Background of the Setting
All participants in the GCM professional development were employees of a large, fully online university. The school offers courses that range from certifications to associate’s, bachelor’s, and doctoral degrees. The population of students served ranges from active military, military veterans, military spouses, to civilians; ages range from Millennial's to those in the silent generation.
All faculty members who participated in this expansive professional development opportunity taught the same gateway course for the university and comprise a department within the university. For further clarity and understanding, the gateway course is the entry-level course that is required for all transfer and First Year Experience (FYE) students. The curriculum is to support students who are new to the university, and often new to online higher education, to become productive researchers. They learn to utilize the university library’s vast collection and consider outside use of appropriate internet search engines. The course is to prepare them for successful research practices required in future courses as well as in identifying trustworthy and reliable sources for professional and personal use. Successful completion of the gateway course provides a foundation for students as they enter their degree programs.
Overview of the GCM Framework
Below, you will see Figure 1, an overview of the framework that will be discussed in the following pages.
Figure 1: Overview of Framework
You will note that this framework includes many layers and steps, all starting with the need for change. This was not a process that was executed instantly. Training, teamwork, planning, meetings, communities, and a lot of self-reflection occurred throughout. Additionally, the four theories of group coaching and mentoring, metacognition, self-regulated learning, and communities of practice all worked in unison to deliver this framework and create the success that the department enjoyed.
Participatory Action Research
Moving through this untested endeavor required a scholarly and thoughtful approach. Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an active way to solve a problem or to create intentional change dealing with the individual and community. It is built on continual cycles of action, reflection, and evaluation. The community of practice theoretical foundation became the avenue where the cycles of PAR were carried out throughout each stage of the Group Coaching and Mentoring Framework. Torbert’s (2004) Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry (CDAI), was integrated into the framework at each level, specifically the reflection area of the cycle. Torbert (2004) notes the utilization of three levels of inquiry from the first, second, and third person points of view. This gave way to multi-level perspectives throughout the year and the different roles of the participants in the Group Coaching and Mentoring framework (Algozzini, Bessolo, Gabay, Voyles, & Batchelor, 2016).
PAR requires the involvement of all parties. It “strengthens knowledge and builds skills that can be used by the people experiencing the problem” (Chisholm, 2001, para. 3). With each cycle of action, reflection, and evaluation, PAR takes a participant to new levels of understanding.
PAR is a holistic approach to research, where self-discovery of participants (reflection) produces change (action) to the degree the participant is ready for change. The PAR process was optimal for this massive endeavor because the Group Coaching and Mentoring Framework needed the employees’ to be deeply involved. The work (action) of PAR must be done by those involved in the process. The process allows the work to be messy, organic, deliberate, and authentic with all reflections. It seeds a willingness to look at practices in new ways and with a variety of theories.
Perspectives
Throughout the book, when applicable, you will find sections that are written from different perspectives: The Manager Perspective and the Organizational Perspective.
The Manager Perspectives help to illustrate the process that the manager, Linda Algozzini, went through in each stage of this endeavor. These are found at the end of each chapter in Parts One and Two and then when applicable in Part Three.
The Organizational Perspective was written from the perspective of Dr. Grady Batchelor, who was the Dean of Faculty and Student Success at the university when this framework was implemented. Dr. Batchelor's perspective shares what he saw from his role inside the department and university as a whole. As a result, some of the terminology used in this chapter is specific to educational settings and/or this university; however, the results are still applicable outside of education and this particular setting. This is in Chapter 12.
The use of these perspectives illustrates the variety of participants involved in the implementation of this framework. This is to show the reader some insight on the impact that this had on those involved and to illustrate the three perspectives as evident in Participatory Action Research.
Practical Applications for the Reader
This framework is comprehensive; therefore at the end of each chapter, the reader will find questions to consider. These can be immediately applied in any industry to support moving from conceptual thinking to applied practice. The intent of this section in each chapter is to help the reader relate the material to his or her own circumstances. Reviewing these questions is the first step in identifying how this framework might work to address the reader’s needs.
Why Change
If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.
Peter Drucker
Chapter 1: Analyze the Problems and Needs
Initiating change starts by diagnosing an existing problem and reconciling it with the need for change. “Organizational Change Management should begin with a systematic diagnosis of the current situation in order to determine both the need for change and the capability to change” (Tamilarasu, 2012, p. 26). It is helpful to reflect on what is known, what has been learned, and what is possible. From there, a person determines how change will take place and which strategies to use.
Diagnosing the Problems
Change “is a structured approach to shifting/transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired state” (Tamilarasu, 2012, p. 26). The first step in getting to that desired state is to reflect on the problems that a change can resolve.
Curriculum Change
Just as in every business, the product (in this case, the course) has to be relevant and useful to the consumers (students). It was vital that the gateway course that the department taught was relevant to the student population that it served.
The John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education (2017) labels gateway courses as having three distinct qualities. They are foundational and have high enrollment. They are high risk for the rate of D and F grades and withdrawals (W) and incompletes (I) earned at the end of the course.
The gateway course under the manager’s purview replicated Gardner’s characteristics and impacted institutional first-year and transfer student retention and persistence rates. Therefore, a revised curriculum was needed in order to honor each student’s skill level as they entered the university.
As a result, the course was redesigned to be more inclusive of 21st century adult learners and their need to be successful researchers, critical thinkers, and savvy consumers of digital information. Knowing the new curriculum was going to be implemented early in 2016, the manager knew her department needed extra support as they enhanced and built their own skills to meet the needs of the course and the students. Successful student development is created when there is a balance between support and challenge (Sanford, 1962). Thus, the employees