British Columbia Institute of Technologywww.bcit.ca/study/courses/comm1260

Important Notice: COVID-19 Institute response

BCIT

COMM 1260 - Designing and Writing Online Help

Communication Part-time Studies Course

School of Computing and Academic Studies

To support you and your education, BCIT is adapting applied learning in formats appropriate to the unfolding global situation. Spring and Summer PTS classes are being delivered in an online format unless you are notified otherwise.

Course Details

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. NOTE: Students do not need to submit transcripts for entrance to this course. BUT, in the case of formal or informal grade appeals or reviews they will be asked to show proof of their English requirements. Students who wish to confirm their English level are strongly advised to take COMM 0015.

Prerequisite(s)

Students must have one of the following: 1) English 12 "67%" (C+) or equivalent (refer to BCIT's Admission page); 2) COMM 0015 score of 70 or better.

Credits

3.0

Cost

$600.92

Fall 2020

Below is one offering of this course for the Fall 2020 term.

CRN 34584

Thu Sep 10 - Thu Nov 26 12 Weeks

Class Meeting Times

Dates Days Times Locations
Sep 10 - Nov 26 Thu 18:30 - 21:30 DTC

Instructor

TBD

Course Outline

TBD – see Learning Outcomes in the interim

Cost

$600.92

4 seats remaining as of Jul 12, 2020 2:57 am (PDT). Availability may change at any time.

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

COMM 1260 is offered as a part of the following programs:

School of Business + Media

  1. Marketing Management - Customer Relationship Marketing
    Part-time   Associate Certificate
  2. Social Media and Digital Marketing
    Part-time/Distance & Online Learning   Statement of Completion

School of Computing and Academic Studies

  1. Technical Writing
    Part-time   Associate Certificate

Subscribe

Interested in being notified about future offerings of COMM 1260 - Designing and Writing Online Help? If so, fill out the information below and we'll notify you by email when courses for each new term are displayed here.

Contact Information

Suggest course days and times

If you are interested in taking this course on-campus (classroom delivery only) and would like to see it offered on specific days and/or at specific times, please indicate your preferences below. Day and time suggestions are not applicable to online courses.
The personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the College and Institute Act (RSBC 1996, Ch.52). BCIT will use this information to communicate with you regarding relevant BCIT programs, courses and services. This information is only used by authorized BCIT staff. Email communication sent to and from BCIT is routed through the United States of America. If you have any questions about BCIT's collection and use of this information, please contact BCIT’s manager of Information Access and Privacy.

Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.

Find Courses

English Language Proficiency

BCIT's Part-time Studies English Language Proficiency Standard is English 12 (or equivalency). Students who do not meet this requirement should upgrade their English skills prior to any future registration.

Payment Changes At BCIT

We've changed the way we accept payments.

Find out more

Course Navigation, Related Links & Tools

Registration News

Registration is now open for the Fall 2020 term.

Classroom Locations

Classroom locations are subject to last minute changes. Please check the Part-time Studies Classroom Locations listing at www.bcit.ca/rooms on the first day of any course you are registered for.

Part-time Studies Financial Aid

Will you be studying at BCIT part-time? Do you need assistance funding your studies? Find out if you qualify for Part-time Studies financial aid.

© BCIT