Clear Structure & Presentation
Overview
When designing instruction for adults, expectations and goals should be clearly outlined to help learners focus on the material and make plans for success. It is important that new information is also presented clearly and coherently to avoid confusion and frustration. Presentations can be made in person, with or without visual aids, or online through live feeds or premade files. Regardless of the medium, new information should be presented in connection to learner's Background Knowledge to stimulate Motivation and help learners see relevance of the information in their lives. When content is connected clearly with prior knowledge, learners retain information more efficiently into Long-term Memory. Structuring delivery of new information understandably, consistently, and in multiple ways also aid in maintaining learner Attention and can support learners who have lived through Adverse Experiences.
Use It In Your Learning Environment
When delivering presentations, instructors should use accompanying visuals to ensure maximum learning benefits by boosting both the verbal and visual channels of Working Memory. Relevant and clear visual presentations during verbal instruction signal learners to focus Attention on important information. When designing digital presentations for learners to access on their own, information should be outlined clearly and concisely to support learner autonomy. Products for designing visual presentations should include premade templates with accessible fonts and without distracting colors to ease Visual Processing and minimize potential issues stemming from poor Vision. Platforms for housing presentations should be clearly ordered sequentially with an intuitive design to ensure coherent connection between lessons.
Learning modules to be completed digitally should include an overview that connects the adult learners to the purpose and relevance of the learning, the overall structure of the learning experiences within the module, and should provide interactive learning opportunities to engage more deeply with the content and/or discussion boards for Social Supports. To minimize confusion and cognitive overload, digital designers should avoid long blocks of text, cluttered presentations, and an overabundance of images or graphics.
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Instructional Approaches Strategies
When adults can connect and communicate with authentic audiences about their interests and values, learning becomes more personally meaningful and relevant.
Competency-based learning is self-paced, focused on mastery, and centered around demonstrating learning outcomes and skills rather than where or how they were attained.
In an increasingly digital world, adults who struggle with using technology can benefit from direct instruction for an array of digital tools.
Teaching learners how to effectively search the internet is critical for helping them learn how to find accurate and relevant information and aids in developing information literacy.
Direct instruction in math strategies may support some adult learners once conceptual understanding is in place.
Research shows that, along with traditional reading comprehension strategies, learners use unique strategies to read the non-linear, hyperlinked structure of online texts.
Adult learners who are struggling with Foundational Reading Skills, including decoding and phonemic awareness, can benefit from explicitly learning phonics skills in an educational setting.
Seeing and using new words repeatedly and across contexts is critical for vocabulary acquisition.
Formative assessment is "assessment for learning" rather than "assessment of learning".
Opportunities for students to practice skills in context, with instructor support and also independently, helps to move concepts and ideas into Long-term Memory.
Intentionally incorporating voice and choice into adult learning experiences is critical for making learning meaningful and relevant.
Metaphors and analogies can support learners by helping to form connections and to notice patterns and similarities that promote learning, self-concept, and higher order thinking.
Mindfulness is a practice to create internal balance and a sense of being present in the moment.
Instruction and training presented in multiple formats allows learners to activate different cognitive skills and Background Knowledge that are necessary to remember procedural and content information.
Using multiple methods of assessment can help educators gain a comprehensive understanding of learner progress across a wide range of skills and content.
When instructors ask questions or have learners create questions before introducing a text, they activate interest, increase Motivation, and help them assess what they already know about a given topic.
Process-based writing focuses on how learners brainstorm, outline, draft, and revise their writing and is most effective when paired with feedback, especially for English language learners.
When instructors are able to provide context, and connect math concepts to an adult learner's world, math can be seen as relevant and applicable to their daily lives and work- a core aspect of adult Numeracy.
Learning and studying information across multiple sessions that are spaced, or distributed in time, can promote learning and long-term retention of both basic and conceptually complex facts and concepts.
A strengths-based approach is one where educators intentionally identify, communicate, and harness learners' assets to empower them to flourish.
