Course Policies

This is a course in the process and techniques used in the technical communication profession for developing and delivering instructional materials for software: computer applications programs. Instructional materials includes all forms of manuals, procedures, step-by-step, tutorials, getting started, booklets, online help, performance support, Wizards, and other methods of supporting the work of software end users.  This course also represents a culmination of preparation for professional work. In this course we explore both professional issues and practical issues with the intention of giving you the chance to apply principles to representative projects.

Goal of this Course

• Hands-on experience developing documentation products for a software application for specific users.
• Understanding of the theoretical issues surrounding software documentation.

Textbook

Thomas Barker, Writing Software Documentation, 2ed., Allyn & Bacon, 2003.

Lingo Systems, The Guide to Translation and Localization, Lingo Systems, 2000. (supplied by the instructor).

Assignments

Assignments are all individual and require you to adapt technology to the workplace needs of software users. For more information about assignments, visit the Assignments page.

• User's Guide
• Tutorial
• Help System
• Homework
• Quizzes
• Final Examination

Technology

Most of your work will be done using the following programs:

• Microsoft Word For creating print documents, job aids, quick reference pages.
• Microsoft FrontPage For creating Web pages.
• Adobe Acrobat  For creating and reading portable document format (PDF) documents.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer (or some other browser program) For viewing this Web site and Web surfing for examples and resources.
• RoboHelp Help authoring program available on the classroom computers.

Usability Lab

You will be required to use the usability lab in the English Department for some or all of your usability testing.

Attendance

I take roll at the start of each day. You benefit by attending regularly and developing professional work habits. The official attendance policy, as stated in the 2001-2002 Undergraduate Catalog, goes as follows:

Class Attendance. Responsibility for class attendance rests with the student. Regular and punctual attendance at all scheduled classes is expected, and the University reserves the right to deal at any time with individual cases of nonattendance. Instructors set attendance policy for each course they teach. Instructors should state clearly in their syllabi their policy regarding student absences and how absences affect grades. Excessive absences constitute cause for dropping a student from class; in such cases the grade of WF may be given.

In the event of excessive absences, the student must visit the instructor to discuss his or her status in the course. If it is decided that the student should drop the course, the instructor will then assign a grade of W or WF (see sections on dropping a course and on withdrawal). In extreme cases the academic dean may suspend the student from the University.  http://www.ttu.edu/~offpub/UGAcadInfo.html

Any student missing class or arriving more than five minutes after the beginning of class will be considered absent, whether you stay for the rest of the class or not. You are allowed two unexcused absences. All absences beyond two (for whatever reason) will result in a loss of one point from your final semesters average. Any student who accumulates more than five absences during the year will be reported to his or her dean and dropped from the course with a grade of WF.

Grading

All grades are due on the date indicated in the course schedule.  Late work will suffer a grading penalty of up to 5% of the grade per day late.  

Special Arrangements

Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact me as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations.