Reflecting on the principles of curriculum design explored in this module has encouraged me to reconsider how I would revise other teaching sessions I have previously developed, including a presentation on Adult Learning in Nursing Education. If redesigning this session, I would begin by clearly defining the session’s overall goal and identifying specific learning objectives aligned with adult learning theory and clinical teaching practice.
The session would be structured to ensure alignment between the learning objectives, teaching strategies, and assessment methods. Teaching strategies would include brief concept explanations, discussion of clinical teaching scenarios, and opportunities for reflective dialogue so that participants could connect adult learning principles to their own teaching experiences.
To support learning during the session, formative assessment strategies such as discussion questions and case examples would be used to gauge understanding and encourage active participation. A brief summative assessment, such as a reflective prompt or short evaluation question, would allow participants to demonstrate how they could apply adult learning principles in their own teaching practice.
The intended learning outcomes of the session would focus on strengthening participants’ understanding of adult learning theory and their ability to apply these principles when teaching students or colleagues in clinical environments. Finally, participant evaluation and feedback would be collected to assess the session’s effectiveness and inform future improvements to teaching design.
This reflective process demonstrates how principles of alignment, sequencing, and evaluation can strengthen educational sessions and support intentional design of learning experiences in nursing education.
The 7 Principles of Adult Learning
Positioning the Session Within a Curriculum
This reflection also prompted me to consider how such a teaching session would fit within a broader curriculum rather than stand alone as a presentation. A session on Adult Learning in Nursing Education would be most appropriately positioned within an orientation program or an educator development course designed to support nurses who mentor students or newly hired staff. Within this curriculum, the session would follow introductory content on clinical teaching and precede sessions focused on specific teaching strategies or evaluation of learning. Placing the session in this sequence allows learners to first understand foundational principles of adult learning before applying them in practical teaching situations.
Syllabus Development
A syllabus for this session would clearly outline the course goals, learning objectives, teaching strategies, required preparation, and assessment methods. The syllabus would communicate expectations for participation in discussion and reflection activities and would provide learners with an overview of how the session contributes to broader learning outcomes within the course or orientation program. Presenting this information in advance promotes transparency, supports learner preparation, and reinforces alignment between learning objectives, instructional activities, and assessment strategies.
Through this reflection, I recognize that effective teaching sessions should not exist in isolation but should be intentionally integrated within a coherent curriculum structure. Considering curriculum placement and syllabus design strengthens the overall learning experience and supports meaningful development of teaching competencies in clinical practice.
Example: Session Placement Within a Course Syllabus
Course: Clinical Teaching and Mentorship in Nursing Practice
Session Title: Principles of Adult Learning in Clinical Education
Session Goal: To introduce nurses to foundational adult learning principles and their application in clinical teaching environments.
Learning Activities: Brief lecture, case discussion, reflective dialogue on clinical teaching experiences.
Assessment: Participation in discussion and completion of a reflective prompt connecting adult learning theory to clinical teaching practice.
Lee Dollery - Nurse Educator Portfolio 