Assignment Description: Instructional Video (10%)
ENCS 282 – Technical Writing and Communication
In this assignment, you will work in pairs (your partner will be someone from your tutorial
section) to create a short video that provides instructions for completing a technical task. A key
goal is to help the audience understand the procedure in its technical details. An effective set of
instructions requires clear, precise, and simple explanation, and integrates text and graphics.
You can create a power-point presentation which captures your voice and then export it as an
MP4 file. (Length: Video of 4-5 min / approx. 2 min per student). You will upload a web link to
your video to Moodle by the due date.
Introduction:
• Indicate the specific task to be explained as well as the scope (what will and will not be
covered).
• Give a general idea of the procedure and what it accomplishes.
• Indicate the conditions when these instructions should (or should not) be used,
considering your target audience.
General warnings, cautions, dangers, and notices:
• Alert your audience members to the possibility of damaging their equipment, incorrectly
implementing the procedure, or hurting themselves.
• Emphasize key points or exceptions using special notices—note, warning, caution, and
danger.
Equipment and supplies:
• Include a list of the equipment, the tools used in the procedure (such as mixing bowls,
spoons, bread pans, hammers, drills, and saws) and materials, the things consumed in
the procedure (such as wood, paint, oil, nails, etc.).
Discussion of the steps:
• Provide step-by-step instructions in the required order. For example, if you are changing
the oil in a car, draining the oil is a step that must come before putting in the new oil.
• Give additional explanatory information about
o the expected result of each step;
o why they should care about doing this step; or
o mechanical principles behind what they are doing.
• Use a variety of graphics (pictures, illustrations, animations, etc.) to support the verbal
information.
Style:
• Use a direct, conversational tone. Do not just read from the slides.