Upper Level Coursework in Talent Development

Restrictions: None

Completed at the end of the Adult Learning and Talent Development Minor, this course represents the culmination of the student’s experience and demonstrates their TD competencies. Small groups of students work on a project that demonstrates at least one TD capability. The class ends with a "Dissemination Night" where students present an overview of their project and lessons learned to students, faculty, family, and guests.

Restrictions: None

This course introduces students to key concepts in the field of organizational learning, emphasizing its strategic nature within the organization. Topics include leading the learning function; organizational learning and andragogy theories; the ADDIE model (analysis, development, design, implementation, and evaluation) of training and development, and non-traditional learning interventions through coaching, mentoring, and cross-training. Special emphasis will be placed on the first and last components of ADDIE: Needs Analysis and Evaluation.

This course introduces critical assessment, collaboration, and learning technologies. Since technology changes constantly, students also will learn how to continuously identify and gain proficiency in new tools. Ethical and legal considerations related to the use of technology in the workplace also are addressed.

This course helps students explore the field of human performance improvement. Students will gain critical skills in applied organizational research, learning to identify performance improvement gaps and to propose appropriate interventions. Topics include data collection methods, the HPI model, data analysis, and best practices in internal and external consulting.

This course provides an overview of how to design, develop, and facilitate effective learning experiences for adult learners. Design and development topics include writing instructional objectives, selecting appropriate training methods, and designing and developing instructional games and simulations. Facilitation topics include the rationale for selecting various facilitation methods and approaches for engaging learners.

This course focuses on organizational needs analysis and evaluation processes. Students will gain practical data gathering skills to analyze performance needs and evaluate learning interventions. Each student will use at least two of the approaches discussed during the course to conduct a needs analysis or an evaluation project within a real organizational setting.

Restrictions: None

The study of ethics is the study of moral philosophy and the ways in which moral dilemmas are evaluated and, ultimately, resolved. Throughout this course we will focus on exploring the perennial question, "What is right?" Through processes of shared inquiry, we will explore the theoretical foundations for making ethical choices and examine implications for contemporary workplace, environmental, and sociopolitical challenges. In particular, we will emphasize the nature of moral and ethical leadership, review and critique our professional Code of Ethics, assess our own ethical style preferences (and their implications for our ethical choices) and discuss best practices for developing moral leaders.

Restrictions: None

In this course, students review the MSLD leadership competency model and the Big Five Model of personality. Students complete a personality assessment (The Narrative Big Five), a 360-assessment measuring their current performance in the MSLD leadership competencies, and engage in in-depth discussions of connections between personality, leadership styles, team roles, and career satisfaction. Other topics include personality applications to building relationships, team building, and leadership development. At the end of the course, students will receive a Certification for the Narrative Big Five, a valid and reliable Big Five personality assessment. New students at Drake University will also receive valuable information on Drake resources, effective writing, the APA style, and other critical factors for their success as graduate students (current students and students from other majors will not need to complete this portion of the course).

Restrictions: None