Re: Training doc

[Suzette Seveny <sseveny -at- PETVALU -dot- COM>]

Coming from a training background, I got into technical writing by writing
training documentation.  I'll just outline some of the major rules I
follow:

1.  When writing the documentation, keep in mind skill building.  For
example, if I were writing a training manual on Word, I would not necessary
cover all formatting issues at the same time.  First would be basic
Create/Print/Save a document.  Then Find/Open/Edit a document.  Later on,
Basic formatting - Fonts/Tabs/Paragraphs.  Then Advanced Formatting - Page
Layout/Margins/Page Numbering.  Then Long Documents -
Header/Footers/TOC/Index.  Then Automating your Documents - Basic
Fields/Mail Merge/etc.  and so on and so on .....
2.   I start each chapter/module with an introduction of what will be
covered, and what the objective is - i.e., By the end of this chapter, you
will be able to XXXXXX".
3.  At the end of the chapter, I summarize the key points that were
covered, a sample of the output, and usually follow up with a short self
quiz.
4.  Usually, with a self-training manual, I include a diskette of documents
that can be used (for example, with long documents, or a list of names and
address to be used with mail merge) to save the poor user from having to
type mega pages in order to see a function work.

I have never actually written a training manual on Word - I just used that
as an example that almost everyone can relate to.

Hope this helps,
Suzette

On Friday, June 19, 1998 12:43 PM, Michael Burke [SMTP:miburke -at- WSICORP -dot- COM]
wrote:
>      Hello all --
>
>      I have a very general question that needs only a general response.
>
>      I have the opportunity to pick up a contract project writing some
>      training documentation. I have not written training doc before.
>
>      I was wondering if any tech/training writers could generally help me
>      establish if I can do training writing.
>
>      How would you approach a training doc project as opposed to a tech
>      writing doc?
>
>      How does training writing differ from tech writing. I know that
>      training doc is procedural-based, and steps people slowly through a
>      task, but in what other ways do they differ?
>
>