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Instruction Set Review

This document provides instructions for Assignment 2, which asks students to create a technical instruction set teaching a specific process using a technical device or program. Students must interview an expert, document the process, and include requirements like personas, design justification, and specific instruction set components. The instruction set will be evaluated based on use, language, design, inclusion of required parts, and extras demonstrating use of an expert source. Students are reminded to focus on teaching how to perform a process rather than simply listing steps.

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Will Kurlinkus
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37 views

Instruction Set Review

This document provides instructions for Assignment 2, which asks students to create a technical instruction set teaching a specific process using a technical device or program. Students must interview an expert, document the process, and include requirements like personas, design justification, and specific instruction set components. The instruction set will be evaluated based on use, language, design, inclusion of required parts, and extras demonstrating use of an expert source. Students are reminded to focus on teaching how to perform a process rather than simply listing steps.

Uploaded by

Will Kurlinkus
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ASSIGNMENT 2

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION SET: 


DRAFT: 10.3 | FINAL:10.8

PURPOSE
Whether it’s telling users how to run a piece of computer
software, training a new colleague in how to operate a
machine, or helping fellow scientists across the globe replicate
your experiment—easy to follow instructions are key to
technical communication. But real technical writers don’t just
make up steps and guess at processes—they go out and
watch, interview, and record experts at work.

TASK
In Assignment 2 you will create an instruction set teaching a specific technical process
using a technical program, machinery, or scientific equipment. To do so, you will go
out and interview, photograph, and document a subject matter expert (SME)
performing the process. Your topic should fit into the format: How to perform X
process using Y device. I don’t care what the technical device is—CAD software,
Photoshop, a microscope, excel, a geological surveying tool—all I care is that you’re
explaining how to do some process that uses some kind of technical device. Most
importantly, remember the distinction we’ve made in this class between teaching
someone how to do something (good) and simply listing steps (bad).

TYPE
The process need not be hyper-complex. In fact, you should assume that you’re
introducing someone that doesn’t have much (if any) background knowledge of your
process. Your instructor should be able to understand it. Good projects for this
assignment often explain a process you’ve learned in another class to a younger
student who has yet to take that class.  

DELIVERABLES
PDF instruction set created in Canva with all the required parts from my powerpoint 
A SME persona 
2 user personas: one for advanced user and one for novice. 
2 paragraph design justification explaining to your instructor how you collected and
incorporated user data, chose to design your document, and anything you
struggled with.   

REQUIREMENTS
Throughout this unit, on most days I will be giving different new requirements. It’s your
job to record them in your notes and make sure you include them in your final project.
Part of this unit, that is, is making sure you can follow instructions! 
Instruction Set: Rubric

_______Use: (30 Points)


• Does each step include a command (short action-oriented step that the user can easily see and perform), tip/warning
(additional information about the easiest way to perform a step. Where expert education comes from. Do this, not that
because…), feedback (a sight, smell, touch, taste, or temporal cue that tells the user they are doing something right or
wrong: "at this stage it should look like this," "if you smell burning you've overheated the iron, unplug it."), and an image/s
(highlight process, make sure you are at the correct zoom and angle. Often steps require more than one image/angle to
properly display the action.)
• Are their appropriate measurements of the time it takes to do things, the size, and weight of things (if applicable) clear?
• Are the feedback mechanisms clear—do you cue the reader into what the thing should look like at each stage of the
project? Should there be more? Consider all the sensory cues that are necessary for the user to know they are doing a good
job. What message will appear? What should I see? What noise should I hear?
• Are tips and warnings helpful? Do they occur before the step they describe? Could there be more?
• Do the instructions teach you not only how but why to do and avoid doing things?
• Is this instruction set rich with useable images?
• Are there any points where you find yourself asking “What does this even mean?”
• Are there any points where you need more information or want the instructions to link out to something extra?
• Is there any assumed expertise?

_______Language: (25 Points)


• Are vague/theoretical instructions (how to make a scatter plot) grounded through a specific example (how to make a
scatter plot of NBA salaries)?
• Is the command/step clear and quick? Not buried in a paragraph?
• Is there any unclear/too specific language that needs to be explained better?
• Are technical terms well defined throughout and do you avoid confusion?
• Is the tone appropriate for the subject matter? It can be creative.
• In general, is the instruction set well written—free from errors?

_______Design: (20 Points)


• Is design additive rather than distracting/subtractive?
• Does the layout include many of the pieces we discussed on the visual design day.
• Is there a clear and uniform visual hierarchy? (headings, bullets, subheadings, numbers)
• Is some attempt at creativity/style made?
• Are words and images clearly tied together rather than split across pages.s
• Scannable/Dual-Stream: Can you easily skip through steps.
• Are the images clear? Do they use the three-part system? Are they from the appropriate angle, big enough, etc.? Do the
instructions need more? Where? Are the images labeled with figure numbers and captions?
• Are there both steps (individual actions) and stages (larger groups)? Do either the step of stage have too much
information in them?
• Is there a well thought out color and font scheme?

_______5 Instruction Set Parts: (10 Points)


• Intro (time, cost, overview, what do I need to know to do this, background knowledge, level of difficulty, why do it this
way), List of Materials (costs, tips on choosing, images), Steps, Trouble Shooting (Q&A), and Glossary (more than three
terms—also can explain key ideas/concepts and key links)
• Don’t forget an informative title, table of contents, page numbers, and a title page as well

_______Extras: (15 Points)


• Is this clearly based off of another expert rather than the student just doing it on their own? If I get the hint that the
student just created their own instruction set without documenting something else, you will receive zero point on this
section. Show me that you documented someone else.
• 3 Personas
• 2 paragraph design description

_______Total: (100 Points)


INSTRUCTION LAYOUT
TASK:
kurlinkus

CREATOR:

step tip warning feedback images


short action-oriented steps that the user needs to action-oriented visuals that show the user what to do.
additional information about the easiest way to perform inform users of things that could go wrong before they a multimodal cue (sight, smell, touch, taste) that tells the
perform to complete the task. Think about chunking Remember to highlight process, make sure you are at the
a step. This is where you can really get into expert happen. What should they avoid and WHY? Another user they are doing something right or wrong: "at this
into larger stages/tasks. correct zoom and angle. Often steps require more than
education. Do this/Not That. place for expert education. stage it should look like this," "if you smell burning you've
one image/angle to properly display the action.
overheated the iron, unplug it."

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