Screencast tutorials used more often in technical communications

Technical communications are experiencing a profound shift with the advent of new technologies. One example is the use of podcasts and screencasts to explain procedures that once were outlined in user manuals and quickstart guides. While I don't believe the need for printed material will disappear, online tutorials are necessary to improve customer satisfaction and product understanding.

We are currently working on an online training series for a client that takes the form of interactive screencasts. The goal of this project is to help company employees adopt and become proficient with Lotus Sametime and reduce the number of calls to an already overworked helpdesk. Lotus Sametime has the ability to connect users through instant messaging, voice chats and online web conferencing, but it will only have value if employees really start using it. Employees currently have access to written material, however, they lack the time to learn this software with their busy schedules. Hence, the IT department would like to offer on-demand training videos designed to help people get up-to-speed with the basics.

I will soon be including examples of customized training videos on our website at www.knowledgework.ca. If you think this service would be useful for your company, please contact us at info@knowledgework.ca stating your needs and I would be glad to provide you with a reasonable quote. Best regards.

Using Camtasia to do screencast tutorials

We are presently preparing a series of tutorials on software products including IBM Lotus Sametime, a web conferencing tool that allows teams to meet remotely, instant message and share desktops. This is a good tool for businesses and the software we are using to record the tutorials is Camtasia.

So far so good. The plan is to have some of these tutorials up on our site as an example of our work, and to give an idea of the kind of customized information products that we produce to enhance learning. Look for this by the end of July to early August. Have a good weekend everyone!