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October, 2006
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E-Learning and Technical Communication: Tendencies
and New Opportunities
by Russell Willerton, Snake River Chapter
I recently spoke with William Horton, author and consultant to clients
around the globe, during his recent visit to Boise for the E-learning
conference at Boise State University. Casual observers of his publishing
career might see a drift from “technical communication” subjects
in the 1990s (with books like Illustrating Computer Documentation,
The Icon Book, and Designing Online Documentation) to e-Learning
in more recent years (see Leading E-Learning, Evaluating E-Learning,
Using E-learning, and E-Learning by Design). Truth be told,
however, Horton has been interested in online learning ever since his
undergraduate years at MIT in the 1970s, when he hastily created course
content on a mainframe.
Because my own background is in technical communication, I asked Horton
to explain some of the differences he sees between technical communication
and E-learning. While his descriptions are necessarily broad, they resonate
with my own experiences.
Horton sees technical communication and E-learning as points along a
continuum. These two areas of work share many of the same goals, and they
require knowledge of similar media. This continuum is part of a larger
area of communication activity Horton described: knowledge management,
technical communication, E-learning, publishing, and podcasting, among
others, are all melding together. Horton says those who will succeed in
this new arena are people who can analyze needs and chose from many options
to solve problems creatively. Technical communicators and E-learning designers
have polished communication skills, they possess knowledge about technology,
and they are trained to analyze problems. Horton says technical communicators
need to find out what people in a given situation really need, which may
not be what they want or are used to.
Horton cited the example of one large corporation that knew it had a
problem and had budgeted $90 million to retrain the workforce. A careful
examination of the situation and workers’ needs led to the development
of a new job aid with a price of only $40 thousand. That kind of thinking
can help technical communicators prove their value to employers.
Horton still works with technical communication groups through his consulting
practice. He sees that the domains of technical communication and E-learning
are getting closer together. Documentation once required warehouse space
for storing hard copies, and training used to require dedicated, specialized
facilities. While this may still be true to some extent, in many cases
one group (or even a single person) may be responsible for E-learning,
training, documentation, and even customer support.
Horton says that technical communicators and E-learning personnel have
much to teach and to learn from each other. Instructional designers could
benefit from the information-seeking strategies of technical communicators;
technical communicators could learn more about creating documentation
that users can access and comprehend from any number of possible entrance
points. Technical communicators could benefit from expanded knowledge
of new media and production techniques; many instructional designers could
improve in their written communication.
Horton cited two factors that have motivated him to do more work in the
E-learning space in recent years. One factor is that E-learning products
tend to be more interactive than traditional technical documents. Another
is that trainers and instructional designers often share a certain spirit
of innovation. While some technical communicators exhibit a my-boss-would-never-let-me-do-that
conservatism, many E-learning designers are willing to try something new
and are not afraid to fail.
Horton cited some examples of innovation from around the world that are
related to E-learning. In his work with the Asian Development Bank, he
learned that in some areas devastated by recent tsunamis, officials are
not rebuilding the infrastructure for schools. Instead, they are installing
communication towers, building multipurpose community buildings, and delivering
instruction through low cost, wireless technology. During the SARS epidemic
of 2003, officials in Singapore closed the schools but moved instruction
online. And in Mongolia, authorities are installing communication towers
with solar panels to allow nomadic groups to recharge computers and download
new lessons.
Horton stated that all kinds of opportunities will be available for skilled
communicators, as long as they continue to learn new skills—especially
when it comes to producing messages in a variety of media. In our mobile,
time-shifting, technology-mediated society, users and consumers need appropriate
content delivered in a timely manner. While traditional media may still
be appropriate for many situations, technical communicators who learn
new technologies and try innovative techniques are likely to find new
opportunities for employment, professional growth, and influence.
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