Objectives and Outcomes:
1. Understand that the process explanations present an overview of sequential actions in chronological order
2. Use process explanations as part of larger documents, including manuals, orientation and training materials, marketing and promotional materials, and public information
3. Use a conventional sequence of technical description, process explanation, and benefits or advantages that an audience can use
4. Prepare effective process explanations by following these steps:
-Identify your audience and it’s reasons for needing the information
-List the steps of the action
-Choose visuals to illustrate the sequence: flowcharts, timelines, schedules, drawings showing each element in a process, time-lapse photographs, drawings with overlays of changes, drawings showing the final product, and sequential drawings
-Choose active or passive voice based on audience and purpose
-Understand and use the appropriate organization and format
Process explanations, also called process descriptions, provide background information about the sequential steps of any given action. However, they are not to be confused with directions. Process explanations provide an overview rather than focusing in on the details of the action. Process explanations define, describe, and sometimes illustrate the critical components of a action so the readers understand the basics before learning the actual process.
You can use the following to help your audience better understand your process explanations:
1. General analogies that everyone can understand and relate to
2. A statement of purpose
3. Relation of equipment to application
Here are some common places where process explanations can be found:
· Reports
o A technical description will provide the information about what a mechanism is where as the process explanation will explain how it works.
· Task Manuals
o The process explanation lays out the overall process before the manual goes into the step-by-step directions.
· Orientation and Training Manuals
· Marketing and Promotional Materials
· Public Information and Education
Preparing Process Explanations
1. Identify your audience and it’s reasons for needing the information
-You may not have to give such detailed information if you know your audience has a background in the topic.
2. List the steps of the action
-Define
-Describe
-Illustrate
3. Choose visuals to illustrate the sequence:
-Flowcharts, timelines, schedules, drawings showing each element in a process, time-lapse photographs, drawings with overlays of changes, drawings showing the final product, and sequential drawings
4. Choose active or passive voice based on audience and purpose
5. Understand and use the appropriate organization and format
24 comments:
One way to relate to Chapter 16 is to think of it as training for a job. Many times when training for a job the employer will have the new employee read task manuals, orientation and training manuals, look over marketing and promotional materials, and other Public and educational information. Usually the new employee will have to read all of the manuals and other materials along with many other reports in order to help train for their job. Then after so long the supervisor will do some kind of report to let the employee know how he or she is doing. All of the reports, materials and other information contains process explanations.
This chapter, made me understand why technical manual and other descriptions are well detailed with instructions to avoid errors. I used process explanation when my computer screen went blank. The information that was written was well straight forward that answered my question and ways to prevent the error from occurring again.
This chapter was a great reference to how to properly create a technical manual and tips to create a proper instruction manual. Being in the IT field it is very important for me to be able to write technical documents and this was very informative to me. If someone is unaware on how to do something it is very important to include every step in the process so it can be easily achieved.
I have had some bad experiences with this type of communication. When it comes to installations and the steps on how to install a certian object or part. In some cases the person writing the steps tends to leave out very important information that they may think is irrelavent, but to people doing a certain task for the first time it could lead to confusion or frustration that the task may not be completed correctly. It only takes one missed or incorrect step to make things into a nightmare.
Chapter 16 does a great job explaining how description manuals work. They can be very useful if created correctly. You need to keep in mind your audience, just like in every other document. The manual does not need to be so descriptive that it takes forever to get through if your audience has a backround in the subject. Also, it is important to use visuals. Charts and pictures can decribe a lot to the audience. It can be confusing also if it is directed to an audience that does not have a backround in the subject. If this occurs it needs to be very descriptive.
This chapter is very useful in that it describes explanation steps. It is useful in areas such as manuals that help describe how something works. I think it needs to be audience specific, because some people just want to know what they item or thing does or how it works vs. knowing the thought process behind each part and knowing the specifics. Where I have worked, it is useful to have someone or something explain how I am able to take apart and put back together what I am working with otherwise, I would be lost and nothing would be done. I think that in many occasions it has been straightforward and gives me all the information I need. In other areas, they give general steps figuring everyone knows how to do something which is a mistake since they are not answering questions of others.
I think that this chapter can be applied to every day life. We all use instructions or explanation process every single time, for most of the times we do these unconsciously because everything we do has a process .For example, cooking eggs. But in the bigger picture process explanations are essential in certain actions that sometimes we don’t know how to perform. For example me, I would definitely need a set of instructions to put together a piece of furniture .Relating this to my career as dietitian I believe that process explanation can be very helpful because is an important part of my job to explain the process of how our food works in our system and how does it affect us.
Chapter 16 was a good reminder of what I will be doing when I get a job as a Manufacturing Engineering Technologist. The idea of putting things in order and laying this down in a sequence from start to finish. The design steps in Manufacturing need to be put in order so things get done in the proper order for a product to be completed. Most indusries will label every process for start to finish so a employee can follow the instructions with out problems or questions. Another thing is that the easier something is to follow the more likly problems will not occur in production of products.
Chapter 16 is very helpful with information about manuals and reports. At any new job, an employer is going to have the new employee read a job manual for the company or a task manual that shows you the simple tasks for that job. I know when I got a job as at a daycare I had to read the overview of guidelines to follow at the job. Including that if you are caught on your cell phone, you will be sent home from work for the day. Also process explanations is helpful to have an overview instead of every little detail that an employer is trying to say because a memo could be a couple pages long instead they use just one page.
I am not one to read the manual for anything I purchase! I hate reading them. However, when I do have a problem and am forced to read it, it is nice when they are written in an understandable and effective way. After reading this chapter, I have a better understanding on why it is so important to exclude errors from your document. It would really create a lot of problems if the instructions were wrong! I have a hard enough time with technology; I do not need errors complicating things.
This chapter reminds me alot about some of the many times I have had to put things together and fail. I think some of the manuals people make these days or so horribly written that nobody could do it. It turns into more of a trial an error ratehr than following the steps. I would say I am a pretty good builder and common sense man due to being in CM but I still have troubles. Some just use pictures, and some just writing with no pictures. I always have the best luck with pictures and some writing as well to tell me the important steps.
I don't usually read manuals or instructions to things. I do however appreciate technical explanations to a specific problem I might be having. The process or order of operation is the most important and explaining each step helps even more. An example with pictures or illustration included in steps is prepping food at chipotle. For all of our prep work, there is a picture of what its supposed to look like at each given step. I never really understood how much effort really gets put into provide technical explanations.
This chapter reminded me of register training. I had to go through almost 4 hours of it when I started my current job. During this training, there were many process explanations. One, was how to take a return. It went through each process, and used time lapsed photos to show the whole process. For each function at the register, there were new process explanations. Although it was tedious at times, it was helpful to go through everything step by step
I believe that this process of explaination can be used in everyday life. In some of our presentations you first define to make the audience aware. Then you explain and illistrate the topic so they fullly understand it. Although the process explaination should differ dependending on the audience. For instance a mechanic might not want to know about every step for a easy fix. A regular consumer might want extra help in explanation to tell him/her how to take it apart.
chapter 16 does great job explaining desriptive manuals. when you purchase something they usually come with a very thick manual I usually do not read them unless I actually encounter a problem and need to refer to the manual. Most manuals cover about anything that can go wrong with their product like when you buy a cell phone the manual is huge, it covers every little thing that that phone can do and most problems that you will ever encounter. Directions are also very important when you are building something if they leave out just one step your project will not turn out the way it was intended.
Chapter 16 is about general background and how to structure it. For a technical article, this can be the abstract summary which, give an overview of the article in general. I can relate to this our OLPC project. Most of the information on the OLPC wiki are detail general overview of the programs. There are no step-by-step procedures for each of the program in the XO laptop. Other examples are the manuals in any device. One of the manual is a step-by-step procedure to help the buyer get started on the product while the other manual describe the general functions of the product.
I found this chapter to be very informative on how to create process explanations. I know that I have had to use description manuals in the past and I am sure I will have to again. When they are hard to follow it is really easy to get frustrated or even give up. This topic made me think about how when someone is really familiar with a process and they are trying to explain how to use it, it is really easy to leave out bits of information because you think it should be common knowledge to everyone.
This group explained the chapter very well. In our article critiques, I think that all of us used process explanations without knowing it. Most everyone used general analogies that everyone can understand. The list of actions(define, describe, illustrate) was very helpful because sometimes you think people will know what you are talking about but just to make sure you can break it down with the steps to make sure they know what you are saying.
Chapter 18 has given my a good understanding on how important having correct informations and keeping things current and up to date. While giving presentations you should have the current date on there and not from last week. The main thing is that you keep a you attitude and not a we or I attitude. You have to thing about other people and not your self in communication and make sure you don't have the wrong tone in your voice or something can be preceived wrong by the person you are talking to.
In chapter 16 I think the best way to relate this to life is that when ever you do something new. If you are doing things for the first time it is going to be difficult but if you have a list to go off of to get the job done right. If the directions are not clear the task could be screwed up.
When I started working for Carlson Craft I was given a flip chart on how to set up the machine, and how to run it, this can be seen as a form of a technical manual. Then working for Best Buy we had manuals for everything, and they were always coming out with new ones to keep things up-to-date.
I learned a lot about creating process explanations after reading Farwell and Wurm's summary of chapter 16. I like the way they made the distinction between the complexity of process explanations and the simplicity of regular directions.
Process Explanations are everywhere. I've had to use them a lot when it comes to fixing my laptop. Dell will send me the parts and a brief overview of how to replace the parts. They use visuals to show me what screws should be taken out and how to put everything back together. it's not instructions because there aren't usually words with the diagrams.
This chapter was a great reference to how to properly create a technical manual and tips to create a proper instruction manual. Being in the AET field it is very important for me to be able to write technical documents and this was very informative to me. If someone is unaware on how to do something it is very important to include every step in the process so it can be easily achieved.
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