RE: Tech. Writing Assignments

["SM Rush" <sellar -at- apptechsys -dot- com>]

I got into this late, but Christine reminded me of a great example of bad
instructions.

Origami--you know, paperfolding.  There are lots of instructions books, and
the quality ranges from adequate to absolutely unusable.  They combine
graphics and written instructions, and one of the most crucial aspects is
being able to keep track of points on paper so that you know what to fold
where, and you can visualize the graphics even when they change perspective.

So one exercise would be to have people try to create an object using
instructions.  You could mix it up, have some people use bad instructions
while others use good instructions, and then switch around for a second try.
Then have them try to fix the bad instructions and/or have them write new
instructions for a different object (which you would have to demonstrate).

Origami is something that most people couldn't figure out (in a short period
of time) without reading the instructions, and if they try to skim or
anticipate they can easily get lost. Most people could create their first
crane in five minutes.

If you really want to mess with their heads, hand them a completed object
and tell them to figure out how to make it and write instructions for it.
(Sounds a lot like our jobs sometimes!)


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