Programme Configuration Step 5 - Activities

Introduction

This article guides you through creating activities within OST programmes. It covers essential steps such as adding and naming activities, setting durations, and providing detailed learner instructions. By following these guidelines, you can ensure a structured and engaging learning experience for your learners allowing them to progress autonomously.

When building OST programmes you have two options for creating and adding activities:

  1. Create an individual, bespoke activity for that specific programme manually
  2. Create activities in the activity library and add activities to a programme via the library

Bud recommends building your activities in the activity library to enable the same activity to be used across multiple programmes. Whether you create activities within the library or within the programme activity creation tool is the same. 

User Roles  

  • Programme Contributor 
  • Programme Manager 

How to: Create Manual Activities 

There are a number of steps to creating activities. Click on each to find out more

Adding and Naming Activities

  • Select “Add Activity” 
  • Select the type of activity you want. 
  • Name the activity. 
    • Note: the name you choose will be visible to all so it should be meaningful and help the Learner and Trainer know what it is. 

Activity Duration 

  • Set suggested durationsThe months that you put in the drop-down boxes will determine the order of activities within the programme.

Try to be as specific as possible with suggested durations. If you were to put all activities to start in month one and finish in the last month, there would be no clear structure or order to the qualification. 

Activity Summary 

This part of the activity explains to the learner “why” they are doing this activity.  Information that is provided for the learner to read should be clear and have no Training Provider jargon or terminology. 

Detailed Learner Instructions 

This part of the activity details “how” the learner should complete this activity.  Really think about using motivational language in this section as this is where the learner will get the detail of the activity.  This is your chance to either get the learner prepared for a visit or learn between visits. 

This is also the section to attach URL or Video links. YouTube videos can help to bring the subject alive and get the learner thinking and learning. 

To add URL links:  

  • Type in your instructions for the learner.
  • Highlight the relevant piece of text you want to make a hyperlink.
  • Select the "Insert/Edit Link" icon.
  • Copy the URL from the relevant page.
  • Paste the URL into the dialogue box.
  • The relevant text in the learner instructions will now be a hyperlink.

To add a video: 

  • Select "Add Video" icon.
  • Navigate to the specific YouTube or Vimeo video you wish to link to and copy the URL.
  • Paste the video URL in the movie clip dialogue box.
  • Select save.
  • This will generate a thumbnail of the video in the learner instructions.

Learning Materials 

You have the option of uploading learning resources to Bud for your learners to download and use.  Most popular file types are supported by Bud. The maximum size per file is 500 megabytes. 

Please note it is not currently possible to amend, add or delete learner materials to the programme after publishing on a programme level. However, materials can be added to the learner directly.  

Trainer Instructions 

This section of Bud is focused on supporting your delivery team. Spending time on this section allows new members of staff to feel supported as well as standardising delivery across your trainers. 

This section is not visible to learners, meaning you can put specific notes that are targeted for the trainer. 

Trainer Materials 

This section is specific resources you wish to attach to Bud just for the Trainer. Again, the learner will not be able to see or have access to these resources. 

The types of resources that might go into this section are schemes of work, PowerPoints for presentations or quiz/test answers to name a few. 

As with “Learning Materials” the same rules apply. Make sure the format, size and file title are correct and clear. You can then either drag and drop the files or manually choose them. 

Please note it is not currently possible to amend, add or delete trainer materials to the programme after publishing on a programme level.  

Off the Job Hours 

Finally, you can record the amount of Off The Job Hours this activity meets.  OTJT has no impact on a Non-Apprenticeship programme but this field can be used as a guide for recommended guided learning hours.  

Bud Recommends

If you would like more detailed guidance on building learning activities please visit our knowledge base here. Please note this article is aimed at developing activities within an apprenticeship programme however the functionality is the same.