1. Natalie Rodriguez
HE521 Teaching Adult Learners

2. Instructor Background

 Formal setting
 Adjunct
 Teaches at an online
university in the College
of Graduate Education
 Teaching Adults- 5 yrs.
 Teaching Children- 20 yrs.

3. Teaching Adults Online
vs. Teaching Children

 All learners need to be motivated
 Humor creates a natural connection
 Gets the brain more actively involved
 Eases the learner
 Motivation differs from adult and child
 Adults are self-motivated based on value
 Children are motivated based on expectations set by
their parents

4. Motivating Adults

 Teachers need to personalize instruction.
 Make the content relevant to the student.
 The process of teaching impacts the effectiveness of
the students learning.

5. Likes Most About Teaching
Online

Being inspired by the responses of
some students.
How students apply what they are
learning to their current work settings.
Content is applicable across all ages of
learners (adults, leadership, children,
middle schooler’s).

6. Challenges Teaching Online

Time commitment
 Grading assignments in a timely manner.
 Feedback for growth
 Instructor presence
 Adjunct- working late nights
Feedback
 Sandwich approach
 Positive, constructive, and ends positive.
Learners academic skills
 Some could have stronger writing skills
 Impedes understanding the content

7. Learned By Teaching Online

 Communication
 Word choice
 Direct communication must be softer
 Don’t over emphasize the negative
 What students really want
 To apply knowledge to the
real-world

8. Personalization

Apply to students work setting
Repetition
Expectations
Weekly announcements
Clear and consistent
Examples/Samples
Students previous work

9. Advice for New Instructor

 Prepare
 Quality will improve with time and planning
 Knowledgeable with the content
 Review new editions of text when implemented
 Be consistent
 Understand the time commitment
 Feedback is better if timely
 Balance time with returning assignments.
 Use track changes.

10. 
 Clear expectations
 Rubrics are adhered to by instructor and student
 Use the Power of 20
 Chunk learning into 20 minute intervals
 Use humor
 Communicate often

11. Summary

 Preparation is essential to provide a conducive
learning environment
 Knowledgeable of the content
 Galbraith (2004) states that knowledge of content is
associated with the "characteristics of successful adult
educators" (p.98).
 Adults are motivated differently as we mature; more
independent and controlling over their learning
(Spear’s model) (Galbraith, 2004).

12. 
 Model behavior
 Teachers who genuinely model positive behavior
will project credibility and students will begin to
model this behavior with their peers through high
levels of collaboration.
 Communicate effectively
 An effective teacher must also possess good
personality characteristics, interpersonal skills,
and positive behaviors (Galbraith, 2004).
 Use humor
 Interpersonal skills are essential when interacting with
students to enhance learning (Malik & ul Ain, 2012).

13. 
 Use real-world examples (Garrison’s model) (As
cited in Merriam et al., 2007).
 High instructor presence
 In Brydges, Nair, Ma, Shanks, & Hatala’s (2012)
study of instructor-led and self-regulated
learning, rapid skill acquisition and an association
with increased confidence comes from immediate
and concurrent feedback during practice.

14. References

 Brydges, R., Nair, P., Ma, I., Shanks, D., & Hatala, R. (2012).
Directed self-regulated learning versus instructor-regulated
learning in simulation training. Medical Education, 46(7).
Retrieved from
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdf
viewer?vid=2&sid=beb29e30-b214-462f-88dec8a1d4c6e08f%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4208
 Galbraith, M. W. (2004). Adult learning methods: A guide for
effective instruction (3rd ed.). Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing
Company
 Malik, S. K., & ul Ain, Q. (2012). Prospective teachers’
awareness about interpersonal skills- A comparative study.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in
Business, 3(11). Retrieved from http://journalarchieves16.webs.com/514-522.pdf

15. References

 Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007).
Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
 Slide one image- Adapted from “Can Virtual
Classrooms Recreate a Traditional College
Experience, ?” by K. Freeman, 2013,
http://mashable.com/2013/01/25/virtualclassroom-experience-online-education/