Message (Development & Delivery)

Extension & Delivery > Message (Development & Delivery)

You have an opportunity to design and deliver your message. Consider best practices below to package and communicate so that you reach and engage others in your work. These include knowing your audience, making your content accessible, incorporating adult learning principles, using the ANR brand, following copyright guidelines, planning and strategizing your communication, including all Californians, and more.

Audience

Accessibility, ADA
Inclusion
Adult Learning

Plan and Strategize your communication

How do I plan?
Audio and Images
Branding
Communicating science
Copyright materials
Course design
Engaging slide decks (PPT, other)
Message impact
Writing best practices
Presentation skills

Develop your message considering your audience, their needs, what they already know, accessibility and ADA compliance, including ALL Californian communities.

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Audience

Audience - Know them.
Audience and Communication Analysis - Use this table to think through your communication approaches for greater impact.
Where do they get information now? (Fact sheet)

Accessibility

Image by ComMkt from Pixabay

Fillable Forms (PDFs)

Where possible, post content to the web as HTML text and images (as a webpage rather than a Word, PDF, etc document). Web browsers have built-in accessibility features, and the content will be accessible across platforms (phones, tablets, laptop/desktop). Content creators must still take care to follow accessibility guidelines on links, headings, alt-text and so on. See these tips for creating accessible web content. UC ANR’s social media policy page includes links to accessibility guidelines and resources.

Can everyone utilize your message? Why Accessibility Matters (2:00 video)
Accessibility Basics (.gov)
Accessibility Testing for Websites and Software (.gov)

UC Global Accessibility Awareness Day (video) (1:18 UCOP Global Accessibility Awareness Day)
Accessibility Resources (UCOP website)
Simple steps for improving accessibility (PDF Guide)
Answers to Many of the questions that arose in the Q&A
A PDF guide of simple steps for improving accessibility

ADA compliance in slides along with an easy-to-use tool from Microsoft in PPT to check accessibility: Accessibility Checker. If that doesn't get you there, then do this if you don't see the Accessibility Checker

Making PDFs accessible (from Adobe)
Word-to-PDF and PDF Accessibility Guide (UCOP)

National Standards for Quality Online Teaching-The National Standards for Quality Online Learning is an ongoing project to continuously revise the National Standards for Quality Online Courses, Programs and Teaching led by a partnership between Quality Matters, the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance, and the Digital Learning Collaborative with widespread community support.

Material review options & ADA Compliance -Communications Advisory Board recommends that every product created by UC ANR personnel be reviewed by other experts before being disseminated to the public.

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Inclusion

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Do you share your information with diverse audiences in inclusive ways?

How do you engage culturally diverse audiences?

Adult Learning

Adult Learning Principles in mind as you plan. How do adults learn best?

Plan and Strategize your communication

Planning starts with developing a communication strategy, knowing your audience and their needs, and checking for impact of your communication.

Plan your Communication Strategy - So that you can share important information in a way that is meaningful to your audience. Use this

Review Guidelines to Keep You Out of Trouble (CAB - Fact Sheet) How and what materials should be reviewed?

Make Your Message and Your Delivery Compelling "Available, Interesting, Doable (AID) & Trust, Integrate, Good, Recommendation(s), Seeing is believing (TIGRS) Info sheet.

Communicating for Impact - Skilled communication means more trust, clearer understanding, and successful connection with your audience. Take this opportunity to go through this Online Presentation and with this Handout and then test your learning with this Quiz.

Communicating Science Using the Science of Communication (PDF from Livestock And Poultry Environmental Learning Community)

Communicating Science to the Skeptical (Video 43:55) - Not every audience member trusts science. Learn how to better relate to people so they trust what you have to share. Here are 4 Tips (Video 01:24) to remember when preparing your communication.

8 Elements in a Communications Plan - Extending information is fundamental to the Extension mission. A plan is important in preparing your blog post, email, fact sheet, research paper, project ...etc. Here are options to consider when you Create a Communication Plan

Be intentional about your communication. Use the One Page Exercise Sheet for a Simple Communications Strategy to think through your communication approaches for greater impact.

Use this planning template to expand your virtual reach.

Open Source Images & Audio- Open source images and audio files are licensed under a group of open source licenses (ex., Creative Commons).

Copyright materials - Best practices to use information and images and keep it legal. If I find it on the web is it fair use? For more information on protecting others' copyright materials and how to protect your own, review the UC Copyright resource pages.

Slide decks

Keep your slide deck simple and clear. Avoid using too many colors, fonts, text, or elements that confuse or distract your the audience. Remember your presentation must reflect UC ANR's brand and style, and therefore should respect its visual standards (colors, typography, shapes, etc.)

PowerPoint - Create an engaging and useful slide deck.

Presentation Design Principles For Better PowerPoint Design (Video 7:08) Focus on how to effectively tell a story by using various techniques such as riveting images, white space, and focal points.

Three Design Hacks for Better Visual Presentation (Video 5:16)

How to use PowerPoint Animations for a More Engaging and Better Training Presentation (Video 6:44)

Creating Visual Presentations (PDF)

Student sketching letters on ground surface

Make your message and your delivery compelling "AID" & "TIGRS" Info sheet

Branding - Use the Communication Toolkit to brand your content.

Let the UC ANR Communications Toolkit guide you in branding, social media use, web communication, public relations, and translation into other languages such as Spanish.

Stewarding the UC ANR Brand - Video (5:30)

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Course design

Creating Courses for Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) - There are many types of CEUs available for each different type of profession. This informational sheet focuses on the most common types that are applicable for agriculture and natural resources. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Fact Sheet

Extender Models -Extenders are diverse groups of professionals and paraprofessionals delivering programming in the community.

Working with others - UC ANR work is based on collaboration. Learn best practices for working with others.

Virtual Delivery - From social media, to online training, to podcasts and blogs and more.

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Also see below

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Written materials (and readability)

Written materials - Keep in mind adult learning principles, persuasive writing, readability, and accessibility to name a few best practices.

Write persuasively (Fact Sheet)

Is your writing "readable"? (from Grammarly)

Check readability in word (MS web site) (Note: you have to go through the spelling check in order to see the readability score) (Readability video Youtube)

Write in Plain English (LinkedIn Learning)

Communicating Science, Creating Trust Video (40:24 min - Kat Kerlin)

Promote Your Program Using the ANR Brand Video (51:07)

UC ANR Translation services (NOS)

Fact Sheets & Newsletters

Draft your message Fact sheet

Make your message and your delivery compelling "AID" & "TIGRS" Info sheet

Writing a good fact sheet Fact sheet

Fact sheet Template (a template with suggestions)

Fact sheet template example

Fact sheet guidelines (from Agronomy Program Team - png)

Evaluate your fact sheets Fact sheet

Newsletters

5 tips for better newsletters (Steve Elliott)

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Virtual Delivery

Open Source Image & Audio (fill out this CalFresh survey to access PDF)

Open source images and audio files are licensed under a group of open source licenses (ex., Creative Commons). In general, they allow you to use them in various activities without attributing the author or having to obtain a license. However, it is always important to check permission restrictions before you use a file in your teaching.

Deliver your message

Learn how to improve and assess impact

Plan your communication strategy

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Field days

Adult learning principles - keep this in mind as you plan

Planning (Web - WSARE)

Check list (Doc - UC ANR)

Virtual Consultations

Extender Models

The Extender Models in CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California: A Best Practices Guide” explains the who, what, when, why and how of Cooperative Extension extender models as they are utilized to deliver the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC + UCCE program.

Running Meetings

Adult Learning Principles - keep this in mind as you develop materials

Better Meetings

Presentation Skills

Remember - Who’s the audience and what type of language should I use? Give background, introduce the problem, then jump into what and why. Avoid jargon what’s the simple take home and why is it important. Use simple language that a non-expert would understand.

Adult learning principles - keep this in mind as you plan