pinion-innovation-content/docs/user-guide.md

User Guide

Innovation Content: Educational Content Development Modes & Skills

Version: 1.1.0
Audience: Educational Content Developers, Instructional Designers, Content Producers
Date: 2026-04-24

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1. Introduction

1.1 What is Innovation Content?

Innovation Content is a specialized suite of modes and skills for Roo Code that transforms how educational content is created, reviewed, and delivered. Think of it as having six expert colleagues—each specializing in a different aspect of educational content development—working alongside you in your code editor.

1.2 Core Concepts

Modes

A mode is a specialized configuration of Roo Code tailored to a specific role. When you activate a mode, Roo Code adopts the behavior, permissions, and expertise of that role.

Mode	Role	When to Use
📝 Curriculum Designer	Educational architect	When designing curricula, learning objectives, and course structures
📖 Instructional Writer	Content author	When writing lesson content, exercises, and learner documentation
🧪 Assessment Developer	Measurement specialist	When creating quizzes, rubrics, and evaluation criteria
🎬 Content Producer	Multimedia creator	When producing video scripts, interactive content, and media assets
🎨 Learning Experience Designer	Engagement specialist	When designing learner journeys, gamification, and microlearning
♿ Accessibility Auditor	Inclusion specialist	When auditing content for WCAG compliance and accessibility

Skills

A skill is a reusable capability that modes can invoke. Skills are like specialized tools in a workshop—each one does a specific job well.

For example, the Curriculum Designer mode has these skills:

• learning-objective-validator — Checks that objectives use proper Bloom's Taxonomy verbs
• competency-mapper — Maps objectives to standards like Common Core or NGSS
• curriculum-gap-analyzer — Finds gaps in curriculum coverage

1.3 How It Works

You provide input → Mode processes it using skills → You get structured output

Each mode follows a defined workflow, applies best practices, and communicates with other modes through standardized handoffs.

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2. Getting Started

2.1 Your First Session

Step 1: Choose Your Mode

Think about what you're trying to accomplish:

• "I need to design a new course" → Curriculum Designer
• "I need to write lesson content" → Instructional Writer
• "I need to create a quiz" → Assessment Developer
• "I need to produce a video" → Content Producer
• "I need to design a learning journey" → LX Designer
• "I need to check accessibility" → Accessibility Auditor

Step 2: Activate the Mode

In Roo Code, switch to your chosen mode:

Switch to curriculum-designer mode

Step 3: Provide Your Input

Give the mode context about what you're working on:

I need to create a curriculum for a high school biology course on photosynthesis.
The target audience is 9th grade students. The course should align with NGSS standards.

Step 4: Review the Output

The mode will generate structured output. Review it and provide feedback:

The learning objectives look good, but I'd like more emphasis on the light-dependent reactions.

2.2 The Content Development Workflow

The six modes work together in a pipeline:

1. Curriculum Designer defines WHAT to teach
   ↓
2. Instructional Writer creates HOW to teach it
   ↓
3. Assessment Developer creates HOW to measure learning
   ↓
4. Content Producer creates MULTIMEDIA materials
   ↓
5. LX Designer creates ENGAGING experiences
   ↓
6. Accessibility Auditor ensures EVERYONE can access it

You can start at any point in the pipeline depending on your role.

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3. Using Modes Effectively

3.1 Curriculum Designer Mode

Best for: Course architects, curriculum coordinators, instructional designers

What it does:

• Validates learning objectives using Bloom's Taxonomy
• Maps objectives to educational standards
• Identifies gaps in curriculum coverage
• Validates prerequisite chains

How to get the best results:

1. Be specific about your audience:

   Good: "Create objectives for 10th grade chemistry students"
   Better: "Create 8 measurable objectives for 10th grade chemistry on chemical bonding, aligned to NGSS HS-PS1-2"
   

2. Provide existing standards:

   "Align this curriculum to Common Core Math standards for Algebra II, specifically A-SSE, A-APR, and F-IF clusters"
   

3. Ask for gap analysis:

   "Analyze this curriculum for gaps. Are there any NGSS performance expectations not covered?"
   

Pro tip: Start with the end in mind. Tell the Curriculum Designer what students should be able to DO after completing the course, and it will work backward to design the curriculum.

3.2 Instructional Writer Mode

Best for: Content writers, subject matter experts, teachers

What it does:

• Analyzes content readability (Flesch-Kincaid, SMOG)
• Ensures tone consistency across lessons
• Designs active learning exercises
• Evaluates explanation quality

How to get the best results:

1. Specify your audience's reading level:

   "Write this lesson for 8th grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid grade 8)"
   

2. Provide the learning objectives:

   "Write a lesson that helps students achieve this objective: 'Students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis'"
   

3. Request active learning:

   "Include 3 active learning exercises: one individual, one pair, and one group activity"
   

Pro tip: Use the Hook-Define-Example-Elaborate-Check structure for explanations. The Instructional Writer will follow this pattern automatically if you ask for "well-structured explanations."

3.3 Assessment Developer Mode

Best for: Assessment designers, test developers, evaluators

What it does:

• Validates assessment alignment to objectives
• Performs item analysis (difficulty, discrimination)
• Generates rubrics with performance descriptors
• Detects bias in assessment items

How to get the best results:

1. Provide the learning objectives:

   "Create 10 multiple-choice questions that assess this objective: 'Students will be able to solve quadratic equations'"
   

2. Specify difficulty distribution:

   "Include 3 easy, 5 medium, and 2 difficult questions"
   

3. Request bias review:

   "Review these assessment items for gender, cultural, and socioeconomic bias"
   

Pro tip: Always ask for a rubric when creating performance assessments. The rubric-generator skill creates analytic rubrics with clear performance descriptors for each level.

3.4 Content Producer Mode

Best for: Video producers, multimedia designers, e-learning developers

What it does:

• Validates storyboards against objectives
• Manages multimedia assets
• Packages content for SCORM/xAPI LMS delivery
• Creates H5P interactive content

How to get the best results:

1. Provide the storyboard or script:

   "Create a 5-minute explainer video storyboard about the water cycle for middle school students"
   

2. Specify accessibility requirements:

   "Ensure all video content includes captions and transcripts"
   

3. Request SCORM packaging:

   "Package this content as a SCORM 2004 package for Moodle LMS"
   

Pro tip: Keep videos under 6 minutes for optimal engagement. The Content Producer will automatically suggest breaking longer content into micro-videos.

3.5 Learning Experience Designer Mode

Best for: UX designers, engagement specialists, learning technologists

What it does:

• Maps learner journeys and pathways
• Analyzes engagement patterns
• Designs gamification elements
• Architects microlearning structures

How to get the best results:

1. Provide the content package:

   "Design a learner journey for this 8-module course on data science. Each module takes about 30 minutes"
   

2. Specify engagement goals:

   "Include gamification elements that motivate completion without relying on extrinsic rewards"
   

3. Request microlearning structure:

   "Break this 2-hour module into microlearning units of 5-15 minutes each"
   

Pro tip: Focus on intrinsic motivation. The gamification-designer skill prefers badges and achievement systems that recognize mastery over points and leaderboards.

3.6 Accessibility Auditor Mode

Best for: Accessibility specialists, QA testers, content reviewers

What it does:

• Audits WCAG 2.1/2.2 compliance at A, AA, AAA levels
• Simulates screen reader experience
• Analyzes color contrast ratios
• Provides remediation guidance

How to get the best results:

1. Provide the content to audit:

   "Audit this lesson page for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance"
   

2. Specify the target level:

   "Check this content against WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria"
   

3. Request remediation guidance:

   "For each issue found, provide specific remediation steps with code examples"
   

Pro tip: Run the Accessibility Auditor early and often. It's easier to fix accessibility issues during creation than after publication.

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4. Optimizing Your Workflow

4.1 Time-Saving Strategies

Strategy	Description	Time Saved
Batch similar tasks	Group all objective writing, then all lesson writing, then all assessment creation	20-30%
Use mode handoffs	Let modes pass work to each other automatically	15-25%
Leverage skills directly	Invoke specific skills when you only need one capability	10-20%
Template your inputs	Create reusable input templates for common tasks	25-35%

4.2 Input Templates

Curriculum Design Template:

Role: Curriculum Designer
Task: Create curriculum for [subject] at [level]
Audience: [target audience, age, prior knowledge]
Standards: [educational standards to align to]
Duration: [course length, session length]
Objectives: [number of objectives desired]
Output format: [curriculum document, objective list, etc.]

Lesson Writing Template:

Role: Instructional Writer
Task: Write lesson on [topic]
Audience: [target audience, reading level]
Objectives: [learning objectives this lesson addresses]
Length: [estimated word count or duration]
Activities: [types of activities to include]
Tone: [formal, conversational, etc.]

Assessment Creation Template:

Role: Assessment Developer
Task: Create assessment for [topic/objective]
Type: [multiple choice, essay, performance, etc.]
Items: [number of items]
Difficulty: [distribution: easy/medium/hard]
Rubric: [yes/no, type of rubric]
Bias review: [yes/no]

4.3 Cross-Mode Collaboration

Scenario: Creating a Complete Course

1. Start with Curriculum Designer:

   "Design a 6-module curriculum on Python programming for beginners.
   Align to CSTA standards. Each module should have 3-5 measurable objectives."
   

2. Hand off to Instructional Writer:

   "Pass this curriculum to the Instructional Writer. Write lesson content
   for Module 1: Variables and Data Types. Target reading level: grade 10."
   

3. Hand off to Assessment Developer:

   "Pass the Module 1 lesson to the Assessment Developer. Create a 15-item
   quiz with 5 easy, 7 medium, 3 difficult questions. Include a rubric for
   the coding exercise."
   

4. Hand off to Content Producer:

   "Pass the lesson and assessment to the Content Producer. Create a 5-minute
   explainer video storyboard and 2 H5P interactive activities."
   

5. Hand off to LX Designer:

   "Pass the complete Module 1 package to the LX Designer. Design the learner
   journey with a progress checkpoint and a badge for completion."
   

6. Hand off to Accessibility Auditor:

   "Pass all Module 1 content to the Accessibility Auditor. Audit for WCAG
   2.1 AA compliance and provide remediation guidance for any issues."
   

4.4 Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall	Impact	Prevention
Vague objectives	Content misalignment	Use learning-objective-validator before proceeding
Skipping accessibility	Excluded learners	Run wcag-compliance-checker at every stage
Inconsistent tone	Confusing content	Use tone-consistency-checker across all lessons
Unaligned assessments	Invalid measurement	Use assessment-validator to check alignment
Over-long videos	Learner disengagement	Keep videos under 6 minutes; use microlearning-architect
Extrinsic gamification	Short-term motivation	Use gamification-designer with intrinsic motivation focus

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5. Advanced Usage

5.1 Customizing Mode Behavior

Each mode can be customized by providing additional context in your prompts:

"As Curriculum Designer, prioritize project-based learning over direct instruction.
Design objectives that emphasize creation and evaluation levels of Bloom's Taxonomy."

"As Instructional Writer, use a Socratic questioning approach. Include reflection
prompts after each major concept."

5.2 Combining Skills

You can invoke multiple skills in sequence for comprehensive analysis:

"First, use readability-analyzer to check this lesson's reading level.
Then, use tone-consistency-checker to ensure it matches our style guide.
Finally, use explanation-quality-checker to evaluate the explanations."

5.3 Iterative Refinement

Modes support iterative refinement. After receiving output, you can ask for changes:

"The objectives are good, but make them more specific to the NGSS performance expectations.
Add two more objectives at the 'Create' level of Bloom's Taxonomy."

"The lesson is too technical. Simplify the language to grade 8 reading level
and add more concrete examples."

5.4 Quality Checks

Before finalizing any content, run these quality checks:

Check	Skill	When to Use
Objective quality	learning-objective-validator	After curriculum design
Readability	readability-analyzer	After lesson writing
Assessment alignment	assessment-validator	After assessment creation
Bias review	bias-detector	Before publishing assessments
WCAG compliance	wcag-compliance-checker	Before publishing any content
Storyboard alignment	storyboard-validator	Before video production

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6. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use multiple modes in one session?

A: Yes. You can switch between modes as needed. The modes are designed to hand off work to each other, so you can start in one mode and continue in another.

Q: How do I know which mode to use?

A: Refer to the mode table in Section 1.2. If you're unsure, start with Curriculum Designer—it's the foundation for all other work.

Q: Can I customize the skills?

A: Skills are designed to be self-contained. If you need to modify a skill's behavior, refer to the Support Team Guide for instructions on extending skills.

Q: What if the output doesn't meet my needs?

A: Provide specific feedback and ask for revisions. Modes support iterative refinement. For example: "The objectives are too broad. Make them more specific and measurable."

Q: How do I ensure consistency across a large project?

A: Use the tone-consistency-checker skill across all written content, and run the standards-compliance-checker on the full curriculum. The Accessibility Auditor can also ensure consistency across all published content.

Q: Can I use these modes for non-educational content?

A: While designed for educational content, many skills (like readability-analyzer, tone-consistency-checker, and wcag-compliance-checker) are applicable to any content creation.

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7. Quick Reference

Mode Selection Guide

If you need to...	Use this mode	Key skill
Define what students should learn	Curriculum Designer	learning-objective-validator
Write lesson content	Instructional Writer	explanation-quality-checker
Create a quiz or test	Assessment Developer	assessment-validator
Produce a video	Content Producer	storyboard-validator
Design a learning path	LX Designer	journey-mapper
Check accessibility	Accessibility Auditor	wcag-compliance-checker
Check reading level	Instructional Writer	readability-analyzer
Create a rubric	Assessment Developer	rubric-generator
Package for LMS	Content Producer	scorm-packager
Add gamification	LX Designer	gamification-designer

Bloom's Taxonomy Quick Reference

Level	Key Verbs	Example
Remember	list, define, identify, recall	"List the parts of a cell"
Understand	explain, describe, summarize	"Explain how photosynthesis works"
Apply	use, solve, demonstrate	"Use the formula to solve the problem"
Analyze	compare, contrast, differentiate	"Compare mitosis and meiosis"
Evaluate	judge, critique, justify	"Justify your answer with evidence"
Create	design, construct, produce	"Design an experiment to test..."

WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference

Principle	What it means	Key check
Perceivable	Users can perceive content	Alt text, captions, color contrast
Operable	Users can interact with content	Keyboard navigation, no time limits
Understandable	Users can understand content	Clear language, consistent navigation
Robust	Content works with assistive tech	Valid HTML, ARIA labels

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8. Further Resources

• Support Team Guide: See docs/support-team-guide.md for installation and extension instructions
• Development Plan: See docs/plan.md for the project roadmap
• Requirements Specification: See docs/srs.md for detailed requirements
• Agent Configuration: See AGENTS.md for agent behavior guidelines

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9. Glossary

Term	Definition
Bloom's Taxonomy	A framework for classifying learning objectives by cognitive level (Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create)
Mode	A specialized configuration of Roo Code for a specific role
Skill	A reusable capability that modes can invoke
WCAG	Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—international standards for web accessibility
SCORM	Sharable Content Object Reference Model—a standard for packaging e-learning content
xAPI	Experience API (Tin Can API)—a specification for tracking learning experiences
NGSS	Next Generation Science Standards—US science education standards
CSTA	Computer Science Teachers Association—computing education standards
H5P	HTML5 Package—a standard for creating interactive web content
Microlearning	Breaking content into small units (5-15 minutes) for better retention