Created by Shannon Lutz
April 28, 2019
As a member of the Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) training team at Michigan State University, I have noticed that the Essentials in Research Administration (ERA) training series is outdated and requires improvement. To tackle this issue, I envision a collaborative learning culture where all members of the research administration community are knowledgeable and engaged in their own learning. This culture will use 21st century technology and educational practices, promote creativity, and enable discovery through inquiry to improve instruction, foster critical thinking, and encourage lifelong learning. “Creativity and inquiry are essential components needed to foster flexibility, openness, and the ability to tolerate uncertainty in a changing educational and social world” (Galbraith & Jones, 2012). Through innovation, change, reflection, and facing challenges, the training team and ERA instructors can incorporate collaborative learning spaces that are conducive, inviting, and encourage creativity and inquiry.
According to Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, humans learn best through observation and behavioral imitation. When an individual observes colleagues bettering their lives (and that of others) through expertise and actions, he or she becomes inspired to learn more (McCleod, 2016). SPA values this concept to enhance learning and recommends creating a learning culture where all employees feel openness, respect, support, and acceptance to engage in learning activities, decision-making processes, and program development (Galbraith & Jones, 2012, p. 53). It is important to encourage employees to make individual progress in tandem with others in research administration and work towards a common goal. This practice supports collaboration, observation, experimentation, creativity, inquiry, and technology to move learning forward. The training team suggests transitioning to a collaborative learning environment that models Bandura’s four mediational processes (attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation) for the ERA training series. These processes will engage instructors and students in their own learning and keep them up-to-date with any new advancements in research administration.
After synthesizing over 800 meta-analyses on the factors that impact student achievement, John Hattie urges that educational institutions use Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). His analysis concluded that setting up collaborative teams helps teachers clarify what each student must learn and what should be assessed to collect evidence of learning on an ongoing basis (Hattie, 2009). In addition to the data collected from a PLC, it involves its members in their own learning and encourages them to practice creativity, inquiry, and collaboration to design a plan that will transition the research administration training program into this new environment. This committee (of 10-12 members) will involve ERA training instructors, research administrators, SPA training team members, and a member of management. The committee will use a process of intensive reflection on current instructional practices to create desired learning benchmarks that will ensure a successful transition. Members will continually learn from one another through a shared vision, as well be involved in an in-depth critical examination of what does and does not work to enhance learner achievement (Best Practices for Professional Learning, n.d.). Regularly scheduled monthly meetings will be held to encourage a focus on continuous improvement for ongoing learning and performance.
In order to implement this culture, all members of the PLC will need to articulate a clear, specific, and compelling shared vision. Members will be required to research new ideas or strategies that will help them develop plans and learning spaces that foster this desired approach. This can be accomplished through networking with other instructors in a professional learning network (PLN) and attending professional conferences to learn what works and what does not work in collaborative learning.
SPA values all members of the research administration community and wants them to be successful in this transition. This initiative will shift the training program’s primary focus of teaching to a focus of collaborative learning and address any discrepancies of design strategies to ensure that other instructors and learners have time and support throughout the transition. The committee members will continue to provide resources, training, and support to the instructors as SPA introduces the learning culture to research administrators. Leadership roles will be expanded to coordinate a smooth transition of this new learning culture, and members will be committed to improve the training program as a team effort and place value on ongoing learning.
A collaborative learning culture is not something that occurs overnight and requires smart planning and an active approach that should occur over the next five years. This culture requires making learning goals just as important as performance goals and will encourage employees to constantly evolve their skill sets and take advantage of social learning and the latest technologies. Throughout the transition, the SPA training team will continue to work with resources and the PLC to provide opportunities for growth in learning. With the leadership of a PLC (and growth in the members’ own learning), the SPA training team will transition the training program in research administration to a more collaborative learning culture and create well-qualified research administrators who are responsible for their own learning and success in their roles at Michigan State University.
References
Best Practices for Professional Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved Apr 8, 2019, from Education World: https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/best-practices-for-professional-learning-communities.shtml
Galbraith, M., & Jones, M. (2012). Creativity: Essential for the Adult Education Instructor and Learner. PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning, 21, 51-59.
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to student
achievement. New York: Routledge.
McLeod, S. (2016). Bandura - Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from Simply Psychology:
https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
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