Course Implementation & Evaluation Phase

For the implementation of the course, library staff whose job descriptions aligned with the course objectives were selected to participate. The library director identified three (3) staff members who met this inclusion criteria, and all of them took part in the course implementation.

Since they are adult learners and naturally self-directed, they were given the autonomy to choose when and where to take the course. They received a link to the online course via email, along with instructions to go through the lessons, complete the assessments, and fill out a feedback survey at the end. They were given a two-week period to complete everything, but impressively, they finished it right away. Two of them completed the course on the same day the link was sent, and the third finished it the following day. Their output (i.e., the updated version of the map) is also impressive. It shows how much they learned through the course and clearly proves that they can update it themselves when the need arises in the future.

Once all responses are in, I stated going through their feedback. They all rated the course positively across every aspect, and each one gave it a full 5-star rating! Their comments were incredibly heartwarming. They described the course as top-notch, extremely well-polished, and professional-looking, among other kind words. Hearing this kind of feedback made all the effort that went into building the course completely worth it.

The only minor hiccup was that one participant was using an older version of PowerPoint, so a few of the features demonstrated in the tutorial didn’t apply to them. To address this, I added notes in the course that provide alternative instructions for users of older versions of PowerPoint.

Overall, I would say that the implementation and evaluation of the online course was a success!

From this experience, I realized that adult learners, especially those who are working professionals, are truly different from younger learners. At first, I had doubts as to whether they would actually take the time to go through the course on their own without any supervision, but it turned out I was worrying for nothing. Knowles was right after all; Adults are indeed self-directed individuals who are internally motivated, especially when what they are learning has clear relevance in their personal and professional lives.

There weren’t any problems encountered in this phase. Everything went smoothly, even more smoothly than expected, as the participants responded in a timely manner and even showcased an excellent performance in the course.

If there are any minor issues to note, the only one would be that one of the learners was using an older version of PowerPoint. However, this wasn’t a major problem, as he was still able to perform and accomplish the tasks, since the older version of PowerPoint is capable of doing most of the actions involved in updating the map. Moreover, this was immediately resolved by adding notes in the course that provide alternative instructions for users of older versions.

Evidently, the strength in how this implementation and evaluation were conducted lies in its asynchronous nature. The learners were given the freedom to decide when and where to complete the course, which respected their autonomy and acknowledged their self-directed nature. In turn, they were able to complete the course in a timely manner and perform well. Perhaps, it also helped that the course was well-organized and aligned with Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction, so the learners have a clear idea of what is expected from them and is well-guided even if they’re learning on their own.

Ironically, I would say that the weakness also lies in the asynchronous nature of the course. Since learners go through the course in their own place and time, no one was there to guide them or answer their questions immediately if need be. Nonetheless, it looks like this wasn’t a big issue for them because, as one of the learners said: “I would have a question forming in my mind, and the tutorial would end up covering it.”

Based on the realization described in this eJournal, I would recommend to my future self to know your learners. As seen in this experience, because I took the time in the analysis phase to truly understand my learners, I was able to implement the course in a way that suited their situation as working professionals and their characteristics as adult learners. Though I had some doubts at first, this experience proved me wrong and showed that when learners see relevance and value in what they’re learning, they will take initiative and engage fully even without supervision.