atw: Re: Screenshots in user doco - Yes or No? [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Thanks everyone for your recommendations on this topic. I'll be applying
the acid test when deciding whether to include screenshots:

If it adds value (i.e. clarity, reduction in words) then it's in,
otherwise it's out.

Cheers,
Craig

-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rhonda Bracey
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:41 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Screenshots in user doco - Yes or No?
[SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

And Bob's post reminded me of an illuminating closing session at last
year's WritersUA conference (www.writersua.com) where William Horton
(http://www.horton.com/) gave us about 1 minute to make a paper
aeroplane and fly it. While making it, we were allowed to describe how
and why to the person next to us. Every plane flew - some more than
others, but hey, it was a brief session.

He then asked us how we would write those instructions. His point was
that writing the step-by-step instructions for making a paper aeroplane
with only words is a much more complex process and more given to
misinterpretation by the reader. By being able to see *how* someone made
their plane, we learnt how to make ours - whether they gave us
instructions or not.

And of course, the other point was that not everyone can read as well as
we can, and that many people cannot learn by text alone. Education
theory (from WAY back when, so don't ask me to quote it!) has it that
learners learn best by doing, then by seeing, then by hearing, and
lastly by reading. A single delivery method does not work as well as a
combination - and the best combination is one that incorporates as many
of these learning modes as possible. 

Rhonda

Rhonda Bracey
rhonda.bracey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.cybertext.com.au
AuthorIT Certified Consultant
*************
[STC members: Vote for Char James-Tanny for STC Secretary - I will!]
-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Bob.Trussler@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2006 7:15 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Screenshots in user doco - Yes or No? [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

I have been reading this thread and suddenly thought of Ikea
instructions for assembling furniture.
They are almost all screen shots or diagrams.  Almost no words. They
translate easily.

Lego builder blocks have no words because they are for pre-literate
readers.  They can be used by users in any language or no language.
Plus, how on earth could you describe building even the simplest
construction using just words?

Which again reminds me (it's one of those days) of an exercise in a tech
writing course where three teams try to build a simple Lego thing using
1- diagrams only, 2 - text and diagrams, 3 - text only.  No prizes for
guessing who finished first and also built the correct thing.

_____________
Bob Trussler

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