Educational Materials

Educational materials are learning or teaching aids. They can be used to reach masses of people, to reinforce or illustrate information given in a one-on-one setting, or serve as references to remind people of information they received earlier. Materials also teach skills by providing hands-on experience or by illustrating a step-by-step approach. Effective materials can also influence attitudes and perceptions.

Development or selection of educational materials is directed by several considerations:

• What is the public information objective? Is it to inform, demonstrate, persuade, or remind? These considerations determine how educational materials are designed and used.
• Who is the target audience? Where (which channels) can they be reached? Are there any target audience preferences for types of materials (e.g., non-print for low-literacy audiences, fotonovelas for Latinas)?
• What is the specific message? Is it a skill, an attitude to be considered, medical information, a negotiation approach, or a synopsis of previous instruction?
• What materials are already available? Will they fit the audience, channel, and objective? Can they be purchased? Reproduced?  Modified?
• What financial, staff, and other resources are available for materials development? Should development be handled in-house or by contract?

Choose Formats for Education/Information Materials

In selecting formats for educational and informational materials, choice should be guided by the amount and type of information to be presented, the channels to be used, and target audience preferences. For most messages, using as many different formats as appropriate will provide more options for message promotion.  Commonly used formats include:

Review Available Materials

Before developing new materials, make sure that new production is necessary. If materials are available that will meet identified program needs, expense and effort can be saved. Contact the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse (1-800-458-5231) to find out what is available.

Use the Materials Review Checklist to assess appropriateness of existing materials. (See Appendix E.)

Determine whether appropriate materials can be used or modified:

• Is the organization willing to share its materials? (Note: Virtually all materials produced by the Federal government are in the public domain. This means that they are not copyrighted and can be freely reproduced.)
• Can your program identity be substituted or added to the materials? (Make changes to fit planned public information activities.)
• Is the material available in the quantities needed? Is it affordable?
• Were the materials tested? With what results?
• How are the materials currently being used? By whom? With what effects?
• Are the materials suitable for the identified target audience and your community? (Testing may be needed to find out.)
• Are the messages consistent with specified public information and prevention program objectives?

Pretest Messages and Materials

Pretesting is defined as the testing of planned public information strategies, messages, or materials before completion and release to help assure effectiveness.

Pretesting is used to help make sure that messages and materials will work. It is important to test messages and draft materials with target audiences. Also, testing with media or other "gatekeepers" is a good idea, e.g., PSA directors or others who can influence whether messages and materials are used.

Pretesting can help determine whether messages and materials are:

• Understandable.
• Relevant.
• Attention-getting.
• Memorable.
• Appealing.
• Credible.
• Acceptable to the target audience.

These factors can make a difference in whether messages or materials contribute to meeting public information objectives.

The most frequently used pretest methods include:

• Focus groups.
• Self-administered questionnaires.
• Central location intercept interviews.
• Individual interviews.
• Theater-style testing.
• Readability testing.
• Gatekeeper review.

Specific pretest methods will vary, depending upon:

• Materials format(s).
• Complexity of the materials or messages (e.g., for complex messages, more time may be needed to explore audience reactions).
• Degree of sensitivity or controversy (e.g., a combination of methods helps make sure that responses are honest).
• Previous experience with or knowledge of the target group (i.e., less testing, or less in-depth exploration may be called for if a great deal is already known about audience views).
• Resources.
• The pretest questions to be explored.

Note: Additional information about pretesting can be found in Making Health Communication Programs Work: A Planner's Guide.  (See Resources and References.)

Staff Characteristics for Materials Development and Pretesting

Staff who are involved in the development of educational materials should know the attributes and limitations of the educational materials formats to be used.  In addition, they should:

• Speak, read, and write the language or dialect of the designated audience or have access to someone who does.
• Have the ability to identify accurately and incorporate appropriate literacy levels in design of materials.
• Communicate effectively in print and audiovisual media, or have access to competent materials producers.
• Be familiar with characteristics and life styles of designated audience.
• Be non-judgmental.
• Know the message and materials objective.
• Be able to personalize the material's message to be relevant to the target audience.
• Be able to design and conduct message and materials pretests or have access to trained and experienced help.
• Be able to design and implement distribution and promotion plans to assure appropriate use of materials to support public information activities.

Training for staff materials development and pretesting should:

• Emphasize how to design objectives, messages, and educational material.
• Instruct how to design and implement dissemination, promotion, and evaluation plans to assure appropriate use of materials.
• Inform about sources of additional information and related services.
• Teach how to determine appropriate motivator of behavior change.
• Instruct how to design and conduct pretests, including how to conduct focus groups.
• Provide practice sessions and opportunities for observation before conducting target audience pretests.
• Provide other training as needed (e.g., cultural sensitivity, low literacy materials development, sexuality attitudes, interviewing skills).

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