[bksvol-discuss] Re: how people learn with and without manuals
- From: "Lynn I" <lynnskyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:22:31 -0600
Ann!
You are right on with your comments. When I first got my computer (windows
xp), I didn't even know what a "menu" was. Gary, I computer technologist
kept saying "Lynnsky, just find it in the menus." He had know idea how
little I understood. I had a DOS system, so knew absolutely nothing about
windows. Once I understood what a "menu" was, I was able to begin to learn
how to use the computer. A Little knowledge will take you a long way.
*smile*
I could have read manuals until the cows came home, and probably wouldn't
have understood a thing.
Blessings.
Lynnsky
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ann Parsons
Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 6:19 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: how people learn with and without manuals
Hi all,
I'm of the firm opinion that manuals should only be used by those who
already know and understand the concepts used for whatever it is one is
trying to learn. Many people try learning via manuals and it doesn't work.
Many others just say they can't read manuals. They don't know why, but they
can't read them. <smiling> The reason, so aptly stated by Roger, is that
when they read a manual, they don't understand what they are reading.
Naturally, if you don't understand what you're reading, the exercise is less
than productive.
<smiling> I used to argue with the Linux Crowd about this because their
answer to everyone is RTFM. Well, I didn't get very far, but the longer I
use Linux, the better able I am to read and understand Man Pages. Man pages
are the manuals for commands and programs in Linux.
A text book, on the other hand, can prove to be helpful. Reason? A text
book is written for the purpose of teaching a given subject.
Therefore, it is arranged in a given order, taking simple concepts and then
moving on to more complicated ones. A good text book will give you examples
and exercises with each concept so you can "see" what's being talked about
and then practice the given skill.
Reading a manual on a subject you know little about is like trying to look
up "daguerotype" in the dictionary. You won't find it unless you know that
the word starts with the letters DA. You can't look up anything else in a
dictionary unless you have reasonable knowledge of how the word is spelled.
You get my point? So, having said this, I recommend asking questions of
users, then going back to the manuals afterwards. Sometimes on this list, I
will say to folks after I give an answer, go look up the subject in the
manual on the Stream or the DTBM. Both devices have excellent docs. But
again, they are useless unless you know what you need to know.
Ann P.
--
Ann K. Parsons
Portal Tutoring
EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx
web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info
blog:
http://www.samobile.net/users/akp/blog
Skype: Putertutor
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."
Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit
www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of
available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.722 / Virus Database: 270.14.119/2586 - Release Date: 12/25/09
03:33:00
To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of
available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
Other related posts:
