Instructions Guidelines

GUIDELINES: For this assignment, you will choose a process and explain to your audience how to do it. Your audience should be able to complete the process based upon your written instructions only without either injuring themselves or damaging equipment.  Use Powerpoint to create the set of instructions.  You will present the process in class on the last day of the session.  The time limit for the presentation is ten minutes.

AUDIENCE: UMBC students  (either an individual or a group).  You should decide your audience's knowledge level so that you know whether to include every step in the process as you should for beginners or to skip steps as you can for intermediate or advanced users.

LENGTH: depends on the complexity of your process.

MECHANICS: Keep sentences clear and direct. Specific directions should be in the imperative mood (commands) with any explanations in the declarative mood (statements). Begin each step with the specific direction and then add any explanations. Use the active rather than the passive voice. Include the brand name of the item in the title. You will need headings for each slide.  Visuals will help your audience to understand the steps in your process, so use at least one screen capture.

TOPICS: Choose a process that you know well enough to teach to someone else.
 

  1. register for the semester
  2. join a campus organization
  3. run for a campus office
  4. use a piece of software or a web site
  5. do an automotive, medical, dental, or computer process
These are just some examples of processes that have been written about in past semesters.

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