Keywords

accelerated curriculum, community-based learning, design thinking, liberal education, leadership

Disciplines

Higher Education | Liberal Studies

Abstract

Higher education institutions are continually seeking to recruit nontraditional adult students yet struggle at the same time to meet their needs effectively. The following case study offers strategies to address this situation by documenting the pedagogical design and initial outcomes of an interdisciplinary, nineteen-month leadership-themed liberal studies undergraduate degree completion program at Grand Valley State University. As an innovative, accelerated, hybrid cohort model, it incorporates a wide range of high-impact practices focused on developing the skills leaders use and employers require. The curriculum integrates practices from motivational and experiential learning, community-based learning, and design thinking to scaffold students' learning across their courses. The program thereby encourages students to wrestle with the complexity of social issues in their communities and develop the skills and virtues necessary for addressing those problems. As a case study, this article is particularly relevant for educators and administrators hoping to uncover a means for catalyzing innovative co-participatory engagement projects that engage with the needs of the surrounding community in a format supportive of nontraditional learners.

Original Citation

Lake, D., Ricco, M. E., & Whipps, J. (2016). Design Thinking Accelerated Leadership: Transforming Self, Transforming Community. The Journal of General Education, 65(3–4), 159–177. https://doi.org/10.5325/jgeneeduc.65.3-4.0159

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