The skills and knowledge outlined in this unit are applied by people working in education or training organisations, or in media production companies that specialise in the development of e-learning resources.

The focus of this unit is different to that of the two units in the Training and Assessment Training Package that deal with e-learning resources. Namely:

TAADES503B Research and design e-learning resources

TAADES504B Develop and evaluate e-learning resources.

These two units are written from the perspective of people in training organisations who are responsible for developing and delivering learning materials to be included in e-learning resources.

CUFDIG503A is written from the perspective of a department or company responsible for developing the design of broad ranging e-learning resources in consultation with clients. However, there are synergies between the units and it may be appropriate to combine them in learning programs.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Identify project requirements

1. With reference to project briefs, identify target learner characteristics and their impact on the way resources are designed

2. Identify content to be incorporated or generated and how this content is to be accessed or delivered

3. Identify delivery platforms and implications that these will have on selection of media assets

4. Consult with clients to clarify project requirements

Research and select instructional design model

5. Analyse content to clearly establish learning outcomes and assessment strategies

6. Research a range of instructional design models, considering their characteristics, differences and ability to meet briefs

7. Identify standards that may apply for a range of delivery platforms

8. Identify learning styles of target learners and consider how these may impact on the design

9. Consider a range of learning activities that best meet learning objectives and needs of target learners

10. Consult with relevant personnel to ensure that a full range of instructional design models has been identified and sourced

11. Select the instructional design model that best meets learning needs and project requirements

Draft design specifications

12. Use selected instructional design model to design the overall architecture of an e-learning resource

13. Design sequences and interactivity based on content and project requirements

14. Develop content templates for content experts if required

15. Specify media assets as required

16. Specify communication and collaborative tools as required

17. Specify user interface of the e-learning resource

18. Specify production requirements, including appropriate testing strategies

19. Write draft design specifications to include relevant advice to design and development teams

20. Discuss draft design specifications with clients to ensure designs are consistent with project briefs

Finalise design specifications

21. Review designs against required project outcomes and target learner needs

22. Review designs to ensure they meet creative and technical requirements

23. Adjust designs as necessary after discussions with relevant personnel

24. Clarify legislative or ownership issues to comply with production and organisational requirements

25. Confirm with clients acceptance of design specifications, including deliverables, milestones and timelines

Required skills

communication, teamwork and literacy skills sufficient to:

interpret and clarify project briefs

establish rapport with clients

work collaboratively in a team environment to find the best design solutions

clearly and concisely document specifications for the design of e-learning resources

initiative and enterprise in the context of:

generating ideas for the design of e-learning resources that meet the needs of target learners

thinking laterally when developing ideas

selecting the most appropriate instructional design model

maintaining design integrity

technical skills sufficient to:

create storyboards, maps and other diagrams to specify the architecture and navigation of e-learning resources

construct material in a logical order, one sequence flowing on from another

develop techniques for holding learner's attention

self-management skills sufficient to:

meet deadlines

provide appropriate and timely documentation

Required knowledge

typical formats and techniques for documenting the design of e-learning resources

OHS standards as they relate to working for periods of time on computers

range of learning models

way in which various learning styles impact on learning models

industry knowledge, including:

roles and responsibilities of project team members, e.g. designers, content creators, information architects, programmers and coders

sequence and interrelationship of stages in the process of developing e-learning resources

web standards, including usability, W3C Accessibility and interoperability

web applications and technologies that are relevant to e-learning

issues and challenges that arise in designing and developing e-learning resources

intellectual property rights and copyright clearance procedures

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

design specifications for e-learning resources that:

are well documented and clearly presented

meet learner requirements

are technically feasible

ability to work effectively as a member of a production team.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

practical demonstration of skills through the design of at least two e-learning resources for delivery on different platforms

access to project briefs on which designs can be based

access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required

use of culturally appropriate processes and techniques appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of learners and the work being performed.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance

evaluation of designs for e-learning resources documented by the candidate and of their effectiveness in terms of meeting project requirements

role-play involving a candidate presenting his/her design for an e-learning resource to a client and explaining how it meets requirements

written or oral questioning to test knowledge as listed in the required skills and knowledge section of this unit.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

CUFPPM404A Create storyboards.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Target learner characteristics may include:

computer literacy

demographics, such as:

age

gender

education

occupation

location

cultural background

hobbies

interests

internet literacy

language, literacy and numeracy levels

learning environment, such as:

workplace

classroom

home

community

mobile

personas

preferred learning styles

skills level

specific needs - physical or psychological.

Content may include:

audio/visual materials

curriculum documents, such as:

Training Packages and their units of competency

modules

guides

manuals

PowerPoint presentations

pre-existing learning materials

printed materials

reference texts

training handouts.

Delivery platform may include:

CD/DVD

digital television set

internet, including:

websites

blogs

wikis

database repositories

learning management systems, such as:

Blackboard

WebCT

Janeson

Moodle

virtual classrooms

conferencing

discussion forums

flash-based

chat

podcasting

video streaming

audio streaming

other online collaboration tools

mobile phone

personal digital assistant (PDA)

other wireless/mobile devices.

Media assets may include:

animations

audio

audio/visual files, such as PowerPoint

graphics

images

text documents, such as PDF and Word

video.

Project requirements may include:

access to facilities and resources

assessment strategies

budget

deliverables

learner characteristics

milestones

personnel, including:

number

availability

expertise

prototyping

technical issues, including:

delivery platform

disk space

bandwidth

testing plan

timelines.

Instructional design models include:

exploration

game

instructional

lock step

mentoring

problem-solving

puzzle

simulation

story-telling.

Standards may include:

AQTF

interoperability

SCORM

usability

W3C Accessibility.

Learning styles may include:

activist

learning preferences, including auditory, visual or sensory

pragmatist

reflective

theorist

Learning activities may include:

blogs

case studies

checklists

discussions and debates

games

interviews

media presentations

problems

projects

quizzes

research reports

role-plays

simulations

tasks

work-based practical activities.

Relevant personnel may include:

art director

client

content expert

educator

graphic designer

head of department

information architect

language, literacy and numeracy specialist

programmer

reference group member

technical director

technical staff

other specialist creative and administrative staff.

Communication and collaborative tools may include:

blogs

chat

discussion forums

messaging

TiVo

wikis

other social software tools.

Production requirements may include:

levels of expertise

production deadlines

production schedules

production team

testing strategies.

Testing strategies may include:

alpha

beta

completion

continuous

milestone

prototype

staged.

Design specifications may include:

content inventory

diagrams

flow charts

maps

navigation charts

plans

storyboards

technical specifications

user interface mock-ups

wire frames

Legislative or ownership issues may be:

access and equity

clearances

confidentiality

copyright

intellectual property rights

non-disclosure agreements

open source licensing

ownership of assets

product licensing.

Unit sector

Visual communication - digital content and imaging

This unit contains employability skills.