Chapter 11: Experiential Learning Project: Planning

Learner Experiences, Perspectives, and Needs

While identifying the client, it is important for the nurse to examine the learning considerations for the intended target population. Nurses should consider many population characteristics when developing educational materials and deciding on delivery methods. Developmental level, for example, may dictate how the population should receive the information. Young children learn best when the information is delivered in small chunks with supporting visuals and audio. As children move into school age, they are often able to obtain and comprehend more information with increased complexity. At this time, the family is the largest influence on a child’s behavior, so the family could be included in the educational program. As clients enter adolescence, they respond best when treated with respect and provided the information directly. Peer influence is much stronger at this stage as an adolescent’s autonomy increases (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023). Education should move from generalized to more individualized components related to their specific stage of life, so nurses may incorporate peer activities into the learning process for this population.

The general adult population seeks learning that is convenient and specific to their needs. Depending on their age and background, some adults may prefer printed forms of education versus solely electronic, while some may prefer the speed and convenience of electronic information. In today’s world, the use of and reliance on technology is ever increasing. While the increased use of technology has many advantages, specific populations may lack access, understanding, or a desire to use these learning methods. Additionally, adult learners appreciate pulling from their previous experiences and life circumstances. The more teaching can utilize adults’ past experiences, the more effective it will be. Some older adults may require additional time to become comfortable using technology for communication and information sharing (Ahmad et al., 2022). It is essential to remember that age does not directly correlate to developmental level. Development is multifactorial, so nurses should base education on how clients obtain, comprehend, and use information instead of their biological age.

Health literacy is another crucial factor when creating community education plans and resources. Assessing population health literacy begins with evaluating how well clients use everyday written materials to accomplish common tasks and progresses to assessing more conceptual ideas of mathematical and problem-solving concepts. This evaluation is often completed via a survey, and these surveys have been adapted over time to improve concepts and match the language of those being evaluated. Community health and public health nurses can view statistics within the United States to gain a broad view of national health literacy levels and can furthermore complete evaluations within a selected community or population to determine local literacy levels. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2019, 12 percent of Americans measured proficient in health literacy from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). Survey data show a marked gap between the portion of the population who are highly health literate and those who are well below average for health literacy levels. This gap creates additional complications when planning for health education that meets clients at their current health literacy level or fills gaps in literacy levels to improve understanding.

While developing educational materials, the nurse should consider the target population’s general and health literacy and tailor the materials accordingly. Nurses must be able to adjust their education styles to match the health literacy of the populations in which they work. This often means creating educational materials at the lowest level of literacy identified within the community to ensure all clients can understand and apply the information. Additionally, nurses should present education in multiple forms to capture the audience and convey meaningful information they can utilize. Thus, not only should the materials used to evaluate health literacy be considered, but so should the rigor and skills of the educator who is providing the information. Nurses should consider sociocultural factors regarding access to information and how it is disseminated within a community. Furthermore, any practices and policies used within the population in question should be considered to produce effective communication. If the norm of a particular community is that clients do not read or use written information to gain knowledge, then providing only written material will not best serve this community. Finally, with the growing diversity of the general population, preferred language must be considered for all forms of education and educational materials. The nurse should consider the preferred language for each client and the extent to which the client is fluent in this language. For example, some clients may be able to speak English but may not be able to read in this language, and vice versa.