TEACHING AND LEARNING

Programs

M.Ed. in Adult Learning

The Master of Education in Adult Learning is a 39-credit program of study that prepares individuals for a broad range of positions related to the education of adult learners. Graduates are found in major corporations, healthcare organizations, state and federal agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, human services agencies, and community colleges and university settings. Admission to the program is predicated on the “whole person” concept, taking into account life experience, academic record, references, and the reasons for the student’s interest in the program. An interview with the program coordinator is recommended prior to admission. We recommend that applicants have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience.

The program provides a two-course foundation in educational research and adult development. A strong core of eight courses brings together both theory and application, including classes in design, development, and delivery of adult learning in various adult learning environments.  The emphasis is upon equipping an educator of adults with the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work with a broad array of adult learners in business and industry, healthcare, government, education, non-profit, community, and human service agencies.

In the last two years of the program, students select one of three elective tracks for a three-course concentration in either Adult Literacy, Human Resource Development (HRD), or Teaching and Learning with Technology. The last course in the program, ADLT 636, the Capstone Seminar in Action Learning, reunites students from all three elective tracks for a comprehensive synthesis of learning as they work in action learning teams to solve a real problem of strategic importance to an organization in the community.

A unique feature of the program is an ongoing learning journal maintained as an ePortfolio in a weblog format, which, in combination with the capstone seminar, replaces a comprehensive examination requirement.  For the ePortfolio, students post regular reflections about what they are learning and how it can be applied to their work as an educator.  During the program, selected assignments are posted to the blog to document personal growth over time.  At the end of the program, students have the option of writing a paper to reflect on their overall program experience or creating a digital story that captures the learning experience in a creative format with images and narration. The ePortfolio is continuously reviewed by faculty throughout the program and fully assessed at the completion of the program.  The ePortfolio then serves as a demonstration of the graduate’s abilities to a prospective employer and can be added to a student’s resume as an Internet link. 

Program Requirements


 

credits

Foundations

6

 

EDUS 604 Adult Development

 

 

EDUS 660 Research Methods in Education

 

 

 

 

Core courses

24

 

ADLT 601 The Adult Learner

 

 

ADLT 602 Adult Program Planning, Management, and Evaluation

 

 

SELD 688 Lifespan Issues for Adults with Learning and Behavioral Disabilities

 

 

ADLT 603 Learning Strategies for Adults

 

 

ADLT 650 Adult Literacy and Diversity

 

 

ADLT 610 Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments

 

 

ADLT 612 Learning in Groups and Teams

 

 

ADLT 636 Capstone Seminar in Action Learning

 

 

 

 

Elective Tracks  - 9 credits in one of three concentrations

9

 

 

Adult Literacy Track

 

 

TEDU 552 Teaching English as a Second Language

 

 

READ 602 Literacy for Adults

 

 

TEDU 681 Investigations and Trends in Teaching: Issues in Adult Literacy

 

 

 

 

 

Human Resource Development Track

 

 

ADLT 620 Human Resource Development Overview

 

 

ADLT 623 Organizational Learning

 

 

ADLT 625 Change Strategies for HRD Practitioners

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching and Learning with Technology

 

 

ADLT 640 Theory and Practice of eLearning Integration into Adult Learning Environments

 

 

ADLT 641 Exploration of Digital Media for Adult Learning

 

 

ADLT 642 Design Challenges in Creating eLearning for Adults

 

 For more information, please contact Dr. Terry Carter at tjcarter@vcu.edu