How to Write Technology Training Materials

Writers take on many forms from creative writers that engage us in interesting novels, to advertising professionals that convince us to buy products, to instructional writers who convey “how-to” do something. Writing technology training materials takes a concise writer who knows their topic and can clearly convey their message in a step-by-step fashion. Here’s how a writer should create technology training materials.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Paper and/or a website to post the material to electronically
• A computer
• Design software ex. Microsoft Publisher
• Screen capture software ex. Snag-It
• The software that you are teaching
• Skills on the topic to be conveyed
• Internet access for research

1. Start your computer.
2. Start the design program that you will use to create the training materials. Ex. Microsoft Publisher
3. Start the software program that you are writing about.
4. Start the screen capture software you are working with. Ex. Snag-It.
5. Create a template for your training materials. You can customize it yourself or work with the set templates the program provides. Be sure to save it before you proceed.
6. Create a table of contents page.
7. Break your training materials into specific topics and create and page or two on each.
8. Write an introductory paragraph on the skills you plan to cover on a particular page, then break each step down into numbered instructions or bullet pointed items.
9. Go to the particular skill in the software that you are writing about and take a screen capture. Save it as a .jpg
10. Insert the .jpg with the appropriate content so readers have a visual of what you are trying to convey.
11. Repeat steps 8 to10 until you have covered all steps that you need to provide training material on.
12. Throughout the training material, create text boxes with important warnings or helpful hints. Include a graphic such as a stop sign to catch the reader’s attention.
13. Create a glossary of technology terms to help your reader better understand the material.
14. Use the internet to research additional resources on the topic.
15. Create a page of additional resources. Include books and website addresses for further reading and information on how to access training videos if available.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not include flowery language. Keep it simplistic.
• Do not create a book as long as the Bible. Keep it short.
• Save your work periodically.
• Since technology changes so quickly, be sure to update your training materials when necessary.