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Guidelines for Designing AI Technologies to Support Adult Learning

● high · 2026-05-09lifelong-learning, personalized-learning, adaptive-learning, faculty-development, edtech-platform, human-in-the-loop-ai, faculty-development-genai, adaptive-learning-systems, rag

A set of 19 empirically-grounded design guidelines for AI-supported learning technologies tailored to adult learners, synthesized by Reddig et al. (2026) from longitudinal deployment data at a US national research institute focused on adult learning and online education.

AI Design Guidelines for Adult Learning

Definition

A set of 19 empirically-grounded design guidelines for AI-supported learning technologies tailored to adult learners, synthesized by Reddig et al. (2026) from longitudinal deployment data at a US national research institute focused on adult learning and online education.

The Adult Learning Gap

Most AI educational technology is designed for and evaluated in K-12 contexts. Adult learners have fundamentally different needs: time constraints from work/family, prior knowledge and experience, self-directed learning goals, and different motivation structures. This connects to Personalized Learning but requires distinct design considerations beyond what works for younger learners.

Design Guidelines

Derived from reflexive thematic analysis of deployment data across multiple AI learning technologies. The 19 guidelines address recurring challenges including:

  • Accommodating variable time availability
  • Leveraging prior knowledge and experience
  • Supporting self-directed goal-setting
  • Providing just-in-time rather than just-in-case learning
  • Integrating with workplace contexts

    • Validation

    A heuristic evaluation of the original deployed systems against the guidelines demonstrated their practical applicability. A companion exploration tool links guidelines to stakeholder statements, supporting designers in contextualizing recommendations.

    Connections to Wiki

  • Extends Personalized Learning into the adult learning domain
  • Complements Adaptive Learning with adult-specific design principles
  • Relevant to Faculty Development as faculty themselves are adult learners
  • Addresses gaps in Lifelong Learning technology design

    • Connected Concepts

  • Personalized Learning
  • Adaptive Learning
  • Faculty Development
  • Lifelong Learning

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    • Citation

    Reddig, J.M., Jr, G.R.S., authors), S.A.S.E.A., & 2026, D. (2026). Guidelines for Designing AI Technologies to Support Adult Learning