Tips for Instructing Adult and K-12 Learners

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Identifying and addressing Learner Characteristics
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Identifying and addressing Learner Characteristics

Identifying and addressing Learner
Characteristics Adam Horton Master of Education
in Teaching American Public University System
EDUC621 Professor Gregory Mandalas May 24, 2023
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Introduction

• There are many characteristics of adult and
  K-12 learners. Such characteristics described
  above impact classrooms and as a result,
  educators must create, and develop and utilize
  processes that address such characteristics.
  Online learning is more complex and the processes
  that educators utilize to address characteristics
  of adult and K-12 learners changes. Thus, this
  presentation will discuss characteristics of
  Adult and K-12 learners, the impact of such
  characteristics in online classrooms and
  processes that are utilized by educators to
  address such characteristics.

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Identifying and addressing Adult Learner
Characteristics
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Identifying and addressing Adult Learner
Characteristics

• In identifying and explaining some current
  characteristics of adult learners and how
  educators address such characteristics, such
  aspects are as follows
• 1. The need for a proper learning
  environment
• Educators must help students establish a
  proper learning environment at their home that is
  peaceful for their online learning (Simonson et
  al., 2014). Also, educators must utilize
  strategies that allow engagement among learners
  in active learning experiences to further the
  efficiency of their online learning environment
  (Simonson et al., 2014).

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Identifying and addressing Adult Learner
Characteristics

• 2. The need for organizational structure
• Educators must create organizational
  structure that provides participatory learning
  by, for example, creating groups that allow adult
  learners to provide and share input on what is to
  be learned and on learning activities (Simonson
  et al., 2014).
• 3. The need for differentiated instruction
• Educators must provide differentiated
  instruction that is mainly based on
  differentiating felt and aspired needs (Simonson
  et al., 2014). Educators must also plan
  instruction that works for diverse adult
  learners. For example, educators must utilize
  best practices that meet the needs of diverse
  adult learners (Hollister, 2020).

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Identifying and addressing Adult Learner
Characteristics

• Some of the best practices that educators
  must utilize for planning instruction for diverse
  adult learners are having meetings with faculty,
  developing pedagogy and accessibility, and
  universally designing courses. Educators must
  also facilitate emails, conduct discussion forums
  and provide feedback for adult learners who are
  diverse (Hollister, 2020).

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The Effect of Adult Learner Characteristics

• In describing how the characteristics of
  adult learners described above affect online
  classrooms, such affects are as follows
• 1. Without the proper online learning
  environment that adult learners need, such
  learners will endure distractions and their
  performance in online education will decrease.
• 2. Lack of participatory learning results in
  adult learners not participating in their online
  education as well as they should.
• 3. Without proper differentiated
  instruction, the differentiated needs of diverse
  students will not be met efficiently.

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Identifying and addressing K-12 Learner
Characteristics
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Identifying and addressing K-12 Learner
Characteristics

• In identifying and explaining some of the
  current characteristics of K-12 learners, and how
  educators address such characteristics, such
  aspects are as follows
• 1. The age of students
• Educators must address issues in addressing
  the age characteristics of students, such as
  addressing the difficulty level that increases as
  the age of K-12 learners decrease (Simonson et
  al., 2014)

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Identifying and addressing K-12 Learner
Characteristics

• 2. The need for differentiated instruction
• Educators must provide differentiated
  instruction for K-12 learners to ensure the
  diverse needs of such learners are met (Simonson
  et al., 2014). Educators must also understand the
  individual needs and learning styles of K-12
  students when they plan K-12 assignments
  (Simonson et al., 2014). For example, educators
  must plan a K-12 assignment to address the
  sharing and understanding of the cultural
  background of such K-12 students.

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Identifying and addressing K-12 Learner
Characteristics

• 3. The need for more motivation'
• Educators must motivate adult learners in
  online education by personalizing learning,
  rewarding, providing feedback, monitoring,
  setting goals, encouraging collaboration, and
  providing learning in variety (Edly, 2022).

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The effect of K-12 Learner Characteristics

• In describing how the above K-12 learner
  characteristics affect online classrooms, such an
  effect is as follows
• 1. Without educators addressing the age
  characteristic of K-12 learners, lesson planning
  for such learners will not be efficient.
• 2. Without differentiated instruction,
  educators addressing the needs of K-12 diverse
  learners will not be efficient, causing the
  cultural needs of K-12 learners, for example, to
  not be met.
• 3. Without motivation, K-12 students will
  not be properly motivated in online education,
  which causes K-12 students to not do well in
  their education performance in online classrooms.

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Conclusion

• It is concluded by the author that students
  are the main focus in online education and
  learning experiences. There are many forms of
  characteristics among Adult and K-12 learners and
  there are many different difficulty levels among
  such characteristics that educators must face
  when addressing such characteristics.
  Furthermore, quality learning and experiences in
  online education are very important and educators
  must ensure learning is of quality. Thus, in
  ensuring quality learning and experiences in
  online education, educators must address and
  enhance the characteristics of online learners
  with as much efficiency as possible.

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References

• Eschoolnews.com. (2023). The Purpose of a K-12
  education Who decidesw and how do we get there?,
  Image credit, 1
• https//www.eschoolnews.com/educational-leadership
  /2023/03/17/the-purpose-of-a-k-12-education/
• Edly, 2022). How to Motivate Learners in an
  Online Learning Environment, 1
• https//edly.io/blog/how-to-motivate-learners-in-a
  n-online-learning-environment/
• Gcu.edu. (2018). The Essential Characteristics of
  Adult Learners, Image credit, 1
• https//www.gcu.edu/blog/doctoral-journey/essentia
  l-characteristics-adult-learners
• Nsql.org. (2023). The National Standards for
  Quality Online Learning, Image credit, 1
• https//www.nsqol.org/

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References

• Simonson, Michael., Smaldino, Sharon., Zvacek.
  (2014). Teaching and learning at a distance,
  Foundations of Distance Education, Part 2,
  Chapter 7, The Student and Distance Education,
  K-12 learners, 190
• https//web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/ehos
  t/ebookviewer/ebook?sidb4b464af-db1f-400c-a5af-62
  f4dd4ce0c340redisvid0formatEB
• Simonson, Michael., Smaldino, Sharon., Zvacek.
  (2014). Teaching and learning at a distance,
  Foundations of Distance Education, Part 1 Chapter
  2, Definitions, History, and Theories of Distance
  Education , Andragogy, Malcolm-Knowles, 48
• https//web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ehos
  t/ebookviewer/ebook?sid2b57c8a7-9162-4b83-87ba-2c
  04e11d686040redisvid0formatEB
• Simonson, Michael., Smaldino, Sharon., Zvacek.
  (2014). Teaching and learning at a distance,
  Foundations of Distance Education, Part 2 ,
  Chapter 6, Teaching and distance education,
  Instructional Methods, 175

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References

• Simonson, Michael., Smaldino, Sharon., Zvacek.
  (2014). Teaching and learning at a distance,
  Foundations of Distance Education, Part 1 Chapter
  2, Definitions, History, and Theories of Distance
  Education , Andragogy, Malcolm-Knowles, 48
• https//web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ehos
  t/ebookviewer/ebook?sid2b57c8a7-9162-4b83-87ba-2c
  04e11d686040redisvid0formatEB
• Simonson, Michael., Smaldino, Sharon., Zvacek.
  (2014). Teaching and learning at a distance,
  Foundations of Distance Education, Part 2 ,
  Chapter 6, Teaching and distance education,
  Instructional Methods, 175