Resources and templates

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Pile of books

What kind of help is available for creating/revamping course notes?

For hands-on lab courses, reference our SEW099 WCMS for Content Maintainers course notes (Word Online). In addition to this, we also have a course introduction template (docx) and a course notes template (docx) that you can use to provide structure and consistency across all ITPD courses.

We've also compiled a list of best practices to keep in mind, not only for consistency but also to ensure our participants get the most of out their learning experience:

  • Include a table of contents - Participants will be able to easily reference whatever section they need, once they're ready to apply what they've learned. This is also a great way to manage expectations as participants will be able to see what will be covered in the course.
  • Incorporate hands-on activities/demos - Not only will they be able to retain the information, but the training will simulate the same experiences once they return to their roles.
  • Provide a list of resources - Providing extra resources beyond your own contact infroamtion can be beneficial to participants to reference after the course.

If you have updated course notes, send them to the ITPD coordinator at istsew@uwaterloo.ca so it can be uploaded to the ITPD Training SharePoint site.

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powerpoint presentation

What kind of help is available for creating/revamping a slide deck?

For seminar courses, you can reference the SEW016 Writing for the Web PowerPoint presentation (Powerpoint Online) as a great example of a PowerPoint that has just the right amount of content. Presentation templates are available on the University of Waterloo’s Brand website for your use.

Note: the standard (4:3) PowerPoint slides work best for rooms typically used for seminar courses.

If you're looking for more tips on creating PowerPoint presentations, you can follow these guidelines:

  • Include a "training agenda" slide - TParticipants like knowing what to expect in the training, and providing them with a glimpse of the course content can help set expectations.
  • Provide visuals/demos (if possible) - Not only will this help participants retain information, but the training will also simulate the same experiences once they return to their roles.
  • Talk ABOUT your slides - Participants are more likely to learn when instructors can talk about their slides instead of simply reading text. Try incorporating questions and expanding on the content found on the slides.
  • Include a group assignment (if possible) - Creating an activity that reviews all the key learnings from a class can help solidify understanding, and help participants in recognizing how exactly this information will be applied on the job.

If you have created a new or updated your slide deck, please send it to the ITPD coordinator at istsew@uwaterloo.ca so it can be added to the ITPD Training SharePoint site.

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keyboard and mouse

Where can I find post-training resources for my course?

Lynda.com

Find a collection of videos, courses, and learning paths to create a playlist. For example, there is a University of Waterloo WCMS playlist to help website maintainers learn more about Drupal, responsive design, accessibility, and more.

The web

Find free courses, certifications, and training online, for example: