TIMING IS EVERYTHING TUTORIAL PACING Viqui Dill, Technical Communications Leader, American Woodmark Corporation 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”.

1. Timing is everything
Tutorial Pacing
Viqui Dill
TechComm Leader at American Woodmark
6/19/2015 1| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

2. 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”
6/19/2015 3| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

3. How slow is too slow?
• Bored learners will
– Click off
– Multitask
– Not come back
• Well-paced material is engaging
6/19/2015 4| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

4. 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
6/19/2015 5| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

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1.5 second mouse sweep
6/19/2015 6| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

6. 1.0 second silence
6/19/2015 7| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

7. 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.
6/19/2015 8| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

8. 0.5 second mouse click
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9. 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
6/19/2015 10| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

10. 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
6/19/2015 11| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

11. Audio Pacing
• Audio elements as objects
– Silence separates phrases, sentences, ideas
½ second
of silence
6/19/2015 12| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

12. Putting it all together
• Combined pacing of audio and video
– Change
–Show what & where
–Tell
–Focus
–Show what & where
–Reflect
–Change
6/19/2015 14| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

13. Putting it all together
• Combined pacing of audio and video
Change Focus Show
Show Reflect
Tell Change
6/19/2015 15| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

14. Putting it all together
• Combined pacing of audio and video
Change Focus Reflect
Show Change
Tell
6/19/2015 16| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

15. What’s next?
• Last slide offers choices
– Review old tutorials
– Move ahead to new tutorials
– Email
– Online Help
– External sites
6/19/2015 18| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

16. Summary
• Design for audience
• Engaged students need
– See/hear/touch
– Time to reflect
– To know what’s next
• Well paced material is “sticky”
6/19/2015 19| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |

17. Connect with me
• Bio
http://wdcb.stcwdc.org/about-us/chapter-bios/dill-bio/
• Blog
https://viquidill.wordpress.com/
• Email
social_media@stcwdc.org
• @viqui_dill
https://twitter.com/viqui_dill
• Linked In
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/viqui-dill
• Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/viqui.dill
6/19/2015 20| @viqui_dill | Timing is everything: Tutorial Pacing | #TechComm #STC15 |