UNC School of Education launches online Doctorate in Organizational Learning and Leadership

COMMUNITY NEWS

By Nina Sumner
Guest Correspondent

CHAPEL HILL – UNC’s School of Education is set to launch the University’s first online doctor of education degree program, the Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership. Spearheaded by program director Carrol Warren, the three-year course will launch this fall and is designed to teach working professionals across numerous industries key leadership and organizational skills to help them advance in their careers. Students who pass the course will achieve a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Organizational Learning and Leadership. The UNC Office of Digital and Lifelong Learning, UNC Graduate School, and 2U, an online education platform, collaborated together to bring the program to fruition. 

Asynchronous learning for working professionals

The program will include a number of courses across relevant subjects, such as, “improvement science, change leadership, human-centered design, equitable and inclusive practice, and research methodology”. It primarily consists of asynchronous learning, which means students progress through the subjects online in their own time and at their own pace. On top of that, virtual group meetings will also be held every week. These meetings give students the opportunity to chat with their professors about the course material and ask any questions they may have. 

“[The program] being online increases the level of accessibility automatically,” said Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Education, Jemilia Davis. “As a working mom myself, I think of how important it is to be able to say, ‘Trust me that I am going to be able to pace myself at my own rate, to do the work that I need to and that I will still show up committed to this hour and a half, where we’re going to talk about what we’ve done over the past week.'” 

Staying focused during study sessions

Although asynchronous study lets students fit learning around their existing careers, the ability to concentrate when working from home may be a skill that needs to be honed for most. In fact, multitasking, mind-wandering, and digital devices like smartphones are the three biggest distractions that typically impair student focus and academic performance during home study sessions, a review article published in Wiley reveals. Fortunately, simply carving out a designated study space can go a long way in improving concentration and focus levels in students. “My biggest piece of advice is to have a specific space set aside somewhere in your house or apartment that is dedicated to school or work”, explains Rob Baranowski, MS, JD, Technology Consultant for the Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization.

“This space should allow you to leave your work- or school-related materials in the same place, which allows you to pick up where you left off. The utility of having a separate space is that it can help put your brain in the right place while you are working or studying. Your brain will start to associate your space with school or work, and you will find that it is easier to focus when you are in your dedicated space”.

Putting new skills into practice

To finish up the program, students will also complete a capstone project which lets them put their newly-developed skills into practice as they’re tasked with pinpointing and solving problems and challenges within their own organizations. “An important aspect of the program is that it allows students to simultaneously learn and grow as leaders using the skills and knowledge that they’ve gained from their courses and apply them to their real jobs as they go”, said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Education, Thurston Domina. Plus, an educational “in-person immersion experience” will also be held each spring semester. Optional to attend, this experience involves students meeting and talking with staff, leadership, and organizational planning experts on campus.

Although traditional, in-classroom programs still remain valuable, completely online courses offer unique benefits that promise to improve the future of local education, according to Davis. “There is also a special place for programs like this, where you’re really able to guide yourself at your own pace”, Davis said. “But [students] still have access to a really solid support that hasn’t been lost in the development of this program.”

Nina C. Sumner is a freelance writer with a background in journalism and a knack for turning complex ideas into enjoyable reads. She’s constantly looking to broaden her reach and contribute to platforms in various niches. When she’s not working on her writing projects, she likes to explore seaside towns and enjoy the company of her family and friends. She can be reached at nina.sumner@mentmail.com.