The following curriculum components outline the developmental
learning elements that compose the skills set for this
competency. From these outlines, 1) employees and their
supervisors can determine learning needs and
strategies, 2) instructors can develop sessions and
lesson plans. Each component also contains a list of
useful references and developmental activities.
Objectives
At the end of this module, learners will be able to:
Develop
strategies that provide opportunities for quality
service;
Move along a "decision path" between orientation,
information, and interpretation as appropriate,
without inflicting any service on a visitor;
Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between
providing information and interpretation, and an
understanding of an intentional strategy/methodology
for introducing visitors to the intangible meanings
associated with park resources;
Demonstrate
effective meanings-based interpretation in informal
encounters.
Topics
Visitor orientation, information, and informal interpretive
services; basic communications skills; assessing basic
audience needs and deciding how/when to end contacts;
quality service; working with upset visitors; identifying
sources and resources to assist information and interpretation;
local and competing/complementary information sources;
understanding the information "continuum" and the information
network; recognizing and providing opportunities for
visitors to form intellectual and emotional connections
to resource meanings.
Audience
Individuals
with informal, spontaneous public contact responsibilities
in National Park areas including park rangers and other
NPS staff, cooperating association employees, volunteers,
concessionaires, and park partners.
Delivery
Park
and region-level seasonal or group training; servicewide
courses; university courses; Traditional and distance
learning in classrooms; computer- based training packages
and CD-ROMs.
