Technical Communication vs. Instructional Design: When to Support Learning or Task Following
- Presentation
- Content Strategy & Information Architecture
- 11. November
- 02:00 PM (CET) - 02:45 PM (CET)
- C7.1
-
PhD Jonatan Lundin
- Excosoft
Contents
Are you unsure when training materials are more effective than technical communication and when the opposite is true? This presentation examines when technical communication is appropriate user support and when instructional design is a better fit, based on the prior knowledge users bring to the interaction. Users need relevant knowledge to operate complex products. When this is lacking, they turn to documentation for support. However, finding, understanding, and applying such support also requires prior knowledge—such as familiarity with terminology and concepts. Without it, users struggle not only with the product but also with the documentation, leading to poor user experiences.
The presentation frames this as a knowledge gap between what technical communication assumes and what users actually know. Drawing on cognitive psychology, it identifies four user situations shaped by this gap and explores when technical communication can provide effective support—and when deeper learning through instructional design is required, highlighting practical implications for technical communicators when deciding on the most appropriate form of user support.
Takeaways
Choosing between technical communication and instructional design mean understanding the gap between assumed and actual user knowledge. Effective user support starts with what users know, to recognize when instructions are enough.
Prior knowledge
Basic knowledge of technical communication