In a profession with as many different roles as there are titles, it’s time to check in with each other and ask the question: What kind of technical communicator are you?

Join us in Calgary for a Coffee Night revival. It has been years since we’ve had a Coffee Night event in Calgary (they’ve always been a popular event in Edmonton), so mark your calendars for this free event.

Choose a beverage of your choice and converse with Technical Communicators who have specialized expertise such as editing, management, instructional design, user assistance, and more.

If you have a special Technical Communication role and would like to talk about what you do, contact Ruth Maryniuk programs@stc-alberta.org

Program Details

We are proud to present Klaus Hofer, a leading expert in the local oil & gas industry, whose training sessions for organizational psychology are the standard amongst employers of technical communicators in this field.

As principal owner of CAT-i, Klaus will provide us with an overview of usability mapping:

The challenge

• Two case studies (Boeing and NASA) of professionally crafted documents that led to disaster will be presented with a before-and-after comparison followed by a brief analysis.
• Why better writing is not the answer.
• Facts and myths about reading grade level: Recommendations by DoD, NATO, and WHO.

Measures and proofs

• Usability index (scoring a document)
• Nested navigation and cognitive linking
• Feedback loop
• Behavioral reinforcement strategies

Serving user needs

• P-Q-A (Promise – Question – Answer) patterns
• Searching is out, navigating is in
• User profiles

Program Details

• Date: Thursday, March 20, 2014
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location:  Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553-31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
  • Directions: IC is in University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary
  • Transit: From Brentwood LRT station, walk across the parking lot to IC
  • Parking: Free visitor parking is available in front of the building
• Cost: STC Alberta Members, Affiliate Members: $15. Non-Members: $20.
• Registration: Paypal
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

About the presenter, Klaus Hofer, Principal, CAT-i

Klaus Hofer is a management consultant who specializes in organizational psychology. His early work in aviation and hospitals led to an interest in cognitive and organizational psychology, and a need to understand: Why can well-trained highly motivated people make deadly errors? His ongoing studies and research in behavioural and cognitive psychology provide the basis for his current work. He researches, consults, and teaches. He has developed a full semester course and corporate workshop, Applied Psychology for Technical Communicators, which was initially presented at the University of Massachusetts in 1986. He has taught multiple variations of the course at several corporations and educational institutions in North America, Asia, and Europe.

STC Alberta, with sponsorship from Innovatia, is pleased to offer exceptional member pricing for this hands-on workshop on Usability Testing. Brian Traynor, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University has designed this workshop to get you thinking about ways that you can engage with your end-users and test your information products during the development life-cycle. You will be a test participant, moderator, and data analyst at different points in the day. The morning session will explore what goes into making good tasks for testing, common moderator mistakes, and identifying where data issues arise. In the afternoon, you will explore the types of metrics that can be gathered from test participants both during and after test sessions. You will participate in a hands-on card sort test and get a chance to see how the subsequent data might be used to support Information Architecture design options. The workshop will wrap up with a discussion on the application of various usability test methods in your own work environment.

Workshop feedback is also expected…after all, user feedback is the best way to improve!

Resources needed

Participants are expected to bring their own laptop or tablet computer (don’t forget your power cord). Handouts and electronic files will be shared during the workshop.

Program Details

• Date: Friday, May 9, 2014.
• Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Location:  Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553-31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
  • Directions: IC is in the University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary.
  • Transit: From Brentwood LRT station, walk across the parking lot to IC.
  • Parking: Free visitor parking is available in front of the building.
• Cost: Thank you to our sponsor, Innovatia, for allowing us to offer this 1-day workshop to our members at this phenomenal rate:
  • STC members and students*: $150.
  • Non- members: $250.

* STC student members and STC members who reside more than 50 km from Calgary are entitled to a $50 rebate. Please submit a request for rebate by emailing the Treasurer.  If you are a student, send a scanned copy of your student card or proof of enrolment to the Treasurer.

• Registration: PayPal.

Note: You do NOT need a PayPal account to register. PayPal gives you the option of paying by credit card.

Early registration rates are in effect until noon, April 28, 2014. After that date, rates will increase by $100.

• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

Cancellation and Refund Policy

STC Alberta reserves the right to cancel this workshop at any time. If STC Alberta cancels the workshop, you will receive a full refund. In extenuating circumstances, registrations can be transferred to another registrant, provided that the registrant meets the same level of STC membership, for a $25 administration fee plus any fee difference, if applicable. Refunds are available (less a $75 processing fee) up to (noon) April 28, 2014 (closing date for early registration). No refund or credit is available if you cancel after April 28, 2014. STC Alberta does not grant refunds for no-shows. If you want to cancel or transfer a registration, please contact the Treasurer.

Workshop Schedule

Note: For the provided lunch, if you have any dietary restrictions,  email Programs@stc-alberta.org indicating how we may accommodate you requirements.

About the Presenter: Brian Traynor

Brian Traynor, Associate Professor in Information Design, teaches courses in Information Architecture, Usability, and Project and Content Management for the Faculty of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University. His research interests include user satisfaction measures and the attribution of blame by users. Brian has over 25 years industry experience centered on technology and education management. Brian is an active executive of the IEEE Professional Communication Society. He is also a Standards Council of Canada contributor to ISO/IEC Systems and Software Engineering documentation standards. (Back to Top)

About Innovatia

Innovatia is a Knowledge Management company that is exceptional at what they do: connecting people to knowledge. Founded in 1999 with offices across North America and globally, Innovatia’s over 500 professionals deliver top quality solutions to their clients. Innovatia delivers knowledge management services in three areas: Learning Solutions, Documentation, and Technical Support. These solutions span the entire solution set from custom design and development through to delivery and support. Additionally, Innovatia offers a host of applications designed to help facilitate the management of your processes, your content, and your customer service. (Back to Top)

Members and non-members are invited to join STC Alberta (in Edmonton) for coffee night. It’s our first get-together of the year, so come out and meet new friends or catch up with former colleagues. Feel free to bring a guest.

• Date: Thursday, January 30, 2014
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Block 1912 Cafe, 10361 – 82 Ave. NW, Edmonton, AB (map)
  There is parking in the area and ETS buses run along 82 Ave in both directions.
• Cost: Buy your own coffee.
• Registration: No need to RSVP, just come out if you can.

For more information about the event, contact Deanne Wilson, Edmonton Director.

Join us for our annual general meeting (AGM) at Buzzards aka Bottlescrew Bill’s. Catch up after the holidays, enjoy drinks, appetizers (new menu!), and each other’s company.

Program Details

Seating is sold out! Registration is now closed.

In this panel discussion, three experts, actively involved in UX, will be sharing their views on what UX is all about and how technical communicators can benefit from understanding the user experience complexities.

Program Details

• Date: Thursday, November 7, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location:  Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553-31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
  • Directions: IC is in University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary
  • Transit: From Brentwood LRT station, walk across the parking lot to IC
  • Parking: Free visitor parking is available in front of the building
• Cost: STC Alberta Members, Affiliate Members: $15. Non-Members: $20
• Registration:  Please register by email to: registration@stc-alberta.org and provide the following information:
  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Member status (STC Alberta member; STC Alberta student member; Affiliate member and name of organization;  Non- member).

  Cash payment is due at the door. (Note: Walk-ins are welcome, however, there may be standing room only, so registering is recommended.)

• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

Meet our UX experts…

Brian Traynor

Brian Traynor is an Associate Professor in the Information Design program in the Faculty of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University. He has taught courses in Information Architecture, Usability, and Project and Content  Management. Brian has research interests in user satisfaction measures and the attribution of blame by users. Brian has over 25 years industry experience centered on technology and education management.

Brian’s Topics:

• User Advocacy → User Experience
• TC activities/methods overlapping with those of Usability/UX.
• Content Strategy and why it is becoming increasingly important in UX.

Murray Thompson

Having worked in local government and telecommunications, Murray started his career as an engineer. Although it involved a combination of technical work and creativity, on both the business and people side, he felt engineering still wasn’t quite the right fit. After transitioning into IT systems and web-related roles, he soon became more focused on User Experience work.

Murray’s Topics:

• The highs and lows of practicing UX design and all that comes between
• An overview of UX-related disciplines
• Commonly-found tools in the UX superhero utility belt
• Ways that UX can be involved in delivering products and services

Richard Metcalfe

Richard considers himself to be something of an “accidental” tech writer, having approached the field through a long, circuitous path after graduating with a psychology degree from the University of Western Ontario. Until recently, he was the user experience designer for the software department of an oil and gas services company. Prior to that, he was a member of their documentation team, producing end-user documentation. He has been a volunteer with the STC Alberta chapter for several years.

Richard’s Topics:

• A brief history lesson – how I got to where I am now
• An overview of UX where I work(ed) – what I did and why I did it
• Common ground – what makes technical writing and UX similar
• Not-so-common ground – what other skills and tools are involved in UX

Join us for our annual fall pub night at Rose & Crown. Catch up after the summer, enjoy drinks, appetizers, and each other’s company.

Program Details

• Date: Monday, October 21, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Rose & Crown, Sutton Place Hotel, 10235 – 101 Street NW. There is hourly parking in the Impark lot across the avenue, and ETS has numerous route stops at Edmonton City Centre.
• Cost: $10 (includes one drink and appetizers). All paying attendees can bring a Special Guest for free!
• Registration: Reply to edmontondirector@stc-alberta.org. Cash payment is due at the door. Walk-ins are welcome.
• Contact: Deanne Wilson, Edmonton Director

Join us for our annual fall pub night at Buzzards aka Bottlescrew Bill’s. Catch up after the summer, enjoy drinks, appetizers, and each other’s company.

Program Details

• Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Buzzards Cowboy Cuisine (aka Bottlescrew Bill’s), 140 – 10 Avenue S.W. (Map). Plenty of free parking is available along the streets after 6:00 p.m.
• Cost: $10 (includes one drink and appetizers). All paying attendees can bring a Special Guest for free!
• Registration: Online (for STC members). For  those bringing a Special Guest, register your guest by email at registration@stc-alberta.org and provide your Guest’s name (Special Guests should not register separately). Non-members please also register by email at registration@stc-alberta.org.  Cash payment is due at the door. Walk-ins are welcome, but registering will ensure enough servers are available.
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

This coming April 12, Judy Glick-Smith, communications professor, author, entrepreneur and former STC president, will be speaking at the Society for Technical Communication – Alberta chapter’s annual New Heights professional development workshop. As the STC’s premier event, New Heights 2013 will be held this year at the Innovate Calgary offices. Judy Glick-Smith will be leading discussions on the best approaches to building and executing user-centred, goal-directed audience analysis plans.

Judy is the founder and President/CEO of MentorFactor, Inc. She is a human interaction consultant, specializing in situational awareness training; flow-based decision making; personal and organizational transformation; and interpersonal communication, such as conflict management.

Judy recently completed her Ph.D. in Transformative Studies with a concentration in Integral Studies from the California Institute for Integral Studies. Her research was an examination of flow-based critical decision-making processes of firefighters and EMTs in the midst of critical incidents. The title of her dissertation is “The Path of the Razor’s Edge: An Examination of the Flow Experiences of Firefighters.”

Judy is a Fellow and Past President of the Society for Technical Communication, an international organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication.

Hurry now to register for New Heights and participate in Judy’s workshop: “Goal-directed Audience Analysis: Who’s Using your Content?” Early Bird registration pricing expires March 31!

Testimonial

“I was truly moved by your presentation last night.  I was just amazed at the stories you told and the research that was driven by it.  I wish corporate leaders could hear more stories around the commitment to training their people and the impact it can and does have, when it is really needed.”

Mike Woodard

American Society for Training and Development

Organizational Development Special Interest Group, March 13, 2012

 

Have you ever noticed that when you are “in the flow”, you feel more confident and positive in your ability to make decisions? Studies have shown that the more flow experiences a person has had, the more positive his or her sense of well-being is. Having a life plan with stated goals facilitates the ability to consciously initiate flow.

Most people do not take the time to work on their own personal strategic plans other than to write a few goals for the year every January. However, when individuals are working toward specific goals and monitoring progress on a regular basis, they are more likely to reach those goals. While this presentation outlines a process, participants are encouraged to develop their own processes. The essence of the method is to write and then monitor. How one accomplishes this is left up to the individual.

This is a presentation that gets to the very heart of the individual. It is designed to help each attendee to begin thinking about his or her personal mission, long- and short-term goals, and a process to enable flow and improve overall well-being.

About the Presenter

We are extremely pleased that Judy Glick-Smith, our New Heights presenter, is available to speak to us on Strategic Planning for Your Life. See her complete biography in the New Heights description.

• Date: Thursday, April 11, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Program begins at 7:00 p.m.
• Location: Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553-31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
• Directions: IC is in University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary.
• Transit: From Brentwood LRT station, walk across the parking lot to IC.
• Parking: Free visitor parking is available in front of the building.
• Cost:
  • STC Alberta Members, Affiliate Members, and Non-Member Students: $10
  • STC Alberta Student Members: Free
  • Other STC Members (Society Members):$15
  • Non-Members: $20
• Registration: Online. Cash payment is due at the door.
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager