This is the first in a series of four related books. It deals with the thinking, planning and preparation that should take place before production of material begins. Whatever kind of material it is, it will take time and money. Producers will therefore want it to be worth the effort, and to do the job it was meant to do. Careful planning is one way to help to achieve this.

About This Book
7 Section A: Identifying the Nature of the Task
9 Chapter 1 Communication
9 Communication as a Process
10 Source
10 Message
11 Channel
1 1 Audience
12 Effects
12 Feedback
13 Communication as Common Understanding
14 Problems in Communication
17 Chapter 2 Audience and Message
1 7 Finding Out about the Audience
1 8 How to Find Out
1 9 Steps in a Simple Survey
28 Preparing the Message
30 Deciding on the Topic
30 Studying the Topic
32 Chapter 3 Aims and Objectives
32 Aims
32 Objectives
33 Motivation
35 Section B: Making Choices — Methods and Media
37 Chapter 4 The Range of Possibilities
37 Factors in Making a Choice
37 A Multi-Media Approach
40 Methods and Media — An Overall View
41 Chapter 5 Narrowing the Field
41 Communication Methods
41 Learning through Achievement
42 Simulation: Models, Games, Drama, Puppetry
44 Story-telling
44 Song
45 Discussion
45 Field Trip
45 Demonstration
46 Talk or Lecture
46 Exhibition
47 Low-Cost Media
48 Sound Recordings
48 Visual Aids:_ Projected, Three-Dimensional, Printed Material
52 Case Study Exercise
5 7 Section C: Using Printed Material
59 Chapter 6 Why Use Printed Material?
59 What is Printing?
59 Advantages of Printed Material as a Medium
59 Disadvantages and Problems
60 Low-Cost Printing
60 Centralized and Local Production
61 Some Possible Alternatives
62 Chapter 7 Forming the Message
6 2 Contents
62 Information
64 Approach
65 Writing Simply
67 Choosing Illustrations
67 Picture Recognition
69 Picture Style
71 Symbols
73 Diagrams
75 Using Illustrations
7 9 Pretesting
83 Using a Questionnaire
86 Analysing Findings
90 Some Final Comments
91 Glossary
94 References
95 Bibliography

Judith Wilkinson