Most central to the capstone experience is a practicum experience (60 hours) coupled with interactions with the professor and other students. The valuable learning experiences students will gain through applied, intentional professional leadership activities, as well as the ability to reflect on those experiences with peers, is a major focus of this course. Students will engage in self-assessment and explore their current and potential careers. Students will gain additional insights into the operation of educational, non-profit and cultural organizations; their professional goals in the field; and how these goals are to be achieved.
The course provides an overview of the Master’s Degree program including a review of leadership concepts, online instruction via eLearning and instruction creating an electronic on-line portfolio. This will be accomplished through the use of reading literature, participating in on-line discussions and writing a formal APA formatted paper. Students will gain an understanding of effective educational leadership strategies as reflected in the standards set forth in the State of Michigan Administrative Standards
This course is designed to help prepare graduate students who aspire to leadership positions in recognizing and understanding their personal leadership attributes and how those characteristics interface with organizational behaviors, the educational system and systemic change. This course will aid students in understanding how leadership theory and practice combine in the development of ideas about organizational behavior and systemic change leading to the acquisition of successful educational leadership skills.
Emphasis is on evaluation theory and methods and how these apply to the evaluation of programs. Skills addressed include effective verbal and written communication as well as critical thinking. Students will apply their knowledge to the design of program evaluations.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Leaps and Bounds (theoretical) After school Program at Kalamazoo Public Schools
Recommendation for the Integration of Organizational Evaluation, Performance and Learning Management
EMR 5400 is a graduate level course designed to develop skills in the fundamentals of research design and the uses and interpretations of research findings. Each student is expected to prepare a research proposal/literature review. EMR 5400 will introduce the student to many of the essential components necessary to carry out and evaluate research in the behavioral sciences. Topics include philosophy of science, finding and formulating research problems and questions, literature reviews and searches, basic concepts in measurement, sampling, ethical treatment of human subjects and qualitative and quantitative research methods and designs.
Research Proposal: The Impact of Online Learning on University Facility Planning
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) Completion Report
This course examines theoretical perspectives and current research and practice in the field of group dynamics. Topics covered include seminal and contemporary theories of intra and inter group dynamics, diversity in groups, group communication, and developing and leading teams. Adopting a group level viewpoint, specific topics include: inclusion and identity, formation, cohesion and development, structure, influence, power, leadership, performance, and decision-making. Throughout the course, students engage in experiential group activities (both inside and outside the classroom) to enhance their competence to assess group performance and to more effectively lead and develop cross-cultural teams.
IT LAN Managers at Western Michigan University: A Group Dynamics Study
Kalamazoo Literacy Council Team Dynamics Consultation
This course focuses on the theory and practice of coaching leaders in the context of organizational change. The course emphasizes development at the individual level, assessing and developing the student's increasing capabilities as both coach and leader. Topics include: ethics and professional standards, establishing a coaching presence, active listening and question thinking, goal setting and accountability, and contemplative practice and reflection. Based on theories of organization behavior and change, students engage in individual coaching, supported by a coaching framework, learning plans, and additional resources to sustain on-going coach development.
The capability to understand and to interact with diverse societal cultures across the world, and the skill to build effective local organizational cultures, are prerequisites to effective organizational change leadership. This course examines organizational culture from an interdisciplinary and global perspective. Key models of organizational culture and current research studies and practice processes are examined, with an emphasis on how culture develops and evolves, and its relationship to leadership and organizational effectiveness. With a deep understanding of various organizational and national cultures, students become empowered to organize systems, symbols, and people in ways that influence planning, policies, and resource allocations in their organizations.
Theory to practice presentation - The effects of organizational culture and environmental pressures on IT Project Performance: A modern perspective
Cross-cultural group project:
Focuses on the development of leadership skills for educational technology integration. Steps involved with planning, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating technology integration will be addressed. Specific management issues include creating technology plans and goals and managing technology finances. Policy and procedure issues such as staffing, scheduling, and technology security will also be presented. Students will be able to make informed decisions about technology selection, purchase, and implementation based upon the organization’s technology goals and financial resources.
This course is designed to help students discover how principles and theories of adult learning can be applies to create effective learning and training outcomes in formal and informal settings across multiple organizational contexts. Students will explore conditions, both internal and external to the learner, which are known to affect learning outcomes. In addition, alternative methods, strategies, and technologies that increase instructional effectiveness in various learning situations and circumstances will be explored.
Annotated Bibliography - Organizational Learning and Employees
The Effects of Leadership Style and Organizational Culture on Employee Learning
The course is intended for persons whose current or future professional roles involve them in consultation, delivery, leadership, or management of learning initiatives to promote individual and organizational change. It is a prerequisite for all other OLP concentration courses, and is a good choice for any person who desires to gain a critical understanding of learning and performance. Students develop knowledge and skills in analyzing organizational learning and performance operations, strategies, and approaches, applicable to public, private, and non-profit organizations.