Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Shifting From a Face-to-Face to an Online Educational Leadership Program: A Case Study 315
assistant principal position, a small rural district received 125 applicants, where historically
they would have received approximately 20. Thus, online programs may cause the supply of
certified individuals to exceed the demand for administrators and increase the number of
applicants that school districts have to select from in filling administrative positions.
Online programs tend to make it more difficult for professors to get to know students
since the in-class social interaction is difficult to replicate through online experiences. It is
generally accepted that human relations, the ability to interact effectively with students,
parents and colleagues, is an important skill for success as an administrator (Katz, 1974).
Historically, professors in face-to-face classes have had the opportunity to get to know their
students on a professional level and ascertain whether the individuals possess the social skills
necessary for a leadership position. This may not be possible in online environments.
Therefore, school districts are going to have to consider carefully the qualifications of
individuals who have received their certification through online courses to assure that
individuals possess the interpersonal skills necessary for success as an administrator before
offering an administrative position.
CONCLUSION
Challenges to programs of higher education have always existed. The confluence of
questions about rigor, decreasing resources, and competition outside the traditional university
system provide the opportunity to truly examine educational leadership preparation. The
impact of innovative approaches to leadership development may be both positive and
negative. Innovation, in and of itself, does not guarantee a positive impact on the quality and
quantity of emerging leaders. Still, innovation that is not seen as a positive addition or is
viewed as a threat to existing programs may drive the development of other innovative
approaches that do provide quality educational leaders. Exploring the impact of innovation on
the practice of leadership development programs offers the opportunity to revisit the core
beliefs of a program and align any changes or adjustments with these core beliefs.
Universities are seeking ways to meaningfully engage with students in ways that are
attractive to both students and faculty while providing a high quality educational experience.
Discussions of radical innovations are critical if Colleges of Education are to meet the
challenges these innovations bring. It is critical to examine methods to evaluate these radical
innovations so that a program clarifies its core beliefs and tests these core beliefs against the
innovation. Colleges of Education and Departments of Educational Leadership cannot become
merry-go-rounds where faculty simply jump on the next passing horse. Therefore, whatever
makes the program successful and whatever makes the student successful, not only in
program completion, but practice, should be the main focus. We are, indeed, blazing a new
trail, not only for East Texans, but with the support of technology, the world.
REFERENCES
American University System. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.americanuniversitysystem.org/American
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Alford, B. (2007). Ten years and counting: Salient doctoral program design and delivery practices in an
educational leadership program. In C. Mullen, T. Creighton, F. Dembowski, and S. Harris (Eds.), The
Handbook of Doctoral Programs in Educational Leadership: Issues and Challenges (pp. 93–100).
National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, Creative Commons Attributions 2.
Allen, E., & Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the course: Online education in the United States, Retrieved from http://
www.sloane.org/ publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf.