project overview

Client: Institute for the Professional Development of Adult Educators (IPDAE), Florida Department of Education

My Role: Lead Instructional Designer, Course Developer, and Lead Instructor

Platform: Canvas LMS

Format: 50-Hour Online Professional Learning Course

Instructional Design Frameworks: ADDIE, Quality Matters Rubrics, Adult Learning Principles, Collaborative Action Research, and Iterative Intelligence: HII to AII Cycle

Target Audience: Adult literacy educators, instructional specialists, and other professionals supporting adult general education programs.

The Challenge

Adult literacy educators serve learners with diverse reading and writing abilities, educational experiences, and personal, academic, and professional goals. Effective instruction requires educators to assess learner competencies, interpret literacy standards, and select research-based strategies appropriate for different proficiency levels.

The challenge was to develop a comprehensive, accessible, and practical online professional learning experience that would help educators translate literacy research and state standards into effective classroom instruction.

Equally important was creating opportunities for educators to learn from one another, apply new approaches in their teaching contexts, and contribute to a growing community of adult literacy practice.

Desired Behaviors and Measurable Outcomes

The course was designed to help participants demonstrate five core competencies:

1. Analyze structured adult literacy instruction across different reading and writing levels.

2. Apply Florida Adult Education curriculum matrices to instructional planning.

3. Design and implement reading instruction using appropriate research-based principles, practices, and strategies.

4. Design and implement writing instruction using appropriate research-based principles, practices, and strategies.

5. Collaborate with colleagues to develop, evaluate, and refine adult literacy instruction.

Participants demonstrate these competencies through analysis discussions, instructional planning activities, classroom applications, peer exchanges, and collaborative action research.

Successful completion requires an average of at least 85% on required course activities, assessed using assignment-specific rubrics.

The Instructional Design Process

I approached the course using the ADDIE instructional design framework, with Quality Matters principles informing the organization and alignment of the online learning experience.

Analysis

The course outcomes were informed by needs analyses and focus group discussions with adult literacy teachers, administrators, and trainers.

These findings established the need for practical professional learning focused on learner assessment, literacy standards, research-based instruction, and collaboration.

Design

I organized the course around five progressively connected modules, moving from foundational concepts and learner assessment to reading and writing instruction, classroom application, and collaborative knowledge sharing.

The design emphasizes constructive alignment between learning outcomes, instructional resources, authentic activities, and assessment criteria.

Quality Matters principles informed attention to clear learning objectives, consistent organization, learner engagement, assessment alignment, and instructional support.

Development

The course was developed in Canvas using a consistent module structure that includes:

• Clearly defined learning objectives.

• Research-based readings, presentations, and instructional resources.

• Analysis discussions examining concepts, models, and teaching practices.

• Application activities connecting course content to instructional planning.

• Optional reflection, resource sharing, and feedback opportunities.

• Rubric-based assessments supporting clear expectations.

Implementation

The course provides a structured online learning experience supported by asynchronous discussions and optional synchronous meetings.

Participants engage with colleagues, receive instructor feedback, and apply course concepts to authentic instructional challenges.

Evaluation

Evaluation is embedded through rubric-based assessments, classroom application, peer feedback, participant reflections, and the end-of-course evaluation survey.

The collaborative action research component also encourages educators to gather evidence from instructional implementation and use feedback to refine their teaching practices.

The Instructional Solution

I developed a five-module learning experience organized around a progression from understanding adult literacy learners to designing and sharing effective instruction.

Module 1: Foundations of Teaching Adult Literacy

Participants examine adult literacy learner profiles, program contexts, and the challenges and opportunities associated with teaching learners across proficiency levels.

Module 2: Applying Florida Literacy Standards

Participants analyze learners' literacy levels and apply Florida Adult Education curriculum matrices to prepare appropriate instruction.

Module 3: Planning for Reading Instruction

Participants examine reading instruction models and approaches, analyze their teaching practices, and develop research-based reading activities.

Module 4: Planning for Writing Instruction

Participants explore key concepts and components of writing instruction, then develop and apply instructional activities aligned with learner needs.

Module 5: Contributing to the Field of Adult Literacy Instruction

Participants synthesize their learning, share instructional resources, and contribute to the professional knowledge of the adult literacy education community.

AI Integration

A distinguishing feature of my instructional design approach is the integration of the Iterative Intelligence: HII to AII Cycle, connecting four complementary processes:

1. Human Intelligence: Individual instructional planning and internal dialogue grounded in educator expertise and knowledge of learners.

2. Human Interaction: Collaborative planning and dialogue among teachers and learners to explore instructional challenges and possibilities.

3. Assistive Intelligence: Strategic prompting with AI tools to explore instructional approaches, generate possibilities, and refine planning.

4. Assistive Interaction: Question posing, evaluation, and iterative refinement of instructional products.

Applied to adult literacy instruction, the cycle provides a framework for examining learner needs, exploring research-based reading and writing strategies, developing level-appropriate activities, and refining instructional plans.

For example, an educator might begin by analyzing learners' reading comprehension needs, collaborate with colleagues to identify instructional strategies, use research-aligned AI prompts to develop an activity, and evaluate and refine the resulting lesson.

The framework emphasizes the complementary roles of educator expertise, professional collaboration, and AI-supported instructional improvement.

Collaborative Action Research

A central design feature is the integration of collaborative action research as a bridge between professional learning and classroom practice.

Rather than simply studying instructional approaches, participants are encouraged to:

1. Identify an instructional challenge in their teaching context.

2. Analyze relevant research, learner needs, and instructional strategies.

3. Design an appropriate reading or writing activity.

4. Implement the activity in an authentic instructional setting.

5. Gather feedback and examine evidence of its effectiveness.

6. Reflect, refine, and share instructional insights and resources.

This process supports professional learning that is grounded in authentic teaching experiences and strengthened through collaboration.

The culminating lesson plan exchange extends learning beyond individual participants by encouraging educators to contribute resources that can benefit other adult literacy instructors.

Community Building and Learner Engagement

The course intentionally positions participants as experienced professionals who bring valuable knowledge to the learning community.

Analysis discussions, collaborative planning activities, optional reflection opportunities, and resource sharing encourage participants to examine multiple perspectives and support one another's professional growth.

Optional synchronous meetings provide additional opportunities to explore instructional challenges, exchange practical strategies, and strengthen professional connections.

This design reflects an adult learning approach in which participants' experiences, professional goals, and teaching contexts become central resources for learning.

Instructional Leadership

Beyond designing and developing the course, I serve as a lead instructor and support a team of instructors delivering multiple cohorts.

My responsibilities include facilitating professional learning, supporting instructional consistency, encouraging participant engagement, guiding feedback practices, and contributing to ongoing course refinement.

Outcomes and Impact

The resulting course is a 50-hour professional learning experience approved by the Florida Department of Education and delivered through IPDAE.

Participants who successfully complete the course earn a 50-hour certificate of completion certified by the Florida Department of Education through IPDAE.

The course provides structured opportunities for educators to:

• Strengthen their understanding of adult literacy instruction.

• Apply state literacy standards to instructional planning.

• Develop and implement research-based reading and writing activities.

• Evaluate and refine their instructional approaches.

• Collaborate with colleagues and contribute reusable instructional resources.

• Explore AI-supported instructional refinement.

Evidence of Learning: Rubric-assessed activities, instructional plans, classroom applications, action research reflections, and shared lesson resources.

Key Design Insight

Professional learning becomes more meaningful when educators move beyond understanding instructional concepts to applying, evaluating, and sharing their practice.

This project illustrates my approach to instructional design: connecting stakeholder needs, systematic course development, research-based instruction, authentic application, and professional collaboration to create learning experiences that support continuous improvement.