1) The document discusses the potential benefits of forming learning communities (LCs) among EdD students, alumni, and faculty across institutions, as proposed by Tony Bryk in 2012. Benefits include encouraging innovation, collaboration, and support for students and graduates. 2) Challenges to creating such communities are identified, including faculty being too busy, students focusing on coursework, and alumni losing support networks. Potential root causes like these are analyzed using a problem tree. 3) Participants are asked to help develop an action plan to increase LC participation using a driver diagram tool to identify primary and secondary drivers toward the aim. Completing a survey is suggested to provide feedback and volunteer to start an LC.

1. Students and Alumni from CPED
programs PLEASE sit together

2. Student and Alumni Learning
Communities in the CPED
Consortium
Dr. Debby Zambo, Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate
and
Dr. Audrey Hovannesian, California State University, San Bernardino

3. Exchange Overview
• Provide information on the benefits of Learning
Communities (LCs)/Network Improvement
Communities (NICs)
• Consider the challenges to building these communities
across faculty, students, alumni, and programs
• Develop an aim statement and action plan to get
Student, Alumni Faculty Learning Communities into
CPED

4. In 2012 Tony Bryke Posed
These Questions:
1. What if cadres of EdD candidates across
multiple institutions were working on a
problem, or parts of a problem, in a
Networked Improvement Community?
2. What if CPED institutions served as
supporting NICs while also developing
human and social capacity for this work to
grow?

5. We want to make these ideas a reality because
learning communities have the potential to...
• Encourage and build capacity for innovation and
change
• Tap the “wisdom of crowds”
• Build on existing strengths
• Encourage collaboration, respect, and equitable
partnerships that are far reaching and sustain
• Support students and graduates
• Enrich faculty’s experiences in EdD programs

6. CID Intellectual Communities
and PhD Students
• Promote creativity, culture, identity, purpose,
and respect
• Provide opportunities to hear a range of
opinions
• Expose students to diverse mentors
• Prepare students for future work
• Expand responsibility - community-wide
commitment to help students develop and
succeed

7. Group Discussion
• Can you think of more benefits? What would happen if
cadres of EdD students, alumni, and faculty across
multiple institutions formed a learning community and
worked together on a problem, or parts of a problem?
• What benefits could a Learning Community bring to
CPED, you, your students, your alumni, your
program, education, etc..?

8. How to create
Intellectual Communities
• Set a clear purpose
• Engage students fully (respect their views welcome their
diversity - age gender culture, prior knowledge)
• Share responsibility for all students
• Share resources (generosity)
• Open program doors
• Allow risk and failure
• Create space
• Have social events

9. What might be our aim?
Increase from ___% to ___% the percentage
of EdD students, alumni, and faculty across
institutions working on a common problem
of practice by _____.
What is a possible EdD Learning Community participation goal (percentage)in
what time period?

10. Share Collaborate
Activity 1: (ROOT CAUSES) To Create Learning
Communities Consortium Members Need to Get
to the Root of the Problem – why are we not
doing it?
Take a systems approach (challenges to faculty,
students, alumni, programs, CPED, etc...)
Students and Alumni do their bones
Others choose

11. 11
Few to No LCs
with Students,
Graduates,
Faculty
Student Challenges Alumni Challenges
Faculty Challenges Program Challenges Other
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS:
AVISUAL REPRESENTATION
OFYOUR PROBLEM

12. Challenges: Faculty
Too busy with research,
teaching, service
There is no reward for
collaboration between
educational practitioners,
policy makers, and researchers

13. Challenges: Students
Focus on completing coursework and research
have little time for networking
Part-time lessens opportunities to interact and
network
Research is:
• contextualized, engaging, and aimed at the
local good has cohort and small group support
but loses this at graduation – does not have
networks to spread or sustain

14. What we Know about PhDs
• Phases of development development (Tinto’s transition = 18 credits),
development (proposal) research (dissertation)
• Support structures reduce attrition (certain kinds at certain phases)
** assistantships means to connect students with MKOs and expose them to
research culture

15. Challenges for Alumni
• lose faculty and cohort support
• lose resources
• job attainment and research,
service, and teaching activities
increase
• chances to network with others
outside one’s institution lessen

16. Challenges for Programs
• Limited resources to maintain a student, alumni, and
faculty learning community
• Limited information on EdD graduates job placement-
related trends to inform program outcomes
June (2013)

17. Share Collaborate
Activity 2: (DRIVER DIAGRAM) To Create Learning
Communities Consortium Members Must Develop
an Action Plan – How can we get this done – what
are our next steps?

18. Driver Diagram
A tool to:
• conceptualize an challenge
and its system components
• demonstrate a pathway to
achieve the desired aim

19. MEASURES:
Driver Diagram
What are we
trying to
accomplish?
How do we
know if a
change is an
improvement?
What changes might lead to an improvement?
AIM:
Primary Drivers Secondary Drivers – Interventions

20. Conclusion/Next Steps
Please complete our short survey to share your
thoughts and opinions regarding a CPED EdD
Learning Community and volunteer to get one
started.