#13851
The Culture of Distance Education: Implementing an Online Graduate Level Course in Audience Analysis 
This essay details the experience of designing, implementing, and evaluating an online course in audience analysis at the graduate level. Through a discussion of the culture of this online course, I describe how the educational culture of the Land Grant Mission flowed into our efforts to create a quality learning experience, and how the Web modules and asynchronous (listserv) and synchronous (MOO) conversations influenced communication and learning.
Duin, Ann Hill. Technical Communication Quarterly (1998). Articles>Education>Audience Analysis>Online
#13131
Curriculum Re-design for Web-Based and Distance Learning: The 'Search' for Online Models
This paper discusses the work in progress at the Illinois Institute of Technology/Program in Technical Communication and Information Design in web-based instruction and distance learning. Part I is a case study of issues involved in the re-positioning of a traditional classroom course in online design to Internet delivery. Part II discusses issues in the design of instructional materials for the web and cognitive principles for designing these materials.
Eiler, Mary Ann, Susan Feinberg and Margaret Murphy. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#27030
Customers avoid web-based customer support if information is not relevant, out of date or hard to find. Without a business commitment to addressing these issues, customers will continue to prefer contacting a service representative by phone.
Szuc, Daniel and Gerry Gaffney. Apogee (2005). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#29764
Customized Book-Based Electronic Collections: Case Study and Exploration of Issues
Collections of technical documentation vary in their delivery media, file format, user interface and degree of integration of the component documents or information. This paper looks at definitions and attributes of collections before reviewing the development of book- based, customized CD collections in a company operating in a fast-changing industry. Issues arising from this case study are explored and findings are used to identify a broad categorization of collections and build a starting point check list for collection design. Major issues in collection building are summarized.
Symonds, Yosef. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Documentation>Online>Case Studies
#19375
CyberLaw and You: What New Media Communicators Must Know
As our world changes, so, too, do the laws to which we are subject. Gone are the days of the 'wild, wild web.' Here are the days of increasing regulation, at both the state and Federal levels, of the Internet. Recently enacted Federal legislation includes the Copyright Extension Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Digital Theft Deterrence Act and the Anti-Cybersquatting and Consumer Protection Act. Looming on the horizon in a number of states is the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), which, when enacted by the individual states, will force significant changes to how anyone operating in the computer industry will conduct his or her business. In addition, case law continues to evolve in trademark, jurisdiction and other areas related to the Internet and electronic content.
Juillet, Christopher. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>Online
#15107
CyberLaw and You: What New Media Communicators Must Know
Describes developments in copyright law over the last few years that affect technical communicators.
Juillet, Christopher. Intercom (2002). Careers>Multimedia>Online
#22182
Review: CyberRegs: A Business Guide to Web Property, Privacy, and Patents
By providing excellent and easy-to-read overviews of certain legal developments, CyberRegs helps readers understand the ever-changing challenges of regulating cyberspace interactions. By including listings of online resources on specific legal topics, the author also provides a method for augmenting what one learns in the book itself. For these reasons, CyberRegs is a resource that can continue to prove useful even after the laws it examines have changed.
St. Amant, Kirk R. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Reviews>Intellectual Property>Online
#14986
D-Lib Magazine is a solely electronic publication with a primary focus on digital library research and development, including but not limited to new technologies, applications, and contextual social and economic issues. The magazine is published eleven times a year and is released monthly, except for the July and August issues which are combined and released in July. The full contents of the magazine, including all back issues, are available free of charge at the D-Lib web site (http://www.dlib.org) as well as multiple mirror sites around the world. The primary goal of the magazine is timely and efficient information exchange for the digital library community. To meet this goal, both the articles and the shorter pieces are solicited or selected from among unsolicited submissions.
#20781
I'll pay $20 for a manual. I'd even pay $30-40 for a manual (grudgingly...). But $65 for a manual that should be in the damn box to begin with? Sorry... NO.
DealMac (2003). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#29828
Over a period of 10 years, we have developed a sustainable process of online portfolio assessment that demonstrates both reliability and validity, using both qualitative and quantitative measures. The sustainable cycle is that, each semester, we assess a random sampling of the students' work that they have posted, as per our instructions, in an online portfolio. During the reading, the faculty score the documents for 11 variables, including writing, content, audience awareness, and document design. We achieved validity by a modified online Delphi that led to a redefinition of the construct of technical communication itself; we achieved reliability by adjudication resulting in adjacent scores. The results of our assessment meet the requirements of ABET and result in a continual cycle of improvement for our technical communication curriculum. Results from three semesters show an improving correlation between the course grade and the overall, holistic portfolio score.
Johnson, Carol Siri. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2006). Academic>Portfolios>TC>Online
#29567
The deep niche--the rolling 'interest tribe' comprised of that day's enthusiastic, new audience--is something that publishers must acknowledge, and accommodate in our business plans, if we are to sustain ourselves. The Web is not merely a threat to publishers--it can also be the means to connect to the people we most want to reach: the interested reader.
Jensen, Michael. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2007). Articles>Publishing>Research>Online
#20293
Delivering Documentation on CD-ROM and the Internet
Many companies produce products on the cutting edge of technology but still publish documentation using old technology. At N.E.T., we develop our information with the goal of using the latest technologies; this includes using the Internet and CDROM as our primary modes of delivery.
Jones, Margaret and Pat Adams. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Documentation>Online
#13302
Delivering Effective Web-Based Education
Delivering effective Web-based education is a challenge more communication professionals will face in the near future. While many approaches exist for solving this problem, one expedient solution is videotaping traditional stand-and-deliver classes, compressing the video for streaming off the Web, synchronizing important visual material to key points in the video, and placing everything in a well-designed and easy-to-use Web site.
Gange, Charles and Mary Ellen Coleman. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#19830
Delivering Training and Support Using Windows Help
The Windows Help utility is familiar as a tool to provide context-sensitive and procedural help for people using a software application, but it also a highly effective tool for providing many kinds of desktop-based training and support within an organization. During this session, we look at a variety of systems built using Windows Help and explore why this was a good choice for the particular project.
Deaton, Mary M. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#30711
Democracy, Deliberation and Design: The Case of Online Discussion Forums
Within democratic theory, the deliberative variant has assumed pre-eminence. It represents for many the ideal of democracy, and in pursuit of this ideal, online discussion forums have been proposed as solutions to the practical limits to mass deliberation. Critics have pointed to evidence which suggests that online discussion has tended to undermine deliberation. This article argues that this claim, which generates a stand-off between the two camps, misses a key issue: the role played by design in facilitating or thwarting deliberation. It argues that political choices are made both about the format and operation of the online discussion, and that this affects the possibility of deliberation. Evidence for the impact of design (and the choices behind it) is drawn from analysis of European Union and UK discussion forums. This evidence suggests that we should view deliberation as dependent on design and choice, rather than a predetermined product of the technology.
Wright, Scott and John Street. New Media and Society (2007). Articles>Collaboration>Online
#18743
En este artículo vamos a introducir los conceptos básicos sobre Derecho de Autor (copyright), prestando especial atención a las obras y recursos publicados en el entorno Web.
Fernandez, Francisco Jesus Martin and Yusef Hassan Montero. Nosolousabilidad.com (2003). (Spanish) Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>Online
#25409
We present a framework for web-based learning design, which consists of seven basic components: directionality, usability, consistency, interactivity, multi-modality, adaptability, and accountability. We propose that effective design begins with a clear delineation of the intended audience, usage context, and learning goals and that all further design occurs within the context of these factors (i.e. directionality). The design factors themselves can be seen as representing the fundamental contrasting goals of simplicity (usability and consistency) and complexity (interactivity, multi-modality, and adaptability). We propose that effective design consists of the proper balance of simplicity and complexity. Finally, design should include an evaluation component (accountability), which should in turn impact design modification via feedback. We review research that relates to the components of the framework, including a recent assessment on Web-Based modules as part of the PsychConnections project. We also pose recommendations and provide examples from the Smart Engineering Project and other instructional multi-media developed under the auspices of the Instructional Software Development Center at the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Hall, Richard H., Steve E. Watkins, Robert Davis, Abdeldjelil Belarbi and K. Chandrashekhara. University of Missouri-Rolla (2003). Articles>Education>Online
#27651
Design Checklists for Online Help
Online help systems have evolved over the past 20 years to meet the needs of our users. Designers must consider the content, format, presentation, navigation, and access methods of online help systems. A series of design checklists based on the past 20 years of research are presented in this paper, which summarizes a journal article currently being considered for publication. The latest trend in online help system design is embedded user assistance, which includes integrating information into the interface and including an embedded help pane within that interface to display a context-sensitive online help system.
Corbin Nichols, Michelle. WritersUA (2004). Articles>Documentation>Help>Online
#20292
Design Once: Use Again and Again and Again…
You can either do it over and over again; or, you can design it once and use it again and again. The decision to create reusable learning modules need not be an expensive one. It just requires modular design.
Horton, William K. III. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#19900
Design, Technology, and Collaboration: A Case Study in Internet Publishing
This case study presents the process and procedures involved in migrating print documents (technical documentation, newsletters, brochures, white papers, etc.) to the Internet. Included is a discussion of how print prototypes were developed, the online 'translation' of information structures ,as well as the selection and training of the business unit’s web team, and the role of the project leader. Issues like 'designing for maintenance,' management support, and technological benefits and constraints are highlighted.
Eiler, Mary Ann. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Publishing>Online
#19971
Designing a Product Documentation Library for the World Wide Web
Designing a documentation library for the WWW requires understanding the unique capabilities of the Web and how they can be used to meet the documentation needs of customers. The Web is ideal for distributing information and interacting with customers, but certain considerations apply. Will you offer free Web access to manuals you normally sell? If you choose to limit library access to customers, how will you prevent unauthorized browsing? Do you want to use the Web to solicit readers’ comments? With the Web, you can effortlessly distribute new versions of documentation, but you must carefully identify each version to avoid customer support problems.
Bassow, Fern and Holly Gross. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online
#27084
Designing a Software User Assistance System
This article looks at a methodology for developing a software user assistance (UA) system in a structured manner. The software UA system could have both paper-based user manuals and online help systems.
Ferris, Tamara. Indus (2006). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help
#13301
Designing a Supplementary Web-Based Online Help System: A Case Study
Computerized Medical Systems, Inc. (CMS) has implemented an extensive online help system based on HTML for its FOCUS radiation therapy planning system. Netscape Navigator was selected as the browser because FOCUS is based on the UNIX platform and Netscape was the only HTML browser available for UNIX.
Watson, Frank. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Documentation>Online>Help
#19227
Designing Accessible Web Based Courseware with Authoring Tools
Creation of Web based courseware has become easier and quicker, particularly, for non-Web experts with the advent of authoring software which allows authors to put together resources without requiring to learn HTML. However, there are problems regarding the accessibility of resources produced by such software, and this article discusses the nature of these problems and how they can be overcome.
Sloan, David. TechDis (2000). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#19296
In an ideal world help text would be unnecessary - users would never get stuck in an application or site. It should be enough to provide clear design, carefully chosen titles and labels for the various functions, appropriate field prompts when user entry is required, helpful feedback, a glossary, and 'embedded' help such as default values, example input, on-screen step-by-step instructions and explanatory text next to fields or functions. Help features should certainly be a last resort. Anyone embarking on adding it to an application or site should be sure that they have already followed the best practise listed above. In most cases (certainly online) a help option should not be necessary.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Documentation>Help>Online
