Chapter Meeting

Next Meeting: June 29, 2010

Speaker: Linda Urban

Building Bridges Between Documentation and Training

Technical writers and instructional designers tend to look at their work from different viewpoints and use different terms. In some ways their work and goals are quite different. But in other ways, they are quite similar. Both sets of professionals have interesting ways of approaching their work that can be of use to the other. 

In this talk, we will compare some terminology and ideas from the two disciplines, including
*  Learner versus User
*  Learning versus Look-up
*  Course Materials and Job Aids versus User Guides and Help
*  Designing a learning experience versus Architecting
    information sets
*  Evaluation versus Usability testing

We will also look at some techniques from instructional design that can be useful in documentation, for example:  

*  Using learning objectives and considering outcomes when
    developing documentation
*  Applying the idea of “needs assessment” to documentation
*  Providing performance support

And we’ll look at how to build bridges between the two fields, and between the content they develop. For example—is documentation considered as part of your company’s learning strategy? If not, why not? Does a separate training group develop job aids as one of their deliverables, while you create quick reference guides? If so, there may be opportunities for collaboration and reuse.

Come and join the discussion as we consider how to make use of ideas from instructional design in documentation circles, and how the materials we create can contribute to training and learning plans.

About Linda Urban: For over 25 years, she's had the good fortune to work on a range of interesting projects with clients that have ranged from start-ups to huge corporations. In the process she has had the chance to wear many different hats and develop many different skills...technical writer and editor, help author, usability specialist, course developer, project manager, information architect, instructor, coach. 

Linda's current areas of focus are topic-based authoring and training design and development. She has been looking at issues of information architecture, information modeling, reuse, and collaborative work. She is especially interested in finding bridges between the documentation and training worlds.

She also teaches in the Technical Communication program at UC Berkeley Extension, where her classes are in technical writing, developing online help, usability, and information architecture.  Linda's website is www.urbancreations.com, and you can reach her at linda@lucommunications.com.

Location
Truxton’s American Bistro
8611 Truxton Avenue (at Manchester)
Los Angeles 90045 (near LAX)
310-417-8789 http://www.truxtonsamericanbistro.com

Parking: Free parking on the street, in the parking lot behind the restaurant, or in the large parking lot in the adjoining mini-mall.

Schedule
6:00 p.m.: Networking and check-in
6:30 p.m.: Dinner
7:00 p.m.: Business meeting
7:15 p.m.: Presentation

Cost

LASTC members:		$25
STC members:		$30
Non-members:		$35
With reservations, attendees get $5 off.
Presentation only (no dinner):		$10

You can save $5 off the event price by reserving by the deadline. The deadline for the reservation discount is the Sunday before the event. Even if the discount deadline has passed, please reserve anyway so we can save space and food for you.

Please make you reservation via email: treasurerlastc@yahoo.com. Include all the names of those reserving and contact information for you.

For other information, contact Pam Wilkes or Betsy Suttle, Programs VPs, at programs@lastc.org