Adult vs Child Learning Example

In traditional K12 settings, the objectives tend to be as brief as possible and use language that the students will understand. 

With adult objectives, although being brief is always recommended, the objective language can be more advanced and provide more detail. 

For students, it helps to provide a story or situation that is basic enough for young learners to comprehend regardless of background. The teacher may also have to take the time to introduce new terms and concepts. 

For example: The teacher may introduce a story about a kid who wants to learn how to save up his weekly allowance to buy a new toy. 

For adult learners, it helps to provide a very realistic situation in which this new information may be helpful. The designer wants to create a situation that makes learners feel like this information is useful RIGHT NOW!!

For example: The training could provide a situation in which the learner is trying to learn new ways to save money and reduce their own credit card bill. 

In a K12 setting, the teacher would want to use small numbers to help introduce and explain budgeting concepts. The teacher would also have to explain in great detail how the different columns work and what information belongs in each column. The students would greatly benefit from a classroom discussion in which the teacher GUIDES the students through the fictional budget. 

Overview: Small number and limited steps with a lot of teacher guidance. 

In adult learning, the designer could create a semi-complex interactive budget. This would allow learners to edit numbers and experiment with how specific changes affect their budget. In addition, the designer could include helpful links and tips in this interactive to help introduce and teach new concepts. 

Overview: Learner freedom to discover their own learning with limited support to help foster their learning. 

Depending on the time available and the grade level being taught, the top priority for teachers would be for students to demonstrate mastery over key terms and concepts. This would be important because it would give the teacher valuable insight into whether or not the majority of the class has achieved the basic foundational information needed for budgeting. 

For example: This could be a multiple-choice test where students would select the correct explanation for the relationship between income and expenses. 

With adult learners, the focus will be on the ability of the learners to practice the new knowledge or skills and be able to also reflect on their experience. This emphasis on practice and reflection allows the designer to better understand if learners truly found this training beneficial. 

For example: The learner may also take an assessment that includes some multiple-choice questions but puts a higher emphasis on open-ended reflection questions.