Help
Welcome to the voluntary matters 3 (vm3) website and
thanks for your visit. This site is one element of the
vm3 resource (see What is voluntary matters
3?) which aims to inspire and inform everyone who
works with volunteers.
The vm3 site is easy to use. It has six subject areas:
vision, motivation, diversity, decision-making, conflict
management and risk. You can switch between subjects
using the menu options along the top of the screen.
Each subject area features information, interactive
elements and resources. Once you've gone into a subject
area, you navigate within them by using the links at
the right-hand side of the screen. (See What
are the links on the right-hand side of the screen in
each subject area?)
There is also a set of useful general links on the
left-hand side of the screen. (See What
are the links on the left-hand side of the screen for?)
To use the site you'll need to know how to use the
basic functions of your internet browser,
namely the 'back' and 'forward' functions and the print
option.
If you want to know more about the site, the Frequently
asked questions below will help. Otherwise, start
to explore the site now – you can come back to
this help section as you need it by choosing 'help'
on the left-hand menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs are grouped into sections. Use the menu below
to navigate through them or browse the page using the
scroll bar. If your question isn't answered please let
us know.
About the vm3 website
What is voluntary matters
3?
- voluntary matters 3 (vm3) is a resource to inform
and inspire everyone who works with volunteer
- There are 6 x 15 minute BBC TV programmes, this
website and a print booklet
- The vm3 programmes are also available on video
- vm3 covers six subjects: vision, motivation, diversity,
decision-making, conflict management and risk
- vm3 has been developed in consultation with key
organisations that work with volunteers
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How is vm3 different from
other resources about managing volunteers?
- vm3 complements existing resources
- It's based on current practice
rather than theory
- It involves learning from the experience
of others, rather than identifying 'correct'
approaches
- vm3 encourages you to consider how to deal
with common challenges in different ways
- It highlights interpersonal skills
rather than organisational procedure
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What is the purpose of the
website?
The website is a stand-alone resource that covers the
issues introduced in the vm3 series in more
depth.
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Who is the site for?
The site will be useful for everyone who works with
volunteers (including volunteers!) and everyone who
is interested in doing so, whatever their experience
or background.
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How does the site's design
make it accessible and user friendly?
The site has been designed to make the content easy
to use and accessible to all. Good practice in usability
design has been applied to make the site easy to navigate.
Most of the content is compliant with the Bobby priority
2 standards (see www.cast.org/bobby/)
and meets the HTML 4.01 W3C standards (see www.w3.org/TR/html401/).
Where content doesn't meet the standards (in the quizzes
and the videos in the scenarios) alternative transcript
pages are provided. If you have any comments about accessibility
or usability please let us know via the feedback form
or contact
us.
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What are the links on the
left-hand side of the screen for?
- home – takes you to the vm3
home page
- about the media trust – tells
you a little about the Media Trust, producers of vm3
- television programmes – gives
information about of broadcast times of the voluntary
matters 3 BBC TV series
- order video – tells you how
to obtain a copy of the vm3 television programmes
on video
- feedback – offers you the
opportunity to let us know what you think of the site
and gives you the chance to win a video of the vm3
television series
- sitemap – gives links to all
the sections of the website. Use this when you want
to find a specific section or page on the site
- contact – gives contact information
for the Media Trust
- funders and partners – gives
details of vm3 funders and Media Trust partners
- help – links to this page
with FAQs about using the vm3 website
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Do I have to see the vm3
programmes to understand the website?
No, the site is a stand-alone resource. You can learn
a lot from the site without seeing the programmes. Each
section has a summary of the programme and includes
a case study of organisation that features in the programme.
However, each section includes more in-depth
information and new opportunities to learn.
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How do I know where I am
in the site?
Each section is colour-coded differently to avoid confusion
between the sections. You can also refer to the grey
bar at the top of the screen to check where you are
in the site. Also when you are in a subject area there
is a menu bar on the right which will highlight the
part of the section you're currently in.
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How can I give feedback?
First select 'feedback' option on
the left-hand menu. You can then give feedback in two
ways.
- By clicking on the email link in
the introduction and sending us a message. Use this
for letting us know if there are problems with missing
information or broken links
- By filling in the feedback form
(which takes about 5 minutes) to give your opinions
and ratings of the site overall. We'd really like
to know what you think!
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The six subject areas
How long does it take to
do each section?
This is up to you. There are some elements that just
involve reading (programme summary,
case studies, checklist, and vm3 guides) whilst the
scenarios and quizzes are interactive.
For instance, you'll get more from the scenario the
longer you spend exploring different options and outcomes.
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What are the links on the
right-hand side of the screen in each subject area?
- introduction – lists the different
sections in the subject
- programme summary – summarises
the relevant programme from the BBC TV series voluntary
matters 3
- case studies – introduces
the three different case studies in each subject.
You can also select the individual case studies directly
by selecting the name of the organisation in the left-hand
menu.
- scenario – takes you to the
start of the interactive story (see What
is the scenario?)
- activities – gives suggestions
of how to explore the issues further in a group or
training setting (see What do
I do with the activities?)
- quiz – in motivation, diversity
and risk subject areas only, takes you to the introduction
to the quiz (see What is the quiz for?)
- checklist – summarises the
key information in each section
- discussion – is for you to
share your experiences and opinions, ask other site
users for help, and tell us what you think (see What
is the discussion for?)
- resources – lists useful weblinks
and publications (see How do I use the
resources?)
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Do I have to work through
the subjects areas and elements in each subject in order?
No, you are free to navigate the site and subject areas
as you please. However, the order of the elements within
each subject area has a coherence and each element has
useful suggestions for what to do next. You don't, however,
have to follow this order to be able to understand the
issues.
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Why do the colours of the
links change when I've selected them?
This means that you are able to see which options you
have already visited.
On some Internet browsers, the next time you visit
the site, the links that you chose on the previous visit
will still be a different colour. The only way to change
this is through the 'history' option in your
browser (usually found in 'preferences'), which
may give you the option to reset the colour or clear
past links. Each browser is different so please
use the 'help' function on your browser to check what
to do.
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How can I print pages from
the site?
It's easy to print pages. When a page is printable
there is a 'print page' icon on the
left of the screen. When you select this you will be
taken to an unformatted page, and you then select the
print option in your browser.
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The scenario
What is the scenario?
Each subject area includes a scenario
– this is the most unique feature
of the vm3 site. Each scenario is a story that you take
part in. There is an initial introduction, and once
you start the scenario you're presented with a challenging
situation and three options of how to react. You can
also play a short video clip in which the character/s
in the scenario will present the challenge (see What
is the video clip for?). Or you can select to read
a transcript of the video.
To follow the scenario you chose one of the three initial
options, which opens up a number of other options, and
so on, until you reach an outcome.
When you reach an outcome, go back and choose
other options to see the effect of your different
choices.
The key point to remember when doing the scenario is
to experiment and enjoy. The scenario
gives you the opportunity to try out different
ways of dealing with challenges, without having
to test them out in real life! While some approaches
may turn out to be better than others, there's rarely
one correct answer. The purpose is to see the impact
that your actions would have. The idea is to be honest
with yourself, try different ways of reacting to things
and have fun!
The scenario gives you the freedom to explore
lots of different options, so once you've got
to one outcome, you can go back and try another. Try
going back two or three steps, or go back to the beginning
and start again – either way, you'll get to explore
other options, and get a lot more out of the scenario.
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Why do the colours of the
scenario option links change when I've selected them?
The colours of the option links in
the scenario will change after you have selected them.
This means you will be able to see which options you
have already chosen.
On some Internet browsers, the next time you visit
the scenario, the links that you chose on the previous
visit will still be a different colour. The only way
to change this is through the 'history' option
in your browser (usually found in 'preferences'),
which may give you the option to reset the colour or
clear past links. Each browser is different so please
use the 'help' function on your browser to check what
to do.
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What is the video clip for?
The short video clip at the start of each scenario
sets the scene for the scenario. In
the video a character from the scenario introduces the
challenge. You can also select to view a transcript
of the video. However, it's not essential to see the
video in order to understand the scenario.
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How do I download the software
to watch video?
To watch the video you must have RealPlayer installed
on your computer. RealPlayer is the free software
that enables you to view videos broadcast over the Internet
in the Real Video format. RealPlayer is not part of
the Windows or Mac operating systems and is usually
not included with popular Internet browsing software.
To download the software, you'll need to have some
information at hand including your email address,
the operating system of your computer,
and the type of Internet connection
you have.
A free version of the software can be downloaded from
www.real.com.
Make sure that you download the 'Free RealPlayer' and not the 'Free Trial'.
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How do I play the video?
When you have RealPlayer downloaded (see How
do I download the software to watch the video?)
on your computer you will be able to play the video
using the control buttons underneath the video 'window'
on the screen. Once you choose play, the appropriate
video will play. It may take a few seconds to download.
All the video clips are less than a minute so you won't
have to wait too long.
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I can't play the video, what
should I do?
The most likely reason why the video won't play is
if you haven't got the RealPlayer software on your computer
so you will need to download it. See How
do I download the software to watch the video?
If you are having problems playing the video you can
view a video transcript by selecting the 'transcript'
link in the introduction to the scenario.
Sometimes the video may take a minute or so to load
but if it seems to be taking an overly long time or
appears to be stuck try stopping the video and pressing
play again, or refresh the page (using the refresh button
in your browser) and try playing the video again.
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I can't hear the video, what
should I do?
Make sure you have the volume on your computer's speakers
turned up and that the 'mute' option isn't selected.
If your speakers are set up properly and you're still
having problems then try stopping the video and pressing
play again, or refresh the page (using the refresh button
in your browser) and try playing the video again.
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I've reached an outcome at
the end of the scenario – what do I do now?
The scenario gives you the freedom to explore lots
of different options, so once you've got to one outcome,
you can go back and try another. Try going back two
or three steps, or go back to the beginning and start
again – either way, you'll get to explore other
options, and get a lot more out of the scenario.
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If I follow links that take
me out of the scenario how do I get back?
In the scenario, you are sometimes given the option
of accessing a more detailed document for additional
information. This will take you to a vm3 guide, for
example 'How to do a risk assessment'. Once you have
looked at the document or printed it out, you can go
back into the scenario by selecting the 'back
to scenario' option on the page or the back
button on your browser. You can also access
the vm3 guides from the resources list, if you prefer.
If you choose to go the resources section from the
scenario, you can go back to the scenario by selecting
the back button on your browser. If you go into resources
and then onto other weblinks from there, you will have
to select the back button a few times in order to get
back to the scenario.
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I was sure that I had the
right answer, but when I got to the outcome I was told
to go and try some other options. Why?
There are no right answers, although some approaches
may be better than others. When you get an outcome,
it's a good idea to go and try some other options, to
see the impact of your different decisions – that
way you'll get the most out of the scenario.
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I clicked on one option,
but then changed my mind. How do I get back to where
I was?
Use the 'back a step' option at the
bottom right of the page to return to the previous page.
Or you can use your browser's 'back' option. Remember
that you can try different options by going back a few
steps or selecting 'begin again' at
the bottom right of the page, which will take you back
to the beginning of the scenario.
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I can't remember what the
original scenario was – what do I do?
Use the 'begin again' key at the bottom
right of the page to go back to the beginning of the
scenario.
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The quiz
What is the quiz for?
The motivation, diversity and risk sections include
a short quiz of five questions. These are a fun
way to test your knowledge and include information
not found elsewhere in the section.
Before the motivation and risk quizzes you're invited
to think about your own attitude to the subject, and
four options are presented. This is not part of the
quiz, just something to get you thinking.
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What happens when I select
an answer?
You select your answer to each question by selecting
the box next to the option that you want. The answer
and explanation appears when you select the box. Some
of the other answers include more information, so explore
the other options once you have made your first selection
to see if you can learn anything more.
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How do I know my score in
the quiz?
There is only one correct answer for each question.
You must keep a note of your correct answers as you
go through the five questions. Only you will know how
many you got right first time, so be honest!
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I'm having problems using
the quiz, what should I do?
There is a link to the quiz transcript in the quiz
introduction. The transcript has minimal formatting,
lists all the questions and answers in the quiz, and
you can also print it out.
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Activities
What do I do with the activities?
The activities allow you to explore the issues raised
in voluntary matters 3 in group or training sessions.
Select the option to print the activities page and then
in a group or training setting follow through some of
the discussions or exercises. You don't have to follow
them all in one session, and you should choose the ones
that are of most interest to you. Give us some feedback
in the discussion about how you got on.
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Discussion
What is the discussion for?
The discussion is for you to share your experiences,
and opinions on the subjects in general and to make
any comments on the material included in the subject
areas. Use it as an opportunity to communicate with
other site users – someone might have some useful
advice for you, or you could help someone else.
discussion
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How do I join the discussion?
To participate in the discussion you need to enter
some basic information into the user profile.
The minimum is your first and last name and your email
address, a login name and password which you make up
yourself (and must be eight characters or more).
You can also enter information about your location
and your organisation's website to give other users
the chance to find out more about your organisation.
You can choose to store your login name and password
on your computer, so you don't have to enter it each
time you access the discussion.
discussion
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What is the user profile for?
The purpose of user profile is to
ensure the security and proper use of the site. It means
that the source of messages can be identified. It also
allows you to post messages without having to enter
information about yourself each time.
The creation of a user profile is common practice for
many discussion forums. However, you can view discussions
as a guest without creating a user
profile, but you won't be able to join in.
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What if I need more help about
using the discussion?
The discussion section has its own help
section with very comprehensive information about its
use. You access this option from the green menu bar,
near the top of the page.
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How do I get back to the rest
of the website from the discussion?
On the top menu bar, there are options to return to
the voluntary matters 3 home page and each of the subject
areas.
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Resources
How do I use the resources?
This lists interesting web links and publications.
You may want to refer to these when you need more in-depth
information, particularly about organisational procedures
and legal issues. If you follow the links and want to
get back to the vm3 site you'll need to use the back
button on your browser to get back.
We have also suggested some non-voluntary sector publications
that cover the subject in interesting ways.
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What are the vm3 guides?
Some subjects have additional material in the form
of short vm3 guides that you can link
to from the scenario or can access through the resources
page. You can print these off and use as reference material.
resources
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