COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR VALIDATING AND FINALIZING MATERIALS

 

Group:

 

Leader: Elizabeth

Scribe: Clare

 

Other Members

a) Robert

b) Alex

c) Derrick

 

1. __KNOWLEDGE__

 

a) Seek opinion on what the official national bodies have set as appropriate and realistic standards for training material.

 

Why?

 

 The training material must sometimes comply with certain standards from bodies such as TEVETA for Zambia, VETA for Tanzania, UNEB for Uganda

 Consulting the national official bodies helps the trainer find out the practicability of the content developed.

 

How can we do this?

 

 By doing this, the trainer will avoid re-inventing the wheel.

 To avoid wastage of time, energy and resources.

 

Example:

 

Case: Elizabeth

 

UNICEF in South Africa must ensure that their materials are compliant with criteria and standards outlined by the department of education and must follow the protocol if operating within national programmes domain.

 

With working with young girls Women’s Net must also verify that materials are sensitive and not too controversial with family, community and department.

 

 

 

b) Have appropriate and relevant knowledge which is up-to-date with the technology present.

Why?

 

 Material should be based on the content required by the audience in the appropriate sequence and should be placed in context.

 

How should this be done?

 

 The trainer should base his content on the task at hand so that they can streamline the material.

 

Examples

 Floyd and Milner’s peer assist problems

 

 

c) Be able to explain the benefits of the training material

 

Why?

 

 It brings about clarity and precision because the trainer would know the importance of each statement, graphic, audio and general setup of the materials.

 

How?

 

 Using an existing template

 Connect benefits of having training materials and training to ICT4D

 

Example

 

Using a template and an instructional way of presenting information you then evaluate the two methods for their importance in terms of information procurement.

 

Case

 

Elizabeth: After doing a training with young girls on digital/audio production, some girls maintained their skills by way of using access points and their training material and later by getting involved with their community radio station

 

2. __SKILLS__

 

a) Ability to use daily routine examples (Citing identifiable and appropriate examples)

 

Why?

 

 To be able to scale the materials down to the audience

 To have local cultures reflected in the ICT4D process

 To illustrate the possibility and reality of ICD4D in the local area.

 

How is this done?

 

 Trainers will have to customize their examples in the training materials to suit the audience

 Trainers will have to access the social impact but involving active members in the community in accessing the training material

 

Examples:

 

Case 1:

 

Floyd presented a problem on developing HIV/AIDS specific training material based on the ICDL module during the peer assist session. He got advice from peers to customize the material to include examples that are specific to HIV/AIDS. This would help the youth identify with the training modules while going on with their work.

 

Case 2:

 

Alex presented an example for when he was required to train a group of people sponsored by GTZ in Tanzania. He had three groups of people to train. Women, Dropouts and Nurses. He customized the training materials to HIV/AIDS and this he did by dividing the people into groups based on the type of activity that they were involved in.

 

 

b) Ability to access the impact on your training materials to your peers (piloting the training materials to test your audience)

 

Why?

 

 

 The need to find out whether the material is practical. Has anyone used it successfully???

 

How is this done?

 

 Use of peer assists within your environment and outside for a better analysis and sharing of ideas

 Use of communities of practice. This is more involving and provides a wider knowledge sharing space especially if its an online community.

 Consulting regional representatives that access communities and what is expected of them (Monitoring and evaluation groups)

 

Examples

 

Case:

 

Clare shared that she uses a technique that involves sharing her training material with her colleague prior to packaging it. This helps her scale down on the material or add more content to it.

 

 

c) Ability to make your session interesting /having alternative approaches to delivery

Why?

 

 The trainer should be able to better cater for their audience taking into account literacy levels, differences in languages, differences in ICT levels so that the training can be a more effective and memorable learning experience.

 

How is this done?

 

 By use of interactive layouts i.e pictures, symbols, videos if you can, theatre, visual and audio aids, posters etc

 The trainer should have his content organized in such a way that the presentation is well organized with a systematic flow.

 Use of local examples whenever possible. Its always good to use examples that people relate to other than those they will imagine exist.

 Inclusion of interactive exercises. Have people do some role playing exercises, have question and answer sessions in your material.

 

Example

 

Clare:

 

Ndere Troupe a music dance and drama group into Uganda also a project that promotes ICT4D uses theatre to pass on messages to the local communities by acting the message. All their training material is based on plays.

 

 

d) Have Proper Planning Skills

 

Why?

 

 When materials are properly planned in terms of layout / structure. It is easy to point out errors and make corrections, additions or change the content.

 It’s easier to deliver properly planned out work.

 If work is properly planned, it will allow for a systematic flow of content

 

How is this done?

 

 In a peer assist arrangement, properly planned work will be easy to follow and correct incase of errors.

 

Example

 

As the workshop participants assisted Floyd to formulate a structure for his upcoming HIV/AIDS training.

 

e) Trainer Should Be Able To Elaborate Upon Material (Ie Deepen Trainer & Trainees Understanding).

 

Why:

 

 To Be Able To Provide Them With As Much Info And Solid Understanding Of The Topics

 To Be Able To Deepen Understanding Of And Comfort With Subject Matter

 Demonstrates That It Is All Bout The Learning Process

 

How is this done?

 

 Systematically Go Through The Contents And Logic Of The Materials

 Identify Where There May Be Knowledge Gaps

 Research And Plug The Gaps

 Write Side Notes For Yourself As Reminders During The Implementation Stage

 Cite Examples That Will Bring Clarity

 Practice It Yourself – If Material Based On Technical Matter, Then Practice Doing It Yourself & Is Material More Theoretical, Reading/Explaining Aloud Will Help To Guage Comfort And Understanding (Practicing In Front Of A Mirror Or Friends Can Also Help)

 

Example:

 

Case 1:

 

Clare: was in training environment whereby she had to approach and speak to one trainer whom the trainees where seriously disgruntled with on the basis that trainer was only reading materials out to them; contrasted with the other much-appreciated trainer that seemed to really know – “ who had it all at his fingertips”, the materials. Clare attributed the latter trainers success to his having knowledgably & comfortably elaborated upon the materials.

 

Case 2:

 

Derrick: said his “students find it easier to understand the lessons than to understand the training materials.”

 

 

f) Critical Thinking

 

Why:

 

 You should be able to critically think about the materials you have adapted and weed-out those that you may not need or make alterations so as to make the materials more relevant.

 Critical thinking will also allow you to focus on the must have’s/do’s and the maybes (which will streamline both the materials and training)

 

How is this done?

 

 Revisit materials compiled &/or created to date & confirm what materials most relevant to trainees

 Revisit both step1: finding and assessing & step2: localising

 Eliminate what is not relevant

 It is easy to find errors in the training materials if you go back and review them

 

 

Example:

 

Case

 

Liz: after putting together a manual on digital audio production, realized the need to include small module on how-to’s of basic editing such as cutting, copying & pasting data as these functions were referred to, but not explained, in the audio editing section. Here it was important to remember that many participants where not familiar with such functions; this was achieved after critically thinking through the process in conjunction with the materials.

 

Clare created a manual of 60 pages; after asking a friend to go through it, the manual was reduced to 20 pages, after she identified a lot of unnecessary content.

 

 

 

3. __ATTIDUDE__

 

a) Attitude: Trainers As Learners

 

 

Why:

 To Be Able To Identify With And Better Understand The Learners, Which Helps The Trainer Judge The Validity & Relevancy Of The Training Materials And Process

 

How is this done?

 

 Pilot Testing With Would-Be Audience (Of Section Of) Or Alternative Individuals

 Have Peer(S) Train You On The Materials Or Test-Drive It Them Selves

 Record Yourself With Camera Or Audio Recorder And Then Critique Playback; If Possible Invite Someone Else To Partake

 

 

Example:

 

 Derrick: proposed using a video recorder for self-criticism

 

 Liz: has pretended to be both trainer & trainee (ie role played scenario) while reading through the materials in an attempt to determine effectiveness and understandability of the materials.

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