Overview

This Standard is about developing learning resources for audiences, visitors, or customers of creative or cultural organisations. Learning resources could be interactive digital or print materials and could be used to help learners explore ideas and support interpretation, exhibitions, events.

This includes evaluating previous learning resources, selecting format, researching information for content, writing, designing and developing learning resources, protecting copyright and intellectual property, evaluating success and disseminating them to target audiences.

This standard is for anyone who develops learning resources for a creative or cultural organisation.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. use reliable information to research previous resources produced
  2. identify existing information materials and assess their suitability in supporting learning activities
  3. identify opportunities for new learning resources that meet the demographics and needs of target audiences
  4. agree themes, learning objectives and aims of learning resources with relevant staff
  5. create a realistic estimate of budget, staffing and materials required to develop, produce and disseminate learning resources
  6. choose formats for learning resources that meet learning aims and objectives and learners’ needs
  7. research reliable sources to identify the information required for learning resources, consulting with other people when required
  8. brief specialists and staff involved with developing learning resources with sufficient information for them to carry out their required role
  9. write, design and develop learning resources, ensuring all materials are clearly presented
  10. develop learning resources that comply with any learning and interpretation and audience development strategies
  11. ensure learning resources are inclusive and appropriate to intended audience and all user needs
  12. liaise with appropriate people to ensure that learning resources are marketed in sufficient time to maximise their uptake
  13. trial learning resources with appropriate people or groups of people, developing materials according to feedback
  14. ensure learning resources are relevant and accurate and relate to key themes
  15. put in place mechanisms which encourage learners to ask questions and seek clarification about resources
  16. evaluate learning resources against learning objectives before, during and after their use
  17. ensure all your work is quality assured and approved by relevant people
  18. protect copyright and intellectual property of learning resources in line with organisational procedures
  19. deliver learning resources within agreed budget and time parameters
  20. ensure materials are distributed to relevant staff and audience through appropriate channels

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:                       

  1. how to identify learning objectives and agree them with colleagues
  2. how to research previous learning resources produced in the organisation and gain inspiration from the work of others in the sector
  3. how to identify the type of audience, customer or visitor for learning resources and their needs
  4. how to communicate learning objectives within the resources
  5. how to present information in an interesting and lively manner and encourage the exploration of ideas through resource material
  6. different ways to make learning resources interactive and the benefits of this
  7. different learning styles, and how to cater for these
  8. the potential problems encountered by users with mobility, hearing, sight impairment, autism spectrum disorder or specific learning difficulties
  9. the different strategies available to maximise access to learning resources for users with special needs
  10. why it is important that access considerations are included in the format, layout and content of learning resources
  11. how to develop materials for different audiences
  12. types of formats for learning resources and their benefits and disadvantages for different themes and types of user
  13. how to brief others to write and design materials
  14. how to run focus groups and consult with target audiences when trialling learning materials
  15. who to liaise with during development of learning materials including designers, subject specialists, educators, managers and marketing colleagues
  16. different evaluation techniques
  17. budgeting and how to estimate staffing and materials
  18. where to access information about schedules
  19. copyright and intellectual property protection procedures