Creating a new training course

There are many ways that we can support you if you are developing a course whether face-to-face, workplace, blended or online. You might need to deliver a course as part of a legal or University need, to upskill staff or as a general interest and development opportunity. We can help with getting started, those early considerations, designing training, delivering training and administrative support. The paragraphs below give a few more details about what to do next:

Face-to-face and webinars

If you want your course to sit on Trent to enable staff to sign up for the session then please complete an ‌Event Booking Form (EBF) and send it to peopledevelopment@exeter.ac.uk. One of our Learning & Development (L&D) Managers who will contact you and meet to discuss the training and explain the support you can receive.

Please note that our current lead times are 6 weeks from submission of the form.

We also have additional advice about developing Remote Training via webinars etc. (please refer to the details further down this page).

LearnUpon hosted courses (e-learning)

If you think you might want to use the Learning Management System ‘LearnUpon’ to host your training then please contact peopledevelopment@exeter.ac.uk. The L&D Manager responsible for the administration of the system will contact you to discuss your options.

Please be aware that the University has no in-house e-learning development capability.

Bespoke training

If you just want some generic guidance and support for a training session that you might be designing for a bespoke group or your team please do contact us. You might also like to refer to our information about Developing Teams.

All types of mandatory training need to be carefully considered. We need, as an organisation, to ensure that we are only asking our staff to complete training that is mandatory where there is a definite need, otherwise the amount of training could become overwhelming. There needs to be a sound reason why training should be classified as mandatory, hence the process below was introduced in order to monitor which courses are given ‘mandatory’ status.

More details about the University's approach to mandatory training and your potential role within it as a Course Sponsor / Owner can be found in the Mandatory Training Policy.

Mandatory training might be delivered face-to-face, via webinar or as a course hosted on LearnUpon. Areas of training and development will be deemed to be mandatory from either a legal or statutory requirement or from an institutional perspective (a requirement directed by the University).

The following steps must be covered when developing mandatory training (outline of the process):

1. Read the Mandatory Training Policy to understand your role as Course Sponsor or Owner.
2. Arrange a meeting with a Learning & Development Manager to learn about:
   • the requirements for developing mandatory training
   • the process that needs to be followed
   • The processes will differ depending on the type of training and delivery method(s).
3. Complete the Mandatory Training Proposal Form and submit it to People Development. The form is a useful guide for anyone considering mandatory training, it covers key areas that you will need to consider. The request will be sent to the HR Director for approval. The HRD is required to keep an overview of the quantity and quality of this training. Please note that without this approval, the training cannot be taken forward.
4. Begin to design the training, once you've received the go ahead.
   • Face-to-face training: this might include further discussion with People Development about administrative support.
   • Training will be hosted on LearnUpon: wider discussions will need to take place with Exeter IT and PPBI in order to confirm whether any automation of the system is required / possible and to tie in with Management Information Hub reporting.
5. Ensure that the training complies with the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion vision and Accessibility Policy.

The training categories

During your conversation with the Learning & Development Manager, we will decide which of the following categories applies to your training.

Category A: All Staff	Training that is required by law or that the University Council has deemed a high priority and vital that all staff complete.  For example Health and Safety Introduction, Information Governance, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, Prevent Duty – Inclusive and Safe Universities.
Category B: Position or Job Role	Training specific to the member of staff’s position or role within the University. Examples of this training include Research Integrity, Recruitment training, PDR training for managers and Corporate Conscience.
Category C: Additional Duties	Training may relate to a specific activity or duty which an individual is required to carry out as an additional responsibility outside of their job description. Examples of this type of training include Fire Marshalls.

Designing remote training

If you already have a course that you delivered face to face then you might just need to tweak your training to suit remote delivery, or you might feel it requires a complete overhaul. Either way the basic principles of teaching don’t change: think about your target audience, how will you keep them engaged, what key information do you need to get across and what is the best medium to do this? Your level of confidence in the technology and systems being used might mean that you need to go back to basics and pull back control of the session more than you might have previously. As your confidence grows you will find that you start to introduce more complex activities and interactions with your delegates but don’t feel that you need to do this immediately.

Make sure it is accessible

All training and learning resources developed for staff must adhere to the Accessibility Policy, please ensure you read this when developing any training.

What are the basics that you should consider?

Is a webinar the answer?

Some subjects need interaction with delegates, perhaps because they contain a Q&A or discussion element. Others might be better presented by expanding a PowerPoint presentation that can be accessed at any time from a web page or producing a workbook that can be explored at the delegates' own pace. Make sure a webinar is the best solution for your remote training! Consider:

• What level of personal interaction with delegates is needed?
• What information are you trying to deliver and what interaction does that require?
• What other options are available? (PowerPoint presentations on a webpage, a SharePoint site, a workbook etc). You might just need to offer a face to face drop-in session or a Q&A session to support work-based learning rather than a webinar delivered session.

How comfortable are you with the technology?

You might be a whizz and able to create breakout rooms and interactive quizzes using various platforms. However, remember that your audience might not be as confident as you, so consider how complex it will be for both yourself and delegates to manage. If most of this is new to you make sure you create a session that you can easily control - interactive and interesting doesn’t have to mean complex.

Manage delegate expectations.

Set out in Joining Instructions roughly how the session will run. For instance, will there be regular breaks where you will answer questions? Will delegates' videos and microphones be enabled? Is there pre-course work to complete or resources they must have downloaded or accessed prior to the session? It can be as simple as ‘you will need a pen and paper’. Be prepared that even if you ask them to download resources delegates might not have been able to, so consider how vital it is to your session!

Length of the session.

The general rule with webinars is that the less delegates interact the shorter your sessions should be, more delegate involvement means the session can be a little longer. Just consider your own experience of remote learning, listening to podcasts and online training – how did presenters keep your attention and how long did they keep it for? We would suggest a maximum of 90 minutes if you have a break in the middle and activities, without breaks or activities then 45 minutes maximum.

How to keep delegates engaged?

Creating a rapport with your class can be tricky so consider how important this is for you to achieve your session outcomes. Think about whether they can see you at any point in the session, so that they can put a name to a face. If you have a smaller group then introductions might be possible. How can you keep them engaged throughout, consider small activities, input into the Chat box, games which require simple answers or that they can consider at home. If you want to be more adventurous then consider something like a Kahoot quiz, a Slido poll or using the Whiteboard function in Teams Meetings. Time for Q&A is best built into the session rather than constantly interrupting delivery.

Consider co-presenters or support.

If you are busy trying to deliver training and manage resources it might be helpful to have a colleague managing the ‘Chat’ box and general queries, or supplying the links to documents and videos. They can collate and direct questions to you when you have a Q&A break and sort out minor queries.

Sending out resources.

Consider how this will be done, by attaching to Joining Instructions, by a link in the Chat box on the day, through a SharePoint site? Embedded videos tend not to work therefore think about sharing these via the Chat box. Also, be careful about who you are giving access to if using a link to a SharePoint site.

Practice, practice, practice!

This is the same advice that any teachers would be given no matter the medium for delivery. Ask colleagues and friends to attend short, mock sessions so that you can check everything works: what can they see? Are links working, is changing screen working? Can you manage delivery and questions at the same time? Practice until you feel comfortable with system.

Creating new training

If you are creating new training please speak to one of the People Development L&D Managers or our Events Team about how we can support you administratively.

Keep things simple. If you design your training and resources using these basic principles, they’ll be easier for more people to use:

• Use plain language.
• Keep it concise – use bullet points, short steps and clear headings
• Make text easy to read, with at least 12-point font

This saves time and money by making information accessible straight away.

Making your original documents more accessible reduces the need for extra versions. However, some people – for example those with visual impairments, learning disabilities, dexterity issues or literacy difficulties like dyslexia – may still struggle with written text, even in large fonts. You may still need to provide alternative formats for them.

Find out more about accessible communication formats in the Government’s Inclusive Communication guidance.

What is accessible design?

Accessible design means creating training and resources that everyone can use. It’s about thinking ahead and considering the needs of all people, including those with disabilities. When you plan for a wide range of needs from the start, your training becomes easier for everyone.

Worcestershire County Council has a useful guide on accessibility, including six quick SCULPT principles to help you design accessible content.

If an external company is creating or delivering your training, it must meet the University Staff Accessibility Policy. Make sure the supplier understands accessibility requirements and includes any extra formats or costs in their proposal.

Keep joining instructions clear and simple, but include the key information staff need. Think about:

• How people will get to the location
• Whether resources and the room are accessible
• Whether the delivery style suits everyone
• Any preparation staff need to do
• Any special equipment required

If your course is on Trent, some staff may have declared accessibility needs, but you must still plan with accessibility in mind for all participants.

Think about where the training will take place. Use the AccessAble site to check accessibility information for University buildings and rooms. Consider:

• Room layout
• Access routes
• Accessibility of breakout rooms
• Whether PowerPoints, activities and handouts are accessible

Training delivered on a webpage must follow the University’s web accessibility guidance.

The Education Toolkit provides guidance on creating inclusive and accessible online modules and digital accessibility advice.

There’s no separate e-learning policy, but most designers follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and you should too. Marshall ACM provides a shorter summary of WCAG for quick reference.

If you buy e-learning from a supplier or create it yourself, WCAG must be followed.

You can also read “7 tips for designing accessible e-learning” for simple starting advice.

Test your training with a range of staff who represent your real audience. Speaking directly to people with different disabilities gives better insight than relying only on tools.

Try using built-in screen readers to check how your content works:

• VoiceOver (macOS/iOS)
• TalkBack (Android)
• Narrator (Windows)
• Accessibility Mode and Immersive Reader in Word

The Staff Wellbeing team and Learning & Development team can also help with accessibility questions.

• The Occupational Health team offers support for physical and mental disabilities.
• SensusAccess (via the Library) can convert documents into accessible formats such as MP3, digital Braille, e-books or readable PDFs.
• You can find additional software tools in the University’s Software Service Catalogue.