beyond conventional paper and online documents › assets › documents › 2003_2004 › new... ·...

NEW TECHNIQUES

Beyond conventional paper

and online documents

19 February 2004

By William Horton

New techniques

LEGAL STUFF

Copyright notice

This document is copyright © 2000-2004 by William Horton Consulting, Inc. You may NOT scan and print dozens of copies, pass them around to your coworkers and buddies, post this document on your server, or make lots of electronic copies of it—unless you have explicitly purchased rights to do so.

“What’s to stop me?” you ask. Your conscience? Ethics? The lack of sport in stealing from a two-person company? Knowledge that it only takes one disgruntled employee or angry coworker to turn you in? Your reasons are your business. Just don’t do it, OK?

Limited liability notice

For lawyers: For the rest of us:

Limited Liability With regard to the information and advice provided by William Horton Consulting in this document and other forms, William Horton Consulting shall not be liable to the reader, the reader’s employer, or to anyone claiming any right by virtue of relationship to the reader, for any acts or omissions in the performance of services by William Horton Consulting or its agents or employees, except when such acts or omissions are due to their willful misconduct or culpable negligence. The reader agrees to hold William Horton Consulting free and harmless from any obligations, costs, claims, judgments, attorneys fees and attachments arising from the services rendered pursuant to this agreement, except when the same arises due to the willful misconduct or culpable negligence of William Horton Consulting as found by a court of competent judgment.

These materials and the advice we offer are general in nature. And, though we believe they provide good ideas, we don’t guarantee that they are perfect or that they fit your situation exactly. There is no substitute for common sense and healthy skepticism. Only you can decide where, when, and how to apply the ideas we offer.

Copyright © 2000-2004 William Horton Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved. 2

New techniques

New techniques

Copyright © 1997-2000 William Horton Consulting, Inc.

William [email protected]

Beyond conventional paper and online documents

Today, we must

deliver knowledge

and skills

When neededWhere neededOn any subjectIn just the right amountIn the most effective formatFor not much money

Books dumped online

(TV pictures of paper pages)


New techniques

Copyright © 1997 - 2004 William Horton Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is the glass half empty or half full?

[Toffler re illiterates of future]

The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

— Alvin Toffler


Alternatives to try

Unconventional techniques to supplement or replace your

current approaches


New techniques

Animated presentations

Replace tedious reading with intriguing watching and listening


Presentation sequence


Animated explanation

horton.com/places/ganttcriticalpath.htm


New techniques


To use: Animated presentations

When to use?

To present conceptual information to large number of people.

What skills?

Easy: PowerPoint and/or a third-party conversion tool.

Advanced: Flash, audio capture, and HTML.

What technology?

Visual and multimedia design.

Audio capture and editing.

Tool operation.

Simulations

Learn by doing in a safe, interesting environment


Software simulations

www.designingwbt.com/content/PPTExamples/createSystemDSN.htm


New techniques


Soft-skill simulations

horton.com/places/crimescene.htm

PPT version


Environmental simulation

horton.com/places/treefarm.htm


Financial simulation


New techniques


To use: Simulations

When to use?

For repeated practice of a complex task—in a safe environment.

What skills?

Easy: PowerPoint

Advanced: HTML and JavaScript.

Very advanced: Flash and the built-in scripting language.

What technology?

Visual design.

HTML coding.

JavaScript programming.

Flash development.

Games

Gain and test skills in a challenging and fun way


Word games When to use:To teach and test vocabulary.


New techniques


Game-show games

horton.com/places/gameshow.htm

When to use:To test or motivate learning of specific knowledge.


Puzzles When to use:To help recall images, visualize relationships, or notice discriminating details.


Jigsaw puzzle—advanced

horton.com/places/networkpuzzle.htm


New techniques


Adventure game

Template pack available at: horton.com/places/interview.zip

When to use:To assess or teach decision-making skills.


To use: Games

When to use?

To encourage practice.

To motivate research and learning.

What skills?

Easy: PowerPoint

Advanced: HTML and JavaScript.

Very advanced: Flash.

What technology?

Visual design.

HTML coding.


Ability to use scripting languages in tools like Flash.

Coached practice

Online guidance in practicing or performing difficult tasks


New techniques


Coached practice sessions


Guided tours


Hands-on activities

Use gatekeeper tasks to lead learners through the activity.

horton.com/places/handsonactivity.htm


New techniques


To use: Coached practice

When to use?

To lead people through a complex procedure.

To prepare them to navigate on their own.

What skills?

HTML and JavaScript.

Screen-capture utility.

MS Agent character.

What technology?

HTML coding.


Databases

Publish interactive databases that customize results to the user


Virtual tours


New techniques


Online museums

horton.com/placesminerals.htm


Database with game


To use: Databases

When to use?

To provide content customized for the audience (“mass customization”)

What skills?

HTML and JavaScript or VBScript.

Database and database interface.

What technology?

HTML coding.

JavaScript or VBScript programming.

Database design.

Connecting databases to Web sites.


New techniques

Sharing

Enable people to share knowledge and wisdom


Share stories

horton.com/places/stories.htm


Listen and reflect


New techniques


Sharing best practices


Discussions with other users


Telementors and e-coaches


New techniques


E-community


To use: Coached practice

When to use?

To share knowledge within a company, community, or profession.

To capture knowledge.

What skills?



Discussion forum.

What technology?

HTML coding.

JavaScript and VBScript programming.

Database design.

Laboratories

Let people gain knowledge and skills by exploration


New techniques


Virtual laboratories

horton.com/places/virtuallab.htm


Coding laboratory

horton.com/places/htmllab.htm


Embedded lab within a topic


New techniques


Role-playing activities

horton.com/places/roleplaying.htm


To use: Laboratories

When to use?

For learning by doing.

To let people test their assumptions.

What skills?


Discussion forum.

What technology?

HTML coding.


Scavenger hunts

Teach people to find information on their own


New techniques


Scavenger hunts for knowledge

horton.com/places/scaventerhunt.htmADO


Scavenger hunt in a Help file


Guided research

www.designingwbt.com/html/exampleActivityGuidedResearch.htm


New techniques


To use: Scavenger hunts

When to use?

To train people to use the documentation.

To leverage existing documents.

To avoid “info rot.”

What skills?


Discussion forum.

What technology?

HTML coding.


Job aids

Helping people decide and act


Calculators

horton.com/places/photocalculator.htm


New techniques


E-consultants (decision aids)

Interviews the user

Dispenses reasoned, expert advice

Links to human advisors too

horton.com/places/consultant.htm


To use: Job aids

When to use?

When it is easier to just do it than to read about it or study it.

What skills?


What technology?

HTML coding.


Libraries

Making existing knowledge easy accessible


New techniques


Online library

[Results]


Search services


New techniques


Book search in Help


Collection of active examples

horton.com/places/htmlexamples.htm


To use: Libraries

When to use?

To make a variety of subject-or company-specific information accessible.

What skills?



What technology?

HTML coding.

JavaScript and VBScript programming.

Database design.


New techniques


Summary

Quick recap


The 20th Century is overHow expectations and possibilities have changed

20th Century view 21st Century view

One size fits all

Passive, static media

User adapts to the system

Reading information

Lonely user

Personalization

Dynamic, interactive media

System adapts to the user

Building knowledge

Collaboration and community


[Suggestions]

Doing the thing right is no good if you are doing the

wrong thing.

Doing the thing right is no good if you are doing the

wrong thing.

New TechniquesNew TechniquesNew Techniques

Use Help or Website as

single source.

Use Help or Website as

single source.

Link to Web, Internet, and

databases

Link to Web, Internet, and

databases

Automate locating needed

resources.

Automate locating needed

resources.

Simplify access to human

assistance.

Simplify access to human

assistance.


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