This course explores the principles and processes of adult learning and serves as a foundation for all modules of the Adult Learning and Development Program. You will explore how adults learn by critically examining both historical and current research, and reflect on your own experiences. You will examine the principles of adult learning, with the aim of translating theory into practices that work for the modern workplace and support the development of twenty-first century learning skills. You will develop a new appreciation for the diversity of your audiences, including differences in knowledge and experience, learning preferences, motivations and potential learning barriers. Through research and exploration of current trends, you will be exposed to best practices for designing and delivering exceptional learning experiences that transfer into performance improvement on the job.

Why do so many learning solutions fail to achieve their anticipated impact? The fault most often lies upfront in the design cycle - with a failure to understand the needs of the organization and learning audience. In this course, you’ll examine how to conduct a proper learning needs assessment, a key step in ensuring that learning is aligned with the correct workplace performance issues and focused on the right skill and knowledge gaps. You will learn match the best needs analysis methods for a variety of situations, practice various techniques for collecting and interpreting data, and prepare a needs analysis plan. Through practical exercises and case studies you will strengthen your own ability to analyze situations and confidently present recommendations.

Do you struggle with justifying the impact of your training sessions? Do you wonder how much your learners are able to apply back on the job? Just how effective are your learning interventions? In this course, you will be able to answer the what, why, how, who and when of evaluation through an examination of models, instruments, strategies, and best practices. You will come away equipped with an evaluation toolkit, positioning you as a strong advocate for measuring results of learning and application in the workplace.

This course will introduce a methodology for designing performance-based learning solutions that are relevant, efficient, and grounded in adult learning principles. You will practice writing learning objectives based on a task or competency analysis. You will learn how to select assessments that properly measure a learner’s achievement of course objectives. You will outline a learning design strategy by identifying the right methods and modalities that will achieve the performance outcomes and engage the learner in a meaningful way. You will explore practices and techniques for structuring and sequencing teaching and learning materials when creating lessons. Finally, you will identify considerations for the implementation of learning solutions in a variety of learning channels.

This course is designed to provide education professionals with an opportunity to examine current techniques and technologies employed in designing and delivering learning solutions online. You will explore how to create engaging online spaces for learning using Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), and how to introduce elements that enrich the learner experience through both synchronous and asynchronous learning as well as alternate media. You will examine the key role of communication and support, social learning and peer collaboration. Instructional strategies will enable development of digital literacy, research and evaluation skills, and presentation and interpersonal skills required to foster virtual collaborative interactions.

Do you know how to hook your readers? Or, are they yawning as they page through your elearning screens and handbooks? Powerful writing captures interest and draws the reader into a learning experience through compelling stories and scripts, all while cleverly focusing attention on critical facts, concepts or procedures. Strong writing skills are key to learner engagement and are increasingly in demand in our industry. In this course you will explore key techniques for writing ‘lean’ content, on-screen text, learner interactions and easy to skim reference guides. You will also discover how to write with a bent for learner empathy while effectively representing your learning brand's values.

Professional facilitation skills are crucial for anyone involved in the delivery of adult education and workplace learning. The transition to online meetings, training, and learning demands a high degree of skill from facilitators, whether they are facilitating customized or mandated programs, running an effective meeting, or operating in the more challenging arena of process facilitation. Join us online as we identify the role of the facilitator in different contexts and modalities, review trends in workplace learning and how these trends impact the evolving role of the facilitator, develop skills required for virtual environments through synchronous and asynchronous facilitation, explore tools and techniques for selected facilitation scenarios, and develop individual action plans to achieve our own facilitation goals.