Instructional Design Guidelines for Adult Learning

Martin Valcke Martin.Valcke@UGent.be

http://users.ugent.be/~mvalcke/CV_2012/

Structure

•  Design principles –  Base characteristics of adults –  Base “learning”

•  Activity 1: Introduction to Law on export of cultural goods

•  Embedded support devices •  Examples that fit principles •  Activity 2: clickers and motivation •  Activity 3: Metaplan and motivation

Design principles

•  Derived from our “learning model” •  Derived from characteristics of adults

INTEGRATION

-  Communicating and presenting to others

-  Reporting -  Repeating/rehearsing -  Exercising -  Testing -  Assessing, evaluating -  Getting/giving

evaluative feedback (feedback, feedup, feed forward)

-  …

ORGANISATION

-  Share with others/discuss

-  Compare (similarities/differences)

-  Process (order, structure, hierarchy, represent)

-  Multiple perspectives -  Representing -  Summarizing -  Linking to other info -  …

SELECTION

-  Select -  Identify -  Put forward -  Emphasize -  Relisten -  Write down -  Label -  …

Design: “learning model”

Design: characteristics of adults

Knowles 1984b: •  Adults need to be involved in the planning and

evaluation of their instruction. •  Experience provides the basis for the learning

activities. •  Adults are most interested in subjects that are

relevant and impact their job or personal life. •  Adult learning is problem-centered rather than

content-oriented.

Consider adult motivation drivers

Activity 1

•  Consider the following EU-law about the export of cultural goods

•  Based on the guidelines, what would you “design” next to the text of this law.

•  Focus on “learning” and “characteristics of adults”

Embedded support devices (ESD)

•  ESD: a wide variety of add-ons, such as questions (pre- and post-), content pages, illustrations, examples, activities, tasks, tests, examples, schemes, cases, etc. that foster the learning process

10

11

structure

questions

summary

test

examples

content page tables

illustration

advance organizer

feedback

exercise

tasks

keyword

study advice

videoclip

wiki

chat

case interview

discussion

Role play simulation

12

structure questions

summary

tests examples

content page

tables

illustration

advance organizer

feedback

exercise

tasks

keyword

videoclip

wiki

chat

case

interview

discussion

Role play

simulation

Research about effective design

http://tnt.asu.edu/files/AdultLearning_rev7-04-09.pdf

http://www.puckett.org/docs/ijcelldocs.pdf

Examples that fit the guidelines

•  Clickers •  Metaplan •  Mindmapping •  Collaborative learning

Clickers •  See article Caldwell (2007)

Clickers

•  Advantage for students •  Interaction: Polling, voting, rating, opinion/attitude,

answering questions •  Assessment: prior knowledge, formative

assessment, review •  Delicate topics(less fear to answer) •  Peer learning, discussion as base for respons

•  Advantage trainer •  Control understanding •  More involvement/engagement/attention

Activity 2: Clickers

•  Clickers and motivation •  Could you link them?

Metaplan

•  Cards guarantee individual input •  Cards are base to visualise input •  Input can be structured on pinboard •  Input can be commented (priority,

agree/disagree, labeled, …). •  Take pictures of (intermediate) results

Metaplan

•  Build clusters •  Ask comments (+ or - ) •  Ask to add labels •  Take different point of view •  Reorganize pattern •  Prioritize

Activity 3: Metaplan and motivation

•  Metaplan and motivation •  Could you link them?

Collaborative learning

•  Small groups •  Peers (same level – different levels) •  Design guidelines (Johnson & Johnson, 1995)

– Clear shared goals –  Individual responsibility – Group responsibility – Mix group and collective work – Develop collaboration skills

Collaborative learning

•  Eu Law Export Cultural Goods – Real-life case to be solved – Scripts/Roles: company, border police,

museum director, … – Synchronous: role play – Asynchronous: discussion group

Collaborative learning - eLearning

•  Social software •  Hardly implemented in adult education

Next session

What has been neglected?

•  Thus far: focus mainly on adult learners

•  Less attention paid to – Trainer –  Institutional level (e.g., regulations) – Logistics – …

Conclusions

•  Design principles in literature: general – Derived from “learning” – Derived from “characteristics adults”

•  Designing adult education requires application of a “mix” of design guidelines

Instructional Design Guidelines for Adult Learning

Martin Valcke Martin.Valcke@UGent.be

http://users.ugent.be/~mvalcke/CV_2012/