This design framework serves as a guide for planning, developing, and evaluating technology-based learning materials for adult learners, particularly those in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.
1. Adult learning requires a clear focus.
Indicators:
- Objectives and/or potential outcomes are clearly explained.
- There are various paths for students to follow.
- Activities appear as part of skill bundles or are connected to themes.
- Student work culminates in projects or products.
Examples:
- TV 411
2. Adult learning requires that learners take “ownership” of what is to be learned.
Indicators:
- Learners can explore their own interests and set goals.
- Learners can design their own learning plans and follow a path that leads them to success.
- Learners can choose from a set of skills, an array of themes, and/or various modes of learning (inductive, deductive, controlled, exploratory).
- Group projects are offered as a possibility.
Examples:
- TESOL
3. The goal of adult learning is to help adults apply knowledge, skills, and strategies in real-life contexts.
Indicators:
- Knowledge, skills, and strategies are contextualized and connected to learners’ lives.
- Application activities encourage learners to use skills beyond the course and report back (e.g., planning a trip, making a budget, etc.).
- Learners see how things work (through photographs, animation, or streaming video) without having to get mired in print.
Examples:
- Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
4. Language and literacy development require fluency and accuracy (but not at the same time).
Indicators:
- Learners get the opportunity to write what’s on their mind, using their own language.
- Learners have access to resources such as spell checks, dictionaries, thesauri, and encyclopedias.
- Learners get a chance to edit and correct earlier drafts.
Examples:
- America Dreams
- SCALE Health Action Team Project
5. Language and literacy development are social processes that depend on interaction with others.
Indicators:
- Learners get to know each other and are part of a community.
- Learners can communicate with each other via email or through developed projects.
- Learners tell their stories and listen to or read the stories of others.
- Surveys and polls allow learners to see what others think.
Examples:
- Susan Gaer’s Email Projects
6. Language and literacy development require hypothesis testing and risk-taking.
Indicators:
- Students are invited to discover principles of writing, grammar rules, or spelling conventions by looking for patterns (task-based learning).
- Students get a chance to move from a zone where they are relatively comfortable to new areas that are a bit scary (posting an email, sending an electronic postcard, posting a story, creating a video).
Examples:
- Blue Mountain Interactive Birthday
- School House Rock
7. Language and literacy processes are nonlinear and develop in fits and spurts.
Indicators:
- Texts are highly engaging and propel students forward.
- Information is recycled and instruction is layered so that knowledge, skills, and strategies are reinforced through various themes.
Examples:
- Decisions, Decisions Online
- Kids Health: What is AIDS?
8. Language and literacy are multidimensional.
Indicators:
- Materials offer various modalities (visual, musical, analytic, naturalistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal).
- Learners are encouraged to move beyond print in their work.
Examples:
- Sites that combine print, sound, and video
- Favorite Poem Project
9. Language and literacy grow through both serendipitous learning and explicit learning.
Indicators:
- Learners get a chance to immerse themselves in interesting work (reading, writing, problem-solving).
- Demonstrations illustrate how things work.
- Learners have access to information on an as-needed basis.
Examples:
- The Evil Landlady (problem-solving)
- Cuisine Magazine recipe
- Farmworker Youth
10. Language and literacy learning require both success and challenges.
Indicators:
- Learners get a chance to see what others have done (models) before attempting their own work.
- Learners are invited to use learning strategies with material that becomes progressively more complex.
- Learners see or read how others process or create texts (cognitive apprenticeship).
Examples:
- TV 411 Writing Gallery
11. Language and literacy develop more deeply if ideas are situated in a specific context or theme.
Indicators:
- Skills and strategies are contextualized.
- Learners are invited to explore a theme from various angles.
- Learning materials can be accessed by skill area or by themes.
Examples:
- The Farmworkers Website
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: AIDS Fact Sheet
12. Language and literacy grow through both emotional engagement and cognitive involvement.
Indicators:
- Needs assessment seeks to determine themes that matter to learners (parenting, health, money).
- Some themes address controversial topics that a teacher may not want to address (AIDS, cancer, domestic violence).
- Learners have opportunities to discuss issues, share information, and ask questions.
Examples:
- Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Shelter Tour and Information Site
- Talking with Kids