Putting the student at the centre of learning

Throughout my degree program I have experimented with new technologies like podcasts, wikis, virtual worlds and elearning modules created using professional authoring tools. The problem with this is that it is all too easy to think about the technology first (be technology-led) and consider the needs of the learner (being student-centred) as an afterthought. One good way to recentre and refocus on what the teacher and learner require is to revisit Bloom's famous taxonomy:

Traditionally, these levels are considered to range in complexity starting with Remembering and then moving through Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluation and ending with Creating. Thankfully, some learning technologists like Ron Carranza have kindly connected this taxonomy to some typical elearning technologies to clearly show which tools are best suited to which levels of the taxonomy:

Tempting though all these new technologies are, on reflection, we must remember that they are also not without their challenges, both for the learners and for the teachers using them. Firstly, we have to remember that even though are learners are “digital natives” that doesn’t mean that they have previously knowledge of these tools or naturally know how to use them. For teachers, setting up a digital resource may require more preparation than just preparing a worksheet or making a lesson plan. The finished results may also require more effort to correct. An automated test in a learning management system is great if you use multiple-choice questions but if you use open answers you have to prepare the system that “50”, “fifty” and “Fifty” may all be acceptable answers to the same questions. The rapid developments in artificial intelligence will probably resolve this issue in the future but until then we still need teachers who can consider all the possibilities and put in the effort to make these systems work. Firstly, though, we have to think about whether they actually offer an added value and aren’t just a flashy distraction. That is when we will really have learner-centred elearning and deliver our students the best possible examples of technology-enhanced education.

Sources:

Neelakandan, N. (2019). Applying the Basics of Bloom's Taxonomy to eLearning. https://elearningindustry.com/applying-blooms-taxonomy-basics-elearning

Sneed, O. (2016). Integrating Technology with Bloom's Taxonomy. https://teachonline.asu.edu/2016/05/integrating-technology-blooms-taxonomy/

Why do we (still) need technical communicators?

When I first got into computers the transition from text-based to graphic adventures was still ongoing. In games like the classic Zork, users had to enter instructions at a command line. If you needed assistance then typing help would result in a summary of acceptable commands, like this:

At that stage I didn’t realise this was actually a form of technical writing. As I grew older I began to think that manuals and instructions were just for inexperienced users and that it should be possible to use any “well-designed” product, whether hardware or software, without having to resort to any additional aids. Faith in design and standards and the confidence to try learning by doing was usually enough.

When I started the MA Technical Communication and E-Learning program I was reminded of how pervasive and multifaceted technical writing is. A first assignment rewriting a memo about school dinners showed me that it is an art as well as a science and good communication is required in all areas of life.

This week I needed to produce a GANTT diagram for a work project, something I have never done before. Being unfamiliar with GANTT files in general and the software in particular, I was very reliant on the provided documentation which unfortunately proved less than helpful at first glance. A click on the Help menu revealed the following three point menu:

No signs of any obvious help are apparent. Clicking on the About option opens up this new dialogue which also does not mention Help in any form:

Taking a chance, I clicked on Meet GanttProject Team which opened up the About GanttProject page which was mainly a timeline of the project. Almost hidden in top right corner was a link to Support and Contacts. That finally brought me to The default support channel:

which finally seems to be the right place to get assistance but still isn’t obviously displaying any helpful information. I am aware that GanttProject is a free project created by volunteers but this help system does seem to offer a less than ideal user experience.

Experts agree that successful technical communication is clear, concise, and consistent. In the case of this program I would add that it should also be available and at the point of need. Without an internet connection and following my intuition I would have been completely lost.

This experience reminds me of the importance of technical communication and not to take it for granted. In my future projects, I will be doing my best to ensure that these goals of good technical communication are met.

Sources:

Markel, M. & Selber, S.A. (2021) Technical Communication, 13th edition. Boston, MA.: Bedford Books.

All images by the author.

Reflective blogging or learning to sharpen your own axe

Almost exactly twenty years ago I took up a new position in my company and moved from Scotland to Germany. Unfortunately, the project I was working on was cancelled (the entire company went under shortly afterwards) so I became unemployed. Finding a new position in a small German town that suited my skills and experience was difficult, so I began doing everything I could to keep busy and earn some money: I gave English tuition, did freelance translations and for a while even delivered newspapers. After a year my right to employment benefits ended and I decided to become self-employed as an English trainer and translator. That went fine but being self-employed means you have no regular hours and a constant fear that if you turn a job down, you might never get an offer from that company or person again. I don't know if this is unique to translation companies too but somehow almost every job I got from them was last minute and very important! This does not make for a relaxed working environment. After about 18 months of doing that I got the chance to do a few hours of teaching Technical English at my local university, I jumped at the chance even though the pay wasn't great but I saw it as a chance to get my foot in the door. One year later the possibility of a temporary full-time contract came up at a university about 90 minutes away but despite the distance, I couldn't resist the opportunity to have fixed hours and a guaranteed salary so I went for it. It was a great experience but the commuting was a pain and after three semesters the chance for a full-time contract came up at my local university so I quit the job and came back home. Almost fifteen years later, I am still working in the same university and am primarily responsible for teaching Technical English, managing all the other foreign language teachers and am also the blended learning advocate for the other staff.

One common feature over this entire twenty year period is that I was always reacting, rather than being proactive. I jumped from job to job to support my family and rarely took time to think about what I was actually doing. I am reminded of the apocryphal tale of the lumberjack whose axe blade is getting duller and duller but doesn't take the time to stop and sharpen it. He ends up exhausted and with less chopped wood to show for his efforts compared to his colleague who took regular breaks to catch his breath, take a drink and sharpen his axe. The act of reflective blogging seems a lot like stopping to sharpen your axe. It is a chance to think about what you have done, why you have done it, what the results were and how you would do it differently in the future. In this blog, I will be using reflection to think about my practice in both Technical Communication and E-Learning and look forward to the new knowledge this process will reveal.

Photo: Eine Axt steckt in einem Holzpflock by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0