tutorial pacing
DESCRIPTION
Tutorials need to be paced carefully. Too fast and folks don't learn. Too slow and they lose interest. This presentation discusses how to find a balance so that your tutorials are both engaging and effective, so that the pace is just right. Highlights include designing for the audience: creating engaged students by giving them what they need—to See/hear/touch, time to reflect, and to know what’s next; creating well paced material that is “sticky”.TRANSCRIPT
Tutorial PacingTutorial PacingViqui Dill
Sales and Marketing Technical Communications
Who is the audience vs. who will review
• Who is the audience?• New• Alone • Bothered
• Who will review? • SMEs• Developers• Marketing
How fast is too fast?
• New folks need – Time to see – Time to read & hear– Time to reflect– Time to interact– To know what’s next
• Well paced material is “sticky”
How slow is too slow?
• Bored learners will – Click off – Multitask– Not come back
• Well paced material is engaging
Visual Pacing
• Visual tracking vs. visual focus– Tracking• 1.5 second mouse sweep• 1.0 second silence• Highlight box
– Focus• Highlight box or draw ovals • Show mouse click 0.5 seconds
1.5 second mouse sweep
1.0 second silence
Highlight box helps the viewer’s focus move from one area of the screen to another. Allow a longer pause when the
eyes have to travel.
0.5 second mouse click
Audio Pacing
• Instruction vs. narration– Instruction• Match video• Read along • Step by step• Pauses match video
– 0.5 seconds after caption – 1.0 second after screen change – 2.0 seconds for transition to next screen
Audio Pacing
• Instruction vs. narration– Narration• Explain concepts• Anticipate a question• Overview or summarize• Pauses match content
– 0.5 seconds after a sentence – 1.0 second between ideas.– 3.0 seconds for reflection
Audio Pacing
• Audio elements as objects– Silence separates phrases, sentences, ideas
½ second of silence
Audio Energy
• Too much vs. too little– High energy• Stimulating • Dynamic • Driven
– Low energy• Calming • Confident • Contagious
Putting it all together
Putting it all together
• Combined pacing of audio and video Change Focus Show Show Reflect Tell Change
Putting it all together
• Combined pacing of audio and video Change Focus Reflect Show Change Tell
Interact
• Skip intro• Clickable pacing• Roll over text• Roll over graphics• Review
What’s next?
• Last slide offers choices– Review old tutorials– Move ahead to new tutorials– Email – Online Help – External sites
Summary
• Design for audience • Engaged students need – See/hear/touch – Time to reflect– To know what’s next
• Well paced material is “sticky”
Connect with me
Viqui Dill STC Washington DC – Metro Baltimore Chapter Social Media Manager & At-Large Director [email protected]
American Woodmark Corporation Sales & Marketing Technical Communicator [email protected]
My other lifewife and mom, bass player, worship leader, happiest when folks sing along with me [email protected]@viqui_dill twitter 540-303-0323 cell https://www.facebook.com/viqui.dill
