EA 516 | DESIGNING EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
In this course, students will be introduced to major components involved in designing educational offerings for adult learners in various face-to-face settings. Students will develop (or revise) a design plan for an educational offering appropriate to their selected adult clientele. In particular, they will articulate learning outcomes around which to build their design plan (backward design). They will apply theories, concepts, and principles of adult learning while making design decisions.
EA 517 | FACILITATING ADULT LEARNING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
In this course, students will develop and hone skills to facilitate adult learning in a variety of settings. Students will learn about concepts that inform learner-centered methods and techniques of facilitating learning. Throughout the course, they will apply various methods and techniques in various settings and reflect on how these methods influence learning. The repertoire of skills that students develop as facilitators of learning will have both immediate and future application.
EA 518 | ENHANCING PRACTICE WITH THEORY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
In this course, students will learn how to draw on theories relevant to their area of focus in order to identify key principles of good practice in their field and apply those theories to enhance their professional and/or personal practice. (In this course, "enhancing practice" may refer to addressing an identified problem, improving, or broadening one's skills, becoming a more reflective practitioner, among many meanings.) We begin by delving into notions of theory, practice, and praxis, and exploring diverse models for applying theory to practice, such as the "problem-posing cycle" and "research into action." Students then identify an area of their practice they seek to enhance. For the remainder of the course, students will engage in the initial steps of using theory to enhance their practice, culminating in an action plan for ongoing improvement through "praxis," which they will then share with the class. Throughout the course, students will keep a "praxis journal" as a means of reflecting on changes in their targeted practice, their deepening understanding of relevant theories, as well as their learning experience during the course.
EA 526 | ASSESSING ADULT LEARNING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
In this course, students will learn about and apply various approaches for assessing learning outcomes of individuals in ways that also contribute to the learning process. The assessment of adult leaning entails examining the actual outcomes of learning activities in relation to intended outcomes in order to make determinations about, and continually improve, both student learning and facilitator instructional practices. Students will address these components as they develop an assessment plan relevant to their practice setting and gain skill in designing assessment instruments.
EA 542 | DESIGNING OUTCOME BASED EVALUATIONS: PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course engages students with the practice and philosophy of outcome-based program evaluation. Each student designs a plan for outcome-based program evaluation relevant to their practice setting, along with a logic model and evaluation tools. This evaluation approach is then considered in relation to other models and approaches to evaluation of education, training and professional development programs. Throughout the course, students learn about distinct approaches to evaluation that can be applied to an outcomes focus, including participatory, empowerment, and utilization evaluation. This critical exploration includes a consideration of how to address such issues as cultural relevance, feasibility/usability, and power/politics in the design of a program evaluation.
EA 546 | EDUCATING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE GFDIS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course functions as a Graduate-Faculty-Directed Independent Study/GFDIS. (See MAEA Guidebook for general GFDIS details.) Students critically examine and apply diverse ways of defining, analyzing and engaging in social justice education, as both educators and learners. Key dimensions of social justice approaches to education of adults (culture, ethics and politics; facilitation; curriculum development; and, educator as change-agent) will be addressed. In addition to critical reflection on assigned readings, students will observe social justice education in a community context (arranged by the instructor) and will apply social justice principles to an educational offering in their own practice sites.
EA 547 | DESIGNING ONLINE LEARNING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course functions as a Graduate Faculty-Directed Independent Study/GFDIS. (See MAEA Guidebook for general GFDIS details.) Course addresses the process of designing effective, learner-centered online offerings such as webinars, workshops, or modules for use in formal education or training settings. Using adult learning principles, best practices, and backward planning, learning outcomes, content, and assessments are developed and delivered in a virtual environment. Formal and informal learning communities are explored using social media for learner engagement and interaction. The instructor incorporates interactive lectures and group discussions. Assessment criteria and rubrics guide feedback for ongoing learning as well as for final evaluation of performance. Students will have an opportunity to design an offering specifically applicable to their needs and interests with regard to helping adults learn.