Introduction
Overview of the Components and Innovations
Designing and developing a learning initiative is a multi-step process. In the design model presented here, the first step requires Need-focused Planning and Analysis, during which practitioners will clearly define the problem they hope to solve, identify the specific skill needs of a region and its employers, and scan the environment for relevant learning initiatives that are already offered.
The second step in this design model is one in which practitioners flesh out the kind of program they plan to offer, what delivery systems will be used, what learning modules they will offer, and what kind of degree or certificate or other outcome will result. We call this step Progress- and Success-focused Program Design because the learning initiative will need to have a format that supports success (both academic and on-the-job) and that motivates the learner to persist and complete discrete steps toward a learning goal.
The third step is Adult-Centered Implementation, which provides key components and innovations in the actual delivery of learning experiences. These draw upon a rich history of adult learning theory and practice, in which Assessment of skills and competencies takes precedence over “seat time,” Support Services provide adults with guidance and assistance in removing various barriers to learning, and the Teaching-Learning Process includes a wide range of strategies for instructional delivery that are in sync with the way in which adults best learn.
Finally, the model acknowledges that there are important components of the design process that do not occur in a single step. Strategic Partnerships are important throughout the process, as practitioners involve employers, community colleges and other training providers, public sector agencies, trade associations, chambers of commerce and others in the planning, design and implementation of a learning initiative. It is also important that practitioners consider and carry out Evaluation components from the very beginning of the initiative. At the start, proper program evaluation requires that practitioners set clear goals and outcomes for a project that will shape and define the data collected throughout the initiative. After the launch of the program, there is not only summative evaluation that looks at important outcomes, but also formative evaluation that feeds important information back to the program in order to realize continuous improvement in both design and implementation.