Mail Merge
Content
Mail Merge..... Mail merge is a software function describing the production of multiple (and potentially large numbers of) documents from a single template form and a structured data source.This helps to create personalized letters and pre-addressed envelopes or mailing labels for mass mailings from a word processing document which contains fixed text, which will be the same in each output document, and variables, which act as placeholders that are replaced by text from the data source. The data source is typically a spreadsheet or a database which has a field or column matching each variable in the template. When the mail merge is run, the word processing system creates an output document for each row in the database, using the fixed text exactly as it appears in the template, but substituting the data variables in the template with the values from the matching columns. This technique of merging data to create mailshots gave rise to the term mail merge.
What is a mail merge?
A mail merge is a method of taking data from a database, spreadsheet, or other form of structured data, and inserting it into documents such as letters, mailing labels, and name tags. It usually requires two files, one storing the variable data to be inserted, and the other containing the information that will be the same for each result of the mail merge and the instructions for formatting the variable data. For example, in a form letter, you might include instructions to insert the name of each recipient in a certain place; the mail merge would combine this letter with a list of recipients to produce one letter for each person in the list. You can also print a set of mailing labels or envelopes by doing a mail merge. For labels, for example, you would construct a source document containing the addresses of the people you wish to print labels for and a main document that controls where each person's name, address, city, state, and zip code will go on the label. The main document would also contain information about how many labels are on a page, the size of each label, the size of the sheet of paper the labels are attached to, and what kind of printer you will use to print the labels. Running a mail merge with the two files results in a set of labels, one for each entry in the source document, with each label formatted according to the information in the main document. Most major word processing packages, including Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, are capable of performing a mail merge
What¶s the Purpose of Task Analysis? "Task analysis for instructional design is a process of analyzing and articulating the kind of learning that you expect the learners to know how to perform" (Jonassen, Tessmer, & Hannum, 1999, p.3). Instructional designers perform a task analysis in order to: 1. determine the instructional goals and objectives; 2. define and describe in detail the tasks and sub-tasks that the student will perform; 3. specify the knowledge type (declarative, structural, and procedural knowledge) that characterize a job or task; 4. select learning outcomes that are appropriate for instructional development;
5. 6. 7. 8.
prioritize and sequence tasks; determine instructional activities and strategies that foster learning; select appropriate media and learning environments; construct performance assessments and evaluation (Jonassen et al., 1999).
What Methodology Does a Task Analysis Support? The process of task analysis emerged from the behaviorist era in an effort to describe the elemental behaviors involved in performing a task or job. Nevertheless, different methods of task analysis have indeed followed the paradigm shifts to cognitive psychology and onto constructivism. Ultimately, each methodology of instruction commands its own method of analysis, yet regardless of methodology, a task analysis is needed for an in-depth understanding of the learning that¶s to take place (Jonassen, et al., 1999). I Know One Method of Task Analysis. Can I Use It All the Time? According to Jonassen, the answer is no. Too often instructional designers try to force-fit all learning situations into one or two methods with which they are most familiar. However, as different audiences require different instructional strategies, different contexts demand different task analysis methods. To determine the best method for your instruction, you must decide what kind of analysis to perform. In general, there are five kinds of task analyses: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. job or performance analysis learning analysis cognitive task analysis content or subject matter analysis activity analysis.
Each of the five methods involves a different procedure for conducting a task analysis and also make different assumptions about the process of learning. How Do I Perform a Task Analysis? According to Jonassen, the task analysis process consists of five distinct functions:
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Classifying tasks according to learning outcomes ± Inventorying tasks ± identifying tasks or generating a list of tasks Selecting tasks ± prioritizing tasks and choosing those that are more feasible and appropriate if there is an abundance of tasks to train. Decomposing tasks ± identifying and describing the components of the tasks, goals, or objectives. Sequencing tasks and sub-tasks ± defining the sequence in which instruction should occur that will best facilitate learning.
What Formats Can I Use?
There are different formats to use based on the type of learning outcome. The following are the most prevalent: 1. Procedural Task Analysis (for procedural skills) 2. Hierarchical or Prerequisite Analysis (for intellectual skills) 3. Information processing analysis (for procedural and cognitive tasks) 4. Cluster Analysis of verbal information (for verbal information skills)
What is a mail merge?
A mail merge is a method of taking data from a database, spreadsheet, or other form of structured data, and inserting it into documents such as letters, mailing labels, and name tags. It usually requires two files, one storing the variable data to be inserted, and the other containing the information that will be the same for each result of the mail merge and the instructions for formatting the variable data. For example, in a form letter, you might include instructions to insert the name of each recipient in a certain place; the mail merge would combine this letter with a list of recipients to produce one letter for each person in the list. You can also print a set of mailing labels or envelopes by doing a mail merge. For labels, for example, you would construct a source document containing the addresses of the people you wish to print labels for and a main document that controls where each person's name, address, city, state, and zip code will go on the label. The main document would also contain information about how many labels are on a page, the size of each label, the size of the sheet of paper the labels are attached to, and what kind of printer you will use to print the labels. Running a mail merge with the two files results in a set of labels, one for each entry in the source document, with each label formatted according to the information in the main document. Most major word processing packages, including Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, are capable of performing a mail merge
What¶s the Purpose of Task Analysis? "Task analysis for instructional design is a process of analyzing and articulating the kind of learning that you expect the learners to know how to perform" (Jonassen, Tessmer, & Hannum, 1999, p.3). Instructional designers perform a task analysis in order to: 1. determine the instructional goals and objectives; 2. define and describe in detail the tasks and sub-tasks that the student will perform; 3. specify the knowledge type (declarative, structural, and procedural knowledge) that characterize a job or task; 4. select learning outcomes that are appropriate for instructional development;
5. 6. 7. 8.
prioritize and sequence tasks; determine instructional activities and strategies that foster learning; select appropriate media and learning environments; construct performance assessments and evaluation (Jonassen et al., 1999).
What Methodology Does a Task Analysis Support? The process of task analysis emerged from the behaviorist era in an effort to describe the elemental behaviors involved in performing a task or job. Nevertheless, different methods of task analysis have indeed followed the paradigm shifts to cognitive psychology and onto constructivism. Ultimately, each methodology of instruction commands its own method of analysis, yet regardless of methodology, a task analysis is needed for an in-depth understanding of the learning that¶s to take place (Jonassen, et al., 1999). I Know One Method of Task Analysis. Can I Use It All the Time? According to Jonassen, the answer is no. Too often instructional designers try to force-fit all learning situations into one or two methods with which they are most familiar. However, as different audiences require different instructional strategies, different contexts demand different task analysis methods. To determine the best method for your instruction, you must decide what kind of analysis to perform. In general, there are five kinds of task analyses: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. job or performance analysis learning analysis cognitive task analysis content or subject matter analysis activity analysis.
Each of the five methods involves a different procedure for conducting a task analysis and also make different assumptions about the process of learning. How Do I Perform a Task Analysis? According to Jonassen, the task analysis process consists of five distinct functions:
y y y y y
Classifying tasks according to learning outcomes ± Inventorying tasks ± identifying tasks or generating a list of tasks Selecting tasks ± prioritizing tasks and choosing those that are more feasible and appropriate if there is an abundance of tasks to train. Decomposing tasks ± identifying and describing the components of the tasks, goals, or objectives. Sequencing tasks and sub-tasks ± defining the sequence in which instruction should occur that will best facilitate learning.
What Formats Can I Use?
There are different formats to use based on the type of learning outcome. The following are the most prevalent: 1. Procedural Task Analysis (for procedural skills) 2. Hierarchical or Prerequisite Analysis (for intellectual skills) 3. Information processing analysis (for procedural and cognitive tasks) 4. Cluster Analysis of verbal information (for verbal information skills)
