During this session, participants will explore components of a successful blended masters program that has regularly utilized andragogical principles to inform all elements of both its program and course design model and its continuous improvement. Attendees will learn how theory regarding individuals, teams, and organizations informed the structure of a highly reflective masters curriculum that has graduated over 450 students during its 8-year history. Results of an alumni survey documenting successful program outcomes as former students assumed more senior/advancing job roles will be presented.
Session Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, attendees will:
- Be able to describe how this particular executive format program’s learning design team and faculty collaborated to design and implement course and program features that appeal to the psychologies and learning needs of mid-career adult learners.
- Consider how this programs blended approach further serves the needs of its students, immersing them in authentic workplace contexts where required, while conducting knowledge and foundational skills focused coursework largely online.
- Discuss how they might leverage these same learning and organizational principles to their own work, courses and programs at their own institutions.
Session Structure: During the session, attendees will first be introduced to this program’s learner population and the program design assumption that served as the foundation for this work. Attendees will then hear about the program features (described below), through the lens of the adult learning and organizational theories that drove their creation. A short reflection and worksheet activity will take place independently before the results of an alumni survey are shared highlighting what are students have taken from this novel program design into their workplace settings an emerging leaders in their own organizations. The session will conclude with a short discussion activity using their own worksheet and a structured Q&A.
Interest to the OLC Community: Learning designers, faculty, and administrators alike will find value in hearing about several novel program and course design elements which have proved successful for our adult learner population, including:
- Integrated curricular model: Over 20 discreet 2-credit and 3-credit courses in the residential MHA program were synthesized into eight discreet 5-credit blocks, which were designed for students already working in the health sector and are taken in sequence over a two-year period.
- Small class/online section size: Sections of each class are capped at 15 students, allowing for a great deal of personalized attention from instructors, more frequent and customized feedback for each student, additional group project work grounded in real-world healthcare delivery problems/solutions. This takes place during regularly scheduled synchronous class meetings with the instructor.
- High levels of instructor satisfaction: Faculty teaching in these courses report high levels of intrinsic motivation, role clarity, and satisfaction. We will explore the reasons why this program model also reaps benefits for instructors and their satisfaction.
- Opportunities for reflective practice: The small section size noted above also increases the discussion and focus on the issues students are currently encountering in their own health service organizations. Students maintain an ePortfolio throughout their time in the program, and maintained for the purposed of reflecting on their current work/practice and how they will put the knowledge and skills acquired in each module to work as they further develop in their careers.
- Emphasizing the value of teams and collaboration: Through several novel communities of practice informed program activities and a multi-disciplinary interprofessional education activity that takes place virtually with participants from programs across the globe, students are
- On-site Immersions Experiences, and continuously developing professional competencies: In addition to online coursework and class meetings, students attend four face-to-face immersions during their time in the program, including a Health Systems Analysis where students explore various healthcare organizations in one city/region to gain a big picture understanding of the service delivery environment/ecosystem.
- Relevant to current work and skills: Students conclude the program by performing an Organizational Research Project within their own healthcare workplace.
Session Interactivity: This session will have several short interactive activities built in that will serve as an opportunity for attendees to reflect on how the various elements of this particular hybrid program may be of use to them in their own job roles and programs/institutions. Attendees will be provided with a "theory-into-practice worksheet" where they will note the types of course and program design elements that may be of use to them now or at a future date. That worksheet will then be used as the foundation for a think-pair-share activity where they will consider how to leverage the ideas/course elements/program elements/strengths listed on their worksheet to meet their goals in the learning design and program support spaces. The session will conclude with a structured Q&A period where attendees will be invited to ask questions related to themes within the session.