What a Securly Guide Taught Me About Plain Language
New Tech and Teacher Burnout
Teachers are burnt out and tired, especially as the school year feels like it races toward the dreadful testing season. When a new technology is introduced, teachers do not always have time to experiment with it or schedule an appointment to give up their prep hour to be trained on the technology by IT. It can all be way too much. When our school finally brought on the Securly classroom management software this winter, teachers began coming to me with questions. To support my colleagues and better understand technical writing, I created a Securly user guide that used plain language, active voice, and a focus on usability, rather than my usual, sometimes rambling, prose.
Designing for the Unexpected User
Plain language includes several key ideas:
- Write for your audience.
- Organize the information so that it is easy to follow.
- Keep the writing short and simple. Use numbers, lists, and visual aids where possible.
- Refrain from using jargon and unnecessary words.
Basically, know who you are writing for, including all of their strengths, weaknesses, and constraints. Consider your audience throughout the entire writing process. As I wrote the Securly guide, I pictured my teacher neighbor, who needs to be able to skim this document to quickly figure out how to push a specific URL to all of her students; I considered my Science colleague, who wants to be able to lockdown browsers as students complete her Edpuzzle assignments, but then release them as they finish.
One person I had not considered was our school social worker, who “doesn’t use a lot of technology typically,” and how, after using the guide, she reported that it would help her implement SEL (social-emotional learning) online lessons with small groups. One special education teacher, whom I would consider an expert in accessibility, noted that the writing made the guide very easy to understand. When we design for accessibility, we create tools that are robust enough for specialized staff or even long-term subs.
Formatting is Function
One teacher praised the “organization of the steps” in her feedback and also mentioned that photos were helpful throughout the guide. This reinforced how important formatting can be. I used bolded buttons to improve user interface and included screenshots to reduce my coworker’s cognitive load (Cheung, 2017). I also paid attention to how I organized the guide to ensure the most important information was at the front, allowing a busy user to scan, find what they need, and get back to teaching.
Measuring Readability
To ensure my writing actually met plain language standards, I could not rely only on my own judgment. I began with a plain language checklist guide to determine what would be included. Then, I used tools such as the Hemingway App to objectively evaluate my draft, which I found helpful in finding passive voice, highlighting overly complex sentences, and ensuring the overall reading level remained highly accessible.
Limits of Documentation
There was one teacher who skimmed the guide but asked if I could demonstrate how to create an Access Plan and explain its use in my own classroom. This reminds me that technical writing minimizes friction but cannot completely replace human support for every user. Good instructional design recognizes its own limits. Sometimes, the most effective learning experience requires leaving room for interpersonal connection.
The Shift from Prose to Process
As an ELA teacher, transitioning from prose to strict, utilitarian language was a transition in perspective. When engaging in technical writing, I have to unlearn the instinct to write more complex sentences and edit myself down to the bare essentials.This guide taught me that plain language is not about “dumbing down” the text; it is about accessibility. The most empathetic thing we can do for tired, busy learners is to respect their time and give them what they need to succeed.
I used Google Gemini to create headings for this piece and polished my writing with assistance from Grammarly.
References
Cheung, I. W. (2017). Plain language to minimize cognitive load: A social justice perspective. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 60(4), 448–457.
Harvard Catalyst. (n.d.). Plain language checklist [PDF].
Microsoft. (n.d.). Procedures and instructions. Microsoft Learn.
Securly. (n.d.). Securly help.