Page 209 - Making Instruction Work

chap 16 3/11/97 5:10 PM Page 195

tryout 195

number of substantive comments drops to zero.
Cosmetic comments refer to style. When testers pick at your
choice of words, or at your manner of writing, or your “polit-
ical correctness,” you are hearing comments about the cosmet-
ics of your course. These are comments you may or may not
want to do something about.
One mark of the professional is the insistence on tryouts
before “going public.” Just as plays are tried out off-Broadway,
night-club acts polished in the smaller lounges, and products
tested until they meet specifications, instruction (as well as job
aids, questionnaires, and surveys) is put through tryout before
being considered ready for regular consumption. The time you
spend on tryout is time you will never regret.

To Learn More: See Resource #16.