19 Creating Scholar-Leaders: Teaching Experiential Learning through Technology at the Doctoral Level

Rationale: We present a new approach in doctoral level experiential learning through proposing teaching a practical and technology-oriented class. Preparing the upcoming generation of scholars and leaders to take both organizations and students to the next level requires innovation, technological skills and a potential reframing of existing doctoral pedagogy in specific practice related disciplines. Students in leadership doctoral program and other practice focused doctoral programs are good fit for experiential learning. These students often, or are required to, bring leadership experiences in professional nonprofit, public service and business backgrounds to their programs. These students also bring professional and community connections along with solid experience. Incorporating the subjective experience into the cognitive and behavioral learning inherent in doctoral level leadership education allows students to further develop their own leadership style and practices. The efficacy of experiential learning is well documented at the undergraduate level generally as well as in specific masters’ level disciplines. However, there is a paucity of research focusing on the use and efficacy of experiential learning at the doctoral level. Determining which teaching methodologies are the best methods to contribute to the development of all graduate learners is a constant. A recently completed mixed-method research study by the JMU faculty member and graduate student explored the efficacy of experiential learning at the doctoral level within a final Advanced Leadership course. In the process, this work investigated the advantages and challenges of experiential learning in a specific setting and shared the results from this study with national and international colleagues. In addition, we clarified how experiential learning evolved from the undergraduate level to graduate level practice and has the potential to expand the practice in various forms at the doctoral level. This research contributed to body of research defining some of the more effective strategies and technology-oriented teaching techniques for graduate students based on programmatic needs.

Plan for design and implementation: Based on the results of the research we propose to redesign an Advanced Leadership course. The Advanced Leadership course is the last

classroom-based class prior to the externship, comprehensive exam and dissertation process. The Advanced Leadership course has an organizational leadership and change focus providing students an opportunity to observe and evaluate leadership and management issues facing organizations in across the department’s research and concentration settings. The participants are advanced level graduate students with significant work experience and strong analytical skills leading to a highly motivating learning environment.

Our proposal will demonstrate a redesign of the Advanced Leadership course using technology in several ways:

1)   utilizing iPADs in creation of case studies – Many national and international organizations and institutions are using iPad(s) as part of their daily routine. For the proposed project, the researchers will communicate by utilizing iPad(s) before, during and after creation of the case studies to support the transition from theory to practice (visual presentation). This will allow JMU faculty members and graduate students to publish their advanced and professional case studies on an international level through an online platform. The iPads will not be used outside

of the university course. The creation of case studies will provide students with connections to faculty and alumni and to be exposed to current organizational cases. Students will have the opportunity to define, design, implement, assess and deliver the case analysis during the semester. These to be developed cases by faculty and alumni will be included in future experiential learning course content. It is anticipated that both faculty and select Ph.D. students will develop the cases.

2)   designing and implementing instructional learning materials by using instructional software tool – Adobe Captivate. These newly crafted case studies will be designed by using instructional software tools to provide a practical and systematic process to effectively design the cases.

3)   publishing alumni experience and exported instructional materials on WIX online platform and link to James Madison University web-page – The course will be exported instructional materials will be published on WIX and linked to the James Madison University page, allowing other graduate level experiential learning courses access to these case studies.

4)   connecting with graduate students at the selected international institutions on an online platform using Telepresence Room to solve case studies and share experiences – Faculty will work with their international connections, the Graduate School and the Center for Global Education to identify and connect with international graduate partners. It is hoped that by the end of the initial semester, the Advanced Leadership graduate students will connect with different graduate students at abroad institutions on an online platform using Telepresence Room to work together, present their findings and share their knowledge on a multi-international online platform. Experiential learning at the doctoral level can also enhance the university’s community and regional collaboration initiatives that supports the critical process of “interaction with professionals and community members that embeds technical skills within a larger practice of problem-solving in authentic civic life,” (Gronski & Pigg, 2000). Thus, not only enhanced “habits of mind” are developed, but “habits of action” as well (Roodin, 2001) enriching community-university engagement and relations nationally and internationally.

This proposal was constructed under the following set of assumptions:

·         Course required: Ph.D. course enrollment

·         Size of the class (each section): Up to 15 students among all participating institutions

·         Student diversity: Students have different leadership, organizational and research interests.

·         Duration of the course: Case module to be included within a traditional semester offering

·         Frequency and duration of class meetings: The case module portion will comprise 3-5 weeks of the course

·         Role of course professor: advisor, assessment and feedback provider, national and international company/institution consultants

·         Facilities: Computer Lab, Telepresence Room

·         International Collaborators – Currently identified potential partners: University of Prishtina, Kosovo, Khazar University, Azerbaijan, and United States International University of Africa, Kenya and others to be developed.