Interactive Strategies for Improving Performance

SSivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan, who is acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on interactive learning, will present a one-day, limited enrollment workshop “Interactive Strategies for Improving Performance” Friday, May. 9, at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison Hotel.

“Thiagi is an expert in the area of interactivity. So don't expect to sit in your seats!” Elisa Miller, Lone Star Community program chairman, said. “You'll be engaged and learn how to engage your learners while learning his important secrets of facilitation.”

Faster, Cheaper, BETTER: Secrets of Training Design
Local STC Group Hosts World's Foremost Authority on Interactive Learning

Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan, who is acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on interactive learning, will speak on “Faster, Cheaper, BETTER: Secrets of Training Design” at the May 8 meeting of the Lone Star Community of the Society for Technical Communication in Addison.

It is one thing to take potshots at the instructional systems development (ISD) model, but Thiagi goes beyond griping by providing a radical new approach for producing training packages that are faster, cheaper, -- and better. Based on 40 years of field work in 24 different countries and theoretical framework from creativity, self-adaptive systems, and complexity theory, Thiagi's CCCC (continuous, creative, concurrent co-design) model has been successfully used on hard and soft- skill training topics.

Principles explored during the presentation will include:
?oe authentic assessment as the core of training,
?oe open questions and innovative assessment techniques,
?oe interactive strategies that wrap around different content resources,
?oe blend of training with performance improvement interventions,
?oe co-design through learners taking on the roles of trainers and evaluators, and
?oe reusable templates for presenting content and creating activities.

Technical Communicators Receive Service Award
Society for Technical Communication and Lone Star Community Members Honored

Louellen S. Coker and Kristy Nolan were awarded the Distinguished Chapter Service Award (DCSA) at a recent meeting of the Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC)..

Perot Systems Interaction Designers to Visit LSC

The Society for Technical Communication Lone Star Community will host a panel discussion, "Three Guys on Interaction Design," at its Feb. 7 meeting.

Three interaction designers from Perot Systems - Jim Machajewski, Vic Case and Kevin Mattice - will be the panel participants. Interaction designers strive to create useful and usable products and services. Following the fundamental tenets of user-centered design, the practice of interaction design is grounded in an understanding of real users—their goals, tasks, experiences, needs, and wants. Interaction designers define and design the ways in which people work with the final product, making the point of contact with the product simple to understand and intuitive in nature.

The three panelists will explain why this aspect of product development is critical to a satisfying
user experience. They will also define what a good user interaction looks like and how effective
interactions improve the overall quality of a product.

Local STC Member Honored With Leadership Award - Dale Erickson Awarded Binion Amerson Leadership Award

The Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for  Technical Communication (STC) awarded Dale Erickson its second annual Binion Amerson Leadership Award at the January awards banquet.

Erickson was cited for “exemplary leadership, service, and dedication to the Lone Star Community, the Society, and the Technical Communication profession.” He has been a member of the Lone Star Community for more than 20 years and has served in a variety of offices at both the local and international level. He is a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication.

Area Student Awarded Lone Star Community Scholarships.

The Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) has awarded Lacy Landrum a $1000 scholarship to be used in her pursuit of a doctoral degree in technical communication at Oklahoma State University.

Ms. Landrum, who lives in Hammond, LA, is currently finishing up her dissertation on web accessibility issues for the hearing impaired. The scholarship award was announced at the annual Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication Awards Banquet held Jan. 10.

Annual Technical Communication Awards Announced Local STC Community Presents 30 Awards to Regional Writers

Annual Technical Communication Awards Announced Local STC Community Presents 30 Awards to Regional Writers. Technical Publications, Online Communications, and Technical Art entries from regional professionals and companies received awards of Distinguished, Excellence, Merit, and Best of Show at the Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication Awards Banquet held Jan. 10.

Google User Experience Designer Presents Workshop on Creating and Evaluating Usable Graphics
The Society for Technical Communication Lone Star Community presents insights of a renowned visual interaction designer

Internationally known visual interaction designer for Google Patrick Hofmann will conduct a one-day workshop “Intuitive images: creating and evaluating usable graphics” Friday, Dec. 14. “In our end-user manuals, web pages, portable digital devices, and interface designs, our pictures always seem to play a subordinate role to our words. We find them too hard to illustrate; we encounter too many resolution and incompatibility issues, and we can never seem to make them attractive enough, meaningful enough, and usable enough,” Mr. Hofmann said.

In this workshop, attendees will get very graphic with these challenges by spending a fun-filled session sharing common problems, evaluating existing design challenges, visualizing different types of information, and working on some innovative hands-on exercises. The workshop’s goal is to help both information developers and usability professionals evaluate and boost the visual appeal and usability of the information that they produce, and to empower them with simple tips and tricks to become visually and graphically savvy.

“Visual Language”: Using Fewer Words and More Pictures to Boost the Value of Your Work The Society for Technical Communication presents insights of a visual interaction designer

Visual interaction designer and Google usability expert Patrick Hofmann will speak on the importance of using pictures in technical communication at the December 13th meeting of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star Community (LSC).

“Discover how using fewer words and more pictures can improve your product documentation, training, and usability -- to not only save costs but generate revenue for your employer or your company,” Mr. Hofmann said. “From wordless manuals to visual help, from product decals to packaging, creating usable, visually helpful information can please your users and your company's bottom line.”

Application Change Management and ITIL Expert Lorretta Morgan To Visit Lone Star Community

Application lifecycle and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) expert Lorretta Morgan will address the November 8 dinner meeting of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star Community (LSC).

“Change affects every aspect of the software development lifecycle including documentation,” Ms. Morgan said. “Managing change in the application lifecycle reduces documentation failure and is critical to successful IT service delivery.” Ms. Morgan will discuss ITIL and IT acronyms at a high level then explain the IT application lifecycle and relate all of it to technical writing.

“This session will introduce the basic concepts of the IT Infrastructure Library, IT Service Management, Service Delivery, the standards for IT implementation and ATLASTM,” according to Ms. Morgan. “From decrypting acronyms to demystifying the IT application lifecycle, this discussion will show the relationship between change management and technical communication.”

Portfolios and Interview Strategies: How to Ace a Technical Communications Job Interview
The Society for Technical Communication presents insights of a longtime staffing pro

Industry staffing veteran and longtime writer Jack Molisani will speak on the value of a technical communicator’s portfolio at the October 4th meeting of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star Community (LSC). The dinner meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Thursday, October 4, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison Hotel, 14315 Midway Road, Addison, Texas.

“As someone who has sat on both sides of the interviewer's desk (as a technical writer and documentation manager), I was always surprised how many technical writers didn't realize what a valuable tool their portfolio was”, said Mr. Molisani. “Writers who had fantastic samples didn't leverage the samples effectively.”

"You can always count on Jack Molisani to deliver presentations with a punch and to provide take-away ideas that can make a difference in your career," said LSC President Susie Lynn Fox. "I would encourage everyone to hear what Jack has to say about improving our portfolio strategies and interview skills on Oct. 4."

Structured Authoring Without Frame or DITA
The Society for Technical Communication presents insights of an STC veteran

Structured authoring expert, instructor and speaker Neil Perlin will address the September meeting of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star Community (LSC). The dinner meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Thursday, September 6, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison Hotel, 14315 Midway Road, Addison, Texas.

"Structured authoring", Mr. Perlin said, “always sounds very cutting edge, but the reality is that technical communicators have done it for years. What's new is the emphasis on programmatically- defined structure rather than simple visual structure defined by different head sizes.”

“Programmatically-defined structure can be complicated. It's going to take years for it to become common or standard in technical communications, like it took years for online help and web sites to become common. But it also offers some major benefits for streamlining writing, supporting single sourcing and localization, and for making material easier for readers to understand.”

Community President Susie Lynn Fox said, “We’re delighted that Neil could come to Dallas for our opening meeting. This is a very important topic to our members as well as many of those involved in document management.”

The Research Is In – You CAN Create Usable and Accessible Web Content
STC and UPA Host an Audience-Interactive Presentation with Usability Expert

Nationally recognized usability expert and author, Dr. Ginny Redish,
Ph.D. will address a joint May meeting of the Lone Star Community (LSC) and the DFW Usability Professionals’ Association at 6:15 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 2007, at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison Hotel.

Web content is critical! People go to Web sites for the content, and technical writers and usability specialists should have a leading role in getting the right content, in the right amount, into the right place on their company's or clients'—or own—Web sites. "Most people coming to the Web are very focused on their own needs,” notes Dr. Redish. “They want just the information they need, and they want it as quickly and easily as possible.

We can help our teams create Web sites that give our site visitors successful experiences.” In her interactive presentation, Dr. Redish will help attendees understand how writing for the Web is similar to and how it isdifferent from writing for print. Drawing on research from cognitive psychology, human-computer interaction, linguistics, reading, writing, and usability studies—including eye-tracking studies—she will explore specific guidelines for applying this research with the audience.

AMWA Southwest to hold Eighth Annual Career Roundtables Meeting

The Southwest Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association invites anyone interested in scientific and medical communication to attend its Eighth Annual Career Roundtables meeting in Houston on Saturday, May 12, 2007.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in one of four discussions, each beginning with a short presentation by the roundtable leader and followed by a discussion with the participants.

Conquer Your Public Speaking Fears
STC Shows You How to Appear Smooth and Self-assured
(Even if You’re Not!)

Assistant Professor of Technical Communication, Dr. Lynne Cooke, will address the April meeting of the Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) at 6:15 p.m., Thursday, April 12, 2007, at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison Hotel.

Public speaking still ranks as the number one fear of American adults, so if you’re anxious making presentations, Dr. Cooke says, “You’re not alone.” And if you are communicating specialized information to a non-specialized audience, well, it can be especially challenging.

In this presentation, Dr. Cooke will discuss visual and verbal techniques you can use to clarify technical content in public speaking situations. “By using verbal illustrations, comparisons, and explanations and by visually representing concepts, processes, and statistics, you can make even the most technical content accessible to a non-technical audience,” says Dr. Cooke. Because a polished delivery and an engaging PowerPoint show also contribute to a successful presentation, this presentation also includes tips and tricks for appearing confident and “how to’s” for designing slides for maximum visual impact.

Prominent Local Communicators Honored
Lone Star STC gives Three Members Distinguished Community Service Achievement
Awards

The Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) announced this year’s recipients of the Distinguished Chapter Service Achievement (DCSA) award: Jackie Damrau; Jeanne Foster; and Paul Holland.

"I'm so glad the Society recognized the outstanding contributions of Jackie, Paul, and Jeanne," said Ms. Mel Haughton, LSC President. "Members like these make the LSC a wonderful community to be a part of. They deserve every bit of these honors."

The DCSA recognizes the work of community members who provide exemplary service to the Society through their dedication to the community and its activities. Recipients are selected based on the following criteria:

• Length of community membership
• Consistency of service over the time of community membership
• Variety of service to STC

Make Your Products Accessible to the 55 Million Americans with Disabilities
STC Presents Nationally Recognized Expert in Accessible Technology

Co-founder and Executive Director of Knowbility, Sharron Rush, will address the February meeting of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star Community (LSC). Does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to the Internet? How does technology impact the lives of Americans with disabilities? Will the current law suit by the National Federation of the Blind vs. Target.com affect every business that operates online? Ms. Rush explores these issues of technology access in her presentation titled, “Equal Access to Technology for People with Disabilities.” Specifically, this presentation will look at search engine optimization benefits, usability improvements, increased download speeds and other reasons that "Good Design is Accessible Design."

Annual Technical Communication Awards Announced
Local STC Community Presents 16 Awards to Area Writers

Technical Publications, Online Communications, and Technical
Art entries from local professionals and companies received awards of Distinguished, Excellence,
Merit, and Best of Show at the Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical
Communication Awards Banquet held yesterday at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

Area Students Awarded Lone Star Community Scholarships
The Society for Technical Communication Presents Record Five Scholarships

The Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) has awarded a record five scholarships of $1000 each to local students. These scholarships will be used in the pursuit of a degree in technical communication. The winners will be honored at the LSC’s January awards banquet, which is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Thursday, January 11, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison Hotel.

Local STC Member Honored
Dr. Jackie Damrau Awarded Binion Amerson Leadership Award

The Lone Star Community (LSC) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) honored Dr. Jackie Damrau with its inaugural Binion Amerson Leadership Award during the November monthly meeting.

Two Scholarships Available for Area Technical Communication Students
The STC Lone Star Community offers scholarships for the 2006 2007 academic year

The Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star
Community’s Scholarship Committee is accepting scholarship applications for the 2006 through Spring 2007 academic year. These scholarship programs assist all students who are undertaking a technical communication degree or certificate and intend to pursue a career in the wide field of technical communications. The Scholarship Committee evaluates applicants’ academic records and potential for contributing to the technical communication profession. However, when applicants are judged comparable in these respects, the committee also considers a student’s financial need.

Show YOU Are A Good Return on Your Employer’s Investment
The Society for Technical Communication presents practical ROI workshop - Local project manager and technical communicator, Robert W. Crump, will address the September meeting of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) Lone Star Community (LSC).