The content development of teaching and learning resources has always been integral to education and training and largely the domain of teachers. Several factors have led to an increased emphasis on content development now as a separate and more specialised activity, and often involving a consultative approach or team effort, or undertaken by people who may or may not be involved in the teaching.

Processes and steps in Content Development:

•           Establishing the assessment criteria and methods by which students will demonstrate skills, attributes (at stages within the learning as well as at the conclusion). Time spent exploring options here can open up many more ideas for presenting content, and is more likely to produce meaningful and integrated assessment embedded within learning activities.

•           Mapping and then sequencing the key elements of the content.

•           Applying instructional design effective for choosing appropriate teaching strategies; presentation considerations; and building in scaffolding that will support the learners move to independent thinking as they become more familiar with the topic and the medium which is very important to do when learners are not in a face-to-face situation.

•           Deciding which is key content, and needs reinforcement, what material can become secondary links, and which comes under the heading of supplementary or additional learning resources.

•           Doing a walk-through and check on time allocations for each learning activity (including reading); congruence between assessment and learning objectives and learning content and learning tasks; clarity; and completeness.