The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) required the development of a training package and educational resource to help external auditors understand the Australian Litter Measure (AusLM) methodology and know to apply it when conducting litter audits in Queensland.
AusLM is a new litter measuring and monitoring program to help gain a better understanding of community behaviours and emerging litter trends. Developed by Australian state and territory jurisdictions, the methodology aims to achieve a transparent, consistent and simple approach to measuring litter in the environment. The AusLM in Queensland Training Package is targeted to contractors undertaking litter audits on behalf of DESI and volunteer community members undertaking litter audits as part of a community group initiative.
Articulous worked with subject matter experts from the department and was guided by the AusLM guidelines to develop the self-paced training content, including a learner guide, six instructional animations and a dedicated SharePoint website to host the training content with downloadable infield resources.
One of the challenges our client faced was needing auditors to complete various information forms in the field, while working in remote parts of the state where internet access may be unavailable. Articulous was able to provide a solution that consolidated multiple paper-based forms into one single digital form. This solution enabled DESI to capture the litter audit data in real time, including in an offline mode when working in regional or remote locations.
Another challenge was to develop instructional resources that thoroughly explained the technical information around audit sites and how to set them up, as well as guidelines on the type of litter to count and how to categorise it.
Articulous prepared six animated videos that helped to ensure the learner comprehended various concepts as they work though the self-paced materials. Articulous used a variety of characters throughout the animations to represent auditors and created scenes that showed how to conduct the audit correctly.
The SharePoint site was set up to take the learner on a journey through the chapters using easy to navigate website design principles. A learning activity was also included at the end of each chapter to help the learner understand and apply the content. This AusLM Training Package will be used by the department to officially roll out the AusLM litter audits in Queensland.
