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YouPrep: An Online Course for New Educators

Learning Environment Design Project

Learner Characteristics

Demographics

Participants in the Online Educator Preparation Course Participants are mainly female (about 95%) between the ages of 21 and 40. Ethnic and racial backgrounds will vary but are mainly white or Hispanic/Latino. All have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. The degree is not in education. Most grew up in Homestead, Florida and recently decided to change careers. A large majority have young children under the age of seven.

Cognitive Characteristics

Developmental Level

  • All learners in this course have surpassed Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage and are capable of hypothetical and deductive reasoning (Santrock, 2018). Although, some believe that this stage declines as young adults grow and becomes Postformal Thought.

  • Some of the participants are considered emerging adults who enjoy experimentation and exploration, but might still be exploring different career paths (Santrock, 2018), hence the change in career from what they studied at university.

  • At this age Santrock (2018) also states that many adults are trying to find purpose. Perhaps they feel educating young minds is their true purpose in life. Others may feel that having time for their families is their purpose and therefore want the working hours of a teacher.

Ability

  • Learners have proficient reading skills, knowledge comprehension, skills of communication, and computer literacy.

  • Participants can communicate with partners and small groups as well as follow along with an online learning module and email instructor when they have any questions or would like further clarification.

Prior Knowledge

  • Learners have varying levels of prior knowledge concerning use of online learning technology. In order to successfully complete this course and be able to obtain all of the information presented, participants have working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs which will be used for lesson planning, data interpretation, and more.

Motivation Characteristics

Self-Efficacy

  • Learners will be asked to evaluate their level of self-efficacy through the use of a Likert-scale questionnaire with questions such as, “I can confidently plan an effective reading lesson.” A similar questionnaire will be given at the end of the course.

Value

  • Learners value the schedule teaching offers but do not realize the amount of preparation required during  their off hours before they even enter the classroom. This includes creating lesson plans, attending professional developments, grading assignments, and having meetings with parents. It will be made clear that by completing these modules they are saving time and guesswork they would have otherwise had to deal with.

Social Characteristics

Potential Issues with Power, Equity, and Inclusion

  • All of the participants are either white or Hispanic/Latino and live in a town where about 50% of the population is Hispanic/Latino and 40% are white.

  • None of the participants have any physical disabilities or known mental disabilities.

  • Ninety-five percent are female in a traditionally female profession.

  • Most participants consider themselves Christian or Catholic while a few are Jewish. This is where we find the largest issue with power, equity, and inclusion. Fulton Elementary traditionally celebrates Christian holidays and excludes holidays or minority religions. This can come in the form or religious celebrations in school and certain days off. Administration may schedule modules or live sessions on dates where religious minorities are observing religious holidays.

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