With the correspondence unit behind us, we are ready to move from business communication to technical communication. The instructions unit puts a new twist on a very old genre, and it will help us develop our visual rhetoric skills at the same time. I’m always amazed at what my students do with this assignment, and I can’t wait to hear your ideas.
On Tuesday, we will compare various approaches to delivering instructions. To prepare for our in-class discussion, please read Chapter 10 in the textbook before you come to class. In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the Instructables website by reading the tour page and clicking through to read several of the Instructables linked on that page. You should also explore the site to see what kinds of Instructables catch your interest. Finally, you should create an account on the site and come to class ready to share three original ideas for your own Instructable.
On Thursday, we will practice our instruction-writing skills with an in-class activity. You don’t need to read anything to prepare, but if you have a digital camera, please bring it (and any necessary cables) to class. By the end of class, you’ll be ready to begin creating your own Instructable. Your proposal for the instructions unit is due no later than Thursday at midnight; please email me with your proposal.
Finally, a quick reminder about Delicious accounts. If you haven’t sent me your Delicious username, please do so as soon as possible. I would like to get our Delicious network up and running by the end of Week 4.