Course Overview
The manual is accurate, and nobody can use it. The steps are all there, in an order that suits the author and puzzles the reader.
A technical document turns specialist knowledge into something a particular audience can use, whether to inform, instruct, or persuade. “Introduction to Technical Writing” is an introductory, self-paced online course that explains what technical writing is and what technical writers do. It explores their tools, techniques, and strategies, and guides learners through the technical writing process from initial plans to final revisions. The course covers writing for a technical audience, effective strategies, tools, and templates, basic design principles, and the attributes of documents such as reports, proposals, procedures, indexes, and user guides.
Writing for the Person Who Has to Follow It
A technical document is judged by whether someone can use it. The reader may be setting up equipment, approving a proposal, or following a procedure under time pressure, and every unclear step costs time or causes an error.
That standard applies to documents from any source, including those generated by software. A generated procedure can look correct and still assume knowledge the reader lacks or leave out a step. The course covers the attributes of each document type, the design factors that make a page usable, and the revision, peer review, and usability testing that expose these gaps.
Who Should Take This Course?
You explain technical subjects to other people, as a specialist who writes documentation, or as a writer assigned to a technical project. The course is introductory.
Use Cases
The Engineer Who Has to Write It Up. You understand the system thoroughly, and the readers will not. The course covers how to write for a technical audience and which tools and templates convey meaning efficiently.
The Procedure Nobody Follows. Employees skip the steps or improvise their own. Design principles for usability, readability, arrangement, color, consistency and contrast, and information display give the page a form people can follow.
The Draft From a Writing Tool. A user guide arrives, generated from product notes. Someone has to test it against the product and the reader, and the course describes how peer review and usability testing do that.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key attributes of technical writing and describe how to write for a technical audience.
- List the steps in the technical writing process.
- Employ effective writing strategies, tools, and templates to convey your meaning accurately and efficiently.
- Follow basic design principles, keeping these seven factors in mind: usability; readability; arrangement; color; consistency and contrast; and information display.
- Describe the attributes and components of various technical documents—e.g., reports, proposals, procedures, indexes, and user guides.
- Recognize the importance of revision, including a peer review and any applicable usability test.
Course Details
Estimated time to complete: 5 hours
Access time: 90 days
Price: $119 per learner
Credits
- 5 ATD CI Credits.
- 0.50 IACET CEU Credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is technical writing?
Technical writing takes in technical information and communicates it through a document tailored to a specific audience, usually to inform, instruct, or persuade.
What documents does the course cover?
Reports, proposals, procedures, indexes, and user guides, among others, with the attributes and components of each.
Does the course cover design?
Yes. It covers basic design principles, including usability, readability, arrangement, color, consistency and contrast, and information display.
Who is this online technical writing course for?
Anyone who writes technical documents or explains technical subjects to others.
What professional credit does this online course offer?
The course offers credit from ATD CI and IACET. The amounts appear under Credits.
Will I receive a certificate?
After logging in, learners can download and print a PDF certificate of completion from their course records page. The certificate remains available after access to the course ends.
Does the course include an assessment?
The course includes an assessment.
What do I need to take the course?
A current browser with cookies and JavaScript enabled, and a broadband connection. Some ad blockers keep course videos from appearing, so turn yours off if a video does not load.