The assignment
Write instructions for performing a task and present the instructions with an introduction and illustrations, as. As a result of using your instructions, a reader should be able to complete the task successfully and without frustration.
Your instructions must meet the following criteria:
• they instruct on a task that is not dangerous, unethical, offensive, or illegal
• they should be moderately complex, but not too complex (Choose a procedure with at least three but no more than six major steps. You may have substeps).
• they should be on a task that you know how to do without any research. Audience and selection of task
• Your classmates, or selected people among your classmates, are your audience. You can assume knowledge of common tools and terms but not necessarily of specialized ones.
• You have to be able to keep in mind that your reader may not be as familiar with a task, so you have to make conscious decisions to include/exclude certain information.
• You have to make them aware of the possible risks or dangers that could come about as a result of following through on the instructions.
• Choose a topic that you have considerable knowledge about. It could fall into one of the following categories:
Use – how does your audience use a product or a service
Ex: How to operate a device, software, machine, etc. Installation – how is the product installed or how do you initiate and begin use of the service
Ex: How to set up a machine for production Ex: How to replace a lost Compass Card Maintenance – how is the product or service maintained
Ex: How to grease fittings in a machine Repair – how is the product or service repaired Ex: How to file a grievance for an unwarranted charge on your credit card
Ex: How to replace a worn or broken part in a machine Requirements:
• You will give instructions on a task your classmates don’t know how to do but one they could reasonably expect to learn from your paper within not more than an hour. This requirement eliminates common tasks such as shampooing hair (which all your classmates know how to do) and complex tasks such as writing a computer program or playing the trumpet (which we couldn’t learn from a short set of instructions).
• No recipes, but you could give instructions on using a specialized piece of cooking equipment, such as a wok, or on some specialized procedure for preparing food. • Use visuals that are clearly labeled and referred to and that aid in user comprehension of the instructions.
