Adult Career Pathways Resources

In project-based learning (PBL) students pose an important problem or issue, identify how to respond, and present results to a wider audience.  Using PBL in adult career pathway (ACP) courses can develop mastery of academic and occupational content, help master transitions skills, and promotes equity.  This PowerPoint slide set outlines the components of PBL as implemented in an ACP course, research about the effectiveness of PBL, and concrete examples of PBL used with low-literacy ELLs.

This document is intended to guide a systematic process of designing and documenting courses within an adult career pathway program (or for stand-alone courses related to preparation for a particular career).

The rubric can be used by an ABE program to review/evaluate its own adult career pathways (ACP) course curricula and/or to review ACP curricula from other sources for potential use. It also provides a useful guideline for best practices in ACP course curriculum design.

A simple 2-page guide with advice on articulating clear and learner-centered course objectives. Links within the document include a list of action verbs that is extremely helpful in defining what kind of learning and demonstration of that learning we expect upon completion of a lesson, unit or course.

This example of course objectives and the assessments used to measure them comes from a job preparation course for personal care assistant jobs.  Note the variety of assessment methods used and how each method matches the objective.

A useful 3-page summary of the what and why of backward design as an effective approach to designing a course, with a focus on the learning rather than the teaching.

Element Three of the Toolkit provides useful guidance and tools to ensure that career pathway courses promote the competencies required in the target career; utilize accelerated, contextualized learning strategies; provide flexible delivery methods; and integrate comprehensive support services.

Provides a very useful graphic and brief explanation of a 5-stage course design process. Stages include: course learning outcomes, assessment, learning activities, alignment and syllabus, and analysis and action.

This 2.5-hour, self-paced course features three modules: (1) Understanding Contextualized Instruction (and the supporting research); (2) Building Contextualized Lessons; and (3) Overcoming Development Challenges.

This 2.5-hour, self-paced course features three modules: (1) Understanding Bridge Programs; (2) Laying the Foundation; and (3) Developing the Curriculum.

Fifth in a series of five 2019-20 Minnesota ABE webinars on adult career pathways. MN Department of Education staff and ABE professionals from across the state describe a variety of strategies for delivering adult career pathway (ACP) courses with distance or hybrid learning.

View examples of learning task formats, which are routine structures for activities and tasks that provide practice of lesson content. Establishing consistent learning task formats creates predictability and a foundation for success for learners. Consistent learning task formats can also simplify instructor preparation of lessons.

A helpful 2-page reference document provides an overview of ABE content standards: the College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), Northstar Digital Literacy Standards, and Transitions Integration Framework. These standards are the guide in setting learning objectives in any adult career pathway course.

A compilation of various resources with hyperlinks to websites for work readiness curricula; work-contextualized English and basic skills curricula; and guidance in creating authentic, contextualized or embedded materials. (15 pages)

A brief 3-page overview with advice on best practices in writing a syllabus. A syllabus should be used in all adult career pathway courses as a way to communicate course plans and expectations to learners, and to familiarize them with the syllabus as a key document they will encounter in the post-secondary education setting.