Re: The origins of task-oriented writing as a preference

[Harry Hager <hhager -at- dttus -dot- com>]

     Mark,
     
     You don't really believe that task-oriented writing is mainly for 
     "computer-illiterated users" do you? You're just being provocative, 
     right? 
     
     Task-oriented writing and teaching is not a new and it is not even a 
     recent phenomenon.
     
     People learn by doing. Educators have known this for generations. 
     
     Task-oriented writing predates Word and Quicken by many, many, many 
     years. In fact, task-oriented writing and teaching predates computers. 
     
     I was doing task-oriented writing and teaching to end users of 
     computer software in the 1960's while I was in the U.S. Air Force. 
     When I went a U. S. Air Force computer instructor training course in 
     the 60's, the task-oriented approach was the approach taught. 
     
     The U. S. military training for its various equipment and systems were 
     very much task-oriented long before computers.
     
     I'd bet that the training and any written instructions the Roman 
     legions received was very much task-oriented. They didn't want to read 
     a reference manual about their swords and shields; they wanted to know 
     how to use them to accomplish their tasks at hand. 
     
     So, what all this amounts to is that the proven technique of 
     task-oriented writing and training (learn by doing) was adopted by 
     writers and trainers of computers software. Why? Because it works.
     
     Jim Hager
     
     
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: The origins of task-oriented writing as a preference
Author:  mxd2 -at- osi -dot- com at Internet-USA
Date:    1/28/00 3:24 PM


Our management has discovered we need "task-oriented" writing rather 
than "reference-oriented" writing in our manuals.
     
IMHO, the impetus toward task-oriented writing began with popularly 
available software (Word, Quicken, etc.), and is focussed on a large 
audience of relatively computer-illiterated users. The "For Dummies" 
books also address this audience.
     
Can anyone tell me the origins of this movement toward task-orientation 
in writing?
     
Has anyone had any experience surveying computer-savvy users of more 
complicated software (like ours) to see whether they want tasks or 
reference information?
     
--
Regards,
     
-- mailto:Mark -dot- Dempsey -at- osi -dot- com
--
-- Mark Dempsey
-- Technical Publications
-- Objective Systems Integrators
-- 101 Park Way, Folsom, CA 95630
-- 916.353.2400 x 4777
     
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