[Sigia-l] RE: Instructive Interaction vs. Contextual Help vs. Print Documentation

[joe]

Within the technical communication (tech writer) world (see www.stc.org and http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/index.php3), the trend has been strongly away from separate help facilities and even printed documentation--for procedural, immediate, what-do-I-do-now type of information. For reflective learning, users still need paper (see ). So, from a tech writer's perspective (I wear bricoleurish hats), I'd say the type of information combined with the user's persona and their task at hand would inform the type of documentation to provide. Yet tech writers have for the past 7-10 years moved away from online help for procedures in order to embed that assistance in the interface at the point at which users need the info.

HTH,

joe
Joe Sokohl