Integrating documentation and training?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Rebecca Stevenson reports: <<Our group has recently taken 
responsibility for developing and delivering training on our products, 
something we have been lacking up until now. This is a great 
opportunity and we're glad to have this happen; on the other hand, 
resources are tight, and it's important that we do everything we can to 
make the two efforts work together (the word "leverage" keeps being 
used).>>

One very productive approach I've used in the past involves using the 
trainer to teach the trainees how to use the documentation and 
particularly the online help. You wouldn't believe how many people 
don't know how to use either resource. (Insert rant #17 about declining 
literacy and educational standards here.)

<<I'm brainstorming with myself on ways we can make this work. So far, 
it all seems to be coming down to information sharing -- reviewing each 
other's material where possible (we do peer reviews in our group), 
keeping everyone in the loop when source documents are passed around, 
sharing software when we can to make repurposing easier, having writers 
attend the early training sessions to make sure feedback is cycled into 
the docs.>>

In addition to this, enlist your trainers as indispensable sources of 
feedback on problems with the software and the documentation. There's 
nothing like trying to teach someone to reveal your own 
misunderstandings and problems with the product--or the docs. If you 
can, take the opportunity to attend the training sessions so you can 
watch how people actually use the software; if you understand that, 
then you can adapt your docs to suit that approach.

And examine the training material against the docs to see how the two 
can complement each other. For example, the training can be "here's the 
simple way to do X; see page Y of the docs for you other options", 
whereas the documentation can clearly refer to training material (e.g., 
"for practice configuring the Bafflebag 1001, try out Chapter 1 of our 
tutorial").

One interesting potential distinction between documentation and 
training is that the former is referred to by those who have already 
taken the latter. That highlights the difference between the two: 
training provides basic competencies, whereas documentation provides a 
refresher for those whose recall is weak, and a way to go beyond the 
basics for those who have already mastered the basics. Remember the old 
computer manuals that used to say "here's how to use Windows"? These 
now largely assume that you've taken the training (formal, or "school 
of hard knocks") to master the basic skills, and now build on those 
skills rather than teaching them.

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)