Help Reference!

You will be creating a list of "How To's for Word 2010.  For example, if someone came to you and aksed you, " How do I Cut and Paste something in Microsoft Word?", you would be able to hand them your Help Reference Guide and they would be able to look up the steps on how to do this. 

 

The point of the rest of this assignment is for you to learn how to write Technical Instructions.  I will read your instructions and attempt to follow them.  If I cannot follow them and have the computer do what you intend for me to be able to do, then you will have to rewrite the instructions.  Be very specific and do not copy and paste from the old assignments.  Write them in your own words.

 

When writing technical instructions, be very specific.  Tell the reader exactly what to do each step of the way.

  • Bad Example:  How to copy and paste something
    right-click and select copy, then right-click and paste
  • Good Example: How to copy and paste something
    Select the item that you want to copy > Right-click on that item > select Copy > Move your cursor to the position where you want to paste > Right-click > Select Paste     
Learning Target How to... Additional Help
Cut, Copy, & Paste  Home Tab > Clipboard Group   Video Clip 
Table of Contents References Tab > Table of Contents Group     Video Clip 
More Tables of Contents     References Tab > Table of Contents Group Video Clip
& More Tables of Contents     References Tab > Table of Contents Group Step-by-Step
Hyperlinks     Insert Tab > Links Group Video Clip

Steps to completing the Help Reference Guide:

  1. Open Microsoft Word
     
  2. Create a new file and save it as "(your name's) Help Reference Guide"
     
  3. Include a title at the top of the page and put an interesting line border underneath the title.
     
  4. Change the margins to 0.5" for the top, bottom, left, and right.
     
  5. Using a footer, insert your name at the bottom left and the page numbers at the bottom right of the page, formatted as desired.
     
  6. Go back to the Uniquely Me assignment and Copy the learning targets at the top of the page.  This way you do not have to retype in the instructions for all of these features...
     
  7. Paste the instructions onto your help manual just below your border line.  Insert a title row and center an appropriate title across the entire table.
     
  8. Turn the Show/Hide tool on
     
  9. Move to the bottom of the screen and make sure there are a couple (2) spaces below the table that was just pasted onto the page.
     
  10. Move your cursor to the line two spaces below the table
     
  11. Copy the learning targets from the Publish It assignment and paste them onto the help manual just below the stuff you just pasted.  Now you have even more features of Microsoft Word in your help Manual.  Insert a title row and center an appropriate title across the entire table.
     
  12. Below these two tables, you are going to have to create similar tables for the following sections listed below: 
    • Tables
    • Images
    • Autoshapes or SmartArt
    • Hyperlinks (Table of Contents) or Citations
     
  13. For each one of the sections listed above, you must add a minimum of 5 sets of instructions related to that category.  For example, if you are working on the Tables Section, the you might explain the steps to (1) Create a table, (2) Change the size of a table, (3) Insert a row, (4) Delete a row, (5) Sort a table, (6) or other table related features of your choice.
     
  14. Yes, you must also include the steps to actually complete the function.  When writing technical instructions, never assume that the reader knows what you mean.  Tell them exactly what to do.  For Example:

    Tables

    Insert a table Move you cursor to where you want the table/Go to Table/Insert Table/Select the number of rows and columns/Click OK
    Sorting a Table Your steps to sorting a table here....
    Inserting a Column Your steps to inserting a column here...
    Deleting a Row Your steps to deleting a row here...
    Merging Cells Your steps to merging cells here...

     

  15. Your instructions, if followed precisely, should work.  If they do not, then you will not get credit for them.
     
  16. Then, using the Table of Contents feature, insert a Table of Contents at the top of the page that indicates the page that each table can be found.  
     
  17. Insert hyperlinks from below each table that will bring the user back to the table of contents (top of the document).   (Hint:  This will work similar to hyperlinks on a web page.)
     
  18. Using the Cover Page feature in Word 2010, add a cover page changing the data as necessary to reflect the needs of this project.
     
  19. Format this project in an attractive, professional manner.  Enter page breaks where necessary so that tables are not split between pages.  Feel free to use fonts, colors, and table designs as you wish!
     
  20. This project will be uploaded to Edmodo upon completion.