Hi! I am looking for input to design an elearning program that caters to adult learners with varying levels of prior knowledge. Suggest how I go about it. Honestly struggling to start. What strategies may be used for designing an elearning program that meets the needs of adult learners?
Hi! While designing programs for adult learners I ensure that ample support and resources, such as job aids, reference materials, and opportunities for collaboration and discussion are provided. They are critical for adult learners.
Hi! Please keep in mind that adult learners value relevance and applicability, so ensure the content is practical and relatable to their experiences. Good luck with your eLearning program!
Hello! One helpful approach is to incorporate flexible learning pathways. Allow learners to choose their own starting point based on self-assessment or diagnostic tests. This way, they can focus on the areas they need to develop while skipping topics they are already proficient in.
Hi! Designing an eLearning program for adult learners with varying levels of prior knowledge can be quite a challenge, but don’t worry, you’re not alone! One effective strategy is to implement a competency-based approach. This means identifying the key skills or knowledge areas required and breaking them down into manageable learning objectives. By clearly defining the desired outcomes, you can align the content and activities to cater to different levels of prior knowledge. Let me know if this works for you!
Adding onto what Sofia said – adult learners often appreciate the flexibility to tailor their learning experience. By implementing a few of the following strategies, you can create an eLearning program that accommodates varying levels supportive and engaging learning:
Needs assessment
Chunking content
Peer learning
Personalized feedback
Feedback loop
Captivate offers the possibility of a pretest, but that option has some disadvantages.
Personally I always prefer to give control as much as possible to the learner (had a long career as university college professor), for sure since you are talking about adult learners. Why not offer them the possibility to skip part of the content slides based on some answers given by them (like a survey)? Captivate has a system variable cpQuizInfoAnswerChoice or you can use user variables to set up branching based on the answers. In this blog post I described an example in another situation where I use the system variable for branching:
https://blog.lilybiri.com/using-cpquizinfoanswerchoice-for-survey-conversion-from-swf-to-html
Have you considered offering a test out option?
If they pass – they are done.
If they fail – they have to take the course.