Creating Courses for Adults - by Ralf St Clair (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

Creating Courses for Adults is a guide to the behind-the-scenes work that goes into good teaching. Whether you are new to adult education, or want to improve the courses you already teach, this book will equip you with a systematic approach to lesson and course design which is based on research into the ways adults learn.

The book walks readers through a manageable process for addressing the key decisions which must be made in order to design effective learning. What specific ideas or skills should you teach? What resources will you use? Which teaching methods are best for your situation? How will you know if your lesson was successful? The most effective teachers decide on the answers to these questions before they ever set foot into the learning environment. In Creating Courses for Adults, you'll learn how to make these crucial decisions in order to craft a course that best fits your experience and approach to teaching, the influences your learners bring with them, and the context of the course, including educational setting and subject matter.

Ralf St. Clair, a respected author and professor of adult education, doesn't believe in telling you how to do your job. Instead, he recognizes that teaching is an intensely personal activity and that only you as the educator can know what's right for you. Creating Courses for Adults offers a spread of teaching possibilities and gives you the evidence-based framework you need to choose the options that will help you design an outstanding educational experience.

"In clear and accessible language, Creating Courses for Adults takes teachers through the steps necessary to create purposeful and engaging learning experiences for adults. Novices or experts will be stimulated to rethink how they design learning."
--Stephen Brookfield, John Ireland Endowed Chair, University of St. Thomas

"Anyone who is an educator of adults should read this book because it will enable you to plan and deliver good courses. St. Clair's exciting approach demonstrates not only the centrality of design but also the importance of placing values at the heart of our practice."
--Lyn Tett, professor emeritus, University of Edinburgh

About the Author

RALF St. CLAIR is professor and dean in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.