This paper discusses the key factors which must be addressed when considering a decision to disseminate training materials to a wider audience than first planned. There are many dimensions which may need considering in such a development :
• setting local parochial issues into a generic context
• extending profession-specific materials to meet the needs of the healthcare team
• rolling out hospital-based training to be applicable to a community situation
• distilling international messages from national literature
• transferring traditional learning concepts into an open learning environment
• moving from paper-based text books to capitalise on contemporary media
• developing content to be applicable to many audience levels
Each of the issues and scenarios presents its own challenge; strengths inherent in the originating medium must be at least preserved and hopefully enhanced, the effects of weaknesses must be minimised when material is transferred. When considering the business case for producing the upgraded material it may even be necessary to re-originate rather than patch and polish.
The experience of authoring and producing a well-distributed series of open learning materials, developing material for learning to externally prescribed formulae and to rigorous academic curricular qualification standards will be applied to each of the issues. Some of the factors which were originally identified in developing traditional materials still have an effect when designing and delivering innovative new technology-based material. The broadening out of learning methodologies has to meet the requirements of the transition :
• from historic formal ‘chalk and talk’ to encompass vocational-centred ad hoc personal developments
• from sequential textbook format to browsing the Web
• from teacher-led to self-study with integral navigation guidance embedded
The projects used to illustrate the challenges and how they may be met include the UK-originated RAINBOW open learning materials, the NHS Health PICKUP management development courses, professionally recognised under-graduate diploma and the multi-national IT EDUCTRA health informatics education, training and awareness project.