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Creating Courses for Adults: Design for Learning

Creating Courses for Adults: Design for Learning

by Ralf St. Clair
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Release Date: March 2015
ISBN: 9781118747056
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Book Description

Become an effective adult educator by approaching teaching systematically

As the author describes at the beginning of Creating Courses for Adults, "The big idea of this book is that education for adults has to be designed." Whether in basic skills training, English language classes, professional development workshops, personal interest courses, or formal degree programs, good teaching tends to conceal all the planning and decisions which had to be made in order to present participants with a seamless and coherent process for learning. The author posits that nobody is a completely intuitive teacher and that everybody has to make a series of choices as they put courses together. The decisions they make are important and far-reaching, and deserve to be considered carefully.

Starting with the three core factors which must be taken into account when creating courses, Creating Courses for Adults walks readers through a manageable process for addressing the key decisions which must be made in order to design effective learning.

  • Instructor factors are what the teacher brings to the teaching and learning process, such as experience and preferences.

  • Learner factors are the influences that students bring with them, including their past experiences and expectations for the class.

  • Context factors include the educational setting, whether in-person or online, as well as the subject matter.

    • Readers of Creating Courses for Adults will learn a systematic approach to lesson and course design based on research into the ways adults learn and the best ways to reach them, along with pointers and tips for teaching adults in any setting.

    Table of Contents

    1. Cover
    2. Title Page
    3. Copyright
    4. Dedication
    5. Preface
      1. Why Design?
      2. Perspective on Learning
      3. Further Information
    6. Acknowledgments
    7. About the Author
    8. Part One: Core Factors in Teaching
      1. Chapter One: All About You
        1. Why Who You Are and What You've Done Matters
        2. Reflecting on Your Approach
        3. What Are We Doing it For?
        4. Why Identity Matters
        5. Going Further
        6. Conclusion: Pulling It Together
      2. Chapter Two: Engaged and Involved Learners
        1. How do People Learn?
        2. Engagement in Learning
        3. Learner Diversity
        4. Responding to Diversity
        5. Conclusion: Making Difference Matter
      3. Chapter Three: Context Drives Design
        1. Why Context Matters
        2. Ball Gown or Boots: Formality
        3. Wired Learning
        4. Organizational Context
        5. The Aims of the Course
        6. Time, or The Lack Thereof
        7. Somewhere to Sit: Physical Resources
        8. Conclusion
    9. Part Two: The Key Decisions
      1. Chapter Four: Knowing Where You are Going
        1. Objectives—And Some Objections
        2. The Educator
        3. The Learners
        4. The Context
        5. Conclusion
      2. Chapter Five: Content and Resources for Learning
        1. Information and Objects
        2. Resources and Materials
        3. The Educator
        4. The Learners
        5. The Context
        6. Conclusion
      3. Chapter Six: Ways of Working Together
        1. The Range of Methods
        2. The Educator
        3. The Learners
        4. The Context
        5. Conclusion
      4. Chapter Seven: What Do the Learners Say?
        1. Designing Evaluation
        2. The Educator
        3. The Learners
        4. The Context
        5. Conclusion
      5. Chapter Eight: Making Learning Visible
        1. Counting What Counts
        2. The Educator
        3. The Learners
        4. The Context
        5. Conclusion
      6. Chapter Nine: You Can Take It with You!
        1. Moving Learning Beyond the Course
        2. The Educator
        3. The Learners
        4. The Context
        5. Conclusion
      7. Chapter Ten: Design Frames Practice
        1. The Book in a Box
        2. An Example of a Program Design
        3. For New Educators of Adults
        4. Conclusion
    10. References
    11. Appendix A: A Blank Design Framework
    12. Appendix B: Where to Find Further Resources
    13. Back-of-Book Advertisements
    14. Index
    15. End User License Agreement