Organizational Leadership Online Program

Prior Learning Assessment – Brief overview of an extensive learning advantage

By admin | December 15, 2016

What is PLA?

The Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a systematic approach of comparing and evaluating formal and informal learning accumulated through various situations and activities carried on at work, in school and throughout life against the requirements of an academic program of studies. Its history and beginnings go all the way back to post-World War II era when veterans requested that their formal and informal learning achieved during military service be recognized with academic credit normally reserved for formal learning (Shelton and Armistead, 1989).

How does it work?

There are many methods of substantiating and evaluating prior learning, from documentation via portfolios, transcripts, certificates, and licenses to demonstration through standard exams, oral interviews, product samples, and performance tests (Knapp and Sharon, 1975).

The University of Louisville has incorporated the PLA element into its Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning (BSOLL) online program, and works with each student individually to identify the best evaluation method for granting college credit.

At UofL, PLA also aligns with the concept that learning is the product of various activities and situations and that learning is continuous. Even when your life gets in the way of your educational goals or you are forced by life circumstances to put your education on hold, you continue to learn and accumulate knowledge and skills that can translate into college credits.

As you begin the BSOLL online program, in the first major course, ELFH 300 – Prior Learning Assessment, you can document and evaluate learning from work experiences, existing course credits and associate degrees, technical and specialized training to receive credit for the specialization.

During this 3 credit hour course, you may earn up to 48 credit hours in the specialization component at no cost (equivalent of 16 courses tuition-free!). That could amount to more than a third of the entire degree credit requirement, which could get you even closer to reaching your end-goal. After completing the PLA course, you can proceed to the remaining courses in the designated track.

“Our first priority is our students’ success and ensuring that they capitalize on all the time spent learning throughout their career. The BS OLL PLA Class gives our students the opportunity to reflect and show evidence of their workplace knowledge from training, development, continuing education, and overall work experience. Each student has the opportunity to share the value of their work-related experiences, and infuse these experiences in the PLA Portfolio.” says Dr. Terri Rowland, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning (B.S. OLL) Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor.

She added “The culmination and successful completion of a PLA Portfolio can lead to earning up to 48 hours of college credit and we believe that this makes it cost-effective and is a great opportunity for our BS OLL students who are working full-time, serving our country or raising a family!”

While the definition and application of PLA is somewhat fluent and may vary from one field to another, most experts agree that PLA is based on five core norms:

learning is continuous and occurs across the lifespan
learning can happen in formal, informal, and non‐formal contexts
learning can be equally valuable and significant whether gained from a formal or informal context
formal learning outcomes can serve as a measure for all other types of learning
if learning from various contexts is equivalent to format learning, it should be recognized and credited as such.

Because all learning is considered valuable, PLA reflects learning from sources such as family, school, work, community, volunteer, hobby, military, and even travel. Most often, the university prior learning credit is given for learning from on-the- job training and development, continuing educational units, or unaccredited college courses, as well as CLEP tests. Credit is not awarded for work experience per se, but for the learning and transferable knowledge that occurred as the result of work or life experiences which are comparable to college-level courses. These credits may not be used for Organizational Leadership and Learning core courses or general education requirements, but are used to develop the required 48-hour specialty area.

The Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning is specifically designed for experienced professionals who have an associate degree or equivalent college hours and extensive work history but they lack the college credentials to secure their current job of pursue a leadership position in the future. If you are one of those professionals, give our program a try and move closer to completing your bachelor’s degree in a convenient, efficient and affordable manner.

Visit our BSOLL online program page to learn more. To review application requirements and deadlines for this program visit Apply Now page.

References

Knapp, J. and Sharon, A. (1975), A Compendium of Assessment Techniques, Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning, Princeton, NJ.

Shelton, S.E. and Armistead, L.P. (1989), “The practice of awarding credit for prior learning in the community college”, Community/Junior College Quarterly, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 23‐31.

UofL Introduces Its First Competency-Based Education Program

By admin | June 20, 2016

Bachelor of Science for Organizational Leadership and Learning in Healthcare Leadership Rewards “On the Job” Knowledge—In a Flexible Online Format

The University of Louisville, the state-supported research university located in Kentucky’s largest metropolitan area, is proud to introduce a competency-based education (CBE) program for experienced, knowledgeable healthcare professionals seeking to complete a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management.

The Bachelor of Science for Organizational Leadership and Learning is focused on Healthcare Leadership and allows students of all ages to achieve their academic, professional and personal goals through a quality online education program. The program itself is designed to be as flexible and convenient as possible, including offering a wide variety of online courses, flexible start dates and coursework that can be completed based on the student’s work schedule.

Degree Recognizes Knowledge and Rewards Experience

Most significantly, the Bachelor of Science for Organizational Leadership and Learning in Healthcare Leadership is delivered through an innovative method of competency-based education (CBE), allowing healthcare professionals to capitalize on their existing knowledge and experience and earn a bachelor’s degree at their own pace.

“The program encourages adult learners to enhance their skills in leadership, organizational change, business planning, workplace development and performance,” says Dr. Lee Bewley, the program’s director. “Through this program, students can attain higher-level leadership positions in healthcare management in their own organization or within the industry at the clinic, service, or department level across all types of healthcare organizations and systems.”

“The program is ideal for professionals who are experienced in their healthcare field, but are missing the proper credentials that could help them secure promotions, increase their pay or accept new management and leadership roles,” he adds.

Structure and Delivery Tailored to Work/Life Balance

The program curriculum was designed to address the needs of healthcare professionals who are tapped to play a more complex role in the healthcare organizations of the future, as traditional roles in supervision, management and leadership are becoming larger and more strategic in scope. More than ever before, mid-level professionals are being asked to develop a broader set of leadership and technical skills and increase their understanding of healthcare delivery and support.

The bachelor’s degree was developed to balance career goals and lifestyle. The structure allows students to capitalize on their existing knowledge and experience, while earning a bachelor’s degree at their own pace—with eleven flexible start dates throughout the year.

The first major course, a Prior Learning Assessment, allows students to earn up to 48 credit hours by documenting their learning from work experiences, existing course credits or associate degrees and technical/specialized healthcare training. These 48 credit hours, the equivalent of 16 courses, are recognized at no additional cost to the student.

The entire degree program requires a minimum of 123 credit hours, which include the major concentration, general education required courses, elective courses and work specialization. Notably, it also offers an ideal launch platform for further education within a graduate healthcare management program as the curriculum is based on the National Center for Healthcare Leadership competency model which has also been adopted by many top-tier MHA programs in the country. Tuition and financial assistance may be available for students who qualify.

First Degree in UofL’s New OnTrack Program

This program is the first offered through UofL’s OnTrack program, the first of its kind in the state and region, with a curriculum based on the National Center for Healthcare Leadership’s (NCHL.org) competency model, one of the leading industry standard models for healthcare executive competencies development.

This program also represents a significant step for the university. As a member of Kentucky Commonwealth College, the University of Louisville joins other institutions in the Competency-Based Education Network, a national consortium of colleges and universities that collaborate in the design, development and scaling of competency-based degree programs. The network represents 34 institutions and public systems—82 campuses in all.

“UofL is honored to join our fellow institutions in delivering an education model like this, one that offers students more flexibility than traditional classes,” says Dr. Bewley. “This is a significant step for us, and a very beneficial program for adult learners looking to enhance their career development in the healthcare field by earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville, a high-quality, nationally-recognized educational institution.”

To learn more about the Healthcare Leadership track in the Bachelor of Science for Organizational Leadership and Learning, visit the UofL Online Learning website.

Rethinking Organizational Challenges

By admin | May 18, 2016

How One Course in the MSHROD Online Program Delivers Surprises—and Results

“This course surprises people.” That’s how Dr. Denise Cumberland sums up Organizational Analysis, one of several required courses in the Master of Science in Human Resource and Organizational Development (MSHROD) online program at UofL. Officially coded ELFH 662, the course sets the groundwork for much of the content the program offers professionals who are advancing their careers and expanding their HR expertise.

“It’s about rethinking how to approach organizational challenges,” says Dr. Cumberland. “The course title is very broad, but the core objective is to help students uncover what’s going on below the surface when problems or opportunities occur in their organization.” These issues can range from low employee morale, loss of productivity, lagging customer satisfaction scores, declines in membership, to whether a firm should incorporate some new service element or new product. “We business people tend to be very solutions-oriented,” Dr. Cumberland continues, “we want an immediate solution—a silver bullet. This class shows students that you have to take a step back and understand that what you see on the surface is the symptom, not the cause.” She adds, “This entire class is about going deeper than our first assumption about why a problem exists.”

What surprises students is the value of stepping back and asking questions to discover the underlying root cause of the issue. To illustrate this point, Dr. Cumberland uses a restaurant analogy. If patrons are scoring the restaurant badly or posting poor reviews, management might immediately assume that the team member is to blame. A costly training program might be implemented. But the real issue could be much broader: long waits, operational challenges, the temperature of the dining room. Instead of “our staff should smile more”— a simple, reactionary response — managers need to consider the broader picture. It may be the pace of the work, a lack of incentives or simply understaffing certain times and sections. To uncover the true cause of customer dissatisfaction, empirical data must be gathered. It must be processed and reviewed. And it must inform recommendations that underscore the real challenges and broader issues at play. “Before you apply a costly intervention, you need to consider all angles.”

This course, though, is not just about hypotheticals. As part of the course content, students look at their own organizations … the places they work, the churches they attend, the volunteer organizations they support. They tackle issues ranging from turnover to customer complaints to ineffective fundraising efforts. Most importantly, they look past the “blame game” and put together a solid assessment of what’s really happening: what’s causing the problem, or where an opportunity may lie. And best of all, students get to see the results of their work by applying it to the organization they’ve chosen to analyze.

As one of Dr. Cumberland’s students, Kristi Jones, commented, “I don’t think the effect of this class would have been the same if we were only taught the concepts in class. That’s what I really enjoy and value about the MS HROD program as well. It was great to see that what I was learning in class would make a real difference in my organization.” Another ELFH 662 student phrased it this way “My biggest take-away was learning how to analyze a situation and how to identify the gap between “what is” and “what should be.” Dr. Cumberland says “my joy is hearing students discover the underlying issue and I’m especially grateful when students come back and tell me that they were actually able to fix the problem because the data that they had gathered and analyzed provided the organization with reliable information upon which to develop more focused solutions.”

As each student’s individual analysis unfolds, the online format facilitates group work and peer review. Students are arranged in “pods” of four to five people. They trade ideas about their issues or opportunities. They gather advice from each other—fellow students help make sure a student is not making an assumption. Fellow students support one another by reviewing the investigative tools each student develops and they help each other to address the issue from multiple angles. It’s a peer support network that works well.

“Ours is a very unique online class,” concludes Dr. Cumberland. “Think of it as a webinar. We meet once a week for 90 minutes. During that time I can create smaller groups where students can talk to peers. We explore topics and review the readings. Everyone has access to me and to each other. It is an active world where students are connecting with their peers while learning on a very personal level. And the results are always rewarding.”

The MSHROD program attracts a broad spectrum of professionals, representing almost every capacity under the human resources umbrella. Many people are involved in training, hiring or talent management, while others come from marketing or operations. It’s a diverse group, but one assumption generally connects them as they walk in the door: the myth of the immediate fix. “It’s always more systemic than they realize.”

Learn more about UofL’s MSHROD program—and courses like Organizational Analysis—by clicking here.

Engaging Your Workforce — A Three Stage Model

By admin | September 29, 2014

Corporations should focus on HOW work gets done – instead of the standard HOW MUCH work gets done. It’s all about engagement, according to Dr. Brad Shuck an assistant professor in the Organizational Leadership and Learning Program at the University of Louisville, and a pioneer in employee engagement research.

Reflecting on his own past experience with less effective work environments, Dr. Shuck points out that the places he worked at were not bad companies, but they were filled with bad managers, “People,” he says, “were being promoted into positions with responsibilities they were not ready for. These managers only wanted to know how much I could get done, not how I was getting it done.”

Dr. Shuck’s research focuses on employee engagement to help design organizations where corporate leaders learn to increase engagement to reduce turnover and meet business objectives. Results suggests that people who rate themselves as being more engaged at work experience less exhaustion, have a higher sense of personal accomplishment and practice better collaboration in their workplace.

Dr. Shuck’s employee engagement model is called “Think it, Feel it, Do it.” and determines the employee’s level of engagement in three steps:

“Think it” stage — employees encounter situations everyday and ask themselves whether the work is a) meaningful, b) safe and c) offers the right resources. A ‘no’ answer to any of these questions makes engagement levels plummet.
“Feel it” stage – If employees make a positive appraisal from the first question, then they emotionally commit.
“Do it” stage — employees change their behavior.

“Worldwide research shows that only 30 percent of workers go to work every day fully engaged. I am looking to reach out and partner with the Louisville community so we trump that figure,” he says.

Dr. Brad Shuck is an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Leadership and Learning (OLL) Program at UofL. The OLL Program offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees to foster leadership, learning, and performance. Programs are available 100% online and on campus.

This article was adapted from an original piece about Dr. Shuck’s research, written by Dr. Denise M. Cumberland, Assistant Professor in the OLL Program at UofL.

Category: Organizational Leadership & Learning