White Paper on How First Time Instructors can Implement Effective Instructional

Strategies and Lesson Planning Techniques that Cater to the Adult Learner


Introduction

Although well versed in their career fields, new faculty members typically have little to
no teaching experience or relative information on how to formulate a lesson plan with an
emphasis on adult learners. There are many challenges that come with teaching adult
students. These challenges can be difficult to overcome for a brand new instructor.

I believe that it is imperative for the new instructor to understand the student in order to
determine the proper methodology of instruction. I also believe new instructors should
have the fundamentals of lesson planning in order to understand how to incorporate
various instructional strategies into the curriculum. New instructors should understand
practical ways to implement diverse instructional strategies and lesson plans in
accordance to what they are teaching, and whom they are teaching it to.

This paper will address the following topics: understanding the adult learner and lesson
planning and instructional strategies for the adult learner. The recommendations in this
white paper reflect information gained from scholarly research, and various academic
resources on the aforementioned topics. By combining research and practice in this way
my objective is to provide practical recommendations for the new faculty member that
does not have classroom teaching experience.

Understanding the Adult Learner

In order to be able to teach effectively it is imperative that the instructor understands the
student that is involved. This understanding will allow educators to provide specific tools
that may increase the adult learners chance for success.

Adult learners can be defined based on age, cognitive maturity or as a non-traditional
learner. There are elements that separate the adult learner from that of a traditional
student in higher education. In general, adult learners can be categorized as the student
with a high school diploma or GED, over the age of 24, and have one semester or less of
college-level coursework. Other factors that may characterize the adult learner include
financial independence, full-time employment, dependents and part-time enrollment.
However, possession of these characteristics unfortunately places the adult learner at
significant risk for not completing their degree.

A typical adult learner could be a 35 year old female with a full time job and three
children who struggles with having adequate child care and/or transportation in order to
attend classes. It could also be a 50 year old man who was laid off from the
manufacturing company that he has worked at for the last 20 years. In any regards, these
students may need skills that require more than just kinesthetic knowledge in order to
attain gainful employment. In order to compete in a tough labor market, they must show
that they are capable of attaining a degree to accompany the various skills that theyve
gained over the years.


There are a number of challenges that accompany students of this genre. Many have not
been to school in a number of years and may initially lack the cognitive skills required to
be successful in an academic environment.

Andragogy and the Adult Learner

In the 1970s Malcolm Knowles introduced the term andragogy which focuses on the
needs and features of the adult learner population. (Knowles, 1974) He also presented six
assumptions concerning the needs of adult learners. (Knowles, Swanson, & Holton,
2005)

The need to know. Adults want to know why they need to learn something before
undertaking learning. It is the instructors job to clarify this and the value of the
learning.
The Learners Self-Concept. Adults believe they are responsible for their lives
and need to be seen and treated as capable and self-directed. Instructors must
create environments where adult learners develop these skills.
The Role of the Learners Experiences. Adult learners possess different levels of
experience. Instructors can tap into these experiences by incorporating diverse
methods of instruction. (Ex. Discussions, simulations, problem-solving activities,
case studies)
Readiness to Learn. Adults become ready to learn things that they need to know
and do in the present in order to effectively cope with realistic situations.
Orientation to Learning. Adults are life-centered in their orientation to learning
and want to know what will help them perform tasks and problems they deal with
on a daily basis.
Motivation. Adults are responsive to some external motivators such as better jobs
and higher salaries, but mostly rely on internal factors such as increased job
satisfaction and self-esteem as primary motivators.

Although Knowles established these assumptions many years ago, I find it remarkable how
relevant it still is to todays adult learners. Each assumption adequately defines the
characteristics of many adult learners that I presently encounter in the classroom. The needs of
adult learners can vary tremendously from one student to the next; as adults learn they move
from a dependent state to a more self-directed one. In order to effectively manage the adult
learner in the classroom, instructors should keep these learning styles in mind when creating
curriculum. Curriculum should correlate with the adult learners interests and experiences.

Community colleges have catered to the special needs of adult learners by providing the access,
affordability and convenience adults require. They have increasingly become the point of entry
to a college degree or certification. Nonetheless, many community colleges still struggle to fully
meet the expectations and necessities of the majority of adult learners, given their distinctive
needs. They continuously take strides to overcome the dilemmas that face many adult learners.
Below is a list of some of the programs and policies that have been developed to assist the adult
learner in achieving success in the community college environment. (CAEL, 2006)


Adult Learner and Technology

Society as well as education is becoming increasingly dependent on various forms of
technology for daily use. As technology continues to advance so does the rate in which
students must advance with it. This can be problematic for the adult learner that has been
out of the classroom for X amount of years, or has worked in an environment that uses
minimum technology. For example, the construction worker that decides he wants to
pursue a degree in business and finds himself struggling to put together a Power Point
presentation may have a problem adjusting to the typical technology filled classroom
environment.

Needless to say, the increasing amount of online classes being offered, can pose an even
greater obstacle for some adult learners. Despite the benefits of flexibility and variety,
online classes require some level of technical knowledge and access to digital devices, for
the student to be successful. Technology has fortunately become cheaper and more
accessible in recent years. Adult learners are able to access their schools or their local
libraries internet and digital resources free of charge. This amounts to a huge advantage
for the adult learner that may not possess such amenities at home. Todays adult learner
must be able to acquire and assimilate new information if they want to remain
competitive in career and job changes. Instructors are increasingly providing visual aids
to assist in navigation of online classes for adult learners that may be challenged.

Anxiety has been known to be a major impediment to the use of technology for some
adult learners. Research has shown that computer anxiety can be reduced through formal
computer instruction of up to 30 hours or more. Providing this amount of instruction is
not practical, but educational institutions usually provide some form of basic computer
skills training to its adult learners through additional resources. Other options include
instructors encouraging adult learners to pursue additional help in campus computer labs,
set up simple written or electronic tutorials and/or pair adult learners with students that
are more technologically proficient.

Life and
Career
Planning
Financial Technology
Strategic
Principles
Student
Support
Systems
Lesson Planning for the Adult Learner

In order to be truly successful, it is imperative that new instructors learn about
approaches that can assist them in preparing an effective lesson. A lesson plan is the
instructors road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively
during the class period. Before you plan your lesson, you will first need to identify the
learning objectives for the class meeting. Then, you can design appropriate learning
activities and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning. A successful
lesson plan addresses and integrates these three key components:

Objectives for student learning
Teaching/learning activities
Strategies to check student understanding

Specifying concrete objectives for student learning will help you determine the kinds of
teaching and learning activities you will use in class, while those activities will define
how you will check whether the learning objectives have been accomplished.

Steps for Preparing a Lesson Plan

Below are six steps to guide you when you create your first lesson plans. Each step is
accompanied by a set of questions meant to prompt reflection and aid you in designing
your teaching and learning activities. (Fink, 2005)

(1) Outline Learning Objectives

The first step is to determine what you want students to learn and be able to do at the end
of class. To help you specify your objectives for student learning, answer the following
questions:

What is the topic of the lesson?
What do I want students to learn?
What do I want them to understand and be able to do at the end of class?
What do I want them to take away from this particular lesson?

A great way to outline the required class objectives is by using the class syllabus as a
guideline. The CCCP (Core Course Performance Objectives and the MPOs (Measurable
Performance Objectives) located on Delaware Techs syllabi detail the specific objectives
that are required for the student mastery. Instructors can use this information along with a
working knowledge of learning objectives, lesson components, and instructional design
to create a series of optimized learning experiences for each class session. (Planning a
successful Lesson Plan)

Once you outline the learning objectives for the class meeting, rank them in terms of their
importance. This step will prepare you for managing class time and accomplishing the
more important learning objectives in case you are pressed for time. Consider the
following questions:

What are the most important concepts, ideas, or skills I want students to be able to
grasp and apply?
Why are they important?
If I ran out of time, which ones could not be omitted?
And conversely, which ones could I skip if pressed for time?

(2) Develop the Introduction

Now that you have your learning objectives in order of their importance, design the
specific activities you will use to get students to understand and apply what they have
learned. Because you will have a diverse body of students with different academic and
personal experiences, they may already be familiar with the topic. That is why you might
start with a question or activity to gauge students knowledge of the subject or possibly,
their preconceived notions about it. For example, you can take a simple poll: How many
of you have heard of X? Raise your hand if you have. You can also gather background
information from your students prior to class by sending students an electronic survey or
asking them to write comments on index cards. This additional information can help
shape your introduction, learning activities, etc. When you have an idea of the students
familiarity with the topic, you will also have a sense of what to focus on.
Develop a creative introduction to the topic to stimulate interest and encourage thinking.

Instructors can create a functional and diverse lesson plan for various learning styles by
using a variety of approaches to engage students (Edutopia, 2014):

Personal anecdote, historical event, thought-provoking dilemma, real-world
example, short video clip, practical application, probing question, etc.
Use of open-ended questions to stimulate thinking
Use of outside examples to tie in concepts for each activity
Use of positive feedback

Consider the following questions when planning your introduction:

How will I check whether students know anything about the topic or have any
preconceived notions about it?
What are some commonly held ideas (or possibly misconceptions) about this
topic that students might be familiar with or might espouse?
What will I do to introduce the topic?

(3) Plan the Specific Learning Activities (the main body of the lesson)

Prepare several different ways of explaining the material (real-life examples,
analogies, visuals, etc.) to catch the attention of more students and appeal to
different learning styles. As you plan your examples and activities, estimate how
much time you will spend on each. Build in time for extended explanation or
discussion, but also be prepared to move on quickly to different applications or
problems, and to identify strategies that check for understanding. These questions
would help you design the learning activities you will use:
What will I do to explain the topic?
What will I do to illustrate the topic in a different way?
How can I engage students in the topic?
What are some relevant real-life examples, analogies, or situations that can help
students understand the topic?
What will students need to do to help them understand the topic better?

(4) Plan to Check for Understanding

Now that you have explained the topic and illustrated it with different examples, you
need to check for student understanding how will you know that students are learning?
Think about specific questions you can ask students in order to check for understanding,
write them down, and then paraphrase them so that you are prepared to ask the questions
in different ways. Try to predict the answers your questions will generate. Decide on
whether you want students to respond orally or in writing.

What questions will I ask students to check for understanding?
What will I have students do to demonstrate that they are following?
Going back to my list of learning objectives, what activity can I have students do
to check whether each of those has been accomplished?

An important strategy that will also help you with time management is to anticipate
students questions. When planning your lesson, decide what kinds of questions will be
productive for discussion and what questions might sidetrack the class. Think about and
decide on the balance between covering content (accomplishing your learning objectives)
and ensuring that students understand.

(5) Develop a Conclusion and a Preview

Go over the material covered in class by summarizing the main points of the lesson. You
can do this in a number of ways: you can state the main points yourself (Today we
talked about), you can ask a student to help you summarize them, or you can even ask
all students to write down on a piece of paper what they think were the main points of the
lesson. You can review the students answers to gauge their understanding of the topic
and then explain anything unclear the following class. Conclude the lesson not only by
summarizing the main points, but also by previewing the next lesson. How does the topic
relate to the one thats coming? This preview will spur students interest and help them
connect the different ideas within a larger context.

(6) Create a Realistic Timeline

GSIs know how easy it is to run out of time and not cover all of the many points they had
planned to cover. A list of ten learning objectives is not realistic, so narrow down your
list to the two or three key concepts, ideas, or skills you want students to learn.
Instructors also agree that they often need to adjust their lesson plan during class
depending on what the students need. Your list of prioritized learning objectives will help
you make decisions on the spot and adjust your lesson plan as needed. Having additional
examples or alternative activities will also allow you to be flexible. A realistic timeline
will reflect your flexibility and readiness to adapt to the specific classroom environment.
Here are some strategies for creating a realistic timeline:

Estimate how much time each of the activities will take, then plan some extra
time for each
When you prepare your lesson plan, next to each activity indicate how much time
you expect it will take
Plan a few minutes at the end of class to answer any remaining questions and to
sum up key points
Plan an extra activity or discussion question in case you have time left
Be flexible be ready to adjust your lesson plan to students needs and focus on
what seems to be more productive rather than sticking to your original plan

Presenting the Lesson Plan

Letting your students know what they will be learning and doing in class will help keep
them more engaged and on track. You can share your lesson plan by writing a brief
agenda on the board or telling students explicitly what they will be learning and doing in
class. You can provide an outline or a handout of the learning objectives for the class.
Providing a meaningful organization of the class time can help students not only
remember better, but also follow your presentation and understand the rationale behind
in-class activities. Having a clearly visible agenda (e.g., on the board) will also help you
and students stay on track.

Lesson plans can take on many formats; they can simply be written on a notebook or
created with technology. Programs such as Microsoft Excel and Word can be used to
create an electronic template. This template can then be used multiple times for daily or
weekly planning. Some instructors prepare lesson plans for a day or project them for an
entire semester. It is really up to the instructor to figure out the best format that works for
their teaching.

To be effective, the lesson plan does not have to be a comprehensive document that
describes each and every possible classroom scenario. Nor does it have to anticipate each
and every students response or question. Instead, it should provide you with a general
outline of your teaching goals, learning objectives, and means to accomplish them. It is a
reminder of what you want to do and how you want to do it. A productive lesson is not
one in which everything goes exactly as planned, but one in which both students and
instructor learn from each other.




Assessment for the Adult Learner

In order to properly engage the adult learner instructors must tailor assessment to the
goals of the program and the students within that program. An important goal in adult
education is that the student is able to transfer the knowledge obtained in class to the real
world. Performance based assessment is a great way to concretely measure this
knowledge. Performance based assessment allow students to showcase their skills and
knowledge acquired in the classroom through a variety of projects. These include but are
not limited to:

Newsletters
Science experiments
Journals
Research projects
Portfolios, etc.

These assessments not only assess the adult learners ability to know the subject, but also give
them the opportunity to show their higher order thinking skills and their individual talents.
There are many types of performance-based assessments. Each assessment brings with it
different strengths and deficiencies relative to credible and dependable information. It is virtually
impossible for a single assessment tool to effectively assess all aspects of student performance;
therefore, the use of variety can prove beneficial when working with adult learners. (Naomi
Aguliar)

The goal for assessment is to accurately determine whether students have learned the materials or
information taught and reveal whether they have complete mastery of the content with no
misunderstandings. Just as researchers use multiple data sources to determine the truthfulness of
the results, teachers can use multiple types of assessment to evaluate the level of student
learning. (Morrow, Measurement)

Classroom Management

Classroom management is the process of ensuring the class is running smoothly despite any
disruptions by students. When it comes to adult learner, instructors may find that they have to
teach students that are much more mature and experienced than the traditional student. If this is
the case it is important to understand classroom management techniques that will have a positive
effect on the adult learner.

1. Develop and establish well-defined classroom rules in the beginning and stick with
them. Be clear on what will and will not be tolerated during class.
2. Foster a positive and encouraging environment.
3. If a situation occurs take action and immediately address it. You can take a soft approach
and address it during class or privately address the situation with the student after class.
If the student has a question or concern, take the time to address it wholeheartedly. Once
addressed, asked the student if your explanation was sufficient or if they need further
clarification.
4. Treat the students like the adults that they are. Allow them to share experiences and feel
empowered. Encourage feedback from experiences. The students and the instructor can
learn from this.
5. Consider and acknowledge the technology gap. Assess each students level of
technology proficiency and be willing to take more time in explanation if necessary.


Active Learning

Active learning consists of students engaging in activities that involve more than just
passively listening to an instructors lectures. Active learning techniques can be used to
supplement, rather than replace traditional lectures. It provides opportunities for students
to meaningfully talk and listen, write, read, and reflect on the content, ideas, issues, and
concerns of a particular subject matter. Active learning can prove advantageous to the
adult learner because of the self-direction and constant feedback involved. Adult
learners tend to be more responsible and like to demonstrate self-direction. They are
willing and able to share experiences that make for more animated discussions when it
comes to active learning involvement.

Chart
Steps in planning an active learning lesson:

1. Set expectations. Let the students know exactly what will happen.
2. Establish objectives. Allow the students to know what they will learn.
3. Plan activities. Plan activities that will involve the students in learning;
this will require the students to actually be involved in doing.
4. Determine assessment. Establish a way to determine that they have
actually learned from doing.

Self-directed Learning

Self-directed learning involves any form of study in which students have primary responsibility
for planning, implementing, and evaluating the effort. They are able to select, manage, and
assess their own learning activities. This can prove very beneficial for adult learners because
they prefer to be deemed as self-directed in the first place and have the propensity to be more
motivated, persistent, independent, self-disciplined, and self-confident and goal oriented. This
type of learning requires critical thinking as well as improved understanding and decision
making. (mountainrise, 2012)



What are some instructional methodologies and strategies that are paramount in
motivating the adult learner?
Which forms of educational technology work best for the adult learner?
What are the best ways to implement the use of technology to a technologically
inexperienced adult learner?
What role do online classes play in the success of the adult learner?
How have LMS developers catered to the needs of the adult learner?
What strategies can an instructor incorporate in an online class to benefit the adult
learner?



Knowles, M.S (1974). Human Resources development in OD. Public Administration Review, 34(2), 115-
123
Knowles, M.S., Swanson, R.A., & Holton, E. F. III (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult
education and human resource development (6
th
ed.). California: Elsevier Science and Technology
Books.
The Assessment Toolkit was developed by CAEL in 2003 and is based on CAELs Principles of
Effectiveness for Serving Adult Learners. Cael.org
Fink, D. L. (2005). Integrated course design. Manhattan, KS: The IDEA Center. Retrieved from
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_42.pdf
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p2_5 Strategies for effective lesson planning Stiliana Milkova
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

Training for Success. A Faculty Training and Development Focalite
Edutopia What Works in Education 2014 The George Lucas Educational Foundation Edutopia.Org
Noemi Aguilar Texas Workforce Commission Adult Education and Literacy 1995-2014 Texas Center for
the Advancement of Literacy and Learning

This is an excerpt from Measurement and Evaluation in Human Performance, Fourth Edition with Web
Study Guide, by James R. Morrow, Jr., Allen W. Jackson, James G. Disch, and Dale P. Mood.
MountainRise, the International Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning v. 7 n. 3