STC IDL SIG

By Sylvia Miller

As the youngest of eight children, I have some special memories of Christmas while growing up on a farm in Ohio. I was a surprise bundle that came along late in my parents’ lives, so while I did not experience Christmas morning fun with seven siblings, I do remember large family gatherings when my married siblings visited, bringing with them my 24 nieces and nephews! So many hugs, kisses, and delighted little ones. The house smelled of roasting turkey, freshly baked pies, and baby powder.  One year my older nephew was talking about a guy whose nickname was “The Juice,” so we turned on our black and white TV and watched OJ Simpson play football. When it came time to open gifts, chaos was the norm with wrapping paper flying everywhere, new toys being tested, and the occasional “borrowing” of someone else’s toy because it looked much better than the one received. Then we would phone my two brothers and their families who lived out of state. Everyone took turns exchanging a few words before passing the phone to the next person to make the most of the “long-distance calling” fees assessed back then.

Another favorite memory was going over to Berne, Indiana, in early December to a very large church that performed Handel’s “Messiah” each year. Members of the church constituted about a 200-member choir, and each year they’d bring in outstanding soloists from Chicago, New York, and other cities for a first-class performance. I truly treasure the memories of attending this wonderful classical production each year with my parents.

Growing up on an Ohio farm meant some manual labor at times, but Christmas afforded us the opportunity to rest, gather together, love on each other, and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

by Kim Lindsey

NEO STC Webmaster, STC Associate Fellow.

Some documents are simple for SMEs and reviewers to edit; other documents can present a challenge. This is especially true with storyboards for custom e-learning courses—my main deliverable.

Recently I designed my most gamified course ever (gamification: it’s what’s happening now!), and I knew that its non-linear nature would make the review process difficult. How could I help my SMEs to understand my vision for the course while it’s still just a storyboard? I knew there had to be a way.

And there was! First, I created very (as in, extremely) rough drawings that showed what the main screens of the course would look like.

Then I inserted them into my draft storyboard where they fit.

 

We scheduled a conference call with our client reviewers, and I sent them the storyboard document about an hour before the call so they’d have copies to follow along.

We used join.me to share my screen with the reviewers during the call. (Thanks Denise Kadillac for tipping us off to this handy web app!)

And—this is the terrific part!—I used Camtasia to record the meeting. Camtasia captures both the screen and the audio; in my case, the audio was me speaking to the reviewers and also them asking me questions via speakerphone.

As I walked my SMEs through the storyboard, I explained what was going on, how the e-learning interface worked, how learners would navigate, and anything else they wanted to know.

When the meeting was over, I compiled the screen recording in Camtasia to create an MP4 video, then provided that recording to my client reviewers. They could easily play back the whole meeting on their PCs or skip to any part they didn’t understand.

The video turned out to be even more valuable because an important reviewer couldn’t be on the call. The recording enabled her to have the same understanding as the rest of her team.

The review on this complex storyboard went quickly and smoothly. I didn’t receive any questions from the client on the course layout and navigation; they turned to the video of the meeting to refresh their memory on the course. Soon the storyboard was approved and development could begin (yeah!). Will I use the MP4 to help my developers understand how to program the course? You better believe it!

In conclusion, I highly recommend using simple mock-up drawings, screen-sharing, and a video tool like Camtasia to ease the process for reviewers if a document is complex or non-linear or if you need to show how two or more documents work together.

*This article originally appeared in Lines & Letters (October 2016), published by Northeast Ohio Society for Technical Communication (NOE)

by Marcia Shannon

There are lots of ways to stay in touch with your SIG. Here are just a few.

The IDL SIG Leadership Team meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month to conduct the business of the SIG. Held via Adobe Connect, these meetings are open to all members. Catch up on the latest activities of the SIG and learn about plans for the future. Email invitations/reminders are sent before each meeting. Come to the monthly meeting: All members are welcome!

This has been a webinar-rich year. In October, Sylvia Miller hosted the Student Outreach Article Competition Q&A. November brought Robert Hershenow’s Get a Move On. Webinars are free to SIG members and recordings are available through the web site. Invite a non-member to a webinar (fees are usually minimal). It’s a good way to introduce the SIG to them and perhaps bring in a new member. Check the web site for future webinars and to access the archives. Suggestions for webinar topics and volunteer presenters are always welcome.

Did you know that our IDL SIG is well represented on social media? We have a Facebook page (Society for Technical Communication – Instructional Design and Learning), a LinkedIn group (STC Instructional Design and Learning SIG) and a Twitter handle (@ STC_IDL_SIG). Use these channels to stay informed, share your IDL news and views, and publicize your involvement at your local STC events.

Looking forward to “seeing” you in 2017!

by Charles Campbell

Canastota, NY (STC Rochester Chapter)

I can’t remember the last time I had Thanksgiving dinner with my family in South Carolina. I don’t think it was very long ago, but it seems like it, since I live so far away in Central New York and typically only find time to visit over the Christmas holidays each year. Sometimes I get the opportunity to take time off and visit again in the spring or summer, but even then, the visits are short and I may not get to see everyone as much as I would like.

But this year is different, and I have to make this trip. I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

Just a few weeks ago my son, Dale, and daughter-in-law, Shanna, moved into their first home and are hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the entire family. It was just three years ago when Dale went on his first blind date with Shanna. One year later they were engaged, and last year Shanna became my first daughter-in-law.

My wife, Kelly, and I will be driving over 2000 miles round trip to share Thanksgiving dinner with all of my family, and it will be worth every mile of the trip. I hope everyone can make it. My other son, Brad, may even be able to make it down from Mississippi to be with all of us. That will make it even more special to have everyone there.

 I hope that everyone reading this has a happy and joyous holiday season as well.

 

By Viqui Dill

 

The Dill family likes to celebrate the end of the year with music and parties. In addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Dills have a couple of December birthdays. Their family band, the Dill Pickers, has a number of gigs and concerts. All this makes for a holiday season filled with music and celebration.

The season begins with Operation Turkey Sandwich in which our church, the exchange of Winchester, VA, assembles and distributes sack lunches on Thanksgiving day to members of the community who have to work on the holiday. We will visit gas stations, convenience stores, and such with sacks full of turkey sandwiches, pumpkin cookies, stuffing muffins, a sticker that says “It sucks you have to work on Thanksgiving”, and our thanks.

Viqui and son, Jim, are members of a community choir which joins over 100 voices from over a dozen churches in their home town of Winchester. The choir has a Christmas performance to raise money for a local ministry supporting those in need in the community. Most of us come from small churches and the opportunity to sing with such a large group is something to celebrate.

Another fun holiday event is the annual Beer and Carols event with the exchange. We gather at a local tavern, share beverages together and sing carols. Viqui brings her guitar and of course, the documentation (song lyrics).

This year, the Dill Pickers will celebrate two December birthdays at a family band gig. We’re playing on Jim’s official birthday, and celebrating Keith’s birthday too.

We invite you to join us if you’re in the Winchester area. Come share a sandwich, sing a song, and celebrate with us.