This document provides information about converting documentation into training materials. It discusses why technical writers should consider adding training capabilities to their resumes to make themselves more valuable. It then outlines the skillset and tools needed to create training content from documentation, including using slides, videos, and choosing an output medium. The document gives recommendations on the amount and type of content to include, such as a mix of theory and practice. Finally, it discusses budgeting considerations and the presenter's personal preferences for creating effective training materials.

1. Using training to up your
ante

2. Who am I – part 1, the basics
 Name: Julian Weiss
 Employer: Zerto Ltd. (a great little-ish startup)
 Years as TW: Too many (around 25 years)
 Years as Trainer: Quite a few (over 15 years)
 Previous work: Analyst/Programmer (many, many years ago)
 Blog: Semi-comatose
(www.wisedocumentation.wordpress.com)
 Basic characteristics: A picture paints a 1000 words
 Or (depending on
my mood)

3. What I want to talk about
 Why consider adding training to resume
 Who needs to be here
 Skillset: documentation vs. training materials
 Content: from manual to training materials

4. Why you should care
Our jobs are threatened by downsizing and/or
outsourcing. A simple way to add another string to
your bow is by adding training capabilities to your
resume. You know how to produce great
documentation, but how can you convert it into
training materials to make you that little bit more
wanted/sellable.

5. Is this session for me?
 Yes
 Looking to add training capabilities
 No or little previous training experience
 No
 Already doing it
 Want to move 80-100% into training
 Looking for tips about training for different
cultures/languages
 Not sure
 Some previous training experience

6. Who am I – part 2, why I’m standing here
 Work for companies without real training budget
 Companies want/need to provide training
 I want/need to be part of it
 Previous positions
 Started by converting documentation into training
material
 Ended by presenting material
 Ended by hosting webinars
 Presently
 Pushing to create training program
 Tasked with creating eLearning training material/tutorials

7. The required skillset
Documentation Training
 Ability to digest technical  Ability to digest technical
information information
 Ability to filter information  Ability to filter information
 Ability to effectively transfer  Ability to effectively transfer
required information to required information to
paper/help formats training template
 Framemaker/Word/Author-  PowerPoint/Captivate/…
It/…
Videos of procedures/features

8. The similarities and differences
Similarities Differences
 Content  Official content vs. unofficial
 Audience content
 Structure  Use of graphics
 Video  Xref vs. Serial approach
 Non-interactive vs. interactive
 Structure

9. Step 1: Considerations
 Audience
 Technical ability
 Amount of time/budget for training
 Age
 Delivery
 Classroom
 Going the way of the dodo
 Webinar (online)
 Time consideration – attention span of audience
 eLearning (offline)

10. Step 2a: Tools: Slides (PowerPoint/…)
 Powerpoint
 Simple to use
 Everyone has it
 PDF requires additional work setting up slide like
template
 Provides advantage of PDF – consistent across platforms
 Prezi is good for non-serial presentations
 Good for other things, like collaborative projects
 Can be annoying and epilepsy inducing
Prezi example
My preference:
PowerPoint unless non-serial, constantly returning to fixed
point, then Prezi

11. Step 2b: Tools: Videos (Camtasia/Snap!/…)
 Make presentation more dynamic
 Voice – can be done with PowerPoint
 Interactive – classroom training interactive by definition
 Camtasia
 Video only – needs to be included in something else – or for
youtube type training
 I don’t like newer versions editing abilities
 BrainShark/Snap!
 Convert static slide show into something dynamic (flash)
 Nisht eher nisht ahin
 Captivate
 Mix of slide and video
 Lousy slide creation
My preference:
Captivate

12. Step 3: Output media
 Youtube
 Wiki/website
 Can be passively interactive
 Classroom
 Major advantage of active interaction/immediate
feedback
 Major disadvantages of time and cost

13. Step 4: What content
 Mix of theory and practice
 More practice means better subject reinforcement
 For technical audiences, practice is more important
 Slide style
 Graphics vs. text
 Text is graphic
 More graphics if localization required (but even this is not
absolute)
 My preference: text and demos instead of graphics
 Static vs. effects
 My preference: very few effects – they distract (OK for
marketing)

14. Amount of content (rules of thumb)
 Slide
 1-3 minutes content
 Less than 1 minute and slide becomes more important than
content
 More than 3 minutes audience attention span lost
 Videos
 1-6/6 minutes
 Less than 1 minute and not enough content for video
 More than 6/7 minutes and audience attention span lost
eLearning requires approximately half the time
required by classroom training

15. Creating content
 Agenda
 Look at documentation set
 Look at parts and chapters
 Content
 Look at topic headings
 For slides
 Take key points (often headings)
 For videos
 Look at procedures

19. Converting documentation to a presentation
 Theory
 Short bullets
 Crutch to help presenter – not whole story
 Procedures
 Live or canned demos
 No screenshots

21. The complete training package
 Agenda
 Order what you think correct
 Add timing
 Average training day is 6 hours
 Maximum webinar is maximum 2 hours
 Average session for eLearning is 15-45 minutes
 Presenter manual
 Slides with notes
 Labs with solutions
 Student manual
 PowerPoint: print 3 slides per page
 Webinar: provide recording
 eLearning: part of package
 Workbook

22. Budgeting for training
 Ball in your court
 Produce something in your own (copious) spare time
 Push it
 Know who to push it to
 Cf outsourcing
 $15K per hour
 From experience
 Don’t expect training to become profit center and
also keep control of it

23. My personal preferences
 Short statements (remove a, the, etc.)
 Slides are crutch to help not to take over
 Prevents just reading what’s written
 Very little, if any, animation
 Live/canned demos instead of screenshots
 Lots of labs – at least 50%
 Word-based, not graphics-based
 Slide itself is picture
 Use indentation to strengthen picture
 Variety is spice of life
 Agenda headings not same as slide headings

24. Questions
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25. Thank you