ANSWER GEEK

Answer geeks (and we use that term with great respect): Where would we be without them? They help guide us through the challenges of online learning, the Internet, courseware development, and those other intersections of learning and technology. Have a question about e-learning? Maybe we can help. Email us at  answergeek@astd.org! We’ll publish some of the best Q&A.

QUESTION

How can I evaluate the writing in an online procedure manual?  

ANSWERS

Yakimovicz

Writing for online documentation is slightly different than writing for either e-learning or general Web site content. Someone who can create or revise help files or other procedures records that are immediately sensible and usable is an exemplary communicator, in my experience. Kirkpatrick's Level 1 and Level 3 evaluations could be useful here. Ask front line staff whether they actually use the documentation; if so, how they use it--if not, why they don't use it. Implement a survey system that allows you to collect user input on a regular basis, such as twice a year, and use that input to improve the writing.

Great references I use over and over again:

· Standards for Online Communication, by JoAnn Hackos and Dawn Stevens

· Designing and Writing Online Documentation: Hypermedia for Self-Supporting

Products, by William Horton

· Documentation Standards and Procedures for Online Systems (unfortunately

out of print but superb!), by Martin Rubin

Kaplan-Leiserson

Several past Learning Circuits columns discussed writing online. In this Answer Geek, Beth Tang and Aina Irbe talk about the importance of online readability. Points to remember include putting the most important information first in case your readers don’t scroll down the page and using short paragraphs, bullets, and bold-face text to break up long blocks of text.

Tang and Irbe offer a list of online resources with more information, including the Learning Circuits E-Learning 1.0 article "Write Right: Polishing Your E-Learning Prose," which provides reminders about crucial points for online writing such as remembering your audience, watching your tone, and using clear language.