SYLLABUS for AED 5280

WOMEN, LEARNING, AND LEADING IN ADULT EDUCATION

Summer Institute, July 31-August 4, 2000, Elmira, NY

Dr. Patricia A. Lawler, Associate Professor, Center for Education, Widener University

Email: lawfield@aol.com

Note: Any required textbooks may be obtained through the Curtis W. McGraw Bookstore (Telephone: 607-735-1780 or Fax: 607-735-1705) at Elmira College. Students are responsible for the costs of texts and handling and shipping.

Pre-Reading Requirements

The following readings must be completed before the course begins:

Chliwniak, L. (1997). Higher education leadership: Analyzing the gender gap. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report Volume 25, No.4, Washington, DC: The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

Hayes, E., Flannery, D. D., Brooks, A.K., Tiskell, E.J., & Hugo, J.M. (2000). Women as learners: The significance of gender in adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Chapters 1-4.

Taylor, K., & Marienau, C. (Eds.). (1995). Learning environments for women's adult development: Bridges toward change. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, # 65, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Course Description

The feminist literature, as well as the education and leadership literature focusing on women, has been growing over the last 30 years. Using a historical perspective this course will utilize this literature to examine the role of women in education and more specifically, adult education, both as learners and as leaders. The focus will be on policy and leadership issues, as well as how education in our society has served the needs of women. It will also examine women's concept of self in education settings, incorporating women's voices, past and present. An examination of current issues concerning women in both general education and adult education will also be explored.

Course Objectives

There will be many objectives for this course. Several will be mine as I have constructed the course and designed it for the curriculum at Elmira. Other objectives will be yours, personal and professional. All goals and objectives for the course will be discussed and agreed upon in class.

1. To explore the feminist and education literature focusing on women in general education and in adult education.

2. To explore women's place in our educational system, how historical trends and societal factors have impacted their access and success in educational institutions both as learners and as leaders.

3. To explore the unique issues adult women learners bring to educational settings.

4. To provide opportunities for students to reflect on their own educational experiences and review their roles in society and with respect to leadership issues that promote access and equity in education.

5. To engage in learning situations founded on feminist pedagogy.

6. To participate in collaborative learning projects.

7. To become acquainted with women leaders and their career paths.

The Teaching and Learning Process

This course will utilize feminist pedagogy to guide the teaching/learning process. Sandler, Silverberg, and Hall (1996) provide an overview of feminist pedagogy and its strategies. They point to five common themes, which will be the foundation for the course: neutrality, experience, inclusion, non-hierarchical classrooms and empowering students - participation.

Textbook Requirements

Chliwniak, L. (1997). Higher education leadership: Analyzing the gender gap. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report Volume 25, No.4, Washington, DC: The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

Hayes, E., Flannery, D. D., Brooks, A.K., Tiskell, E.J., & Hugo, J.M. (2000). Women as learners: The significance of gender in adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, K., & Marienau, C. (Eds.). (1995). Learning environments for women's adult development: Bridges toward change. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, # 65, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

In addition, updates to the bibliography shown below and related handouts will be distributed during the course.

Course Requirements

1. Learning Activity #1-- Journal

"Feminist pedagogy considers personal biography and experience important to learning; it legitimates life experience as an appropriate subject of intellectual inquiry. It also assumes that students learn better when they recognize the relevance of material to their lives" (Sander, Silverberg, and Hall, 1996, p.40). A journal provides us with the opportunity to record these experiences. From the outset keep a journal to record your experiences, reflections on the content, readings, and during our time together, our class discussions. Journals will be collected on the first day of our class and again by the end of the time period allotted for course completion after the face-to-face meeting time. All journals will be kept in strict confidence and returned to the student. Please include a self-addressed envelope with adequate postage so I may return your journal. Please type/word process your journals. My criteria for assessment include 1) the extent of reflection on the course content and process, 2) willingness to consider course content in light of personal experiences, 3) regularity of entries, and 4) the inclusion of reflection on each of the required readings. Students should reflect on their own criteria for assessment for this assignment and enter their criteria at the beginning of the journal. The last entry of the journal at the end of the course should be a self-assessment with regard to your personal and my criteria for assessment.

2. Learning Activity #2 --Class Participation

"One of the central aims of feminist pedagogy is to empower students in the learning process. Feminist pedagogy emphasizes students' active participation" (Sandler, Silverberg, and Hall, 1996, p. 41). Students will be encouraged to take an active role in the class, not only in discussions, group work and exercises, but to help construct the assignments and criteria for assessment. Since the class will be conducted as a "seminar," students will be responsible for the readings and entering into discussion during our time together.

3. Learning Activity #3 -- Collaborative Learning Project

"As does any pedagogical strategy, the collaborative model brings with it its own ideological assumptions. Just as a lecture format assumes that the teacher's role is to impart knowledge to 'spongelike' students, collaborative approaches assume that students should be involved not just in receiving knowledge but in constructing it. A collaborative structure gives as much value to the process as to its product" (Sandler, Silverberg, and Hall, 1996, p. 44). Students will be working in small groups throughout the week to complete this project. Class time will be allotted to allow students to work on their project. One of our texts, Learning Environments for Women's Adult Development: Bridges toward Change, provides us with a foundation on creating educational programs and settings for women. The goal of this project is to have each group create a learning environment for a specific audience of adult women learners. Each group will make a presentation on the last day of class.

4. Learning Activity #4 - Document Your Learning History

Starting with ourselves as adult learners is a helpful way to understand the learning and our own development. Droeghamp and Taylor in the text, Learning Environments for Women's Adult Development: Bridges toward Change, encourage learners to write essays reflecting on their educational history. Sandler, Silverberg and Hall note that feminist pedagogy explores the standpoints of the speakers and values their experiences in the educational process. For this activity, think back over your adult years and try to remember your experiences in both formal educational settings and informal activities. What are your most significant memories? In what types of classes or activities did you participate? What motivated you? What barriers did you encounter? In what ways did your gender matter? Create a written history of your experiences and include your feelings and reactions. We will use these histories as the basis for discussion in class.

5. Learning Activity #5 -- Term Project

"Self-directed learners share responsibility with their educators for assuring quality in their classroom experiences; they are able to clarify their learning objectives and will explore alternative strategies for reading them within the context of the education setting. Encouraging students to see themselves as self-directed learners is intrinsic to feminist pedagogy" (Fisher, 1993, p.124). This project provides students with the opportunity to design an assignment of their own which will meet their objectives and goals for the course. Prepare a final course paper, project or product, which will bring together the theory we have read, your own personal experiences and the discussions from our time together. Students will prepare a one-page proposal outlining their assignment, the objectives and purpose and the criteria for assessment. This should be handed in during our course time together for discussion and approval. The final result of this project is typically a 5-25 page paper or product submitted by the end of the time period allotted for course completion after the face-to-face meeting. The objective of this learning activity is to facilitate your carrying out in-depth study, acquisition, and comprehension of knowledge related to some aspect of the course's content area.

Tentative Schedule for Course

Day One

Introductions

Administrative Details

Course Overview, Requirements

Feminist Pedagogy

Historical Perspective

Personal Educational History

Begin Collaborative Group Project

Day Two

Women as Learners

Adult Development Issues

Collaborative Group Project Work

Day Three

Women as Leaders

Collaborative Group Project Work

Day Four

Creating Learning Environments for Women

Creating Leadership Opportunities for Women

Collaborative Group Project Work

Day Five

Collaborative Group Project Presentations

Final Discussions

Evaluation

Wrap-up Activity

Bibliography

Adams, M., Bell, L. A., Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1997). Teaching for diversity and social justice: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge. (adult and higher education).

Aisenberg, N., & Harrington, M. (1988). Women of academe: Outsiders in the scared grove. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. (higher education)

Bateson, M. C. (1990). Composing a life. New York: Plume. (general)

Bateson, M. C. (1994). Peripheral visions: Learning along the way. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. (general)

Blackmore, J. (1999). Troubling women: Feminism, leadership and educational change. Philadelphia: Open University Press. (secondary education)

Belenky, M. F., Clinchy, B. M., Goldberger, N. R., & Tarule, J. M. (1986). Women's ways of knowing: The development of self, voice, and mind. New York: Basic Books. (adult education).

Border, L. L. B., & Chism, N. V. N. (Eds.). (1992). Teaching for diversity. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, #49, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (general)

Chamberlain, M. K. (Ed.). (1988). Women in academe: Progress and prospects. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. (higher education)

Chliwniak, L. (1997). Higher education leadership: Analyzing the gender gap. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, 25, 4, Washington, DC: Graduate School of Education and Human Development, The George Washington University. (higher education)

Conway, J. K., & Bourque, S. C. (Eds.). (1996). The politics of women's education. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. (general)

Curry, B. K. (2000). Women in power: Pathways to leadership in education. New York: Teachers College Press. (general)

Dunlap, D. M., & Schmuch, P. A. (Eds.). (1995). Women leading in education. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. (secondary education).

Gilligan, C. (1993). In a different voice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (general)

Glazer-Raymo, J. (1999). Shattering the myths: Women in academe. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press. (higher education).

Hayes, E., & Flannery, D. D. (2000). Women as learners: The significance of gender in adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (adult education)

Hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress. New York: Routledge. (adult education)

Irwin, R. L. (1995). A circle of empowerment: Women, education and leadership. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. (secondary education)

Jamieson, K. H. (1995). Beyond the double bind: Women and leadership. New York: Oxford University Press. (general)

Johnson, A. G. (1997). The gender knot: Unraveling our patriarchal legacy. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. (general)

Klenke, K. (1996). Women and leadership: A contextual perspective. New York: Springer Publishing Company. (general)

Maher, F. A., & Tetreault, M. T. (1994). The feminist classroom: An inside look at how professors and students are transforming higher education for a diverse society. New York: Basic Books. (higher education).

Martin, J. R. (2000). Coming of age in academe: Rekindling women's hopes and reforming the academy. New York: Routledge. (higher education)

Meadow Orlans, K. P., & Wallace, R. A. (1994). Gender and the academic experience: Berkeley women sociologists. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. (higher education).

McCormick, T. M. (1994). Creating the nonsexist classroom: A multicultural approach. New York: Teachers College Press. (general)

Mitchell, P. T. (Ed.). (1993). Cracking the wall: Women in higher education administration. Washington, DC: The College and University Personnel Association. (higher education).

Neumann, A. & Peterson, P. L. (Eds.). (1997). Learning from our lives: Women, research and autobiography in education. New York: Teachers College Press. (general)

Sadkar, M., & Sadkar, D. (1994). Failing at fairness: How our schools cheat girls. New York: Charles Scribners Sons. (general).

Sandler, B. R., Silverberg, L. A., & Hall, R. M. (1996). The chilly classroom climate: A guide to improve the education of women. Washington, DC: The National Association for Women in Education. (general)

Solomon, B. M. (1985). In the company of educated women. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. (higher education)

Statham, A., Richardson, L., & Cook, J. A. (1991). Gender and university teaching: A negotiated difference. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. (higher education)

Stone, L. (Ed.) (1994). The education feminism reader. New York: Routledge. (general)

Tavris, C. (1992). The mismeasure of women. New York: Simon & Schuster. (general)

Taylor, K., & Marienau, C. (Eds.). (1995). Learning environments for women's adult development: Bridges toward change. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, #65, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (adult education)

Tobias, S. (1997). Faces of feminism: An activist's reflections on the women's movement. Boulder. CO: Westview Press. (general)

Tompkins, J. (1996). A life in school: What the teacher learned. New York: Addison Wesley. (higher education).

Toth, E. (1997). Ms. Mentor's impeccable advice for women in academia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. (higher education)

Turner, C. S. V., & Myers, Jr., S. L. (2000). Faculty of color in academe: Bittersweet success. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (higher education)

Walton, K. D. (1996). Against the tide: Career paths of women leaders in American and British Higher Education. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. (higher education)

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