain task by doing that task himself. “I start by walking through the process to understand the flow of steps and to make sure that what I am doing will work. I identify and record each basic step as I go, preserving the order of steps. Once I have all of the steps, I create an outline of the process. Finally, I word the instructions for each step based on who the intended audience is.”

After Aaron finishes a set of instructions, he follows them in his company’s test system to make sure they work. “Having a test system allows us to fix errors in our instructions before they reach customers.”

Think Critically

1. Do you think Aaron expected to do so much writing on his job? Explain.

2. Convert Aaron’s description of the process he follows (paragraphs 4 and 5) into a simple set of instructions.

Printed with permission of Aaron Wartner

GETTING STARTED ON INSTRUCTIONS

Imagine you just purchased a new cabinet for your home theater system. You want to assemble the cabinet before your friends arrive to watch a movie. You have two hours to put the cabinet together. Because you are on a tight schedule, you begin to assemble the furniture without looking at the instructions. “It can’t be that hard,” you mumble under your breath. You are certain that reading the instructions will slow you down. An hour and a half later, you are still trying to connect the pieces. You are frantic because your guests will be knocking on your door in 30 minutes—and the cabinet is still in pieces on the floor. Finally, you look at the instructions, the sequence of steps explaining how to complete a task.

Warm Up

Do you usually read instructions before you attempt a procedure? Why or why not?

You can view sample instructions at

www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg

. Click the link for Chapter 10; then click Sample Documents.

Who Reads Instructions?

People who read instructions need to perform a task or understand how someone else performs that task. The server being asked to close a restaurant needs to know the procedure for doing so. The surveyor measuring a road for underground pipes needs to know how to determine traffic patterns. You, assembling your newly purchased home theater cabinet, need to know how to set it up as quickly as possible.

You can empathize with a reader trying to follow a set of instructions. Instructions, with their graphics and technical language, can be intimidating. Consequently, some readers read instructions carefully, paying close attention to every word.

On the other hand, many readers, similar to you in the situation above, are impatient, trying to go through the steps without reading them first. Some readers, thinking they are familiar with the procedure, read only a few steps and think they know what to do. Other readers rely more on the graphics than the words for information.

To understand how your audience affects the way you write instructions, see Instructions for a Preschooler and a Teenager at
www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg
. Click the link for Chapter 10; then click Sample Documents.

Fancy (RF)/Jupiter Images

TYPICAL READER

Any person, whether technician, professional, or client/customer, who needs to follow guidelines, procedures, or directions to complete a task.

WRITER’S FOCUS

Analyzing a process to present clear, detailed, and precise instructions with appropriate explanations, cautions, warnings, and graphic elements to enable users to follow steps successfully to complete a task.

Whatever their approach, readers trust the writer to give them accurate, precise information in the proper sequence. Some instructions—electrical installation and medical procedures, for example—can be matters of life or death. For example, the instructions for installing a new light fixture can put a do-it-yourself home owner in danger of electric shock if the instructions fail to say “Before installing the fixture, turn off all electrical power running to the light outlet.” In those cases, readers trust writers with their lives and with the lives of others.

Because your reader trusts you, you must make sure that your instructions are accurate and thorough. The amount of detail depends on how much knowledge your audience has about the process. A beginner, for example, needs more detail than someone with experience. Good instructions keep readers motivated to read carefully.

Planning Instructions

Before writing your own instructions, you must understand the procedure about which you are writing. If you understand the procedure, you will be better able to explain it to someone else. If you do not understand the procedure, your readers probably will not understand it either. When possible, work through the process yourself to see where your readers may get tripped up.

Use the following suggestions to analyze the process and to better understand the steps, the series of actions required to complete the process:

1. Create a flowchart with steps to the process. Write what someone should do first, second, third, and so on. Do not to skip any steps. Add and remove steps as needed.

2. In your mind, work the process backward. What is the purpose of the procedure? What is done last, next to last, third to last, and so on?

3. Watch a member of your target audience performing the task for the first time. Take notes. What is the very first step? What is the most difficult step? Which steps does the person misunderstand? Would additional information make things clearer? Interview this person after he or she has completed the procedure. Ask for suggestions to help you write a clear set of instructions.

STOP AND THINK

What would you tell a 4-year-old about making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that you would not tell a person your age?

ORGANIZING AND FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS

Now that you have analyzed the steps for your instructions, organize your information into sections for your reader. Then place that information into a sequence of chronological steps and an easy-to-read format.

Warm Up

How do you prefer to receive a set of instructions? Do you want to read written steps or to be told how to do something? Do you prefer watching someone perform a procedure or looking at pictures or a drawing of what to do?

Organizing Instructions

All instructions include steps of procedures and appropriate explanations along with additional details to clarify the procedure. However, instructions often contain other parts as well. Whether to include these parts depends on the audience and the purpose of the instructions.

Different writing situations require different organizational strategies. Although most instructions begin with an introduction, some do not. For example, the manual for a new car may contain an introduction at the beginning, but not for each major section. Furthermore, not all instructions require a list of materials. For example, telling someone how to use a blender would require only familiarity with the appliance, not a list of materials. But telling someone how to make pancakes would require a list of materials and ingredients.

Some instructions might require cautions, statements to indicate which actions might harm the mechanism. Others might require stronger warnings, statements to indicate which actions might cause injury or harm to someone trying to follow the instructions. When you delete a file from your computer, a caution appears to ask whether you really want to send the file to the recycle bin. The instructions telling you how to administer flea and tick protection to your cat warn about the danger of the product coming in contact with your skin. Even your bag of popcorn has a warning: “HANDLE CAREFULLY—CONTAINS HOT AIR AND STEAM.” You, too, are responsible for including proper cautions and warnings with any instructions you write.

johnsfon/iStockphoto.com

Use Table 10.1 to determine what elements to add to instructions.

Table 10.1

INCLUDE	IF
Cautions	Your reader could damage equipment by doing a step incorrectly. Insert cautions in your text before readers are likely to do anything harmful. Often a symbol or graphic accompanies the caution.
Definitions	Your reader must learn new terms to perform the procedure. Define six or more terms in a separate list or glossary. Define fewer than six terms when you first use the term.
Less Explanation	Your reader has performed the process before or the process is an emergency procedure in which reading explanations would prevent the reader from acting quickly.
More Explanation	Your reader is performing the process for the first time, the procedure is complicated, or the reader needs to know more to perform the procedure correctly.
Graphics	A picture, diagram, or flowchart would make the instructions easier to follow. Place a graphic as close as possible to the step it illustrates—above, below, or beside. Avoid placing the graphic on another page or at the end of the instructions.
Introduction	Your reader would benefit from any or all of the following information: background, purpose (what readers will be able to do when they finish), intended audience, scope (what the instructions do and do not cover), organization, best way to read the instructions, assumptions about readers’ knowledge or abilities, and/or motivation to read the instructions carefully. An introduction appears at the beginning of the document.
Materials/ Tools	Your reader should gather materials, tools, or ingredients before following your instructions. Place this list before the steps.
Notes/ Tips	Additional but not essential information would aid your reader’s understanding. Include a note immediately after the step to which it pertains.
Warnings	Your reader could get hurt by overlooking a step or not doing a step correctly. Place warnings before the reader is likely to do anything dangerous. Often a symbol or graphic that represents danger accompanies the warning.

Formatting Instructions

Because readers are likely to be different and are often impatient, the format of your instructions should be easy to read. Use plenty of white space to make instructions look accessible. Number your steps using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on) and align the steps in a list.

Another effective way to make instructions easy to use is to incorporate graphics such as flowcharts and diagrams. Graphics simplify a process and are useful for an intermediate reader who has performed the process before and needs only a quick refresher. Graphics aid the beginner as well, who will rely on both graphics and text to follow the procedure correctly. Sometimes different parts of a mechanism are shown at different times in the steps. Refer to your graphics with an explanatory statement such as “Refer to Figure 1 to see the location of buttons on the DVD player.” You may add callouts that point to specific parts of your diagram to help readers find the parts you are discussing. Instructions that include referral statements cue the reader to look at the graphic at the appropriate time.

Formats may vary. For example, simple instructions may include only a one-sentence introduction and a list of numbered steps. Some instructions may contain only pictures. More complex instructions require several sections and graphics. A numbered list is preferred to define steps that must be completed in a certain order, although some instructions use letters or bullets to indicate steps.
Figure 10.1
below and
Figure 10.2
on the next page illustrate two simple formats for instructions.

Figure 10.1 Instructions Using Pictures Only

Figure 10.2 Simple Instructions with a List of Steps

STOP AND THINK

Why does the organization of a set of instructions change from one set to another? How can page layout help someone read and follow instructions more effectively? What are some graphics that help readers better understand instructions?

COMPOSING INSTRUCTIONS

Organization, format, and graphics may vary, but all instructions require chronological steps. Except for instructions written for experienced readers, most instructions require explanations to accompany the steps.

Warm Up

Look at the sample instructions on page 229. Find the sentences that actually tell the reader to do something. What do you notice about the wording of these sentences? What do the other sentences tell the reader?

Steps

A step is the action that a reader performs—what the reader actually does. Steps have a consistent and unique structure. Use the following guidelines for writing steps:

1. Make sure steps proceed forward in time—numbered, or in some cases lettered—with no backtracking to pick up a step that was forgotten.

✔ Forward in Time	✗ Backtracking
a. Buckle your seat belt.	a. Insert the key into the ignition switch.
b. Insert the key into the ignition switch.	b. Turn the key forward until the engine starts.
c. Turn the key forward until the engine starts.	c. Buckle your seat belt before you turn the key forward.

2. Begin each step with an active-voice verb in the imperative mood (a command: verb + object) and use second person (stated or understood “you” as the subject).

✔ Action Verb to Start	✗ No Verb to Start
Trim the tip of the dog’s nail.*	The tip of the dog’s nails should be trimmed.
*You can begin with a modifying word or phrase, as in “Carefully trim the tip of the dog’s nail” or “To ensure a pain-free procedure, trim the tip of the dog’s nail.”

3. Use short sentences, which keep your reader focused on one step at a time. An overly complex or compound-complex sentence can create confusion.

✔ Short Sentences	✗ Long Sentence
Install a smoke detector inside each bedroom in which an occupant sleeps with the door closed. Smoke blocked by the door might not sound an alarm in the hallway. Also, the sleeper might not hear an alarm coming from another area of the house.	Install a smoke detector inside each bedroom in which an occupant sleeps with the door closed because smoke blocked by the door might not sound the alarm in the hallway and the sleeper might not hear an alarm coming from another area of the house.

4. Write only one instruction (one action) for each step.

Exception: If two steps are closely tied to each other in time, reading them in the same step might be easier for the reader: “Release the clutch. At the same time, press the accelerator.”

✔ One Instruction per Step	✗ More Than One Instruction per Step
a. Place your chin on the chin rest.	Place your chin on the chin rest and look at the light.
b. Look at the light.

5. Make sure each step is truly a step—an action, something to do. A description implies action, but it does not direct the reader to actually do something.

✔ An Action	✗ A Description
Grasp the rope when it comes back to you.	The rope will come back to you.

6. Keep the natural articles a, an, and the.

✔ With Articles	✗ Without Articles
Send the electrician a notice to connect power to the house.	Send electrician notice to connect power to house.

7. Include precise, specific details (measurements, sizes, locations, time, parts, and restatement in more familiar language) to show your reader exactly what to do.

✔ Sufficient Details	✗ Not Sufficient Details
Loosen the chain to provide 3/8″ of movement, or “give,” between the front and rear sprockets.	Loosen the chain to provide some movement, or “give,” in the chain.

8. Place any necessary explanations after the step. Placing the step first keeps the reader on task.

✔ Explanation After Step	✗ Explanation Before Step
Touch the number pad to enter the weight of the food to be defrosted. Make sure you enter the weight in pounds and tenths of pounds.	Make* sure you enter the weight in pounds and tenths of pounds. Touch the number pad to enter the weight of the food to be defrosted.
* Although Make is a verb, it does not indicate a step, but explains how to enter the weight.

9. Use substeps when a major step is too broad to be clearly understood by your reader.

Play a G major chord.

✔ Use of Substeps	✗ Overgeneralized Step*
	Play a G major chord.
a. Place your third finger on the third fret of the bottom string. b. Place your second finger on the second fret of the fifth string. c. Place your third finger on the third fret of the first string.
*Whether to use substeps depends on your audience’s knowledge and experience with the procedure.

Explanations

An explanation is an extension of the step it explains. An explanation uses the same number as the step it follows and is written immediately after the step.

1. Write the step. Then write the explanation if it is needed.

2. Write another step. Then write the explanation if it is needed.

3. Write another step. Then write the explanation if it is needed.

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is a government initiative mandating the use of plain, clear language in government documents. The site offers writing tips for making procedures easy to follow.

Go to the NET Bookmark for Chapter 10. Do a search for the No Gobbledygook Award and read about it. Print an example of a document written by a winner of this award. How does the document exemplify the use of plain language?

www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg

The number and type of explanations depend on your reader’s previous experience. Not every step requires an explanation, but well-placed explanations guide and motivate your reader. Often explanations are written as a note following the step. Typical explanations include the following:

· What not to do and why

Darken the appropriate oval with a No. 2 pencil. Do not place stray pencil marks on the answer sheet. The computerized scanner may read the stray mark as an error.

Note: Warnings and cautions are important enough to include before the step that may cause a problem if it is not completed correctly.

· Why a step is important

Rinse the boiled egg with cold water as soon as you remove it from boiling water. The cold water will cause the egg to contract from the shell, making the egg easier to peel.

· What happens when the reader does something

(1) Press PROGRAM on the remote control. The MENU will appear on the TV screen. (2) To autoscan for a channel, press CHANNEL SCAN once on the remote control. The tuner scans the channels stored in the tuner’s memory, stopping on each channel for about two seconds.

· How to perform the action—more detail

Tighten the axle nuts. Make sure they are tight. There must not be any space between the inner nut, the wheel slip, and the axle nuts. If there is space, tighten the axle nuts more securely.

· What terms to define

Beat the eggs until frothy, or until they look like sea foam. or A digital signal transmits electrical data using binary code, or “off” and “on” pulses.

Note: If you have a number of definitions (approximately six or more), consider adding a separate section labeled “Definitions” or “Glossary.” If you have fewer than six, define them as you write or place them in the introduction.

· How to make a decision

Wrap a small section of hair around the curling iron. If you want curls to flip up, wrap the hair backward (away from the shoulders). If you want curls to curve under, wrap the hair down (toward the shoulders).

Note: Branching the two methods into substeps is another possibility:

1. Wrap a small section of hair around the curling iron.

a. If you want curls to flip up, wrap the hair backward.

b. If you want curls to curve under, wrap the hair downward.

Because some readers need more details, you must think carefully about how much explanation to add. Consider the answers to the questions that follow.

· What should readers not do? Why?

· Would readers be more likely to perform the steps correctly if they knew the significance of the action, the reason for performing the step, or more about the process?

· Would pointing out what should happen when readers execute a step help them? (The first time you performed the process, how did you know you had performed a step correctly?)

· Does the reader need help making a decision? Should some steps be subdivided into if/then scenarios? Refer to the curling iron example at the top of the page.

· Would the reader benefit from a brief definition?

· What questions will readers have?

· What are the most crucial steps, those steps that must be done correctly?

Finally, think back to the first time you performed the procedure and how awkward it felt to be a beginner.

· What did you do wrong the first time you performed the process?

· What questions did you have the first time you performed the process?

Field Tests

Always field-test your instructions by asking several people to try them before you send your final copy. Your field testers can provide you with valuable feedback by noting wording that is not clear, steps that are out of sequence, or steps that have been left out altogether. To administer a field test, also called a usability test, you must select a test method, design the test, select test subjects, and make revisions based on the data.

Concurrent testing and retrospective testing, discussed next, are two field tests that evaluate how effectively users can perform your instructions.

Practice conducting a field test using the Field Test Activity worksheet available at
www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg
. Click the link for Chapter 10; then click Data Files.

Concurrent Testing

Concurrent testing evaluates a product while it is being used or an activity while it is being performed. In a concurrent test, you observe your subjects reading and performing your instructions. You measure such things as their accuracy, speed, recall, and attitude.

Rhonda adapted an informal method of concurrent testing to evaluate instructions she wrote. Her instructions told AmeriCorps volunteers how to find the campsite for their training retreat. To make sure all 50 volunteers would find the site, she asked three classmates to follow her directions using a map she had drawn. Two classmates did not arrive at the campsite because they turned onto Riverside Road instead of Riverview Road. As a result, Rhonda knew that she needed to revise her instructions to emphasize the name of the correct road and to caution drivers against making the wrong turn. Because of the information Rhonda learned, all AmeriCorps volunteers found their way.

Focus on Ethics

When you pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, you receive an insert that gives you information about the drug—instructions for use, proper doses, and risks. By giving patients and doctors more information on which to base judgments about good health, drug companies accept an ethical responsibility to protect their consumers. Warnings appear on the inserts in order of risk severity:

· Contraindications

· Warnings

· Precautions

· Adverse reactions

In addition to these four risk categories, the FDA requires another category for selected drugs to indicate special problems that may lead to serious injury or death. These problems are displayed prominently in a box as a warning to consumers and physicians. Based on clinical data, the black box warning alerts physicians to carefully monitor the health of patients taking these drugs.

Think Critically

Why are the warnings given to both consumers and physicians?

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Many companies use interactive video to train employees. This choice saves companies money by avoiding costly travel expenses when employees must go somewhere else for specialized training. Interactive video places instructional material on a CD. Employees load the CD, study it at their own pace, and interact by keying answers or comments. Training is available on a host of topics, including sales techniques, museum operations, and information technologies.

Think Critically

List the pros and cons of face-to-face training sessions in a classroom setting and of distance-learning training with interactive video.

Concurrent testing for longer instructions involves a more formal procedure. For example, Arturo, the service manager for Satellite Dish Subsidiaries, wants to make sure that his instructions for installing a satellite dish for TV and Internet service are clear. He selects five test subjects in a rural community who range in age from 21 to 41 because these are the types of people who will likely be installing the dish. He then watches each person install the dish, taking notes about their errors, comments, questions, and frustrations. After watching the five subjects perform the installation, Arturo knows that two of them had difficulty mounting the dish in the correct location at the proper angle. He realizes that his steps about placement are confusing because each step contains too much information. So he makes the steps shorter and adds a roof diagram to show suggested areas for placement.

To design a useful concurrent study, decide whether your subjects should complete the whole procedure or just selected tasks. Rhonda and Arturo asked their subjects to perform the entire task. On the other hand, a usability study focuses only on selected tasks. One usability study of a website advertising cars asked users to perform these specific tasks: find the “sale of the day,” descriptions of used models, and information about warranties.

As you observe your test subjects, ask yourself these questions:

· Were the subjects able to do what the instructions told them to do?

· How long did the subjects take to complete the task?

· How many mistakes did the subjects make?

· What steps were most difficult? least difficult?

· Were the subjects frustrated at any time? If so, explain.

· What did the subjects remember about the task 15 minutes after completing it?

· What did the subjects remember about the task 24 hours after completing it?

You also can ask subjects to think aloud, reading the instructions aloud and saying whatever comes to mind. Through this window to subjects’ thoughts, you see how they are reacting to each step. You may want to record their performance so you can review it more closely later.

Retrospective Testing

A second way to test instructions is through the use of retrospective testing—asking subjects to complete a questionnaire or to answer questions about a task after they have performed it. Many field tests use a concurrent test along with a retrospective test. This way testers gain additional insights into the behavior of test subjects.

Surveys often are used for retrospective testing. Remember that a survey can include different types of questions. On the next page,
Figure 10.3
shows questions that Kelsey plans to ask his loan officers after they have field-tested his procedures for completing a car loan application.

Figure 10.3 Survey Questions for a Retrospective Field Test

Regardless of the test method you use, select a reasonable sample of subjects. To ask senior accountants to test instructions for using a machine lathe is not practical because they would not use the instructions. You would ask senior accountants to test instructions for new accounting software. Some experts recommend using at least five testers, but others do not believe that five testers is enough—especially for a longer document such as a manual or for interactive media such as a website. After completing your field test, you should compile your data, list problems from most frequent to least frequent, and devise solutions.

Online Instructions

No doubt you have used online instructions, or computer-based instructions, to order concert tickets, to track a UPS delivery, to set up e-mail and instant messenger accounts, or to complete a job application. Online instructions allow users to find out something, to get something, or to learn something quickly.

Online instructions include help menus, CD-ROMs, and web-based instructions. Help menus are one of the most popular types of online instructions. Most computer programs feature a help menu, typically in the upper right corner of the screen, or balloon help, the explanation that appears when you scroll over a menu item. Think about your educational career. You may recall using tutorials on a website or a CD-ROM to teach yourself grammar, keyboarding, or a foreign language.

Communication Dilemma

You have just landed a job as a trainer for an international company that makes engines for fighter planes. Your job is to train new engineers, line managers, and other employees to assemble specific engine parts. This coming Monday you will conduct your first training session online, and your job is to prepare the training materials for the session.

On Friday afternoon before the scheduled training, your manager tells you that many employees taking the training are not from the United States. Participants live in Russia, Taiwan, Germany, and Japan. In addition, your boss explains that many of the trainees do not speak English.

Think Critically

How do you revise your training materials so that international employees will understand them?

To write online instructions, keep in mind the strategies presented in this chapter for writing and explaining steps, using white space and graphics, and providing cautions and warnings. In addition to the guidelines for writing paper-based instructions, online instructions should:

· Limit each unit of instruction to one screen size so it is not necessary for the user to scroll down the page.

· Use consistent design—font, font sizes, colors, graphics, and headers—so the reader learns to anticipate the organization and feels comfortable navigating.

· Provide a tree or map of the site and topics so readers can see the site at a glance.

· Insert navigational aids such as a link to the home page and to other important pages.

· Use keyword searches with several synonyms for the same action.

· Evaluate the usefulness of the instructions with a field test, revising the instructions if necessary.

Also, if you are teaching users to perform tasks on a screen, configure instructions so they do not take up the entire screen. By configuring your instructions this way, you allow users to work on the screen while they read the instructions.

STOP AND THINK

How are steps written? What kind of information do explanations contain? What kind of information makes instructions precise? Why is field testing important? How can a writer field-test instructions? What strategies should you keep in mind when writing online instructions?

CHAPTER 10
REVIEW

SUMMARY

1. Readers of instructions can be in a hurry, so writers must learn to compensate with carefully planned writing. Readers trust writers to be accurate and safety-conscious and to provide adequate explanation in their instructions.

2. All instructions contain itemized steps. Most instructions contain an introduction and graphics. The process and the audience determine whether a list of materials, warnings, cautions, notes, or definitions should be included.

3. Instructions are written in short chronological sentences using active voice and imperative mood. Each step must show an action. Explanations follow steps and tell what not to do, why a step is performed, what the results of a step are, and how to complete a step. Explanations should provide enough details to enable the reader to perform the step correctly and safely. When creating online instructions, the writer should limit each unit of instruction to one screen, use a consistent design (font, colors, and graphics), provide a tree or map of the site and topics, insert navigational aids on the home page, and configure instructions so that users performing tasks on the screen can see them while working.

Checklist

· Do I thoroughly understand the procedure about which I am writing?

· Did I consider using graphics?

· Did I consider using an introduction, a list of materials, cautions, warnings, and notes?

· Have I written steps that move forward in time? Do my steps begin with a verb that commands? Have I used short sentences that include only one action per step? Are my steps truly steps, things to do? Have I kept the articles a, an, and the?

· Have I considered including explanations that tell what not to do and why? that include significant details to help the reader understand why a step is important? that tell the reader how to make a decision? that include descriptions of what will happen when the reader does something? that give enough details on how something should be done?

· Have I included enough precise details (for example, distances, sizes, places, or time)?

· Have I considered whether online instructions would be appropriate for my audience? Have I followed the additional guidelines for online instructions?

· Did I field-test my instructions with my target audience?

Build Your Foundation

1. Examine each step below. What kind of information would make each instruction more specific?

a. Rotate the tool several times around the wire, leaving the spring closed.

b. Draw part of an oval for the head.

c. If the fitting has a tub spout, make a hole in the wall.

d. Clean your room before you leave.

e. Beat the meringue until stiff peaks form.

f. Place the selvages of the material together.

2. Break up each sentence into shorter sentences that reflect one step per sentence.

a. Remove the cover from the mic; press the transmit button on the mic; and by using a small screwdriver with a plastic or wooden handle, adjust the transmitting frequency.

b. Take the two upper sections of the handle and using the shortest bolt with the nut provided, fasten them together as shown in the illustration in Figure 1.

c. Read the passage and locate all nouns, underlining them with a single line.

3. Rewrite these steps so that each one begins with a verb in active voice and imperative mood. (The “you” can be understood.)

a. The cook should touch the AUTO DEFROST pad to begin the defrosting process.

b. When you want to play, you should press the START button.

c. The aquarium floor requires a layer of gravel that, sloping from back to front, is about 6 to 8 centimeters deep at the front wall.

d. We want you to come to the front of the room and use the available podium.

4. Label each of the following as steps, explanations, cautions, or warnings.

a. When paddling, keep the canoe in line with the current.

b. Make sure the supply voltage matches the voltage specified on the rating plate.

c. Separate dark clothes from light clothes to prevent colors from running.

d. Do not overload your dryer. For efficient drying, clothes need to tumble freely.

e. When you have recorded your message, press the pound key.

f. When the virus protection window appears, click OK immediately to decontaminate your drive. Failure to heed the virus warnings may cause you to lose data and contaminate other machines.

g. To determine how tight the fasteners need to be, see the Torque Range chart in the back of this book.

5. Which of these guidelines for writing instructions apply to all instructions (print and online)? Which apply only to online instructions?

a. Make sure each step represents only one action unless the actions are so closely related that they need to be in the same step.

b. Limit each unit of instruction to one screen size.

c. Evaluate the usefulness of your instructions with a field test.

d. Use a consistent design for each screen.

e. Provide a tree or map of your site and topics.

f. Do not omit a, an, and the.

g. Eliminate your reader’s need to scroll down the page.

h. Insert navigational aids such as links to important pages.

i. Include appropriate cautions, warnings, and notes.

j. Use active-voice verbs in imperative mood for steps.

6. For a beginner using a word processing program such as WordPerfect® or Microsoft® Word, list help topics that this person would most likely use.

7. Visit WebMD.com to see online instructions for preventing the common cold. Are the instructions clear? Explain.

Your Turn

8. In small groups, write instructions for any of the following processes (or other process with which you are familiar). Analyze your audience, follow the guidelines for composing instructions and provide ample explanations.

making a bed	cleaning a room	changing the oil/tires
setting up a tent	using a calculator	playing a video game
setting up an aquarium	lifting weights	constructing a craft
brushing your teeth	mowing the lawn	changing a diaper
administering first aid	creating artwork	doing a yoga move

9. You have been asked to write online help instructions for a word processing program you know well. Write your instructions for one of these processes:

a. Changing the font type for an entire document

b. Underlining a word

c. Changing the margins

d. Copying and pasting a paragraph

e. Cutting and pasting a paragraph

f. Wrapping text around a photograph

Community Connection

10. Based on your experience and interviews with other students, write instructions for new students that explain how to register for classes or for a particular program. Although your school probably has registration instructions, the document you develop should be an “insider’s guide” of insights that you and other students have gained about more direct methods, pitfalls, situations to avoid, and classes to take together and classes to avoid taking in the same term. For the new students, define unfamiliar terms and give precise locations and descriptions.

11. Visit a nonprofit organization in your community and learn about the procedures and processes used there. Ask if you can help by developing written instructions for a task or procedure, such as steps for closing the facility at the end of the day, making an enlargement on the copier, orienting a volunteer, or answering an office telephone.