Distance Master Course User Support

Technical products and services usually go with several forms of user support, varying from training and user instructions to websites and the availability of technical support. The availability of good user support is increasingly seen as a fundamental consumer right, but also as an opportunity for companies to add value to their products or services.

Distance Master Course User Support

The University of Twente offers a unique opportunity for professionals in the field to get acquainted with the theory and research on user support. A distance learning course gives you an overview of recent and influential theories behind user instructions, manuals, help desks and user groups.

The aim of the course is to help you understand how users make sense of instructions, and to help you to design and test more effective and efficient user support. Your company will benefit from your newly acquired skills and knowledge as well: fewer calls to help desks not only equals a decrease in costs, but also an increase in returning customers and users who are more satisfied.

The course included two components:

Theory - Extensive discussions about a selection of articles and research papers on the topics of the course. The discussion will be initiated by questions and small assignments that connect theory and practice.

Practice - An individual assignment, which may either be the (re)design and testing of a piece of user support (e.g., a manual), or a (partial) replication of a research study described in literature on user support.

September 2007 – February 2008

Target audience

Activities

Topics of the course

Teaching staff

Technical details

Contact

More on User Support in the Department of Technical and Professional Communication

Target audience

The course is aimed at professionals in the field and others who are interested.

●	A graduate level of competencies (Bachelor) is needed.

●	It is important that you are able to read and understand scientific articles in English, since they will form the core of the study materials. Assignments are preferably written in English, but Dutch and German are allowed as well.

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A general knowledge of research methods in the social sciences, as well as a basic understanding of statistical concepts is needed. If necessary, the teachers may point you to websites and other materials where you can refresh or extend your knowledge in this field. If you want to verify whether your professional level and/or skills will be sufficient to follow the course successfully, please e-mail a description of your credentials to the course coordinator, who will advice you in return.

Activities

Kick-off meeting

The course will start with an optional kick-off meeting on the campus of the University of Twente. Here you will get the chance to meet your fellow students and an introduction to the course will be given.

Study and discussions

In the next weeks, you are invited to study one to three articles per week, and to discuss them via the virtual classroom. Some issues for the discussion will be suggested, but you can come up with your own questions and arguments as well. Teachers of Technical Communication will participate in the discussions and provide additional information or explanations when needed.

Individual assignment

After a couple of weeks, you start with the preparations for the individ-ual assignment, by choosing a topic and formulating a project plan. Of course, one of the teachers will advice and support you with finding an appropriate and interesting topic, designing your plan and conducting the assignment.

Examination

An oral examination, assessed by one of the teachers, will test your knowledge and understanding of the literature studies over the first ten weeks of the course. The examination can be taken face-to-face at the University of Twente or via a webcam. Your report of the individual assignment will be published in the virtual classroom,

Mini conference

You will also be invited to present the results of the assignments during a mini conference to be held at the University of Twente, at the end of the course.

Topics of the course

The importance of user support

Viewed from a legal, an economical, and a marketing perspective

Support users in learning to use products or systems

The minimalist design theory for tutorials and training materials

Support users in finding necessary information

The information seeking process of users and tools to help them

Support users with procedural instructions

How to design effective step-by-step instructions for tasks?

Support users in developing mental models

How do people understand how a system works – and how important is it that they do?

Support users with visual information

How layout and pictures can enhance the effectiveness of instructions

Support users with helpdesks

Problem solving at the helpdesk or via the telephone helpline

Support users with warnings

Risk perception and convincing users to work safely

Motivate users

How motivation, confidence and other affective aspects affect user performance

Evaluating user support

Methods for testing technical instructions

Teaching staff

●	Michaël Steehouder, full professor of Technical communication

●	Joyce Karreman, assistant professor of Technical Communication

●	Nicole Loorbach, PhD candidate

●	Lex van Velsen, PhD candidate

These experts will participate in class discussions, reflect on your performance on assignments and help you develop your skills.

Click here to learn more about activities in the field of user support by de Department of Technical Communication.

Technical details

Assessment

The assessment includes: The oral examination covering the theory. The written report about the individual assignment Both elements will be graded from 1-10 points (10 being the maximum). You need a minimum of 6 to qualify for a course certificate.

Study load

The course will take about 280 hours of student’s work for the average student. The course is rewarded with 10 European Credit points (EC).

Technical requirements

To be able to participate in the course you need: A PC with an internet connection (preferable cable or adsl). A webcam, if you opt for an examination on the internet.

Fees

●	The fee for the course is € 1.500.

●	Members of STIC and other INTECOM societies enjoy a deduction of € 500.

●	UT Communication Studies alumni enjoy the same deduction.

Following the programme on campus

It is possible to follow a similar course at the Campus of the University of Twente. The discussions, then, will not only take place via the Inter-net, but also in class meetings that are scheduled on Thursday morning from 8:30 to 10:30 am.

For participation on campus, the fee is € 2090. The same €500 deduction conditions apply as mentioned above.

Contact

Interested?

Express your interest in the course by sending an e-mail including your full contact information to the e-mail address below. Your e-mail has to be received before July first, 2007. You will receive a registration form which has to be returned to the University of Twente by mail or fax.

More information

For more information, advice and application please send an e-mail to: TPC@gw.utwente.nl

University of Twente

Department of Technical and Professional Communication

P O Box 217

7500 AE Enschede

The Netherlands

Phone:+31534893287

www.gw.utwente.nl/tpc

User Support in the Department of Technical and Professional Communication

The Department of TPC had a long tradition in teaching, researching and advising in the field of User Support.

Courses in Technical Communication and Writing and Designing Computer Manuals have been given at the University of Twente for over twenty years.

A course in designing user/friendly computer manuals was given over 12 times for groups of professionals in the field, from 1990 until 2000.

The textbook Handleidingenwijzer (A Guide to user manuals, 1997), by Michaël Steehouder and Carel Jansen) was one of the first and most comprehensive books on this subject in The Netherlands.

Two PhD dissertations were completed on the role of declarative information in procedural information:

●	Nicole Ummelen (1997): Procedural and declarative information in software manuals. Amsterdam/Atlanta: Rodopi.

●	Joyce Karreman (2004): Use and effect of declarative information in user instructions. Amsterdam/Atlanta: Rodopi.

A successful workshop on Designing and evaluating procedural instructions with the Four Components Model was given by Michaël Steehouder and Hans van der Meij during the International Professional Communication Conference in Limerick (Ireland) in 2005.

Recent activities

Michaël Steehouder and Joyce Karreman advise Microsoft Corporation concerning improvements in their User Support websites. Their activities include a webseminar for Microsoft staff, and developing a validation procedure for the instructional web pages.

Some recent publications

Loorbach, N. R., Karreman, J. & Steehouder, M. (2007). Adding motivational elements to an instruction manual for seniors: effects on usability and motivation. To be published in Technical Communication.

Van Velsen, L.S., Steehouder, M.F. & De Jong, M.D.T. (2007) Evaluation of user support. Factors that affect user satisfaction with helpdesks and helplines. To be published in IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.

Loorbach, N., Steehouder, M., & Taal, E. (2006). The effects of motivational elements in user instructions. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 20(3), 177-199.

Karreman, J., & Steehouder, M. (2004). Some effects of system information in instructions for use. IEEE Transactions on professional communication 47(1), 34-43.