Resources for Teaching Descriptions
T. R. Girill
trgirill@acm.org (ver. 1)

Exercise Role (Topic) Science Applied Here Instructional Design Features Connections to Real Life

Ex. G
plainGd
annotatedGd Guidelines for good descriptions
(rules of thumb for all description cases) Patricia Wright:
Between-subjects studies show significantly more text revisions and more consistent revisions with overt guidelines.
These guidelines make text usability explicit for students. Introduces

basic audience analysis,

writing for a purpose,

self-editing of description drafts.

CDC's "sudden unexplained infant death" reporting form nicely illustrates applying all of these guidelines (both positively and negatively).

Ex. 0
[no plain]
annotated0d Why write descriptions
(fist on the card) Audience analysis gains an overt, widely applicable technique by introducing contrast classes as an empirical way to discover what details are relevant for each useful description. Surveys the make/install/discover/understand spectrum of description reasons.
Practices contrast class analysis in a simple, concrete way. Connects good technical description with two practical situations:

crime scene investigation,

decoding complex utility bills (especially for ESL readers).

Ex. 1
plain1d
annotated1d Scaffolded Cases
Role recognition of description parts
(paper clip) Applies contrast class analysis to the features of a technically interesting but familiar object (paper clip). Role recognition and signal hunting

reveal descriptive features at work,

promote writer responsibility for installing those features,

build the general skill of learning well from examples.

Exposes the underlying science (and hence the descriptive challenges) of common devices.

Ex. 2
plain2d
annotated2d Role recognition of description parts
(nail clippers) David Macaulay:
Uses this technical artist's specific design moves to introduce the usability benefits of drawn illustrations for descriptions. Same as Ex. 1. Compares drawings with photographs as supplements to scientific and engineering (including home-improvement) descriptions.

Ex. 3
Outline:
plain3d1
Scaffolded:
plain3d2
Segmented:
plain3d3
annotated3d Reconstruction Exercises
Rebuilding a description from large parts
(compact disk) M. Hoey and E. O. Winter (linguists):
Reconstructing technical text from jumbled parts practices the same planning, design, and evaluation skills needed when drafting descriptions from scratch. Builds and publicly reinforces (helps you easily coach) description-relevant skills even when students could not write the text chunks from which they reconstruct this case.
Comparing alternative (rewritten) versions of one paragraph introduces students to making text usability tradeoffs. Building a useful, coherent (long) description from information fragments is a common real-life editorial project.

Ex. 4
Outline:
plain4d1
Scaffolded:
plain4d2
Segmented:
plain4d3
annotated4d Rebuilding a description from small parts
(Post-it note) Same as Ex. 3. Same as Ex. 3. Like Ex. 1, this case exposes the underlying science (here about adhesives) of a common device.

Ex. 5
Outline:
plain5d1
Segmented:
plain5d2
annotated5d Rebuilding a (long) description from small parts
(fluorescent lamp) Same as Ex. 3. Same as Ex. 3 (only much longer, suitable as a student-group activity). Scales up the skills from Ex. 1-4 to handle the "everyday physics" of fluorescent lamps and the engineering of their safe installation.

Ex. 9
plain9d
annotated9d Iterative Refinement
Revising wisely a (long) draft description
(bone fracture) Kalpana Shankar:
Ethnographic studies reveal the value of text revision even in lab notes.
Edward Tufte:
Effective technical illustrations apply good human-factors engineering. Searching for text usability features (lists, proleptics, comparisons) reinforces the student writer's responsibility to provide such features.
Adding and comparing good/bad headings and figures connects description guidelines to usability tradeoffs. The diversity of (organizing and self-editing) skills practiced here mirrors the skills needed on many science-related jobs.

Exercise	Role (Topic)	Science Applied Here	Instructional Design Features	Connections to Real Life
Ex. G plainGd annotatedGd	Guidelines for good descriptions (rules of thumb for all description cases)	Patricia Wright: Between-subjects studies show significantly more text revisions and more consistent revisions with overt guidelines. These guidelines make text usability explicit for students.	Introduces basic audience analysis, writing for a purpose, self-editing of description drafts.	CDC's "sudden unexplained infant death" reporting form nicely illustrates applying all of these guidelines (both positively and negatively).
Ex. 0 [no plain] annotated0d	Why write descriptions (fist on the card)	Audience analysis gains an overt, widely applicable technique by introducing contrast classes as an empirical way to discover what details are relevant for each useful description.	Surveys the make/install/discover/understand spectrum of description reasons. Practices contrast class analysis in a simple, concrete way.	Connects good technical description with two practical situations: crime scene investigation, decoding complex utility bills (especially for ESL readers).
Ex. 1 plain1d annotated1d	Scaffolded Cases Role recognition of description parts (paper clip)	Applies contrast class analysis to the features of a technically interesting but familiar object (paper clip).	Role recognition and signal hunting reveal descriptive features at work, promote writer responsibility for installing those features, build the general skill of learning well from examples.	Exposes the underlying science (and hence the descriptive challenges) of common devices.
Ex. 2 plain2d annotated2d	Role recognition of description parts (nail clippers)	David Macaulay: Uses this technical artist's specific design moves to introduce the usability benefits of drawn illustrations for descriptions.	Same as Ex. 1.	Compares drawings with photographs as supplements to scientific and engineering (including home-improvement) descriptions.
Ex. 3 Outline: plain3d1 Scaffolded: plain3d2 Segmented: plain3d3 annotated3d	Reconstruction Exercises Rebuilding a description from large parts (compact disk)	M. Hoey and E. O. Winter (linguists): Reconstructing technical text from jumbled parts practices the same planning, design, and evaluation skills needed when drafting descriptions from scratch.	Builds and publicly reinforces (helps you easily coach) description-relevant skills even when students could not write the text chunks from which they reconstruct this case. Comparing alternative (rewritten) versions of one paragraph introduces students to making text usability tradeoffs.	Building a useful, coherent (long) description from information fragments is a common real-life editorial project.
Ex. 4 Outline: plain4d1 Scaffolded: plain4d2 Segmented: plain4d3 annotated4d	Rebuilding a description from small parts (Post-it note)	Same as Ex. 3.	Same as Ex. 3.	Like Ex. 1, this case exposes the underlying science (here about adhesives) of a common device.
Ex. 5 Outline: plain5d1 Segmented: plain5d2 annotated5d	Rebuilding a (long) description from small parts (fluorescent lamp)	Same as Ex. 3.	Same as Ex. 3 (only much longer, suitable as a student-group activity).	Scales up the skills from Ex. 1-4 to handle the "everyday physics" of fluorescent lamps and the engineering of their safe installation.
Ex. 9 plain9d annotated9d	Iterative Refinement Revising wisely a (long) draft description (bone fracture)	Kalpana Shankar: Ethnographic studies reveal the value of text revision even in lab notes. Edward Tufte: Effective technical illustrations apply good human-factors engineering.	Searching for text usability features (lists, proleptics, comparisons) reinforces the student writer's responsibility to provide such features. Adding and comparing good/bad headings and figures connects description guidelines to usability tradeoffs.	The diversity of (organizing and self-editing) skills practiced here mirrors the skills needed on many science-related jobs.