Overview

Each Academy course is created by a team of content experts, reviewed by subject matter experts, and supported by a production team that brings the content to life.

Roles

Content Champion

The Content Champion is the Ed-Fi Alliance customer for a course. Every course developed for the Academy must have at least one Ed-Fi staff member who understands how the course will fulfill a need from the Ed-Fi Community. The Content Champion fills that role. They are typically someone who has identified the course material as a priority, can use the course in their work, and will encourage Ed-Fi Community members with whom they work to take the course. 

This person is often, but not always, the Content Lead or the Ed-Fi Academy Lead.

Content Lead

The Content Lead guides the substance of the course and acts as a champion for the material. This person (and it's exactly one person for a given course) is responsible for the content and empowered to direct its final form. Typical activities include:

• Setting the course outline and structure
• Ensuring the course covers its learning objectives in a manner suitable for its intended audience
• Participating in all content meetings
• Reviewing and guiding content at every step, from outline through final acceptance
• Acting as the final decisionmaker on matters of substance

While Content Leads are responsible for the final product, they don't typically do all the work. They're supported by colleagues, peers, and a production team.

Content Team Members

Most courses have one or more Content Team members assigned. The Content Team takes an active role in the work, typically:

• Helping to author the course outline, define the substance
• Reviewing scripts, drafts
• Participating in all content meetings
• Sourcing relevant material, examples, links

Content Team members are typically selected for their knowledge and field experience.

SMEs

Most courses have one or more SMEs attached. The SME is role on the project is an expert reviewer, advising the team on matters of substance and technical correctness.

Some Content Team members may have an SME level of experience — the primary differentiation is that the Content Team members are active and frequently engaged on every steps of the content creation, while the SME role is primarily as a reviewer at key points.

Reviewers

Most courses have one or more reviewers. These are people who are not active creators of the content, and not necessarily subject experts, but who have some perspective. This is also the assigned role for anyone who needs to approve the content – but isn't in any other role.

Senior Editor

The senior editor works with the content lead, content team, SMEs, and reviewers at multiple points in the course development process, including:

• Creating a detailed course outline based on input from the content lead and team
• Soliciting and consolidating feedback from reviewers
• Revising course content to address reviewer feedback
• Adding details about course content and navigation to support the web development team

The senior editor is not necessarily subject expert, but typically has enough familiarity with the material to be able to engage in conversations with reviewers about course content.

Copy Editor

The copy editor is not an active creator of the content, and not necessarily subject expert, but who reviews the final scripts for proper grammar and spelling and ensures that all relevant vocabulary is used according to subject matter guidelines.

Production Team

The production team shepherds the production process, arranges meetings, does non-substantive editing, and similar.