Creating courses for adults : design for learning / Ralf St. Clair.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-198) and index.

Machine generated contents note: Preface xi Why Design? xv Perspective on Learning xix Further Information xx Acknowledgments xxi About the Author xxiii PART ONE Core Factors in Teaching ONE All About You 3 Why Who You Are and What You've Done Matters 4 Reflecting on Your Approach 7 What Are We Doing It For? 11 Why Identity Matters 16 Going Further 18 Conclusion: Pulling It Together 21 TWO Engaged and Involved Learners 23 How Do People Learn? 24 Engagement in Learning 30 Learner Diversity 36 Responding to Diversity 47 Conclusion: Making Difference Matter 52 THREE Context Drives Design 53 Why Context Matters 54 Ball Gown or Boots: Formality 56 Wired Learning 59 Organizational Context 62 The Aims of the Course 65 Time, or the Lack Thereof 67 Somewhere to Sit: Physical Resources 69 Conclusion 72 PART TWO The Key Decisions FOUR Knowing Where You Are Going 77 Objectives--And Some Objections 80 The Educator 86 The Learners 88 The Context 90 Conclusion 92 FIVE Content and Resources for Learning 95 Information and Objects 98 Resources and Materials 101 The Educator 103 The Learners 105 The Context 107 Conclusion 109 SIX Ways of Working Together 111 The Range of Methods 114 The Educator 121 The Learners 123 The Context 125 Conclusion 127 SEVEN What Do the Learners Say? 131 Designing Evaluation 134 The Educator 138 The Learners 140 The Context 142 Conclusion 145 EIGHT Making Learning Visible 147 Counting What Counts 150 The Educator 157 The Learners 159 The Context 162 Conclusion 164 NINE You Can Take It with You! 167 Moving Learning beyond the Course 170 The Educator 174 The Learners 176 The Context 178 Conclusion 180 TEN Design Frames Practice 183 The Book in a Box 183 An Example of a Program Design 186 For New Educators of Adults 187 Conclusion 191 References 193 Appendix A: A Blank Design Framework 199 Appendix B: Where to Find Further Resources 201 Index 203 .

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. --Amazon.com