Establishing a materials development system to quality standards requires participation by everyone involved. The process must be managed and responsibility assigned to relevant people. The process requires commitment from those involved and an understanding of the benefits that will be derived. The implementation of an effective system will depend on:

• management commitment

• understanding of what is required

• allocation of tasks and responsibilities

• establishing realistic targets

• monitoring

• evaluation and feedback

You have already established some of your priorities for key areas of materials development in activity 7.3. To convince management and build commitment within your organisation you will need to identify the benefits your organisation might derive from establishing a quality system. Identify those benefits which might apply to your organisation and list additional benefits you feel might apply.

In previous units of this module you worked through the process of developing a specification for materials development. You reviewed the likely areas for discussion and agreement and considered that the contents of a specification document might include:

• The learning need

• Why is open learning being used

• Who are the learners?

• What are the organisations requirements and constraints?

• What are the implications for learning materials?

• Learning objectives and outcomes

• Content outline

• Media selection

• Format

• Overall approach

• Interactivity

• Style

• Specifying the user interface for multimedia

• Physical details

• Learning time

• Arrangements for support and delivery

• Specifying usability criteria

• Assessment strategy

• Updating

Your quality system should ensure that the specification stage is carried out and that the content of the document addresses relevant areas.

The specification document is a significant starting point for the materials development process and may form the basis for a formal agreement to proceed between you, as producer, and your customer. The specification stage is an essential component in a quality development process and the specification document provides a measure against which materials will be continuously checked and assessed. The document may need to be reviewed and amended as the materials are developed. Changes should be recorded and agreed with any client or customer.

This activity is designed to help you consider how to use and review the specification document. Complete the checklist and then consider further uses of the specification document and when you may need to consider further revisions.

The specification document could be discussed with the customer to ensure that:

• Learning needs identified are verified
  
  
• Needs have been identified in a systematic way
  
  
• Aims and objectives are understood and agreed
  
  
• Aims and objectives are realistic
  
  
• Customer understands the purpose of the specification document
  
  
• Outputs are defined in a way the customer understands
  
  
• Revisions will be recorded and agreed with the customer
  
  

Further uses of the specification document:
e.g. briefing subcontractors on their role

When might the specification document be revised?
e.g. after authors have prepared initial material

The idea of house style is long established in the fields of publishing and software development. The term is used to describe the ‘look, feel and approach’ of materials. Its purpose is to define the common features of different materials across a series or produced by a particular organisation.

Although there are has been some use of house style as a method of defining visual style, only a small minority of organisations extend this method to guarantee a common 'learning methods' approach across a series of materials.

In a quality system for materials development, the use of house style will be an early decision to address. House style is not equally important for all organisations. Those deriving most benefit will be those where it is essential to have a practical and more formalised method of ensuring adherence to the agreed standards. This will be particularly useful for:

• organisations developing a range of materials

• those needing to establish a clear identity for open learning

• those providing training across a number of countries

• those involving development by a number of producers

Adopting a house style can bring significant benefits. These include:

• generating a consistent style across a series of learning materials.

This is particularly important where materials development is shared between a number of people/teams. Without the use of a house style the learning materials are inevitably different in style

• forming part of a ‘quality’ system

Specifying and documenting the nature of a learning package can be used as part of quality management procedures. A House Style Guide may be one of a set of core documents and be used to ensure quality, consistency and standardised procedures

• helping build consensus.

Many organisations bring together individuals or producers with different backgrounds and experience. The process of agreeing a house style helps develop working methods and develop consensus

• providing a practical tool to aid materials development

Only a relatively small number of individuals and organisations are experienced in the development of open/distance learning materials. A detailed house style guide provides a useful guide for writers, editors and designers who do not have an open learning background

• reflecting market needs

An effective house style provides a summary of the characteristics needed by learning materials if they are to meet the requirements of users

• supporting a materials development strategy

A house style manual can help establish procedures to ensure the effective production of materials

• Supporting the integration of media

The process of house style development will assist the integration of different media into a coherent learning strategy

• Reinforcing a corporate image

A coherent house style serves to reinforce support for open learning as part of the learning culture

• helping learners to transfer between modules

The use of a consistent style is an aid to learning. It encourages learners to move on to new materials with confidence and without needing to spend time 're-learning’ how to use the package

• establishing standards for adaptation

A coherent house style provides the framework for future adaptations

If the decision to implement a house style guide as part of the development system is taken, the contents may include a combination of:

• learning design guidance

• assessment strategy

• writing style

• selection of media

• editorial conventions

• visual design and layout

• screen and user interface design

• usability criteria

• use of authoring tools

• media standards

• video guidelines

• audio guidelines

• integration of media

• specification template

Assuming that a particular project requires the use of a house style guide, consider each possible area of content for inclusion in the guide. Use the table below to identify each area and consider who will outline and write that section and who will agree this as meeting the required standards. Finally consider and identify any other area you may wish to include in your guide.

Your quality system for materials development should include a decision making process based on the issues in this activity to determine the necessity, extent and content of a house style guide for each project your organisation undertakes.

Ideally decisions on house style need to be made at the outset of the project and at the beginning of materials development. This allows the development to form part of an overall materials development strategy. However, even at later stages in production the adoption of a house style can be useful. The earlier it is adopted, the greater is the opportunity to develop a common approach.

Successful use of house style depends on consensus. It is essentially an agreement between different participants on developing materials to a common format and style. Without a high level of consensus it is difficult for a house style to be developed and it would become necessary to impose it as a central editorial process. Frequently this will be both undesirable and costly.

If you decide that a house style should be part of a strategy for materials development, then a number of steps will need to be taken to ensure implementation.

• Responsibility for house style should be given to one individual or to a small team. In a large organisation-specific setting this may be the responsibility of a small production group.

• Those responsible should:

  – develop an organisation-specific house style, summary and other customised tools such as a glossary

  – update and maintain the guidelines throughout the project

  – answer queries and advise on the use.

• Consider running some form of initial workshop on how to use the house style. In many projects, this can be included as part of meetings/workshops dealing with materials development.

• Include checking adherence to house style as one step in the production process.

• Check, and modify if necessary, the implementation of house style at key stages in the production process:
  

  – specification/initial design of the materials

  – first draft/prototype

  – completion of pilot.

• In addition to these steps you may need to be prepared to allow house style to develop within the project. In a new project it may be undesirable to assume that an initial document will not be modified during the project. Although you should not anticipate making substantial changes, you should be prepared to refine the house style after its use has been tested. Best practice is still evolving. An effective house style approach should enable:

  – a clear direction and approach to be established at the outset

  – key features to be defined

  – modification to structure, features and style to be incorporated as a result of feed back from piloting

• Existing experience should form part of the basis for devising house style. This will:

  – make best use of established good practice

  – develop consensus

  – maximise existing expertise

  – avoid duplicating existing material

• Consideration of the following should always form part of the process of developing a house style:

  • needs of learners and their employers

  • likely delivery, support and assessment

  • future strategies

  • technologies available for current and future use

  • cost effectiveness.