Myth 1: Technical Writing is only about writing User Manuals and Instructional Guides

Technical Writing, to a layperson appears to be that form of writing that tells people the “how to” of something. But in reality, technical writers apart from writing user guides for gadgets, applications, and products, also write a variety of other types of documents such as white papers, product literatures, business plans, proposals, training materials, functional specifications, data sheets, quick reference guides, release notes, online help, how to video’s, web pages, blogs, wikis, and internal company documents.

Myth 2: Technical Writing is “writing about technology”

Another common myth that is tagged on to technical writing is that, technical writing only means “writing about technology”. The misconception comes from our limited understanding of the word Technical. Technical does not necessarily mean technology, but more so it means skill or specialization. So technical writing is any specialized writing, not just in the domain of technology, but in all professions right from education, finance, stock market to recipe writing, because they all involve writing specialized reports specific to particular domains.

Myth 3: Technical Writers write always.

People fancy that a job of a technical writer is to write, and write, and write alone. But the truth is that only about 25% of the technical writer’s time is spent in actual writing. The rest of the time, a technical writer is researching to understand about the product,  communicating to product or software developers, finding out about the audience, the context for writing so that he can create content, organize it and give it a professional finesse. Besides writing they also work on videos and audio to help communicate

Technical Writing – Nutshell

Technical writers, or technical authors as they are known in UK, are the professional with a specialization in one or more fields whose work is to communicate to people clearly and concisely, processing information and organizing it in a way that complex concepts are made simple.

ADDIE

Analyze

First analyze the why and the how of the elearning course. This is the golden rule of the ADDIE model.

Before all else, discover what new challenge, what problem, what task, and what expectation has triggered the need for the elearning course. Going forward find out about the target audience, their background, their skill set, their mindset, their technical abilities, and learning habits. After this thorough spade work, determine the server capabilities, the technical tools, and the LMS system on which the course should be built.

Design

On the finding of the analysis, determine the learning objectives and start designing the course. Decide the duration, the methodology, the activities, the assessment methods, the graphics, and the content to bring about stimulating elearning courses, so that the courses you design are not dull and drab run-of-the-mill kinds that put learners to sleep. During the design phase design the instructional strategy, create illustrations, work out lesson plans and activities,  and design evaluation approach and interface.

Develop

Development is a critical phase, we have listed the following steps of good development, and it is often recommended to follow them to the letter:

• Authoring: Have good content developers, who can write interesting lessons that breaks the monotonyof the usual elearning courses. Ensure that the lessons have a zest and passion that translates itself into making the course meaningful and practical, inspiring and interactive, without compromising on the learning objectives.
• Media creation: Use the best of the resources from media, such as Flash-XML, Articulate, Lectora, KnowledgePresenter, and Elicitusthat would create the magic to bring alive any elearning program. Create the right audio and video sound effects, perfect combo of still and animated images to give a world class learning experience that fits the learning objective.
• Prototyping: Elearning being a complex combination of embedded media, web technology and a whole set of tools, always test every elearning courseware to find out limitations and inconsistence to fix them before full-fledged development.
• Processing: After prototyping, let your technical staff to build web pages using HTML, and other templates like cascading sheets, Flash, tools applications like Photoshop and Dreamweaver, etc
• Quality Assurance: From well trained quality assurance team validate the usability of the courseware from the user perspective, to get the real feel of the course. On this basis put together the help file and read me file to ensure your learners are comfortable using the course.

Implementation

Deliver and deploy coursewareby implementing it in the actual environment, where the course has to run.

Evaluation

Evaluate the success of our course and also the operation of the course to continuously improve your instructional design strategies.

In this post, let us know the most widely known theories of Instructional Designing:

Behaviorism:

Behaviorism as a learning theory can be dated back to Aristotle. The primary focus of the theory is to study the overt behavior that can be clearly seen and measured. This learning theory aims at shaping the behavioral pattern to bring about a desired stimulus-response pattern. When applied to Instructional Designing, a course based on the theory of behaviorism, may be structured in a way that aims at repeating a certain behavioral pattern to make it an automatic response.

Cognitivism:

People found that the theory of behaviorism had limitations, because it treated learning as a programmed response that happened by mere repetition. So, the new studies that were conducted came up with the theory of Cognitivism. The theory of Cognitivism says that learning involves associations established through contiguity and repetition. Here learning is seen as a inner mental activity that involves thought process, memory, understanding, and problem-solving abilities. Courses are built in a way that students learn to perform a particular task in a consistent way, not just by mere repetition but by “acquisition or reorganization of the cognitive structures through which humans process and store information.” They believe that learning (Schemata) is a process that alters the internal knowledge structure (Schema).

Constructivism:

Constructivists brought a paradigm shift in the way learning was perceived. So far, both Behavioral and Cognitivism believed that learning was an objective process, but, with Constructivism, learning was seen as subjective phenomena, where the learners construct their own reality based on their previous experiences.  Then there was the question, if everyone constructed their own unique reality, how then could so many unique realities co exist? To this the Constructivism theorists said that, there is a co-existence of many realities because much of the reality is shared through a process of social negotiation.

What is the best theoretical approach to Instructional Designing?

Like all theories have their pros and cons, these learning theories too have their strengths and weaknesses.

The behavioral theory is good, when we have to train people to have an automatic reflex-like response to a situation. For instance: security personnel taking safety measures in different situations. But, the people who have been highly conditioned using this type of training may go blank in situations for which they have not been trained.

Similarly, Cognitivism, is good to train people to perform a task in a consistent way, but again the consistent way may not be the best way of doing something for everybody, and at all times.

Whereas, the Constructivism exposes you to a variety of situations, and allows you to construct your own learning space, which helps in dealing with real life situations, but this kind of training may become  unnecessary and problematic at times when there is just one way to do things right, and allowing you to do something your way may be dangerous.

So, there is no one theory for Instructional Designing. Experienced Instructional Designers apply different theories to meet different learning objectives. But, nevertheless, these theories give instructional designers an idea of variety of approaches they can employ while preparing a courseware.

1. AICC (Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee)

AICC is an international association of technology-based training professionals. The AICC develops guidelines for development, delivery, and evaluation of CBT, WBT, and related training technologies. Though it was Aviation specific earlier but now is general-purpose.

2. SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)

SCORM is a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning. It defines communications between client side content and a host system called the run-time environment (commonly a function of a learning management system). SCORM also defines how content may be packaged into a transferable ZIP file. SCORM is a specification of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative, which comes out of the Office of the United States Secretary of Defense.

3. Authoring Tool

Authoring tools enable trainers to integrate an array of media to create professional, engaging and interactive training content. With an authoring tool, you can repurpose digitized elements or learning objects from an existing course for use in a new course. In this way, you can realize a return on investment for components that may have been developed using outside programmers or graphic design resources.

4. Lectora

Lectora is a simple, easy to learn, single click authoring tool used for the development of e-learning courses where no programming is required. It is used for making online presentations and training courses. It can be published in outlets like html and CD-ROM. It also allows users to create tests and surveys where they can put multiple choice questions, drag and drop, time testing etc.

5. Camtasia

Camtasia is a software where one can capture the video, audio, presentations on the windows desktop and record it. One can also make CDs and can also share it on the internet. This software has the options of stop, pause and record with the hotkey combination. It also allows the user to jump from one application to another without interrupting the recording. It also has the feature of upgrading the recording by editing and by putting sound effects.

6. Adobe Captivate

Adobe captivate is a tool which can capture  the snapshots on the screen and make them into a movie or a interactive presentation by putting sound effects, editing the picture, putting images, rollovers clickable areas etc. It is a very simple tool and is also used for creating interactive software, demonstrations, and games.

7. Learning Management System

Learning Management System (LMS) is a Web-based technology that manages the e learning programs and lets you publish online courses for training purposes. LMS helps in managing and tracking essentially two kinds of users – teachers and students. Teachers can create course materials and tests, while the students can go through the course materials and take the tests.

8. Moodle

Moodle is a free, open source LMS used by the universities, schools, companies all over the world. Moodle which supports an editor using which the courses and tests can be created. Moreover, courses and tests developed outside Moodle can also be uploaded. Moodle supports content delivery in the form of videos, pictures, audio, and YouTube. You can also publish discussions and forums as well as organize virtual class rooms with the help of third-party tools like webex.

9. Articulate Authoring Tool

Articulate tools allows the users to convert their Powerpoint presentations to Flash files. The output is a self-running Flash file which also supports audio.

10. m-learning

M-Learning is learning using mobile phones which allows the user to learn anywhere and everywhere regardless of the geographical restrictions, whether it is the laundry room, bathroom, car, train etc. It also features a  reminder system where the teacher can send reminders as well as explanations to their learners.

11. Instructional Designing

Instructional designing is the art and science of designing instructional and training content that is both interesting and effective. An instructional designer’s job is mainly composed of planning the instructional strategy and writing content based on that instructional strategy.

12. Bloom’s Taxonomy

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom classified the learning objectives into three domains – the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. The cognitive domain revolves around knowledge, comprehension, and critical thinking of a particular topic. The psychomotor domain describes the ability to physically manipulate a tool like a hand, a hammer, or even a piece of software. The affective domain targets the awareness and growth in attitudes, emotion, and feelings.

13. ADDIE

The ADDIE model is generic Instructional Designing model on which most of the other models are based. ADDIE is illustrated in the figure below. Each step has an outcome that feeds the subsequent step.

Analysis –> Design –> Development –> Implementation –> Evaluation

This blog post is an attempt to simplify the meaning of Instructional Designing to all and sundry.

Let us understand Instructional Designing by drawing parallels. One parallel that I can think of is a Lesson Plan.  

Take a scenario:

Assume you are an English teacher. You have to teach a group of Korean Students the usage of past tense.

Now, what do you do? You wouldn’t barge in and just start teaching without any preparation, would you? Surely not! You would certainly prepare for your lessons. Right?  So, how would you go about preparing for the lessons?

First of all, you would carefully draw a lesson plan. To draw a lesson plan, you would do the following things:

1. Fix the objectives of your lessons. For instance: Students should be capable of correctly using the past tense
2. Determine students’ comprehension level. For example: Beginners/ Intermediate/Upper -Intermediate level
3. Plan your lesson instructions according to the level determined. This would mean a whole lot of things, like:

• What theoretical explanation would you give and how much?
• What training material would you use to demonstrate the grammatical usage of the past tenses?
• What tasks-varying from guided practice to free tasks- would you assign your students?
• What evaluation process would you employ to test your students?

Second is the implementation of the lesson plan, i.e. you would teach students according to the lesson plan you have drawn.

Finally, you would evaluate your students to see if the learning objective is met. This is a lesson plan.

So far so good, right?

Now, let’s take the lesson plan a little higher. Imagine, you are a teacher, and you have been given a list of learning objectivse that you have to achieve. But, you have not been given any ready courseware, although you have some disorganized training materials that you can use according to your discretion, you have been asked to put together a training program that achieves the complex list of learning objectives, you have enough time, and are free to use any multi-media. Now, what do you do?

You start planning not for one single lesson. But, for an entire course. Here, what you actually do is Instructional Designing, i.e. you plan (i.e. design) the flow of lessons (i.e. instructions) in a particular order to achieve the list of complex learning objectives.

So Instructional Designing means:

• You understand the aptitude (physical and mental) of the audience/students of the course,
• Break the complex list of objectives into smaller goals, and design single lessons to achieve each goal at a time.
• Finally put together a whole set of lessons in a logical flow, and present it as a course in order to achieve a set of complex goals.
• Ensure that the entire course (flow of lessons) in put together in an interesting and appealing way.

 There a whole range of words like Instructional Systems Design (ISD), Instructional Systems Design & Development (ISDD), the Systems Approach to Training (SAT), that are used interchangeably, but mean the same as Instructional Designing.

Since, this was just a hypothetical instance, in reality there are professionals whose work is to put together courseware to achieve a variety of objectives, right from teaching companies’ staff the safety measures to be taken in an emergency, to performing a task at work successfully.

This is Instructional Designing simplified.

I recently entered this world of writing looking for an image, an image which would spark into a story. A word that would lead to a line and a line that would lead to a definition. It is a mysterious and diverse world which i am exploring everyday finding ways to master upon the convenient truths.

With every step I take, I stumble upon something new. It could be just another word,a new technology or maybe something to help me out on my own personal grounds.While writing,I not only learn the above benefits but also about the various technologies and process adapted by various other companies  through their given inputs.

No doubt one can take a simple picture and make a paragraph out of it. But what I am learning here is to create that paragraph in a way which is as easy and approachable for the mass. As I have been exploring this world of writing, I have come across various tools that we specialise in. Some of the major tools being used by us to simplify our writing are Camtasia, RoboHelp, LMS, Authoring Tools, Moodle, m-learning etc. These tools not only makes presentations easy for us to feed but also makes the course user friendly and easy to learn giving it a very simple yet elegant touch.

To sum it all up in a jiffy, I have realised that this is the right path for me, though ive covered just 0.5% of the whole journey. There couldnt be a better way of learning and challenging yourself more and more everyday than here at technoscribe.in

Do pay attention to the collocations in bold..

Just a couple of weeks ago, we made a trip to Gangotri, the penultimate point from which the holy Ganges flows (the ultimate being Gomukh-the headwater or the source of Ganga).  Travelling from the scorching heat of the parched city of Delhi to Rishikesh, crossing over Haridwar was already getting pleasant for six of us on journey. The stopover at Rishikesh, just at the banks of the holy Ganges, and to stay there for a night, actually so close to the shimmering river, that flowed relentlessly, with inexplicable grace against the picturesque mountains of Gurhwal hills, had started to quench our souls. But that was just the beginning; the beauty of Uttarakhand was yet to unfold.

Next day, our journey began early. Our vehicle climbed up and down, rounding a bend on the cobbled roads of the wooded mountains, we saw throughout our journey the meandering river of Ganges flowing across the countless mountains, tiny hamlets, and plunging valleys. It was a spectacular view to see Ganges from varying altitudes – sometimes at the sea level, and sometimes from the climbing hill top –all so serene as serenity could be!

On the way up, we stopped to see the Tehri dam, built over the river Bhagirathi, the main tributary of Ganges.  What a panoramic view to see the dam, hustled in the midst of the huge mountain ranges, under a clear blue sky, surrounded by lush green wooded hills and gushing river, overseeing the Tehri town, with its waters looking completely green from one side, and absolutely muddy brown on the other!  Well, Tehri dam may well be the fifth largest dam in the world, but I bet, it is the most beautiful one world over! it was

We covered a distance of about 250 kms in a good eight hours time, crossing some of the world’s tallest bridges, passing over some of the most difficult terrains, looking at the breathtaking views of the lush vegetation and the terrace farming done on these jagged peaks, sensing the simple Gurhwal spirit, moving between the towering mountain ranges and plunging valleys, to reach Gangotri by the fall of the evening.

Like in Rishikesh, we stayed at GMVK (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) guest house. These guest houses, being government run, had the advantage of not just giving a good accommodation, but to be placed in locations that are the best!

In Gangotri, I cannot forget that moment when we first saw the dramatic view of the roaring and rushing Ganges at Surya Kund! It seemed like the flood gates of the heavens were open, and the river was flowing from up there, making huge roar that was heard far and wide!

Next morning, at the break of the day, we stood in the front yard of our guest house, in the biting winds and the light rain, against the background of the roaring Ganges, watching the mighty mountains some snowcapped, some covered in patches of fog. And, the sunshine was trickling down slowly to bathe them in their golden light. That moment, we were transported to another world. Indeed this was a place for Gods!

We then slowly moved to the banks of Ganges, and sat across the Ghat seeing tens of hundreds of people taking a holy dip in Ganges. It was beyond us to understand how it feels to take a dip there, until we put our feet in Ganges. The water was biting cold. And, keeping our feet in those ice cool stream even for 10 seconds was clotting the blood and turning out feet red. And, there, right across us were so many of them enjoying a shower! We sat at its banks, for a long, long time, admiring the panoramic views around.

Next morning, we started back from Gangotri, truly captivated by its beauty, grandeur, and tranquility. We stopped at Harshil to have our breakfast.  Harshil was a real beauty, having all that Gangotri has – the mountains, rivers, lush greenery, everything, but here it seemed the wild beauty of Gangotri had turned a lot gentler and motherly.

The rest of the journey went by between spells of sleep and wakeful hours. And, we returned from what was more than just a journey!!!

Collocations can be defined as words that go together, in a set pattern of word-order, by dint of sheer habit, custom, and convention. Collocation is made of two words: co and location, and denotes to mean, to locate or place a word in company (co) of another word. In the words of Firth, collocation is defined as: “Collocations of a given word are statements of the habitual or customary places of that word.”

When collocations are first introduced, they are introduced as pair–words, a cut chase way of understanding collocation. So, we are told that words like: bread and butter, nut and bolt, hard and fast, loud and clear, are words that always go hand-in-hand, and are collocations.

If we believe that collocations mean only such pair-words, we are sadly mistake. Because, the problem with collocations is that, at a deeper level, some words refuse and defy going with any other word, other than their own collocated word pair, just like the expression: sadly mistaken. Why should one always be sadly mistaken, why can’t one sometimes be mournfully mistaken, sorrowfully mistaken, or regretfully mistaken? There is no logic, but just that, it’s the way it is. That is collocation- happy together with the right company, and weird with strange ones.

Types of Collocation

You can categories collocations by employing a variety of criteria. Here we shall employ the grammatical categorization of collocations:

Adjectives and Nouns: You can describe a person’s physical appearance with many of these collocations such as:  round face, chubby cheeks, long face, straight nose, oval face, slender waist, sleek figure, Wavy hair, bushy eyebrows lanky youth, and portly gentleman (fat and round elderly gentleman)

Nouns and Verbs: There are many collocations formed by the combination of nouns and verbs, like in the sentence: Companies flourished during the IT boom. Economy expanded and markets grew.

Noun and Noun: A typically pattern of such collocations is: a noun of noun structure. We have collocations like : a surge of anger, a sense of pride, a pang of nostalgia, a sense of defeat, a sense of belongingness, a sense of purpose, a sense of urgency, and others.

Verbs and Adverbs: Collocations as in:  immaculately groomed, lovely complexion, highly intelligent, fiercely loyal, and brutally honest.

I am haunted by these immortal lines of Tagore whilst I write this, the first ever blog post of mine.

It is not strange that when one writes the very first blog of her life, one tends to think of topics that would stir the world up, and would want the world to stand up and say:

Here’s the new age Shakespeare!
Look the Blake has come again!!
The new prophet of writing has arrived!!!

I am quite sure; there are perhaps very few, who at least don’t begin writing without such romantic grandeur of creating ripples in the world of writing. And whilst I began to write, I too was caught in this alluring fascination like the Cervantes of Don Quixote lost in the world of knights.

But, it was not before long, that I was woken to the reality that in my obstinacy to find a fantastic topic, I, like that musician in Tagore’s poem, wrought and unwrought my thoughts in search of a song to come by.

Wisdom dawned. And I wrote this post – a simple welcome note for all of you. And, in future too, I have decided to write in this blog, about simple things that matter to me, as a student of language and literature, as a technical writer, and as a person. So, you can expect in this blog, topics ranging from writing tips, to grammar lessons, to a little trivia, and a world of stray tales, all written in the same spirit to share somethings I know, and some I stumbled up on.