When you begin this module and have decided what documents you are going to produce, you will be directed towards the Wordprocessing Competence Map which is the gateway to the information you need to develop your skills and complete the module activities.

At first sight it may look confusing, but actually it is quite simple and logical and you should find it a helpful and systematic way to design and create your documents. Let's look at stage 1: Document Design.


When creating a new document you will be clear about the type of document you intend to produce, but may not be familiar with the design and publishing conventions that are typically applied. Such conventions are catered for by word processing programs and knowing, firstly about the design considerations and, secondly about the word processor functions that allow them to be easily applied is a good start to being competent in professional document creation.

On the right of the map, the route from the main node 'document design' through 'design considerations', 'document types' and 'typical examples', covers the process of gaining knowledge about document design. This is required for the activities on the left of the map where an appropriate design for a specific purpose is selected for the production of a detailed design specification.

Each of the nodes on the right hand side of the map is linked to a search engine tuned to deliver resources relevant to that particular aspect of the design process. The expectation is that, by clicking on the links and exploring the results, you will find resources that not only develop your understanding of general document design principles, but also allow you to identify designs specific to your chosen documents.

The same process applies to the next three phases of 'document creation', 'document editing' and 'document refinement'. It is recommended that the same cycle be applied in sequence to the design and creation of the four documents you have chosen. By the time you have created your final document you will have skills in both the process and the software functionality to apply it to any other document.

Techniques to allow you to fine tune your search for resources and also to share your discoveries with other learners will be introduced through the forums by your tutor as you progress.