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

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.

Two Approaches to Assessing Transformational Learning 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

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?