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Feedback on Your User Manual Rough Drafts

I have checked your User Manual: Rough Draft documents and updated the grades in Canvas. I used a different strategy for your feedback, so I want to explain the differences:

  1. Your rough draft grade does NOT indicate that you have done perfect work.
    Earning a 300 simply means you turned in a complete draft. Check the notes to see what you need to work on.
  2. The rubric for the rough drafts uses three categories:
    • On Track: You’re doing the right things, but you need to continue to finish your draft. On Track does NOT mean you are done. It means, “Keep working.”
    • Needs Work: You need to pay more attention to the requirements as you finish your draft.
    • Not Met: You have not met the requirements and need to put in much more work.

General Tips for Everyone

  • If you used outside sources, be sure of the following:
    • Be sure that you place all quotations in quotation marks.
    • Credit your sources in the body of your user manual.
    • Make sure all of your sources are listed in your bibliography.
  • Be sure you spell check your work, and double check that you have all names spelled correctly.
  • Check the list of Project Requirements on the assignment page. You need to meet all of the requirements.

List of FAQs & Tips

  1. How do I find comments on my Rough Draft?
  2. Where are the requirements for the assignment listed?
  3. Where can I find help for this assignment?
  4. What should the User Manual look like?
  5. How specific should my title be?
  6. How do I meet the four-page length requirement?
  7. How can I check the readability of my document?
  8. How can I make sure information is easy to find in my document?
  9. How do I improve the design and appearance of my document?
  10. How do I edit and proofread my project?
  11. What if I have trouble submitting my work in Canvas?
  12. Can I just email you my submission?
  13. Is there any place I can get help with my work?
  1. How do I find comments on my Rough Draft?
    You may have comments on your draft, whether you received full credit or not. Use this documentation from Canvas for help finding the notes on your drafts:
  2. Where are the requirements for the assignment listed?
    Find all the details on the expectations for the assignment on the User Manual: Assignment page in Canvas. You can also find the requirements in the User Manual: Check for Content Completion Discussion.
  3. Where can I find help for this assignment?
    Use the following self-checks to ensure that your work meets the expectations for the assignment:
  4. What should the User Manual look like?
    Your document should look like the examples in the textbook: “A Look at Several Sample Sets of Instructions,” starting on page 568 of Markel. Your document should be open and uncluttered with easy-to-follow headings and steps.
  5. How specific should my title be?
    Your title should be specific to your report. If your title is so general that it would work on anyone’s report, you need to revise it. Consider these examples:
    • Too General:
      • User Manual
    • Specific Examples:
      • How to Write a Kitten Care Guide
      • Interviewing Owners for Feedback on a Kitten Care Guide
      • Writing the “Care & Feeding” Section of a Kitten Care Guide
  6. How do I meet the four-page length requirement?
    You need to write at least four FULL pages of information.     Adding super-sized headings, leaving large blank spaces, adding overly large images, and using other techniques to pad out your work will not meet the requirement.
  7. How can I check the readability of my document?
    For a basic analysis based on computer data only, use the information in the #WednesdayWrite: How to Generate Readability Statistics Discussion. Remember that readability statistics do not take into account the meaning of the text or the appearance and design, both of which contribute to readability.
  8. How can I make sure information is easy to find in my document?
    Use the tips in the #FridayFact: Information-Rich Signposts Help Readers Discussion Post. 
  9. How do I improve the design and appearance of my document?
    Use the resources in the User Manual: Check for Professional Design  Discussion. Document design is critical to this assignment. Be sure that you turn in a clean, professional user manual. It should be uncluttered, with easy-to-navigate headings and sections. Check out the “GUIDELINES: Designing Clear, Attractive Pages,” on page 561 of the textbook.
  10. How do I edit and proofread my project?
    Use the resources on the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center’s Editing and Proofreading handout Links to an external site..
  11. What if I have trouble submitting my work in Canvas?
    Please contact 4Help Links to an external site. for help. I cannot provide technical support. 4Help can figure out what is going wrong and help you solve the issue.
  12. Can I just email you my submission?
    No. I only accept assignments in Canvas because of FERPA requirements.
  13. Is there any place I can get help with my work?
    There are two places you can get help:

    Help from the Writing Center: 
    You can visit the Writing Center in the library for help with projects for the course. Writing Center tutors can help you strengthen your content as well as work on document design and issues with phrasing, grammar, or punctuation. You can read more about the Writing Center and make an appointment at https://lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing-center.html.

    Help from the 360 Digital Studio:
    You can visit the 360 Digital Studio Links to an external site. in Shanks 360 Links to an external site. for help with any assignment in this course. Find more details on the 360 Digital Studio Links to an external site. in the Course Manual.