Revising Your Instructions

Now that you have completed (or will soon complete) a user test of your instructions, continue revising your instructions in light of user feedback and peer review. Possible revisions might include

• Changing page design or layout (see Chapter 12)
• Revising or adding content (i.e., adding additional step-by-step directions or an introduction; see Chapter 22)
• Revising step-by-step instructions for clarity and emphasis (pay special attention to the guidelines for Directions on pp. 563-567)
• Adding or revising visual aids, including charts, diagrams, or drawings (see Chapter 11)

Group Activity (20 minutes)

As a pair or in a group of three, review the sample student instructions (handout). Based on your group’s evaluation of the instructions, list at least four goals for revising the instructions. List these goals in order of priority, from most important to least important. For each goal, list specific suggestions of ways the writer might accomplish these goals.

On your Own

Review your instructions and results of your user test. Based on user feedback, and chapter guidelines, prepare your own list of at least four goals for revision, in order of priority. As you did above, list some specific ways you might achieve these goals.

Here’s an example:

Revising goal: Make step 3 of the directions easier for user to follow.

Strategies:

• This step really includes more than one action. Divide it into two steps. (Make sure each step contains only one action.)
• We need to show the user what should result or what it will look like when the action is correctly performed. Include a separate diagram for this step.

Use the remaining time in class to continue revising your instructions.