transformational learning, only teaser slides for research workshop EDEN 2014, Oxford

1. Assessing Transformational Learning
in Online Professional Programs:
Methodological Approaches and Challenges
Swapna Kumar1/Patricia Arnold2
1 College of Education, University of Florida, USA
2 E-Learning Center, Munich University of Applied Sciences,
_Germany
EDENRW8, Oxford, England

2. Transformational Learning in Online Professional Programs
• Transformational Learning (TL): “a transformed way of
understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something” (Meyer
& Land, 2003, p. 4) that can be facilitated by critical reflection
and critical discourse (Mezirow, 1998; 2003)
• Focus of Paper: Methodological challenges assessing TL
• Two approaches: How TL was assessed in two online
professional programs
• Methodological Challenges: Shortcomings and benefits of
each approach
• Discussion: Challenges assessing TL
• at different points of an online program
• when using embedded assignments within an online program.

3. TwoApproachestoAssessingTransformationalLearning
Online Bachelor Social Work Online EdD in Educational Technology
Students: Professionals in Social Work Students: Professionals in Education
Educational Design: Connecting Theory
and Practice.
Activities: Discourse and Reflection.
Educational Design: Connecting Theory,
Research and Practice.
Activities: Discourse, Reflection, Research
Methodology:
• Internal Approach
• “Embedded assessments”
• Students represented TL in e-
portfolios
• Content Analysis of e-portfolios
Methodology:
• External Approach
• Research plan to assess TL at various
points. External Researchers.
• Interviews, focus groups, surveys
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis
Findings: TL occurred Findings: TL occurred
Methodological Challenges:
• Student self-report, as part of graded
assignment.
• Student affinity with e-portfolio,
Researcher affinity with media
Methodological Challenges:
• Student self-report, inability to follow
up at workplace.
• Focus on external indicators of TL,
internal struggles not considered, but
in results.
• Virtual data collection

4. Partially funded by Prof. Dr. Patricia Arnold
Munich Univ of AppliedSciences
arnold@hm.edu
patriciaarnold.wikispaces.com/
Prof. Dr. Swapna Kumar
University of Florida
swapnak@ufl.edu
http://www.swapnakumar.com
Discussion: Assessing Transformational Learning
Our conclusion: Best to combine
internal and external approaches
Our questions:
• How to avoid possible bias in methods
used?
• How to design a methodology that is
viable in the long run, i.e. without third
party funding, for documenting impact
and quality in online programs?