Course Overview
This hands-on course combines concepts and practice as students work through all stages of designing and writing a quality Help system, including analyzing user needs, designing information and visual schemas, writing, indexing, and testing. Students will have the opportunity to learn about industry-standard authoring tools and publishing formats, and discuss the future trend of online Help.
Prerequisite(s)
- No prerequisites are required for this course.
Credits
3.0
- Not offered this term
- This course is not offered this term. Notify me to receive email notifications when the course opens for registration next term.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:
- Determine suitable content for a Help system, based on audience needs and logical workflows.
- Organize information into different topic types (conceptual, procedural, reference, and wayfinding) and know the basic structure of each topic type.
- Design a consistent and predictable information flow and visual schema to help users quickly and easily find the information they need.
- Write topics to industry standard guidelines.
- Provide multiple pathways to access information by developing a table of contents, index, and effective links. They will also be able to explain how progressive disclosure and various search methods affect a user's ability to access information.
- Ensure the quality of a Help system by testing and completing quality checklists.
- Understand the differences between standard Help formats such as HTML Help, WebHelp, and Flash Help.
- Assess industry standard help-authoring tools to determine which will best meet organizational and user needs.
- Understand how the emergence of XML Help, task panes, push versus pull delivery, and an integrated approach to user-support may impact traditional Help systems.
Effective as of Fall 2006
Related Programs
Designing and Writing Online Help (COMM 1260) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
School of Computing and Academic Studies
- Technical Writing
Associate Certificate Part-time
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.