program design & management

Evidence-based Strategies - Examples, Research and Tools

Strategy c: Develop an organized curriculum (e.g. a master plan for selecting content and organizing learning experiences) that results from a clear process for making curriculum decisions, that addresses the needs and goals of adult students, and that is consistent with adult learning principles.

Examples

Collaborating with Students to Build Curriculum that Incorporates Real-Life Materials
Charissa Ahlstrom
This article describes one teacher’s process for developing curriculum based on each group of learners’ lives, interests and goals, as well as the state curriculum framework.

Research

EFF Research Principle: A Contextualized Approach to Curriculum and Instruction
Marilyn Gillespie
This digest identifies the research basis for a contextualized approach to teaching and learning, the third concept underlying the Equipped for the Future system reform initiative. It provides examples of EFF implementation and program practices that support this research principle, related to the active application of knowledge and skills and how the EFF approach to education encourages learning transfer.

"Then I Stop Coming to School": Understanding Absenteeism in an Adult English as a Second Language Program
Susan L. Schalge and Kay Soga
This case study describes the distinct views of one program’s teachers and students regarding the structure and relevance of instruction, and its impact on absenteeism. Lack of transparency resulted in unclear expectations and an uncertain sense of progress.