Creating a Signature Pedagogy: The Identification and Framing of a Problem of Practice

1. Creating a Signature Pedagogy: The Identification and
Framing of a Problem of Practice
June 2015 CPED Convening, CSUS-Fullerton

2. Context
University of Arkansas is:
• Land Grant / R1 institution
• Located in the Northwest corner of state
• Ed.D. Program currently has 40 active students
• 50% of who are ABD
• Currently, there are three professors teaching in
the Ed.D. program.

3. Professional education is not
education for understanding alone;
it is preparation for accomplished
and responsible practice in the
service of others. It is preparation
for ‘good work.’… [Professionals]
must come to understand in order
to act, and they must act in order
to serve. (Shulman, 2005, p. 53)

4. Why a new/revised signature pedagogy?
Shulman, L. (2005). On professions & professionals.
Daedalus, 134(3), 52-59.
Intellectual
TechnicalMoral

5. Context
Prior to 2010:
• Mixture of on-campus and distance courses
• Admissions standards were virtually non-
existent with university emphasis on increasing
enrollment
• High number of ABD students
• Modeled after the traditional PhD
• EDLE faculty did not teach research
courses
• Traditional research courses (Quant &
Qual) were “farmed out” to other programs
and taught in isolation.

6. We taught
research
methods…
now YOU
go do it!

7. Intellectual
TechnicalMoral

8. Context
Since 2010:
• Conceptualized as a three-year cohort model
• Admit 9-12 students a year
• 99% online
• Three intensive weekend seminars
• Course delivery is a mixture of synchronous and
asynchronous
• Research courses were brought into program

9. Donald Schön

10. Leader Researcher
We believe successful school leaders think in much the same way
successful social science researchers think.
(Greene, 2007; Greene & Hall, 2010; Mullen, Greenlee, & Bruner, 2005; Northouse,
2016; Romm, 2015)

11. Moving paradigms Pragmatism
• Consequences of actions
• Problem centered
• Pluralistic
• Real-world practice oriented
• Mixed models
McKenzie , N., & Knipe, S. (2006). Research dilemmas: Paradigms, methods, and
methodology. Issues in Educational Research, 16(2), 193-205.

12. The Signature Pedagogy
“Living a Case” – Solving a problem of
practice in the “Swamp” while applying
theory and research through three
interwoven conceptual threads:
Problem Solving/Decision-making
Planning
Assessment/Evaluation

13. Moving away from tradition
Old Program of Study
• Sequence of courses( 2 years
– learn how to “do research”),
• Exams
• Determine topic
• Proposal
• “Do” study
• Time to completion 4-5 years
New Program of Study
• Problem of Practice is focus of
first course
• Each course in program of
study “swirls” around the
problem of practice
• Students learn how to research
a problem of practice and to
think pragmatically
• Exams = Proposal
• Time to completion 3 years

14. Courses Exams Proposal Study
2 Years 2-3 Years
Courses
Exams/Proposal
Study
2 Years 1 Year
From this…
To this…

15. Focus of EDLE Ed.D. Courses
Problem
of
Practice
POP
Intro to
Qual.
Policy
Stats
Literacy
Advanced
Qual.
Program
Eval.
Prospectus
Develop.

16. Dimensions of the U of A Problem of
Practice
• Instructional and/or Systemic Issue
• Directly Observable
• Actionable
• Connect to Broader Strategy of
Improvement
• High-Leverage