The University of British Columbia
Department of Educational Studies
Adult Education Program

ADED 329 - Developing Short Courses,
Workshops and Seminars

Term 2, Winter Session, 1998-99

Purpose of the Course

The primary purpose of this course is to help students acquire the capabilities necessary to develop, implement, and evaluate short-term, intensive educational programs for adult learners. Conferences, institutes, seminars, workshops, and short courses are programs of this type. The relative popularity of the short-term format may be attributed in part to the efficiency with which the learning transaction can be accomplished. Adults typically have many demands placed upon their time making the short-term format an often-preferred means of organizing instruction. Although the general principles and practices of program planning apply equally well to this and other formats, there are particular organizational and instructional skills required by the short-term format which are not as crucial when planning other educational programs

Expected Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course participants should be able to:

1. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of employing the short-term format in adult education and training;
2. Identify the distinctions between various program types that employ the short-term format;
3. Identify and describe the major tasks involved in planning short-term programs;
4. Develop a written plan using the program planning process as an organizing framework;
5. Choose from a range of evaluation approaches the one most suitable for a specific program; and
6. Evaluate a program design to determine its effectiveness and efficiency from both instructional and administrative perspectives.

Course Content

The following topics will form the basic structure of the course with other topics to be added as the special interests of the class participants are identified.

1. Unique qualities of the short-term format.

• Advantages from instructional and administrative perspectives
• Disadvantages from both perspectives
• Special skills required to employ the short-term format

2. Variations of the short-term format.

• Short courses
• Workshops
• Seminars
• Conferences
• Institutes
• Other less well known variations

3. The program planning process.

• Organizing for planning
• Analyzing the planning context and client system
• Justifying and focusing planning
• Clarifying intended outcomes
• Developing instructional plans
• Developing administrative plans
• Designing summative evaluation plans

4. Issues in planning short-term programs

• Involvement in planning
• Power and interests in planning
• Ethical issues in planning

Instructional Resources

The textbook for the course is available at the UBC Bookstore. It is:

Caffarella, Rosemary S. (1994). Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators, Trainers and Staff Developers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

A collection of additional readings relevant to the content of the course will be made available to each student. In order to cover the costs of reproducing these materials, each student will be assessed a materials duplication fee that will be collected at the third class meeting. The amount will be announced at the second class meeting, but it should be less than $20. A tentative schedule is attached that indicates the readings to be discussed during each session of the course. You should read the assigned materials before coming to the session at which they will be discussed because the more familiar you are with the materials, the more actively you will be able to participate in discussions. The printed materials will be supplemented with overhead transparencies, lectures, in-class exercises, and large- and small-group discussions.

Student Evaluation

This is a three-credit course that carries a maximum award of 100 marks. There are two major requirements for the course:

Each student will develop a written plan for an adult education program employing the short-term format. The student will decide who the client group will be, what the context will be, and what the content or focus of the program will be. This plan will be submitted in six units corresponding to a general planning model that will be presented in class, and the quality of this plan will be the basis for the final mark in the course.

Each student is expected to be prepared for, and to participate actively in, all class sessions. Although no mark will be assigned for participation because of the size of the class, active participation in large and small group discussions and in-class exercises is important in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to produce a first-class program plan.

You will be asked to complete and submit to the instructor a "Course Requirement Weighting Agreement" that indicates how you wish to have various "units" of the course project weighted in the final mark.

Availability of Course Instructor

To discuss any questions or concerns you have about the course or the project, contact the course instructor at the number below or by e-mail. If you do not reach the instructor on the first try; please leave a message and he will return your call as soon as he can. Appointments can be scheduled if you prefer to meet face-to-face.

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