EdD in Higher Education and Social Change

Mission of the EdD Program

This is an exceptionally innovative and extremely distinctive program of advanced, interdisciplinary and personalized studies, and it aims to prepare students for positions, careers, and/or community involvement in leadership and creative change through the use of innovative strategies of adult and higher learning. WISR students are strongly motivated people, who find WISR’s learner-centered methods well-suited to their needs and purposes, and who are confident that WISR can help them to achieve a high level of expertise in action-research and in their chosen field(s)—in community leadership and education, and their particular areas of professional practice.

This program, like all of WISR’s educational programs, is suited for learners with many different types of future goals, including but not limited to: changing careers, pursuing advancement in one’s existing career, becoming more capable and more meaningfully engaged in one’s existing job or career niche, or making contributions to others and to the larger community as an unpaid expert drawing on one’ professional knowledge, skill and talents.

For example, WISR EdD students may aim to promote and excel in the advanced education of professionals, adult continuing education, parent education, lay and community education, life coaching and relationship coaching, adult literacy, foreign language instruction, and global and international education; as instructors and faculty in colleges and universities, in working on curriculum development and reform in adult and higher education, the education of special populations with special needs, and the use of the internet, multimedia and mass media for education. WISR’s EdD program is especially suited to students who are interested in the role of education in working toward social changes for justice, sustainability and multiculturalism, either inside and outside of established institutions of higher and adult learning. Graduates of this program may aim to seek employment in non-profits, schools, businesses, colleges, professional associations and educational groups, nongovernmental organizations, or to start their own organizations or become self-employed. WISR encourages people to apply whose purposes and interests are within the scope of our EdD program’s offerings, and who are aiming to develop distinctive career niches for themselves.

Program Outcomes: Mission and Context

Program learning outcomes are guided by several important considerations:

WISR’s EdD in Higher Education and Social Change curriculum, including program outcomes and evaluation is guided by WISR’s institutional vision to be a “hub for community-based, social- action organizations and leaders that use higher learning and adult education to bring innovative theory into action for positive social change.”

In addition, WISR’s EdD in Higher Education and Social Change curriculum, including program outcomes and evaluation is guided by WISR’s mission and the learning “meta-competencies” that are derived from WISR’s missions and values, that is, self-directed learning, action-oriented inquiry, multiculturalism, social justice, effective communication and collaboration, and the value of using one’s studies to build bridges to the future.

Finally, in implementing the program curriculum through program outcomes, course outcomes, module outcomes, and measures, indicators, and evaluation rubrics, we draw on the first two areas of consideration, and also on the knowledge gained through WISR’s history of offering academic degree programs for innovative educators wishing to innovate in colleges and universities, professional education endeavors, and/or in popular, community-based adult education, while also aiming to contribute to larger social change. This knowledge is augmented by the collective academic and professional experience and knowledge of WISR’s faculty.

A: EdD Program-Specific Learning Outcomes

The student will demonstrate that they:

1. Know how experts use research, and articulate and use theories, key concepts, and professional practices in adult/higher education, and the possible roles of education in societal change.*
2. Evaluate key theories and methods of educational innovation and social change.
3. Apply skills of conscious and deliberate planning in pursuing goals as an innovative educator or leader, as indicated by making critical comparisons of alternative courses of action, for example in course-based action-research projects.
4. Create new theoretical applications and strategic practices in at least one area of specialization, and within one specific setting, aiming to promote educational improvements that might contribute to greater societal or community well-being, as indicated especially by an in-depth inquiry during the Doctoral Dissertation. [Note: This outcome builds on the knowledge achieved in outcome #1.]
5. Apply skills of doing a creative, critically-minded and comprehensive review of the literature in an area of special interest to the student.

*[Covering the following areas: Education for diversity and inclusiveness; Theories of education; Roles of education for social justice, human dignity, and environmental sustainability; Theories and practices in higher education, professional education, and community-based popular adult learning.]

In addition to the above-mentioned EdD program-specific PLOs, EdD students must demonstrate the following mission-determined PLOs:

B. Self-Directed Learning.

Demonstrate skills as a self-directed learner, as indicated by critically minded, intentional, and improvisational learning in doing their course assignments and dissertation.

C. Action-Research.

Engage in creative and critically informed uses of methods of participatory and action-research in the pursuit of new, specialized knowledge and proficient practices, especially as indicated through their action-research projects and dissertation.

D. Multiculturalism and Inclusiveness.

Demonstrate an awareness of issues of diversity and inclusiveness, by showing a sensitivity to the issues involved in working as an adult educator with diverse populations, as indicated in their writing, dialogue, dissertation, and/or action-research projects.

E. Social Change and Justice.

Analyze the connections of educational practices that are both impacted by and aimed at addressing various community or societal problems and challenges–by showing in their writing, dialogue and/or action-research projects that they are inquiring into ways of creating change for social justice, greater equality and environmental sustainability.

F. Communication and Collaboration.

Demonstrate skills of clear and engaging written communication, and of effective oral communication and collaboration, as indicated in action-research projects and in producing a dissertation that can be used by others to work for valuable improvements and change, and also that is of sufficient quality to be considered seriously for professional publication.

G. Build Bridges to the Future.

Demonstrate an awareness of employment opportunities, or if they prefer, meaningful volunteer opportunities, and begin building bridges, i.e., specific action steps, to their post-graduate involvements, especially as indicated in their action-research projects and Doctoral Dissertation.

Evaluation by Program Learning Outcomes

These outcomes will be evidenced in the written assignments for each course–and guided and evaluated by course learning outcomes and module learning outcomes within each course. They will also be evaluated and evidenced through the student’s course-based action-research projects, their ongoing dialogue with faculty and the oral exams in each course, in the thesis, and in their collaborations with others, such as in seminars and the online forum.

Five Program-Specific PLOs: As a graduate institute, we require students to achieve five program-specific PLOs, each of which is quite substantial and complex, and not achieved through one single, simple indicator or outcome. Consequently, we have identified two to six or so indicators/more specific outcomes, which when attained, provide tangible and convincing evidence that the main PLO has been achieved.

Six Mission-Directed PLOs: In addition to the program-specific outcomes, we have six mission-directed learning outcomes that are determined by our mission and values and reflected in the resulting meta-competencies expected for each WISR student across all WISR programs.

The more detailed articulation of these PLOs, and additional key indicators are:

1. a) used by faculty in evaluating and documenting student learning—including being tracked and noted on a PLO spreadsheet in each student’s file, in paperwork placed in each student’s file when a faculty member has determined the achievement of the PLO and the evidence for the achievement of the PLO,

   b) used by students in becoming oriented to their degree program’s requirements, and in following the instructions in each course that students read and use to guide, and self-assess, for faculty review, and their progress in achieving the PLO,

   c) used by faculty in evaluating the progress and success of students as a whole in their learning at WISR. This approach is critical to our achieving the PLO.

These more detailed articulations of PLOs and indicators are found in our online courses, rubrics, curriculum maps and PLO tracking worksheets.

Outcome Evaluation Using the Dreyfus Model of Expert Knowledge

The Dreyfus Model is used to evaluate the effectiveness of WISR’s degree programs, and to integrate the achievement of degree program learning outcomes. The stages of the Dreyfus Model that are used at WISR are:

1. the stage of “competent” serving as an orienting learning goal to guide students and faculty in the Master’s programs at WISR, and
2. the stage of “proficient” providing an orienting learning goal for students and faculty in the Doctoral program.

From time to time, we have seminars on this Model at WISR, to engage students and faculty in reflecting on and discussing how to make use of it to aid learning at WISR. Here are a few highlights to consider.

The “competent” expert comes to appreciate that simple recipes do not adequately address the nuances of, variations in, and complexity of real-life situations. As Master’s students progress in their studies, and are engaged in many levels of learning—for example, the levels articulated in Bloom’s taxonomy: understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating—their behavior and learning are increasingly characterized by the following indicators of the “competent” stage of expert knowledge and skills. They:

• Engage in deliberate planning
• Understand the importance of each specific context/situation
• Use guidelines, not rules, to determine their actions
• Are emotionally-involved in the outcomes of their actions (a strong sense of Responsibility) (commitment)
• Use what they see to be the most valuable and “relevant perspectives” for each situation, rather than relying on rules. They may not have the creativity of a proficient expert to develop a new theory or strategy, but they will strategically analyze and evaluate what they have learned to make an educated choice about what they see to be the situationally most appropriate action or plan, from among their knowledge of the “available alternatives.” So, they:
• Analyze and evaluate what they have learned, and then also make judgements based on their experiences

Doctoral students achieve the stage of the “proficient” expert, including the capacity to develop new theories and new approaches to practice as a result of the further development of several, key skills and qualities of learning, all of which are aided, especially, by the strong, and continual, emphasis at WISR on a transformative approach to action-research in every doctoral course. This includes:

• a focus on involved understanding and inquiry—emotional engagement in not only the outcome of one’s efforts (“responsibility) but also in the process of inquiry itself (where the learner develops a stronger sense of their own voice, commitments to their purposes and values, an almost ever-present curiosity to learn more, and to improvise (revise and re-formulate) the next steps in both action and inquiry.
• a creative search to look for patterns, to use holistic analysis in addition to analysis by dissection, or in addition to breaking ideas and information into separate parts. This, in turn, leads to:
• an awareness of the “bigger picture”—specific concrete situations are evaluated with a conscious consideration of their connections with the larger context.
• a search for a variety of sources of data and experience—this is the opposite of tunnel vision, and WISR’s approach to action-research requires that students learn how to “sample for diversity”—that is, look for data, for observations, applications and experiences, that reflect a wide range of possibilities.

It is important to note that these sophisticated and complex learning processes must grow out of a solid foundation and knowledge of a variety of theories and practices, and the ability to evaluate those theories and practices. The qualities of the competent expert are very important as a foundation for the development and learning toward being a proficient expert. So, even in WISR’s doctoral program, significant attention is given to further developing solid foundational knowledge of theories and applications in the field of higher education and social change.

So, along with the key skills and qualities of learning noted above, the achievement of the “proficient” level of expert knowledge and skills is indicated by the learner doing the list below. And, it should be noted that these actions are critical if one is to make creative contributions to one’s field of specialization and major area of expertise! The proficient learner

• Prioritizes aspects of situations
• Seeks out, and is exposed to, an increasing variety of situations
• Critiques, re-evaluates, and often changes goals [not just changing their method to achieve a fixed goal]
• Is emotionally-involved in the effectiveness of their process of inquiring and understanding (not just involved in the result or outcome)
• Evaluates past successes and failures, as part of their engaged action-and-inquiry.
• Uses maxims, or broad principles, and also adapts the maxims to situations (which is the first step in creating new theories and new practices).

To learn more about the Dreyfus Model go to:

https://www.nateliason.com/blog/become-expert-dreyfus and

http://www2.psych.utoronto.ca/users/reingold/courses/ai/cache/Socrates.html

For further discussion, go to: Chapter 5, Cases and Stories of Transformative Action Research. Bilorusky, J. Routledge Press, 2021.

Orientation to the EdD Program

Learning the WISR Way

All entering EdD students must enroll in a three-semester unit course on “Learning the WISR Way.” In this course, students read articles about WISR’s approach to learning, including self-directed, learner-centered education; discuss these articles with WISR faculty; interview alumni and currently enrolled students to learn more about WISR’s approach to learning.

Description and Goals: This is an introductory course, required of WISR students in all degree programs, which is designed to enable students to progress more effectively toward the successful completion of the degree program at WISR, so that students can get the most from their WISR education—in pursuing their learning passions and career interests, in developing the core meta- competencies valued at WISR, and in building bridges for themselves to the next significant things they wish to do in their lives. Students read and study the methods of “Learning the WISR way”– studying the theories and strategies of WISR’s approach to transformative learning for professional and community leadership, as well as learning from stories and specific examples drawn from the experiences of other WISR students.

Also, students are introduced to methods of notetaking and writing in their own voice, as well as the use of professional conventions in formal writing and strategies of effective online research. In this course, students reflect on, discuss and write about what they are learning in the course, and the culminating papers are a reflective autobiographical essay, a preliminary educational plan and a self-assessment inventory of strengths, challenges, needs, and opportunities in the pursuit of their future goals and learning.

In writing these papers, students must include a statement of how and why WISR’s self-paced, learner-centered methods are appropriate for them—with fewer hours in traditional, large classrooms, and more time spent for 6 or more hours per week in one-on-one mentoring sessions and small group seminar discussions.

Distance learners must include in their autobiographical statement, learning plan, and self- assessment, an analysis of how and why distance learning at WISR is feasible for them, and will result in their being able to meet their needs and accomplish their goals.

These statements are to be discussed, reviewed and approved by at least one member of the WISR EdD faculty.

Finally, this course is also used to introduce and orient new students to 1) WISR’s career center and resources, and 2) WISR’s library resources, the library resources of other libraries and online databases which WISR will enable or help students to access.

Core Areas of Learning and Competency, or “Meta-Competencies” to be Developed, Across All WISR Degree Programs

As a further way to define and structure WISR’s curricula—across all of our degree programs— the seven core areas of learning or “meta-competencies” (below) will provide WISR students and faculty with some guiding directions, within all degree programs. Furthermore, each course within each program will aim to help students to develop further their competencies in more than one of these areas, and in some cases at least, in most of these competency areas.

The degree program learning outcomes at WISR are conceptualized and articulated within learning goal areas defined by these meta-competencies. The required learning outcomes for each degree program from MS to EdD progress, by evidencing increasing levels of knowledge and skills–from competent (and ready to become proficient) to proficient (and ready to become expert).

Master’s degree students will develop special competence and in-depth knowledge in at least one field of specialization (e.g., Marriage and Family Therapy, Community Leadership or Educational Leadership) and in one or more areas of personal interest within that field.

Doctoral degree students will 1) develop specialized knowledge in one or more areas of special interest within the interdisciplinary field of higher education and social change, and 2) engage in creating new knowledge and/or new practices in the interdisciplinary field of higher education and social change, and especially in one or more areas of the special, personal interest within that field.

The Seven Core Areas of Learning or “Meta-Competencies”:

1.  Developing Skills as a Self-Directed Learner, Including Becoming a Conscious, Intentional, and Improvising Learner

• Engaging in lifelong, self-directed, self-motivated and improvisational learning, in the realm of professional practice, and in other domains in one’s life. Developing strong skills in self- assessment is especially important to this area of meta-competency.
• Willingness and ability to re-evaluate and change directions and plans—ability to improvise, including the inclination and ability to turn challenges and problems into opportunities.
• Developing and Using Curiosity, along with one’s own sense of purpose and meaning.
• Pursuing Long-term plans, alternatives, goals and pathways.
• Quite importantly, consciously and intentionally building bridges to the next important phases of one’s life–this means that learning activities at WISR should lay a foundation for the next steps, and more than this, should create pathways and movement along the pathway to the next significant things the learner wishes to do in her or his life.
• In using the Internet, this means becoming aware of strategies for finding material– readings and information from a variety of sources and learning how to critically evaluate the usefulness and validity with the extensive material, resources and data available.

2.  Gaining Expertise in Methods of Participatory Action-Inquiry and Qualitative Research

• Seeing oneself as a builder of knowledge
• Learning from the experience and knowledge of others
• Developing methods of critical inquiry in order to evaluate the strengths and methods of specific approaches to sampling, data gathering, data analysis, and uses of findings.
• Use of participatory action-inquiry to build knowledge and to fashion effective improvisations
• Using Stories and concrete examples to develop and convey theories.
• Developing a broadly informed perspective on science and scientific methods, in order to better inform one’s own inquiries and the inquiries of others within one’s profession and chosen area(s) of specialization.

3.  Developing a Multicultural, Inclusive Perspective

• Developing and using multicultural perspectives to inform one’s purposes, and one’s views of social issues and challenges and opportunities in one’s chosen fields or arenas of endeavor— profession, workplace, community.
• Developing a sense of empathy, compassion and community toward, and with, others.
• Appreciating and understanding the broad spectrum of perspectives and consciousness, and how those arise out of people’s culture, gender, economic background, religious and sexual preferences.

4.  Developing Skills in Making Connections with the Bigger Picture and Inquiring into Ways of Creating Change for Social Justice, Greater Equality and Environmental Sustainability

• Developing Economic/political/societal/cultural/environmental literacy and social change in a multicultural society.
• Understanding of issues and challenges of sustainability, in relation to current decisions being made today.
• Ability to understand, appreciate, act with awareness of the bigger picture as well as the immediate tasks to be accomplished.
• Understanding and appreciating the connections between individual transformations and societal change, including how societal circumstances, especially injustices and inequalities, skew the way people understand and make sense of their experiences and make decisions about themselves and others.
• Understanding the impact of political/social/economic inequities and injustices, and possible directions and strategies toward greater justice.

5.  Communicating Clearly to One’s Audiences, in One’s Own Voice, and on Topics that Matter to the Learner, and to Learn to Collaborate with Others

• Writing and communicating clearly, purposefully and inquiringly, and in one’s own voice.
• Using stories, ideas, visions and proposals, and questions to communicate.
• Reading Critically and for Relevance.
• Developing Imaginative (Creative) and Critical Thinking.
• Integrating Theory and Practice—learning how to develop and use theory and practice in relation to one another, and how to communicate to others about this interplay.
• Ability to think and communicate within one’s sphere of professional practice, and the ability to step outside the boundaries and scope of that professional community, in order to better contribute to one’s profession, as well as the larger society.
• Ability to collaborate—experience, motivation and understanding in working with others.
• Understanding the Uses and Limitations of the Technology, including but not limited to the internet, multimedia, social networking; this includes further developing one’s technical and computer literacy, as part of the collaborative process, and understanding the limitations of technology as well.

6.  Developing the capability of pursuing employment opportunities and/or community involvements, appropriate to one’s capabilities, experience and interest

• Exploring and gain knowledge of professional and/or community leadership career paths that incorporate one’s interests, values and purposes.
• Gaining experience in leadership and in professional and/or community engagement (practical learning, experiences, identifying and using resources, challenges and opportunities, leadership skills and strategies, profit and non-profit).
• Gaining sufficient competence and expertise in one or more areas of specialization to be considered for positions that make good use of one’s competence, skills and expertise.
• Ability to use one’s knowledge, skills, and ability as self-directed learners to make one’s current job positions more interesting, meaningful and/or productive; and/or to create one’s own options and alternatives for employment and/or community involvement, such as for, graduate level learners, especially, starting a new program in an existing organization, starting a non-profit, or creating one’s own self-employed practice or community involvement efforts.

7.  Becoming Knowledgeable in One’s Major Field of Study, and in One’s Particular Area(s) of Specialization

• Understanding the “lay of the land” in terms of what others have done and learned—theory and practice.
• Competencies Need in One’s Specific, Chosen Areas of Professional Specialization
• Engagement with some portions of the communities of professionals, practitioners, writer/researchers, and/or engaged citizens in one’s chosen area(s), or at least engagement with the ideas, stories, lessons, problems and questions, and practices of these communities
• Understanding the limitations of and problems facing people in this/these area(s)
• Progress in beginning to formulate one’s own ideas and sense of direction in the chosen area(s) of specialization
• Developing the capability of pursuing employment opportunities and/or community involvements, appropriate to one’s competencies, experience, and interests.