[982] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Casual instructions
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (JULIUS ARIAIL)
Thu Aug 13 10:44:55 1992
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 09:40:45 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
From: JULIUS ARIAIL <SOLIBJA@GSVMS2.CC.GASOU.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
In response to an earlier message about casual instructions such as
"this is self-explanatory" and "just play around with it," I think those
sorts of instructions have a valid place when you are trying to get someone
to become familiar with a system where the instructions are either on the
screen or in an on-line help file. We are introducing several new CD
products on our LAN now, and each one uses different searching software.
This would seem to be a great training dilemma, until you realize that the
searching software is designed to be self-instructional. After all, just
after you finish a mammoth class in searching XYZ database and send out all
the happy students ready to search up a storm, in will walk a new student
who will promptly sit down and want to do the same thing without benefit of
class time.
I think that if people _think_ they need a massive class before they begin
to use some of these products, they will never use them. But if they see
that by playing around with the system and READING THE ON-SCREEN
INSTRUCTIONS (never a simple task, alas) they can learn to navigate quite
well, or at least to a certain plateau where a detailed manual would begin
to make sense, then we can concentrate on the individual instructional
sessions on advanced topics and leave the intros to the users themselves.
Julius Ariail, Director of Libraries solibja@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu
Georgia Southern University Statesboro, Georgia 30460
"...and gladly would he learn, and gladly teach."
--Chaucer's Oxford Clerk, General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales
