This guide to the development of effective documentation for users of computer software begins by identifying five types of documentation, i.e., training manuals, user guides, tutorials, on-screen help comments, and troubleshooting manuals. Six steps in the development process are then outlined and briefly described: (1) planning and preparation;…

With regard to proposal and report writing in particular, the Self-Monitoring Negative Checklist (SMNC) offers the potential of finished products that more completely realize the writer's objectives and serve the reader's or user's needs. Presented as a series of 31 warnings of what can go wrong in a proposal, the SMNC represents a mode of…

Presents a check sheet used to grade a major report in a technical writing class. Indicates that the check sheet helps make grading more "even" over a period of time, allows students to know what will be evaluated on the report, and serves as a teaching tool for different types of reports. (TJ)

The term "job aids" is a phrase used to describe a genre of ready-guidance tools or prompts that assist a person in performing a job or task. The purpose of job aids is to specify what is to be done, how to do it, the order in which it is to be done, and the standards to be met in doing it. Because job aids are not instructional…

Discusses effective writing techniques to be utilized by technical writers who develop training materials (initial drafts, creating interest, applying instructional technology techniques, use of illustrations, and publication layout tips). A checklist of factors to consider when editing material is also presented. (MBR)

The Workplace Educational Skills Analysis (WESA) is a systematic process used to identify and analyze basic educational skills required to perform a job or cluster of jobs. The WESA methodology consists of the following six stages: WESA design meetings, interview preparation, interviews and observations, data analysis and draft reports,…

This document consists of two publications that were developed to help employees of a health system's department of food and nutrition improve their department's documentation. Included in the first publication, "Improving Department Documentation," are the following: a self-assessment designed to help employees rate their skills in completing…

This document is designed to help adult and community learning (ACL) services across the United Kingdom complete the annual self-assessment reports (SARs). The guide begins with background information on the purposes of self-assessment, the new context of ACL and the elements and format of the new SARs. The remaining four sections examine the…

This module, which is one in a series of 127 performance-based teacher education learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers, deals with developing a plan for evaluating a vocational program, performing a program evaluation, and developing a final evaluation report. Addressed in the individual learning…

This document presents a model curriculum for use by trainers presenting training course in assessing and reporting dust and debris from deteriorated lead-based paint. The course, which was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is intended for use with housing quality standard inspectors, rehabilitation specialists, home…

This document is designed to help develop the communication skills of individuals training for the position of workplace assessor in Australia's National Training Framework and practicing workplace assessors who require additional assistance with on-the-job communication skills. The document consists of 11 units of study that each contain some or…