This section focuses on:
- Identifying what tools and resources (developed as project outputs) will be useful for different stakeholders.
- Developing multimedia and other technology-based resources.
- Common approaches to developing tools and resources.
- Considerations regarding the development of tools and resources e.g accessibility, IPR.
- Maintaining the currency of tools and resources.
Key messages:
- The tools and resources developed should meet the needs of different stakeholders – time and care should be allocated to understanding what these needs are.
- Consideration should be given to sharing the production of tools and resources in order to share the workload, avoid duplication and conflicts and making it easier to sustain and update the resources (this could be achieved e.g. within CoP/SIGs, institutional/sector partnerships and at programme level).
- Effort should be applied to turning project “outputs” into “products” that are usable, relevant and accessible by different stakeholder groups.
- Multimedia and other technologies should be adopted appropriately when developing tools and resources.
- The accessibility of resources is critical to ensure inclusivity
- Consideration should be given to communications and stakeholder engagement in respect of developed resources – whether this is in-house or at sector level. First of all, such resources need to be publicised. Secondly, it is usually desirable to obtain stakeholder feedback e.g. as to the quality, applicability and usefulness of the resources and thirdly, it is good practice to make it easy for users to find out when resources have been updated following stakeholder feedback. New media techniques can support such communications and stakeholder engagement e.g. blogs, twitter and social networks.
- Stakeholder feedback on experience with using resources can be valuable in helping others to judge quality and usefulness.
- Case studies should be made available in varying levels of detail, with in-depth studies looking at issues such as cost-benefits, implementation issues, critical success factors, risks, contexts in which the innovations will work etc.
- A balance must be achieved between providing useful information and information overload. If too much information or too many resources are provided, it can be difficult for busy professionals to locate what they need.
- Ownership issues need to be considered - who 'owns' the tools and resources and how are they licenced?
- Ideally, tools and resources should be adopted and “owned” by communities of practice at institutional or sector levels.
- The currency of tools and resources needs to be maintained.
Key resources
JISC Digital Media provides advice and guidance on the use of multimedia
JISC Techdis provides advice and guidance on inclusive practice in the use of technologies
JISC Legal provides information and guidance on the use of ICT