educate user groups Flashcards
what are educate user groups
Working in the sport, fitness and recreation industry you will
encounter individuals from a range of different backgrounds
and levels of experience.
Understanding information can be affected by age, education
level or cultural background.
It is important to keep these individuals in mind when planning an educational program
what are the 3 different types of user groups
Regular users
New or occasional users
Spectators
what are regular users
Regular users – frequent users may already know how to access a facility or complete an activity and may
just require updates on changes or reminders about safe practice.
what are new or occasional users
New or occasional users – these are people who have never or infrequently used a facility or activity
resource. They require an education program that starts from the beginning and takes them through every
step. May benefit from face-to-face explanation or demonstration.
what are spectators
Spectators – these are individuals watching an event. They may require education on accessing and using
resources as well and important safety information. E.g. toilet access, food and drink outlets, ticketing,
seating arrangements and emergency information.
what are the educational strategies
Step 1: identify the specific issue relating to the use of a facility or activity resource. E.g.
gym members not signing in on arrival.
Step 2: develop the aim of your program. E.g. to get every member to sign in.
Step 3: brainstorm and suggest possible strategies that could be used to address the issue.
This should be done in consultation with staff where appropriate.
promotional strategies are
flyers, handouts and brochures video and film signs and posters formal presentations social media email
flyers, handouts and brochures
These are an excellent way to educate a large number of people
in one hit. They are often inexpensive, do not require much
equipment and resources or the need to recruit a large number of
expert staff.
The most effective flyers are those that are eye-catching and
entice the individual.
When distributing you need to think about where your users group may frequent and target those locations.
advantages and disadvantages of flyers and brochures
advantages:
educate large amount of people in one go
inexpensive
disadvantages:
if it has to much information people won’t read them
people don’t like drop offs, they see them as junk mail
film and video
These provide an audio-visual component to an
education program which can often be effective in
engaging an audience.
It is important to show your video or film at a location
that is free from distractions or potential interruptions.
Ensure that you have a screen large enough for all
members of your user group to view and that the audio
is loud enough to be heard.
signs and posters
These are used to convey specific pieces of information
or provide instruction.
They are an excellent way to educate users groups on
their use of a facility or resources with minimal
information.
Signs and posters should contains limited wording that is
clear, simple and easy to read and comprehend quickly.
The use of images, symbols and photographs are useful
for this.
It is important that signs and posters are noticeable so
need to be eye-catching and bold plus displayed in an
appropriate location.
advantages and disadvantages for signs and posters
advantages educate people in a facility easy to comprehend has little information cost effective
disadvantages
if its not eye catching and bold people won’t acknowledge them
formal presentations
This would involve your user group attending a location on a
specific date and time to listen to a speaker talk about the use
of a facility or activity resource. E.g. staff meeting.
Often includes the use of multimedia to accompany the
speaker.
Allows more interaction with the user group being able to ask
questions on things they need clarification on.
Engagement should be the focus of a presentation and
therefore should use pictures, video and/or audio.
When creating a presentation you should minimise the amount
of wording that appears on a slide.
advantages and disadvantages for formal presentations
advantages
interact and communicate face to face
disadvantages
have to get user group to attend
social media
Sites such a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin can be used effectively to
spread information to your user group.
This method is cost effect and can be done quickly.
When using social media it is important to be strategic about what and when you
post.
User groups do not want to be bombarded with information so limited your posts
and use interesting photos to catch a user groups attention.
advantages and disadvantages for social media
cost effective
can reach lots of people at once
quick and efficient
disadvantages
may not apply to all users due to age and accessibility to having social media or not
Email is a great way to communicate educational materials as they are cost
effective and do not require paper which makes them environmentally friendly.
They go directly to the recipient and are stored on the internet, meaning they can
be referred to at a later date if required.
A catchy heading in the subject line is important to capture the attention of your
reader.
advantages and disadvantages of email
advantages
can reach multiple people
cost effective
doesn’t require paper(environmentally friendly)
disadvantages
can easily be missed or directed to junk mail
target user groups and their needs
Older adults
Cultural background
Linguistic background
Children
Disability needs and learning difficulties
presentation technique
This refers to how you choose to communicate your educational
material. Examples include video, signs, flyers, face-to-face or
social media.
You should consider making your material bold, eye catching,
engaging and include the use of vidual aids and photographs.
Another aspect to consider is where to display your material.
when selecting a presentation technique you should consider
The user group
Your budget
What resources you need to execute your materials
How much time you have to plan and present your
program
components of an educational program
Aim (issue)
User group
Strategy to address issue
Educational materials
Presentation technique
Equipment and resources
Promotion strategy
Contingencies
Evaluation
equipment
When planning an educational program you will need to identify and organise any
required equipment or resources needed.
Common equipment that may be required includes:
Data projectors
Computer technology
Multimedia
Interactive equipment
Props
Mobile technology
contingences
Every education program should have contingencies in place in the event that
things do not go to plan or as predicted.
When planning your program you should take time to think about what could go
wrong and what modifications you could make to address any potential issues.
