Project Plan for Online Website Program for Adult Educators and Learners

Final Project
Julie Malone
October 31, 2009
Jones International University

Abstract

Adult learners inherited an evolutional maternal or paternal behavior of wanting to teach and share knowledge between themselves and future generations. Some adult learners have the opportunity to teach their children while others would rather share knowledge with the world. When adults have the instinct or desire to share information, facts, past experience, or discuss current issues, there needs to be a place to share. When technology combines with the Internet adult learners get an instantaneous learning and teaching environment; this is what this project plan entails. When considering a project plan, I evaluated the parameters of what purposes needed to be served for adult education. The structure of the project plan, type of project, focus, audience, need, goals and benefits need to involve adult learners, globally, to interact and learn from each other using technology and education.

Introduction

This project plan is a model for the purpose of designing an online website program for adult educators and learners solely based on the education in different areas of our lives. What people know or want to learn is vital to the education of the current and future generations and information provides the catalyst for the formation of the educational industry. By combining technology with educators and learners, this plan can fulfill a need for people worldwide to find solutions to their educational desires by having a program available. The following plan is described through six components: 1) Self-Reflection (adult learner self-portrait); 2) Portrait of an adult learner; 3) Adult education learning environment; 4) Teaching philosophy; 5) Teaching strategies; 6) An assessment. This plan initiates from my personal experience as an adult learner, builds through a portrait of an adult learner, my views on teaching philosophies and strategies, and closing with an assessment plan.

Component 1

Self-Reflection (Adult Learner Self-Portrait)

In this segment, self-reflection looks at one of my memorable experiences, the context of adult learning, and my teaching situation. Adult learning can prove to be an exhilarating and challenging adventure, yet frightening when learning a new subject. When enrolling at the University of Phoenix, contemplating on which degree and concentration to achieve was a bit daunting considering a degree should have a purpose, substance, and prove beneficial to my future career goals. This decision would alter and transform my educational beliefs considering it would be a life-changing experience and require years of focusing on a particular type of adult learning.

Memorable Experience

After carefully contemplating on a memorable experience as an adult learner, the main focus of my business degree came to mind. When selecting a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Organization Innovation I felt I could be part of a new transformational (Mezirow’s theory) learning theory and create vital changes within adult learners. This theory is about examining essential changes in the way a learner can see themselves through a mirror (self-reflection, past experiences, and examining one’s own Truth) and the world in which they live. This theory questions if adult educators have the right to ask learners to examine and change the basic life assumptions as part of the educational system. The theory questioned if I could examine who I was and what I stood for as an individual (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 58). Since innovation is a “frame of mind”, the act of developing an idea in its physical form (new product, service or process), and finding solutions to problems, this theory fits well within my degree.

Being an individual leaner, knowing my personality is based on being logical, analytical, and investigative, and realizing that learning happens internally, organizational innovation would prove to be the perfect choice for a degree (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 56). This focus can be categorized as an innovation of a product, process, or service, and can be implemented through idea selection, development, and commercialization.

After attending the five focus classes on innovation (innovation, design, and creativity for a competitive advantage; business management and the principles of design; the innovative organization; disruptive business practices: management and technology; and management of intellectual capital); the realization that classes teaching about organizational innovation would provide a valuable memorable learning experience for me as an adult learner.

Context of Adult Learning

Organizational Innovation provides an environment and framework to teach the adult learner how to bridge the gap between traditional business thinking, innovative and design focused philosophy, while learning how innovation, design, and creativity could be used for a company to use for a competitive advantage. Within the courses, I learned that a company can have a huge impact on today’s economy by educating employees through adult learning, such as participation, training, and motivation, to introduce how innovation, design, and creativity through strategy, process, product, and services of any product can create a profitable and growing company.

Organizational innovation was a learning experience to realize creativity can be used as an essential part of innovation considering it assists with the development of an idea, inspires thinking and being different, thinking laterally, and making new connections. Being creative is not just limited to a few selected individuals; it can be stimulated and supported through training, education, and utilization in the right work environment and atmosphere. Creativity cannot be controlled since it relies on basic motivation, enthusiasm, inspiration and knowledge. Companies must rely on raw data, but creativity and innovation only occur when data is combined with intuition (von Stamm, 2003). This new concept of learning would be considered the theory of experiential learning since it threatens how individuals normally think and persuades self-initiating learning and using past experiences to find solutions to a present problem. My adult learning process could be described as an andragogy (Knowles’ theory), since it is self-directed and my instructors expected students to take responsibility for decisions when writing papers (Kearsley, 2008).

Teaching Situation

Having this type of adult learning experience provided me an in depth opportunity of realizing that there are new ways of learning about how an organization can work. When attending the classes, I experienced teachable moments that I found to be transferable to certain teaching situations. By using the adult learning theories (transformational learning theory, experiential learning theory, and Knowles’ theory) I could educate adult learners by taking an opportunity to ask the students their opinions about a situation, have they ever gone “out on a limb” during a situation using faith, how decisions impacted people around them, how can they learn from past mistakes, trust their decisions and not be controlled by others, and use past experiences, skills, and knowledge to write essays. The idea is to have the adult student learn about themselves and the world around them.

After completing a self-reflection about my memorable and teaching experience, I interviewed an individual with a similar educational background and career focus in adult education of training and development. Below is a portrait of Stori Hybbeneth, her views on the theories of adult learning and development, along with the types of multiple intelligences she uses while training adult learners.

Component 2

Portrait of an Adult Learner (Stori Hybbeneth)

Stori Hybbeneth compliments her background in adult learning by combining a 10-year history of education and work-related experience with receiving a M.Ed. in Education/e-Learning: Global Leadership and Administration, followed by a series of positions to assist her with a focus on adult learning. Stori was a Volunteer Instructor/Lead Teacher where she supervised, coordinated and trained volunteer instructors; facilitated testing for all students; taught English skills to adults to assist them in communicating in an English-speaking society; created curriculum supplements with real-world examples to establish relevance; initiated educational activities in the classroom to maintain a fun, interactive and open environment.

Stori was the Training and Development Manager, Bilingual Education Counselor at Jones International University (JIU). She managed and developed on-boarding and ongoing training programs, including the Gagne ISD method (described below) creation of support materials for Admission and Academic Service Counselors; maintained an online portal for collaboration and reference repository; represented the needs of Admissions Counselors for implementation of new Student Information System; coordinated requirements gathering, testing, training and implementation of the Student Information System for Admission; consulted with prospective students to help identify educational goals and correlating to program requirements and areas of interest; presented information at educational fairs to expand public awareness of JIU.

Currently Stori is an eLearning Consultant/Project Manager, in the Advanced Services Group (under Customer Advocacy) at Cisco WebEx. Stori offers consulting services to customers. When customers (ranging from small and home business to large enterprises) purchase the company’s web conferencing software called Training Center (as a service), her company offers a range of services to help them make the transition from a traditional classroom to a virtual classroom. Stori primarily works with the training organization at the client’s facility. The training organization can be within the business unit, under Human Resources or wherever the service is needed. Training can come from different avenues such as learning straight feature functionality of the product, while at other times they do instructional design for the virtual classroom, and at other times it is the roll out strategy or a combination of the services.

Since Stori is both an eLearning consultant and project manager, she combines responsibilities for adult learning including facilitating on-site client meetings and deliver on-site discovery workshops; develop and manage multiple ongoing projects, schedules, resources, and associated project deliverables from initiation through delivery utilizing MS Project and project-related software; plan and manage service schedules, project resources, budgets, and revenue; develop job aids, help text and other documentation required to meet the client's business requirements.

Stori also shares her time volunteering as an instructor as ACCION International, a non-profit micro-lending company in Latin America. She develops and teaches a live ESL (English as a Second Language) (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 441) class over the web, described as an Knowles’ theory of the andragogy learner where online/distant learning is directed towards the non-traditional adult learner in which students learn globally instead of at a local school campus (Kearsley, 2008).

Adult Learning and Development Theories

Stori uses the Gagne ISD (Instructional System Design) method when teaching instructional design to her customers. She believes this method encompasses aspects of experiential learning (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 76) and behaviorism (Baumgartner, 2001). The method is experiential learning since methodology requires the participant to practice and apply the new information (content) along with past experiences and education. This method has elements of behaviorism because there is a set pattern/rhythm to the session and there is also feedback positive and negative reinforcement) given based on the participant practice went.

Gagne ISD consists of four phases: analysis, design, development, and implementation, with evaluation flowing throughout each step. ISD in the basic model is simple to understand and easy to use in almost any training environment and production for training adult learners. Analysis involves research (thoroughness, objectivity, and a systematic approach) and determines training needs and expresses them as information useful for training development through needs assessment, job analysis, and target audience analysis. Design involves planning and converting relevant information into concise, behavioral objectives, and creating the instructional "blueprint" with the end product of training materials, tests, visual aids, handouts, and methods. Development involves writing the lesson plans by using objectives, instructional approach, and media selections from the design phase, and produces course materials for the trainer, course materials for the trainee, and evaluation instruments. Implementation focuses on the training delivery, training facility, preparing an agenda, and setting up the training environment. The evaluation phase flows throughout each of the other phases to ensure that the training material is developed in a timely manner to achieve training goals, evaluates strengths and weaknesses through the stages, and ensures that the material improves performance of the adult learning situation (Air War College, 2009).

Multiple Intelligences

When Stori teaches adult learning at her company, she uses four of Howard Gardner's intelligence theories including linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and intrapersonal intelligence. Due to the nature of Stori’s adult learning methods, linguistic intelligence (poet) is used in order to communicate and express her thoughts to adult learners when training them on a particular product. Logical-mathematical intelligence (scientist) is used to analyze and investigate training and client needs, and the ability to detect the adult learning patterns, reasoning, and logical. Since Stori is a motivator, leader, and educator, interpersonal intelligence (salesman or teacher) gives her the opportunity to work effectively with adult learners. Stori uses intrapersonal intelligence (self-reflection) since she has the capacity to understand her motivation, feelings, fears and thoughts (Infed, 2009).

After writing a self-reflection about me, and interviewing Stori Hybbeneth about her philosophy and teachings on adult learning methods, my project plan became clear and adaptable. Education could be fun, learners could come from different avenues of the world, and learning could be functional. The next step would be to explore the possibilities of a project plan.

Component 3

Adult Education Learning Environment (Project Plan)

When researching for a project plan for adult learners, technology and globalization came to mind. The project plan had to be centered on the Internet and education since this is our future. Adult learners, globally, need to have discussion forums and related groups to discuss ideas and educate each other on a variety of topics within the educational world, and find themselves in a situation where they need general or specific knowledge or expertise about a certain subject.

This section answers questions about the project plan such as show context of the project plan, who the program will serve, the characteristics of adult learners, how theories from this course will help construct the learning environment, who are the stakeholders for the program, and who will be involved with the project and what their role is in the organization.

Context of the Project Plan (what organization will the plan serve?)

When interviewing Shaun Manzano, Chair of Business for ITT Technical Institute (ITT-Tech, 2009), he introduced me to a new website he is building called, “757 Empowerment Group” (Manzano, 2009), based on education and networking for adult learners. When asking him about developing a project, he recommended building a social network as a tool for the learning environment where adult learners can post concepts and theories on adult learning. The project can serve the local community about educational events, free memberships, jobs, and advertise.

Who the program will serve, describing the characteristics of adult learners
The program will serve every adult learner and educator globally who are self-directed, problem-centered, results-oriented, creative, logical, bring past experiences (work and education), open-minded, and wish to share knowledge. Adults can also become the student-teacher and visa versa.

How Theories from this course will help Construct the Learning Environment
The learning environment will be based on self-directed learning in order to become independent learners. Constructivism (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 255) can be used by individual adult learners in the forums to motivate each other through an educational issue. People are able to post questions if they need expertise in a certain area. Others will be encouraged to use past experience and knowledge in this adult learning forum. Critical Social Theory is helpful to obtain trust and respect from other adults. Hopefully, people will use patience and passion when dealing with others who are learning about a new concept or idea.

Cross' adult learning theory (Week 1, Theme 3) will be useful when using technology and interaction between adult learners across the globe to help understand the importance of Internet communication and education, and obtaining trust from other group members. Experiential Learning theory (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 76) will be part of this project by providing adult learners the ability to participate in surveys and questionnaires on different avenues of education such as personality and learning style. The learners can identify the benefits of knowing their individual learning styles and create a strategy of their own on how they can use this knowledge to maximize learning opportunities.

Psychological/cognitive (Baumgartner, 2001) approach can be used in this project for adult learners to transform their current knowledge and expertise, while learning about education, knowledge management, and innovation to increase their levels of educational development. Mezirow’s theory will be used during discussions between adult learners as part of the adult learning and development process. The atmosphere in this project will be geared towards trust and respect in which adult learners can feel comfortable expressing their ideas, concepts, and experiences.

The Contextual/Sociocultural theory will provide an opportunity for adult learners to increase cultural awareness and to observe how cultures have impacted education globally (Baumgartner, 2001). Adults will be given an opportunity to question, comment, and share ideas on how societal inequities are reproduced in an adult learning situation.

The integrated approach theory (examines development of mind, body, spirit, and sociocultural outlook) will be used in the project so that adult learners can use various approaches to education (Baumgartner, 2001).

Stakeholders for the Program

Me (website creator), adult learners and educators (locally or globally) who joins the website and educational forums, local community, advertisers, career advisors, employees in the educational field, and professional bodies.

What kind of needs assessment has been done or needs to be done
• Are there enough websites and forums for adult learners to discuss education on
any subject?
• Is current information on the Internet understandable or digestible for the
average adult learner?
• Is education undervalued in this country?
• Create a place where adult learners can discuss any topic to educate each other?
• Will combining all educational subjects be helpful to the site?

Who will be involved with the project and what their role is in the organization
The project will be initiated by me. I will author a website and blog to create an education forum and discussion groups. Once created, the website will be introduced globally through various Internet sources to get the news out about the website for adult learners.

By introducing the origination and context of my project plan, who the program will serve, the stakeholders, assessments, and who is involved with the project, the project will show the important education needs to be distributed globally. In the next section I will narrate a survey that I took, The Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) to determine what type of instructor might teach adult learners in an online classroom setting, my philosophy through the paradigms from Theme 2, a description of my teaching strategies as I would use in my adult education program, followed by discussion of how my philosophy will be an integral part of my adult education program.

Component 4

Teaching Philosophy (PALS Survey)

The results of the PALS inventory survey (Week 4, Theme 1), were of no surprise to me; I could consider linking my results to practicing as an adult education and could teach by the results of this inventory survey, given my background as a student in adult education.

Factor 1 (learner-centered activities) had the highest sum of 37, mean of 3.08 (due to number of the sum), standard deviation (“SD”) of 1.67, and based on negative items. I believe in a minimum of disciplinary action when needed, provide a curriculum for educational objectives, and prefer not to use written tests to evaluate students’ progress.

Factor 2 (personalizing instructions), had a sum of 22, mean of 2.44, SD of 1.87, and based on a mix of positive and negative items. I believe that all students are treated equally, using the same curriculum, and abide by the same assignment deadlines. I think that adult learners should not compete, but rather cooperate and share ideas as a group.

Factor 3 (relating to experience) had the second highest sum of 30, mean of 5, SD of 0, and based on the positive items. This means that adult learners are encouraged to use past experiences, growth, independence, ask questions, and discuss issues of everyday living. The remaining factors showed average to low, depending on the question.

Factor 4 (assessing student needs), had a sum of 11, mean of 2.2, SD of 2.2, based on positive items. I did not score high in individual counseling, but I do believe in helping students to identify educational needs and developing short and long range objectives. Factor 5 (climate building), had a sum of 18, mean of 4.5, SD of 1, and based on positive items. I encourage dialogue between students, use existing competencies, accept errors as a learning process, and allow breaks for students to refresh their minds.

Factor 6 (participation in the learning process), had a sum of 12, mean of 3, SD of 1.63, based on positive items. I somewhat agree that students should participate in developing the criteria for evaluating their performance in class; I think that students should be able to interact with each other in class and discuss current issues; however, I believe that students should be somewhat limited to the topics of discussion in the classroom.

Factor 7 (flexibility for personal development), had a sum of 11, mean of 2.75, SD of 0.95, based on negative items. I would stick to the instructional objectives from the beginning of the program, maintain a well-disciplined classroom to reduce interferences of learning, and avoid some controversial subjects that involve judgments.

Philosophy Paradigms

My PALS inventory scores lined up with progressive and humanistic paradigm (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 75), with a slight influence on behaviorist theory (Week 4, Theme 2) (p. 182). The progressive paradigm, similar to the learner-centered style (Week 4, Theme 1) and Factor 3, is based on the learner’s needs, experiences, and interests (including promoting change in a democratic society). As an instructor, I prefer to be organized, set up learning situations, assist students to explore different subjects and allow them to test theories and make decisions through active participation in the learning process.

Humanistic paradigm is education based on experiential learning (Wilson, 2000, p. 75) and is a way that learners can achieve self-actualization and live up to their full potential as human beings, as in Factor 1. The adult learner is self-motivated and self-directed as they explore their educational future. The behaviorist theory is similar to Factor 7 by focusing on the curriculum objectives, controlling and monitoring classroom activity, providing student feedback, and maintaining a well-disciplined classroom to reduce interference with learning.

Teaching Strategies used in Adult Education Program

My teaching strategy is known as cooperative learning (George Mason University, 2009), since it will encourage adult learners globally to work together for a common goal of teaching various topics in education to each other. My program will be based on Factors 1 and 3 and both progressive and humanistic paradigms since adult learners will bring both questions and answers, experiential learning, skills, and knowledge to the forums and discussions.

My philosophy as an Integral Part of my Adult Education Program

My philosophy has a foundation of progression and will have an integral part in my adult education program considering every adult learner will play an important role in my program. I want adults to express their thoughts, ideas, and comments about educational situations of all types and be able to freely share their knowledge with anyone who wants to absorb it. We have a democratic society where everyone needs to share and transfer important information.

I found the above inventory survey, philosophy paradigms, teaching strategies’, and philosophy on an adult education program to be educational and positive, as it proved that by being an online adult learner that I could teach in the same manner as an instructor in a distant learning environment.

The next section will show student learning objectives, explain which teaching strategies that will be used in my program and how each strategy will help students to achieve the learning objective; a sample lesson plan using one of the teaching strategies; and a description of how technology will match my learning strategies.

Component 5

Teaching Strategies (Student Learning Objectives)

Student learning objectives focus on the audience (who is the target), behavior (learners demonstrate need for this website), and conditions (how will students learn through the website such as graphs, imported images, or attached information) (Clark, 2004). After researching the Internet, I noticed that adults crave education, self-direction and motivation, can offer a rich variety of life experiences, and want to learn more about what the world has to offer.

My adult education program is focused on sharing current and future educational information in a fast changing world (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 224), and to help society, from all demographic areas, get anxious and excited about learning. The audience will include anyone with the desire to want to learn about education. Student learning objectives for the adult education program involve sharing knowledge globally (though a self-directed online forum and discussion questions) which is vital to the growth of our globalized human society. This knowledge is shared through skills, expertise, know-how, problem solving, and specialization.

The program will assist the audience by providing an educational website where adults can demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and specialization of various areas in politics, social-economic and cultural issues that affects adult education. The program will supply a source for adult educators to share knowledge of research methodology and studied case studies such as real-world scenarios, attaching data and documents, and having open-ended discussions (JIU, 2009).

The Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised version) can assist with the student learning objectives through cognitive learning (domain) by remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating (Forehand, 2005). Students will recall previous experiential experiences and relevant knowledge and write about an event. Understanding will initiate from reading other learners’ written reports and interpret, summarize, compare notes, and apply how their experiences are related. Students will have the opportunity to analyze each others’ work and experiences, organize their thoughts, and discuss options to the discussion question. Students will have to opportunity for self-evaluation when discovering solutions to issues during discussion questions. Students will have the chance to create original discussion questions on the topic of choice once they are comfortable with the format structure.

Teaching Strategies

My adult education program involves teaching strategies that will help students achieve the learning objectives by providing an instructional delivery method and tool for an online educational environment where adult learners (globally) can come together to converse on education. The program will provide an area for case studies on subjects like knowledge management, innovation, and education for adult learners to focus on solutions to different problems. Adult educators can post lectures for discussion, case methods that were used in the workplace (experiential learning), and problem-focused discussion in order for adults (globally) to use cognitive skills to solve a particular issue (Background of problem-based learning, 2006). In this manner, the adult learner can learn and understand this new application and use it to troubleshoot a particular issue in the workplace or home life.

Sample Lesson Plan using one of the Teaching Strategies

In my adult education program, a sample lesson plan may be composed of an initial discussion of a case study, such as the healthcare system, that can expand through conversations. Students can reply by talking about their life or work experiences (negative or positive) within the healthcare system, what they need from a new system, and how their families’ have been effective by the current system. In this type of discussion, students can educate themselves on other students’ opinions towards their own healthcare system without negative politics getting in the way. The website is about sharing information, not for students conducting themselves in an unprofessional manner with arguing about an issue.

Technology Plan when Teaching Learning Objectives

My adult education program will require the use of a computer and the Internet to access the website. This delivery mechanism will give adult learners access to other students worldwide. The program will provide user-friendly tabs to assist the adult learner in navigating through the site, including locating forum(s), discussion questions, and chat rooms to post educational information. Educators will be given an opportunity to post graphics, presentations, videos, word documents, spreadsheets, and databases through an attachment or link button.

According to our text (Wilson and Hayes, 2000), computers are expanding in the rural areas where 6% of the community have access to the Internet. Communication and I.T. can reduce the barriers of distance that disadvantages rural areas. These adult learners are able to gain access to my program, learn, chat, and create discussions of their own. Learners have the freedom of posting a viewpoint of their living and educational circumstances and educating others on what it is like to live in these communities.

After reading about student learning objectives, teaching strategies, a sample lesson plan, and a description of how technology will match my learning strategies, the next section will outline the student learning objectives, supply specific assessment strategies used to measure student progress, and give an example of an assessment plan that incorporates the assessment cycle. The assessment plan is an important part of designing an adult education program since the plan provides data to interpret whether or not learning objectives are being achieved and if the program needs to be adjusted.

Component 6

An Assessment - Student Learning Objectives
(Relating to the above section)

Our society craves knowledge, learning, self-direction, and motivation. The student learning objectives of my adult learning program are for educators and learners worldwide to come together on one website to discuss educational topic, through a self-directed online forum and discussion questions, by sharing current and future knowledge, upload reports, graphs, imported images, and other attached documentation (Wilson and Hayes, 2000, p. 224). This knowledge is shared through methodology, case studies, skills, expertise, know-how, problem solving, and specialization of various areas in politics, healthcare, social-economic and cultural issues that affects adult education. By using the Bloom’s Taxonomy (see above) my program can assist with student learning objectives through remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating (Forehand, 2005) different ideas and concepts through the forum and discussion questions. Students will bring previous experiential experiences and relevant knowledge to the table, apply the new knowledge to their workplace, self-evaluate themselves, and begin to create synopsis of their own on the forum.

Specific Assessment Strategies to Measure Student Progress

To test whether student learning objectives are being met, an assessment needs to be conducted. Since my adult learning program is based on a formative structure (JIU, 2009) the assessment strategy will be different from the traditional student learning process.

Assessment strategies used to measure student progress for my program will consist of classroom assessment techniques (CATs) based on observation (through case studies), attitude surveys, concept mapping, weekly reports, and Kirkpatrick’s Model of Assessment (JIU, 2009). By students posting case studies, the program can assess what students are learning and absorbing throughout the forum and discussion questions. Attitude surveys will provide information on opinions, viewpoint, type of questions asked, and what students agreed and disagree upon in a particular area (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2009). Concept mapping, such as a graphic organizer, can evaluate whether or not students understand and relate to the material. Weekly reports can prove what students are learning from replies and comments to discussion question and forums, and clarify any unclear material (JIU, 2009).

The Kirkpatrick model of assessment can be useful during the assessment process. The program can review and measure student reaction and what they learned through surveys conducted at the end of a particular discussion question session. Behavior can be obtained through conducting a survey three to six months after a discussion question or forum has completed. This assessment could prove if the student retained information from and learned from the experience, or if future classes are needed. Results can be assessed by having the students evaluate if a particular lesson has assisted them in the workplace or home environment.

Assessment Plan Incorporates Assessment Cycle

The assessment cycle consists of nine steps: 1) student learning begins with educational values, 2) is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over time, 3) works best when the programs it seeks to improve has clear, explicitly stated purposes, 4) requires attention to outcomes and to experiences that lead to those outcomes, 5) works best when it is ongoing, not sporadic, 6) encourages wider improvement when representatives from across the educational community are involved, 7) makes a difference when issues are involved that affect society, 8) leads to improvements or change, and 9) through assessment, educators meet responsibilities to students and to society (JIU, 2009).

An assessment plan that will incorporate the above assessment cycle for the adult learning program will include 1) focusing on student and educator needs globally and can incorporate the assessment cycle by asking people what they value in education; 2) since the program is online, the learning atmosphere will be multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over time through assessments; 3) the objective is to provide the best clear, explicit online program for people of all demographics to enjoy learning; 4) the program will need specific assessment strategies (see above strategies) to measure the outcome and experience of each session; 5) considering this is an online forum with discussion questions, the program is geared for ongoing issues and concerns, rather than random discussions; 6) the program encourages students, educators, employers, employees, and the general public to get involved in this educational community; 7) the plan will makes a difference when educational issues are involved that affect society; 8) this type of program is geared for improvements or change considering it is an ongoing Internet educational site; 9) through this assessment plan, student and educators can learn from each other to meet educational responsibilities that are needed globally.

Conclusion

The project plan outlined in this paper provided proof that it will be a program developed for adult educators and learners and solely based in an online environment in order for adults, worldwide, to combine their knowledge and experience and learn from each other. The foundation for this project is to show how vital education is to the world, now and in the future. This analysis provided information to the background of my project plan through a description and who the program served, the stakeholders, assessments, and who is involved with the project. The analysis showed results of my PALS inventory survey, philosophy paradigms and teaching strategies used, and my philosophy towards my adult education program.

When designing my adult education program, I needed to consider the accessibility to this program. Since adult learners come from all types of backgrounds, skill levels, age brackets, and geographic areas of the world, technology was an important concern. My program can help with these issues by providing a pleasant, user-friendly environment for all adult learners to come and enjoy their educational ride. The above plan provided information towards learning objectives, described which teaching strategies will be used in my program and how each strategy will help students to achieve the learning objective. This analysis supplies a sample lesson plan using one of the teaching strategies, along with a description of how technology will match my learning strategies. This analysis also provided specific assessment strategies and a plan to carry out the intention of educating society using the Internet. By using this technological method of learning, this program provides a means to assess the current and future needs of education.

References

von Stamm, B. (2003). Managing Innovation, Creativity and Design. Unites States: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Wilson, Arthur L. and Hayes, Elisabeth R. (2000). Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.