Techniques to Engage Adult Online Learners

                                       

                               

                                         Today, a large number of students who previously could only think about an advanced degree can now pursue higher education—thanks to the flexibility and convenience online education offers. Online education has transcended all geographical or financial barriers, allowing even people from lower socio-economic strata to pursue their education and better their career prospects. Therefore, now students who have limited financial resources—and pressing personal and professional commitments—can also earn a degree in their particular fields. One core reason, however, of the burgeoning popularity of online education is that traditional education has become too expensive for ordinary students to afford. Besides, it’s too inconvenient and students have to travel long distances to attend classes. An adult learner, obviously, can neither afford costly fees nor can he spend their time and money on travelling.  An online education, therefore, comes as a great relief for such individuals who require accessibility, ease and, above all, affordability.  An online program should be able to cultivate an environment which actively induces high quality learning techniques and engages adult students in the learning process, promoting their independent learning while allowing them to take care of their work as well. In providing education to adults, the teaching methods incorporated by the faculty plays an important role too.  Instructors need to place more emphasis on facilitation and guidelines on how to complete assignments.

Online learning allows adult students to choose from workshops or classes which result in a greater flexibility for personal scheduling. In order to provide the best learning processes to adult learners, educational materials must be properly structured, developed and distributed by using effective methods of teaching which targets effective online learning.  Just as in any traditional classroom, it is important for instructors in the virtual classrooms too, to be knowledgeable and responsive to the needs of learners, developing an understanding and appreciation for their students. Since instructors are not able to see the student’s confused look as they would in a face-to-face classroom, it is extremely important to make sure directions and expectations are very clear and explicit.

At McMillan University, instructors and faculty members are trained especially to accommodate adult learners into their classes. McMillan’s faculty takes care to devise their curriculum in such a way that it boosts the learning process, interest and flexibility for adult learners.

Teaching Techniques – Online Course Designing

                                      

                        We all know that the established reason for the development of an online course design is that it helps us to promote interaction, encourages the students to engage, motivates learners and most importantly, it proves that learning is easier said than done. Developing an online course can prove to be a challenging task if the designer tries to modify the face-to-face course format.

A renowned instructional/course designer, Debbie Morrison, defined instructional designing as “Instructional design is creating an environment for learning by structuring content and creating activities that engage students and facilitate meaningful learning”. It is also critical to understand that the crux of instructional designing lies in the fact that it supports learning more than it supports the process of teaching. Skilled and experienced designers may not be the instructors themselves but they collaborate with the subject experts to create an environment which contribute to a rich and effective learning experience for the students.

Why do we need an instructional design?

Many people think that with the vast and unlimited information existing on the web has made it possible for everyone to read and learn anything and adjust it in a way which is relevant to their studies. They think that there is no need for a model and the ones which exist are outdated. However, the reality couldn’t be more different. In the next post we shall focus on the liability of the instructional design formats and how they have helped to bring about a positive change.

McMillan University recognizes and appreciates fully, the principles and process of instructional design. Students at McMillan University find the course deigns very flexible and interactive.