Using the Engelbart Organizational Learning Schema to Frame Professional Learning for College Educators

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2019-06-19

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North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture

Abstract

In an ever-changing higher education climate, the need for improving instruction has never been as compelling or as challenging as it is today. The new trend of cross-institutional and globalized education continues to define higher education and impact the way quality teaching is conceptualized, facilitated, and evaluated. Previous studies have identified a significant gap in literature on the impact of the outcomes of instructional development at the meso level. The meso level focuses on such things as the relationship between professional learning and institutional culture, institutional and department practices, and teaching teams. Keeping this in mind, this case study of the professional learning unit for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) presents how the Engelbart Organizational Learning Schema was used to frame three types of professional learning events for educators in order to facilitate a culture of continuous improvement in instruction. Level-A is individual learning, Level-B is learning within a unit, and Level-C is learning across units within an organization. Analysis of 16 focus group sessions with educators who participated in the aforementioned professional learning yielded the following outcomes: 1) there was an increase in commitment to the work of improving instruction; 2) a structure for instructional coaching and support was established; and 3) everyone involved in the professional learning aligned their instructional practices with the academic goals of the institution. Accordingly, this schema provides a feasible structure for colleges seeking to incorporate instructional professional learning into their academic culture.

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