How do I contribute to the newsletter? How often is the newsletter published? What's the mission of the Instructional Design & Learning SIG? Find out this and more in this section!

Publication Info | STC Mission | IDL SIG Mission & Leadership | Meet the Newsletter Team | Article Contributing & Article Guidelines | Give Us Feedback

Publication Info

IDeaL: Design for Learning is published for members of the Instructional Design and Learning (IDL) SIG of the Society for Technical Communication.

It is pubished three times a year in the spring (mid-March), summer (mid-July) , and fall (mid-November). Article submission deadlines are: February 5, June 5, and October 5.

Our spring issue is due out in March 2005. The article deadline for the spring issue is February 5, 2005.

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STC Mission

The mission of the Society of Technical Communication is to create and support a forum for communities of practice in the profession of technical communication.

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IDL SIG Mission and Leadership

The mission of the IDL SIG is to help STC members identify and develop knowledge and practical skills for designing, developing, and implementing technical instruction in electronic and traditional classroom settings. The SIG strives to promote sound design practices, provide information, and educate about instructional theory and research. The leadership team consists of:

SIG Manager: Jane Smith
SIG Membership Manager: Sylvia Miller
Web Site Manager: Matt Van Sickle
Newsletter Editor: David Williams
Business Directory Coordinator: Jackie Damrau
Conference Committee Coordinator: Karen Baranich
Online Forum Coordinator: Michele Didier

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Meet the Newsletter Team

Editor

David Williams

SIG Membership Manager

Sylvia Miller

PDF Production

Jackie Damrau

Copy Editors & Proofreaders

William Collins
Jackie Damrau
Andrea Kenner
Marcia Krause
Aisha Pena
Steve Ruder
Sophia Siraki

Content Contributors

George Ardell
Jack Butler
Ann-Marie Grissino
Tony Chu
Kim Lambdin
Vincent E. Lasnick
Harman Singh
Jane Smith
Lee S. Tesdell
Mike Tillmans

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Article Contributing & Article Guidelines

We encourage you to submit for consideration content of interest to those who do instructional design or wish to learn more about this field

Content

Content should relate to instructional design and learning. This includes:

• Short tips or hints
• Book, software, or technology reviews
• Feature articles
• Member news
• IDL SIG & STC News
• Employment information
• Learning opportunities such as courses, conferences, workshops, or events

Length

Articles can range from 25 words to approximately 1000 words. If your article is particularly lengthy, consider breaking it into smaller submissions (i.e., part 1, part 2, etc.) that we could publish in successive issues.

To assist in writing your article, here are just a few tips to keep in mind:

Writing Style

• Write in a clear, informal style.
• Use the active voice.
• Avoid gender-specific language.
• Use jargon or acronyms sparingly. (Include definitions if you do use jargon or acronyms.)
• Use headings and subheadings effectively to guide the reader.
• Include reference citations or a bibliography at the end of each article documenting the sources quoted or used.

Formatting and Graphics

• Avoid underlining unless text is a hyperlink.
• Use bold-face to set headings and sub-headings apart.
• Submit graphics as a separate file. (Please include instructions as to where the graphic should appear.)

Legal and Other Considerations

• Include a reprint permission statement, if article was previously published .
• Include a brief bio of yourself of up to 50 words.
• Verify that the item (book or software) is available for purchase when submitting a book or software review.
• Before submitting Technical Communication book reviews, indicate in which issue the review appeared e.g., published in the February 2003 issue of Technical Communication. (We cannot accept any reviews that have not yet been published in Technical Communication.)
• Verify that Web site links and resources (eg., pdf files) referenced in your article exist at the time you submit the article.

Editorial License

The editorial staff reserves the right to edit a submission or break a submission into successive parts for publication where deemed necessary.

Where to Submit Article

Send your articles in electronic format (.doc, .rtf, .wpd, or body of email) to:

David Williams, Editor at: williams.210@nd.edu

You can also send articles to:

David Williams
1058 Portage Ave., #4
South Bend, IN 46616

Our next issue is due out in March 2005. The deadline for articles is February 5, 2005.

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Give Us Feedback

Thanks for taking a moment to give us feedback!

• We want to ensure that the newsletter is serving your needs. If you have suggestions on how we can improve the newsletter, please send your suggestions to Williams.210@nd.edu.

• We welcome letters to the editor, which we will share with readers in our newsletter. If you want to share your thoughts about the newsletter, please send your letter to the Editor to: Williams.210@nd.edu.

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