Instant Messaging and audio support in e-learning

We've been looking at some of ways in which Instant Messaging and audio support can be built into e-learning, so that delegates can contact an instructor when needed. We think this will help improve the effectiveness of online courses.

What do you think of this approach?

How to Rescue Projects

Abdul Rauf Parker has written a free guide called "How to Rescue Projects".

Major causes of project failure include one or more of the following:

• The business objectives were unrealistic.
• The project scope was not well defined or agreed to.
• The underlying technologies were not mature enough.
• Effective project management practices were not followed.
• Appropriate resources were not available or assigned to the project.

Why do you think projects fail?

Technical Author Apprentice Programme - TAAP

Each year, organisations hire graduates for roles in technical authoring, courseware development, information development and user-centred design.

Since there aren't very many academic-level courses in technical authoring in the UK, very few people entering the profession have any formal training or prior awareness of the role.

Cherryleaf's Technical Author Apprentice Programme (TAAP) is a service that means you can hire people with technical competence and minimal work experience, and train them to be effective technical communicators.

TAAP offers training, management and mentoring to technical authors and information designers for the first year within your company. Through our recruitment service, we can also find you people looking to start a career in this field and who would be suitable to this programme.

We offer both practical experience and researched theory. You can draw on our skills in teaching part of the BA Multimedia & Communication Design course at the University of Coventry, developing corporate training courses in technical writing and technologies and our experience of running many documentation projects for clients.

Cherryleaf's Technical Author Apprentice Programme is ideal for graduates who want to start a career in technical authoring. The programme is open to graduates and non-graduates.

Contact us for more details.

Marketing Technical Authors

The STC UK chapter will be holding the first event of 2006 on Saturday, 21 January 2006. This event ties in with the Trans-European Technical Communications Competition and they are expecting delegates from both the UK and board members form the other participating European chapters.

We've been asked to present a session on marketing Technical Authors. They think "this would be an excellent topic as this is an issue every tech author is faced with."

The event is being held in a hotel near Waterloo Station and will consist of workshops/presentations during the day, followed by a ‘Champagne Flight’ on the London Eye and the Tech Awards Dinner.