HRD 606

I had more questions after completing HRD 633 than I did before the course began.

I took this course along with HRD 555 during my first semester as a USM student, even before I was officially accepted into the program.

From the catalogue description, I thought the course would focus on managing adult education programs.  However, the content was organizational management and leadership in general terms.  I stuck it out, even though I have actually taught management and leadership in higher ed.  One can never assume learning won’t occur, right?

Well, it did, but not where you might expect.

First, I was used to reading massive amounts of material and churning out a short synthesis, drawing inferences, incorporating well-wrought rhetoric, and peppering the document with reference citations.
After posting my first 500-or-so-word assignment to the Blackboard message forum, Gail Senese reminded everyone she preferred we stick to a 75-word limit on our posts (I got the message, but it was hard to break the habit).

Second, I completely missed the point of the major assignment:  interview a management professional, write a paper, and write a separate reaction to the experience.  I know what you’re thinking (and, you’re right):  Billie was clueless about the “reflective” expectations of USM/HRD instructors.

Perhaps I should interject here that I’ve interviewed experts and notable people in the past and had the resulting articles published.  So, I felt pretty confident I knew how to ask good questions and inspire applicable answers.

So, I toddled along and wrote my paper.  Yes, I interviewed a professional.  But, instead of only using the
Q&A format that I knew well from outside graduate school, I fell into expository-writing mode and wrote a research paper.  I used the expert’s comments to support my thesis.  Gail was kind enough to grade my work on its face, despite the fact it didn’t meet the parameters of the assignment.  Once she pointed out the paper didn’t actually meet the parameters of the assignment, I offered to rewrite the paper.  She told me that wasn’t necessary.

I struggled to process this experience, and then I realized how I’d screwed up.  That’s reflection and self-direction, right?

As I said, learning doesn’t always occur where you expect it.

You can view the paper by clicking here (PDF).

Here is the text of my “reaction.”  It wasn’t until 6 months later I actually began to grasp what USM/HRD-style “reflection” really is.

My interest in for-profit career college (FPCC) instructor competence developed during my tenure as an academic department head at a southeastern regional FPCC. In that position, I had the opportunity to observe first-hand the instructional incompetence of many faculty members. Because FPCCs are typically vocational training institutions that grant diplomas and two- or four-year degrees, the instructors are subject-matter experts (SMEs) in their professions. Most instructors have at least baccalaureate degrees in their disciplines. However, neither experience as an adult educator nor knowledge of adult-specific educational principles and instructional methodologies is a requirement for initial or continued employment.

Most FPCC instructors have little or no understanding of the uniqueness of andragogy, nor do they implement its precepts in their instructional activities. Unlike my peers, and outside the normal expectations of the school, I worked closely with faculty in my department to develop their efficiency and effectiveness as adult educators. This was not compensated for them or me, but each instructor was happy to receive individualized attention and excited about adding to his/her knowledge and skills.

For this assignment, I interviewed David Cooper, a retired, second-generation FPCC owner in April, 2007. Mr. Cooper’s parents founded a business college, Cooper Institute, after graduating from Harvard’s business education program under the tutelage of the “Father of Business Education,” Frederick G. Nichols. Cooper Institute subsequently purchased an older local competitor and received certification to provide certificates and degrees up to the master’s level. Mr. Cooper ran both schools.

Mr. Cooper’s perspective and responses were weighed against trade articles, observations of industry insiders, federal data, and published academic research. While Mr. Cooper agreed with much of what has been written, I was surprised by some of his responses. Notably, he does not see any value in formal, school-developed, professional development programs designed to teach adult education theories and instructional methodologies to college faculty.