About The Newsletter

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!

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

It is published four times a year in December, March, July, and November. Article submission deadlines are on the 15th of the month (November 15, February 15, June 15, and September 15).

Our next issue is due out in July 2005. Theme: Post-Conference Summary Article deadline is June 15, 2005.

Visit www.stcsig.org/idl/newsletter.shtml to access the newsletter archives.

Article & Contributing 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 (for example, 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, or .wpd) to:
Jackie Damrau, Assistant Editor (jdamrau3@airmail.net)

Meet the Newsletter Team
Editor: Jackie Damrau
Assistant Editor & PDF Production: Andrea Kenner
SIG Membership Manager: Sylvia Miller
Copy Editors & Proofreaders: William Collins, Sophia Siraki
Content Contributors: Conni Bille, Kim Lambdin, Jane Smith,
Mike Tillmans, Rachel Kingery for Bret Freeman