Toolkit
As an adult education practitioner, it is important to have a set of tools at your disposal to help you prepare for a learning event, carry out the learning event, and investigate the results. This page refers to my personal Toolkit that I use in my practice. It is organized by phases: Design, Deliver, and Analyze..
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What is an Instructional Design model?
An Instructional Design (ID) model “…provide[s] guidelines and procedures that can be applied to a wide variety of specific situations" (Brown & Green, 2020, p. 9).
Why is it important?
It is important to approach an educational event systematically, whether it is a one-day workshop, a semester course, or anything in between. An ID model provides you a process roadmap and a checklist to make sure you are taking as much into consideration as you can for the design, execution, and analysis of your event.
Personal Perspective
One of the most important activities during my master’s program was to create my own Instructional Design model. My approach leverages a few different existing models, including: the Dick, Carey, and Carey model; the Morrison, Ross, Kalman, and Kemp Model; and Merrill's Pebble in the Pond model (Branch & Dousay, 2015). My model is a useful tool because it helps me visualize the big picture while giving myself a checklist for the detailed tasks that are needed in order to complete the design.
Resources:
Jason Forman ID Model -
What are Learning Goals, Objectives, & Outcomes?
A Learning Goal is a high level description of what you intend the students to learn.
Learning Objectives are steps that the learners need to take to reach those goals (i.e., what we want to happen).
Learning Outcomes are evidence of learning (i.e., what actually happened).
(Barkley & Major, 2016)
Why are they important?
It is important to have an over-arching learning goal (or goals) in order to set the direction of the learning event and to organize the more detailed learning objectives.
Learning objectives provide the learner with specific expected outcomes and helps set the proper expectations for the event. They are also helpful for the educator to ensure they keep the program on track.
It is beneficial to compare the planned learning objectives with the actual learning outcomes; the difference between these two areas is where assessment analysis takes place: what we wanted to happen vs. what actually happened.
Personal Perspective:
"If you don't know where you are and where your learners need to be, you can't figure out how to get them there" (Dirksen, 2016, p. 102). This is a perfect reminder for me because I tend to get ahead of myself when I first starting thinking of designing an educational event. It is important to ensure that the goals and objectives are clear at the beginning of the process so you have a foundational roadmap and can make the appropriate decisions.
There are several ways to create a good learning objective, but the method I tend to lean on most is the ABCD method (Smaldino et al., 2019):
A - Audience
B - Behavior
C - Condition
D - Degree (optional, depending on the situation)Example:
Upon completion (C) of the Beginning Photography Program, the learner (A) will be able to create a photo series (B) with exactly three photographs (D).Resources:
Learning Objectives Builder
Learning Objectives Guide -
What is a Way of Learning?
A Way of Learning is a specific categorization of learning, backed by theory and research, that helps match the learning objectives to an appropriate facilitation method. (Davis & Arend, 2013)
Why are they important?
Leveraging Ways of Learning in your practice places the emphasis on learning rather than on teaching. Furthermore, identifying an appropriate facilitation method that matches the learning objectives is very helpful to the facilitator of the learning event.
Personal Perspective:
I think of a Way of Learning as a lens that I see through in order to make appropriate decisions in regards to the facilitation method. The Way of Learning grid (see below) is a useful shorthand of the convergence of learning theory and research.
Recourses:
Ways of Learning Grid
Design
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What is a Flipped Classroom?
A flipped classroom scenario is when the lecture is conducted prior to a live class session (typically via video recording); the live session focuses on active learning activities.
Why is it important?
A flipped classroom approach provides the students with the foundational knowledge of the topic ahead of the live class session. Thus, the live session can then be dedicated to actively engaging in discussions and learning activities that reinforce and expand upon the foundational knowledge (Barkley & Major, 2016).
Personal Perspective:
I am a big fan of this technique and leverage it whenever I can. The argument for using this method is particularly strong for adult learning; it provides flexibility for the learner, allowing them to choose when to watch the lecture. It also maximizes the classroom time to be focused on active learning activities. These are crucial elements for adult learners who may have challenging schedules. Additionally, it gives the learner an important share of the responsibility. Some traditional definitions state that the pre-session homework is a "lecture" (Simonson et al., 2019), but I don’t think it necessarily has to be. It could be designated reading, a video someone else has made, etc. The important aspect for me is that it is foundational learning done prior to the live session. Additionally, it is important that the "lecture" videos are short to keep the learner engaged. If there needs to be multiple short videos/presentations, that is fine; in my opinion that is a better option than one long recording.
Note: A Flipped Classroom is not the same as Flipped Learning. A Flipped Classroom is a technique or method as described above. Flipped Learning is an entire "pedagogical approach" (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). There are certainly overlapping elements between the two, but I wanted to point out the distinction. I am also a fan of Flipped Learning, but it is too large of a topic to be considered a tool in my toolkit. I have provided a link below for further reading.
Resources:
Flipping The Classroom
Flipped Learning Definition
Flipped Learning 3.0 Framework -
What is Movement?
In this context, it is ensuring that the learners have a chance to move around during the learning event.
Why is it important?
Movement helps create and trigger memories. Several research projects identify that movement during learning can prepare the brain for learning, increase motivation, foster a positive learning state, improve engagement, and assist with recall. Additionally, exercise helps stabilize mood and assists with information transfer from short to long term memory (Tate, 2012).
Personal Perspective
I have always enjoyed participating in movement activities during a learning event because it gets the learners and the facilitator re-focused, it provides a nice break, and it is fun. However, until recently I did not truly understand the impact that movement has on learning. I was pleasantly surprised about the scientific evidence that connects the relationship between movement and learning. I think it is important to explain why movement is important to the learners. This context will help with motivation and participation in the activities.
Resources:
The Benefits of Movement in the Classroom
Movement and Learning (in relation to studying)
How To Do Walking Meetings Right -
What is Reflection?
Reflection is “…a process of meta-cognition that functions to improve the quality of thought and of action and the relationship between them" (Ash & Clayton, 2009, p. 27).
Why is it important?
Reflection provides the learner the time and space to absorb the material. Furthermore, it assists the learner with making meaning out of their learning experience. It can also be a vehicle for the student to “unlearn initial expectations” (Roland, 2017, p. 2985).
Personal Perspective:
Prior to this program, I did not consider reflection as an important learning tool, as either a student or a facilitator. However, now I understand the power and value that reflection has on my own learning and in turn, on my educational practice.
Resources:
DEAL Model
Reflection Activities from generationOn
Reflection Activities from “Sit and Get Won’t Grow Dendrites” book.
Deliver
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What are Learning Assessment Techniques?
"Learning assessment techniques (LAT) are unique teaching structures that blend identification of learning goals, a learning activity that students to produce an assessable Learning Artifact, and guidance on how to analyze and display learning outcomes to share with multiple stakeholders" (Barkley & Major, 2016, p. 30).
Why are they important?
LATs are important because they provide the educator a framework to design, implement, and analyze learning activities with assessing student learning in mind. Assessing student learning is important in order to determine whether the objectives have been met and LATs are an effective tool for that purpose. Additionally, the analysis of the assessment information provides insight into what kind of adjustments to the learning program are needed.
Personal Perspective:
Assessment and Evaluation are often used interchangeably. However, I have learned from this program that they are different: assessment focuses on the learner while evaluation focuses on the program (Lopes, 2022). However, the learning assessment is an input into the evaluations. I have created a visual element that helps me keep this in mind (see the Learning Assessment Diagram below). I believe the key to implementing a successful LAT is to ensure that the educator is designing fun learning activities that double as assessments.
Resources:
Learning Assessment Diagram
LAT Quick Reference Guide
LAT Cycle
Example: Use of LATs in Assessment Plan -
What are Formative and Summative Evaluations?
Formative Evaluation is a process in which the educator evaluates the progress of the learning event while the event is taking place. Summative Evaluation is a process in which the educator evaluates the learning event after it has been completed.
Why are they important?
In regards to Formative evaluation, it is important for the facilitator to gain an understanding of how things are going during the learning event in order to make any necessary adjustments. Additionally, the information gathered during this process is also an input into the Summative Evaluation.
In regards to Summative evaluation, it is important for the educator to understand how successful the event was as a whole. This does not just include whether the learning objectives have been met (via learning assessments), but also how the entire event was managed, including elements such as learning environment, length/timing of sessions, technical ease, etc. Multiple inputs make up the Summative evaluation, including: learning assessments, student feedback, third-party feedback, and facilitator input.
Personal Perspective:
The importance of evaluations is often overlooked. When designing and planning for a learning event where there is a lot of material to cover, evaluations can sometimes be cut or diminished in order to fit the allotted schedule. Likewise, at the end of an intense learning event, it can be difficult to motivate learners to participate. I have experienced both scenarios as a learner and an educator, but I have learned that creating time and space for these evaluations is a critical element to making improvements for the next iteration of the event.
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What is a Program Evaluation?
A program, in this context, is a grouping of learning events that strive toward a common goal. A program evaluation helps determine whether the program as a whole is successful and provides suggestions for adjustments (Spaulding, 2013). There are multiple inputs to a Program Evaluation: summative evaluations from each of the learning events, student feedback, third party input, and time-delayed learning assessments (what I call "post-summative" learning assessments). This is depicted visually below in the Resources section.
Why is it important?
Each learning event's evaluation is important, but it is also necessary to be able to determine whether the entire program as a whole was successful.
Personal Perspective
The program evaluation is not simply the sum of each evaluation from the learning events that comprise it (although that is one factor). It is important to be able to take a step back and look at the entire program as a learning event itself. Viewing it from this perspective, it may be possible to spot trends that occur across multiple events within the program. Additionally, it is important to measure how well the learners recall the material they have learned after time has passed. The “staying power” or lack thereof can be useful for any long-term adjustments to the program.
Resources:
Program Evaluation Input Diagram
