Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Description
In today’s globalized society improving on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is paramount to the success of any industry. As such, program training and development is a tool used to inform and grow a better environment that supports DEI. This course explores the process of program training and development with emphasis on DEI and social justice. Specifically, this course examines the individual and organization strategies designed to foster inclusive and diverse environments using program training. This course will examine the application of theoretical frameworks used in today’s organization, as well as developing needs assessment, planning and budgeting, goal setting, and evaluation methods.
Learning Objectives
|
Learning Objectives |
Measured By |
|---|---|
|
Students will examine and organize effective evidence-based program training strategies that promote inclusion and diversity within workplaces and/or organizations. |
Developing a training proposal that describes a potential organizational training program that supports DEI. |
|
Students will examine and analyze real-world training perspectives from professional HR personnel and compare with existing literature. |
Developing and implementing an interview protocol and paper with an HR training specialist. |
|
Students will analyze and discuss current trends in the use of DEI trainings and use existing literature to support or counter the existing practices. |
Engaging in the weekly discussion board posts with classmates on current events associated with programmatic training for DEI. |
|
Students will use their knowledge and skills to manage assignments in a timely and collegial manner. |
Utilizing time management and organizational skills while adhering to course deadlines. |
Course Prerequisites
Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Course Materials
- There are no required textbook(s) for this class, however additional reading sources may be recommended.
- Journal articles will be the main source of reading in the course and provided through canvas.
- Computer access with internet, video chat function, word-processing capabilities, and an updated web browser are needed.
Grades
Breakdown
Assignments will be used to evaluate students' abilities in synthesizing and applying material from the lectures and the class readings. Successful work with cooperative groups is also required. The grading breakdown is as follows:
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Weekly Live Sessions | 10% |
| Discussion Board | Module discussion activities (5 total) | 10% |
| Reflections | 1 reflection paper on your thoughts/perceptions on topics related to issues discussed in this course. | 10% |
| Peer Review | 2 peer evaluations (on the presentation and paper) is required once groups submit their projects. | 10% |
| HR Specialist Interview Paper | Engage in an interview with an HR specialist of your choice. Then, write a 5-page paper on your experience with the HR professional and how it connects or disagrees with the literature. | 15% |
| Training Proposal Group Assignments | Groups of 3 are engaged in a proposal to develop a training program that will require small group assignments throughout the course. | 15% |
| Training Proposal Group Paper | Groups of 3 are engaged in proposal development for a training program. Groups will develop a 20-25 page written group proposal. | 15% |
| Training Proposal Group Presentation | Groups of 3 are engaged in proposal development for a training program. Groups will develop a 15-20 minute group proposal presentation. | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Schedule
| Week | Weekly Topics | Assignments | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 1: Syllabus Review and Needs and Logic Models of Program Development Canvas Modules (Needs Assessment): 1.1 Determining the “who, what, when, where, and why” 1.2 Needs Assessment Evaluation Tools 1.3 Inclusivity of Who is Involved in the Development 1.4 Organizing Goals and Objectives from the “needs” 1.5 The Checklist of Steps to Take Before Training |
Discussion Board #1
|
Oct 23, 2022 11:59pm |
| 2 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 2: Models and Frameworks for Training Canvas Modules (Theoretical Frameworks and Models): 2.1 Theoretical Advancements in Training 2.2 Models of Training 2.3 Cross Cultural Training 2.4 Choosing the Appropriate Theory and Model to Meet Your Goals and Objectives |
Discussion Board #2 Group Assignment: Literature Review |
Oct 30, 2022 11:59pm
|
| 3 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 3: Designing the Training Canvas Modules (Program Design): 3.1 Strategies for Facilitating Training 3.2 Determining and Designing Topic Areas for Training 3.3 Deliverables & Activities that Support Diversity and Inclusion 3.4 Technology-Based Training Methods vs. Traditional Methods 3.5 Common Practice Missteps in Designing Program Training |
Group Assignment: Needs Assessment & Logic Model |
Nov 6, 2022 11:59pm |
| 4 |
Zoom Live Lecture 4: Planning the Training Canvas Modules: 4.1 Developing a Budget for Success 4.2 Constructing a Planning Timeline 4.3 An Active Training Program 4.4 Intentional Planning to Manage for Diversity and Achieving Inclusion |
Discussion Board #3 HR Training Specialist Interview |
Nov 13, 2022 11:59pm |
| 5 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 5: Executing and Assessing Success of Training (Part 1) Canvas Modules (Program Training Evaluation): 5.1 Frameworks for Training Evaluation 5.2 Quantitative Data vs Qualitative Data in Training Evaluation
|
Discussion #4 Reflection Paper |
Nov 20, 2022 11:59pm |
| 6 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 6: Executing and Assessing Success of Training (Part 2) Canvas Modules (Program Training Evaluation): 5.3 Designing an Evaluation Tool 5.4 What Does Success Look Like in Training Evaluation |
Group Assignment: Developing a Budget and Timeline |
Nov 27, 2022 11:59pm |
| 7 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 7: Post-Training Canvas Modules (Post-Training Planning): 6.1 Using Evaluations to Make Improvements 6.2 Institutional Change and Workforce Development 6.3 The Future of Training and Development |
Discussion Board #5 Group Assignment: Developing an Evaluation Tool |
Dec 4, 2022 |
| 8 |
Zoom Live Lecture Topic 8: The Future of Training |
Training Proposal Paper and Presentation |
Dec 9, 2022 |
Course Components
Participation
Each week, we will meet for Live Sessions online. Attendance/participation in the Live Session is highly encouraged and will be graded. There are two ways in which you can earn points for the Live Session:
- Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real-time. To get credit for your attendance, type in the date and time of the session you attended by clicking on the red "Start Assignment" button at the top the Live Session page. Your self-reported attendance log will be cross-checked against the attendance tracker in Zoom.
- Make-Up (Watch Recording-Submit Written Summary): In the event that your time zone, work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, you will need to review the recording of the Live Session and write a paragraph summarizing the Live Session from your perspective. Click on the "Start Assignment" button to type (or copy/paste) your paragraph into the text field. Don't worry if the system indicates your submission is late. You will have until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Central to submit your paragraph summary.
Note: Be sure to utilize option 1 or 2 for each of the Live Sessions to receive full points. Regardless of when the session occurred, you must post your response based on option 1 or 2.
Discussion Board
Throughout the course, each member of the class will post analysis, explanation, and interpretation for a variety of exercises on the discussion board.
For each discussion, each member of the class will make an original discussion posting with at least 250 words. Additional requirements for each original posting are included with discussion board information.
Discussions will be graded based upon quality, timeliness, responsiveness and moving the conversation forward, which is discussed in further detail in the scoring section of the rubric. There will be 5 discussions in this course.
Each discussion will be posted on the Sunday to start the week and your initial post is due by Friday at 11:59 pm and your 2 replies are due by Sunday at 11:59pm. You are expected to participate throughout the week in the discussions. You are also expected to read your classmates’ posts and respond to them.
Responses must be substantial and non-frivolous. Responses that consist of comments such as or similar to “I did that to.”, “I agree with that.”, “That is nice.”, “I like what you did.”, “That helped me understand.”, and “I like how you organized your work.” are frivolous and will earn zero (0) discussion points. The purpose of responses is to further the conversation and involve members of the class in the problem solving and analysis process.
This course relies heavily on each student’s ongoing participation in discussion.
Reflections
Having an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences with the subject matter is a great way to develop an understanding of the relevance and importance of policies, programs, and practices. You are required to complete one reflection paper during the course. Reflections are your thoughts/perceptions on the topics related to issues discussed in this course. You will be provided the literature to review and questions to respond to in a written 2-3 page paper.
Peer Review
As part of the group project, members will also be asked to evaluate group members for participation and provided a separate grade.
HR Specialist Interview Paper
Learning from those in the field provides an opportunity to engage in lived-experience research and can serve validating or counter to the literature. For this paper, you will schedule an interview with a Human Resource Specialist (preferably one that is a training specialist) or, if you prefer, you can interview a training specialist from a recent training you attended. This will be a semi-structured interview where you will be provided a list of prompt questions to get the conversation started and then you are free to engage with the interviewee in any direction that the questions may take you or you can stick strictly to the provided interview questions.
The interview will likely last between 30 mins to an hour. You will want to take notes and gain permission to record the conversation (provided you inform the interviewee when setting up the interview and right before you engage in the interview; you also want to eliminate any participant identifiers and further instructions on this process can be found on Canvas).
Following the interview, you will write a 5-7 page double spaced paper (12-point, Time New Roman Font) describing your participant responses, comparing it to the literature on the field, and providing your own perspective and feedback based on the literature and interviewee responses.
Training Proposal Group Assignments
There are group assignments (Literature Review, Logic Model, Needs Assessment, Budget and Timeline, Evaluation/Assessment) throughout the course that are part of the overall proposal that one person from each group will submit. These assignments are meant to help guide you in the direction of expectations for the proposal, as well as provide an opportunity for feedback on different elements of the proposal prior to the submission of the final project.
Training Proposal Group Paper
For this final paper, each student will be added to a group and develop a proposal for a training program related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Your group is tasked with developing a training program to convince leadership, or an organization of your choice, that your training program can lead to improvements in the company’s DEI standing.
For this paper you will need to include:
- A title page
- Organizational overview
- Literature Review
- Theoretical framework
- Overview of needs assessment strategy and Logic Model
- Action planning strategy (including deliverables, budget, objectives, timeline, and goals)
- Conclusion
- Recommendations
- References
Training Proposal Group Presentation
Finally, each group will submit a video presentation of their training proposal. This presentation video can utilize any visual format you choose (PowerPoint, Prezi, infomercial etc.) but there must be a video presentation.
Your presentation should provide:
- a brief introduction of the theory used
- an overview of the organization
- training plan of action
- recommendations
- concluding thoughts
Note: Videos should be at least 10 minutes and uploaded by the final day of class.
Course Policies
Communication
If any student has a conflict, a question, or need additional clarity on anything pertaining to the course, students are to contact me via email (Brandon.allen-1@ou.edu). Please allow 24 hours for a response before resending a subsequent email. Although I am often away from my computer on weekends, I will do my best to respond via email on Saturday and Sunday but please allow until Monday for a response. If there is an emergency (i.e., a pressing conflict with a classmate or unable to login to the site) that requires my immediate attention you are welcome to call my cell phone. If I do not answer, please leave a voicemail with your name, class and description of what is needed and I will return your call when I am available.
For this course you are free to address me as Professor Allen or Dr. Allen. When engaging with myself or other students please be mindful of common courtesy and respect in dialogue. This means that there should be no personal attacks in conversation, including discussion board posts and live zoom discussions. This course operates from the standpoint of "brave spaces" meaning that people are free to be open and honest about their thoughts and lived experiences regardless of its nature, and that your peers and myself do not admonish or attack individuals for doing so. If personal attacking does occur, you will be given a warning for your first instance and any further actions will be taken up with leadership in the program that may include your dismissal from the program.
Feedback
Students in this course can expect to receive feedback on assignments and grades provided within a week of the assignment due date, with the exception of any late assignments that are discussed and approved by the professor which will be turned around within a week of submission.
Late Policy
Assignments and written papers are due via Canvas by the date and time listed. Your written work should be typed (double-spaced, using a 12 pt. Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins, & pages numbered), properly labeled, carefully proofread, edited, and show consistent and correct use of American Psychological Association (APA) 7thedition style guidelines for writing style, citations, and referencing. All written materials referencing text from the class or text that students find on their own must be cited appropriately. Late assignments will not be accepted unless otherwise discussed prior to the due date with Dr. Brandon Allen.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Land Acknowledgement
Long before the University of Oklahoma was established, the land on which the University now resides was the traditional home of the “Hasinais” Caddo Nation and “Kirikirʔi:s” Wichita & Affiliated Tribes.
We acknowledge this territory once also served as a hunting ground, trade exchange point, and migration route for the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa and Osage nations. Today, 39 tribal nations dwell in the state of Oklahoma as a result of settler and colonial policies that were designed to assimilate Native people.
The University of Oklahoma recognizes the historical connection our university has with its indigenous community. We acknowledge, honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this land. We fully recognize, support and advocate for the sovereign rights of all of Oklahoma’s 39 tribal nations. This acknowledgment is aligned with our university’s core value of creating a diverse and inclusive community. It is an institutional responsibility to recognize and acknowledge the people, culture and history that make up our entire OU Community.
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalog.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Student Support Services
OU offers a variety of services to support students. For more information, please refer to the Student Support Module in your Orientation course.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Copyright Statement and Privacy Information
Sessions of this course may be recorded or live-streamed. These recordings are the intellectual property of the individual faculty member and may not be shared or reproduced without the explicit, written consent of the faculty member. In addition, privacy rights of others such as students, guest lecturers, and providers of copyrighted material displayed in the recording may be of concern. Students may not share any course recordings with individuals not enrolled in the class or upload them to any other online environment.
Academic Integrity
As a member of the OU community, it is your responsibility to protect your educational investment by knowing and following the rules. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
Academic honesty is incredibly important within this course. Cheating is strictly prohibited at the University of Oklahoma, because it devalues the degree you are working hard to get. Should you know of someone else engaging in academic misconduct, please report it to your instructor or directly to the Office of Academic Integrity. Your instructor has a professional obligation to report academic misconduct.
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
Religious Observance
It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to reschedule examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays, without penalty. [See Faculty Handbook 3.15.2].
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is committed to supporting students with disabilities to ensure that they are able to enjoy equal access to all components of their education. This includes your academics, housing, and community events. Please review OU's Accessibility Policy.
If you are experiencing a disability, a mental/medical health condition that has a significant impact on one or more life functions, you can receive accommodations to provide equal access. Possible disabilities include but are not limited to learning disabilities, AD(H)D, mental health, and chronic health. Additionally, we support students with temporary medical conditions (broken wrist, shoulder surgery, etc.) and pregnancy.
To discuss potential accommodations, please contact the ADRC at 730 College Avenue, (phone) 405-325-3852, or adrc@ou.edu.
Title IX Resources
Anyone who has been impacted by gender-based violence, including dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, harassment, and sexual assault, deserves access to resources so that they are supported personally and academically.
The University of Oklahoma is committed to offering resources to those impacted, including: speaking with someone confidentially about your options, medical attention, counseling, reporting, academic support, and safety plans. If you would like to speak with someone confidentially, please contact OU Advocates (available 24/7 at 405-615-0013) or another confidential resource (see "Can I make an anonymous report?").
You may also choose to report gender-based violence and discrimination through other means, including by contacting the Institutional Equity Office (ieo@ou.edu, 405-325-3546) or the police (911).
Because the University of Oklahoma is committed to the safety of you and other students, I, as well as other faculty, Graduate Assistants, and Teaching Assistants, are mandatory reporters. This means that we are obligated to report gender-based violence that has been disclosed to us to the Institutional Equity Office. This includes disclosures that occur in class discussions, writing assignments, discussion boards, emails, and during Student/Office Hours.
For more information, please visit the Institutional Equity Office.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Mental Health Support Services
If you are experiencing any mental health issues that are impacting your academic performance, counseling is available at the University Counseling Center (UCC). The Center is located on the second floor of the Goddard Health Center, at 620 Elm Rm. 201, Norman, OK 73019. To schedule an appointment, call 405-325-2911. For more information, please visit the University Counseling Center.
Final Exam Preparation Period
Pre-finals week will be defined as the seven calendar days before the first day of finals. Faculty may cover new course material throughout this week. For specific provisions of the policy please refer to OU's Final Exam Preparation Period policy.
Required Policies for Students On Campus
Emergency Protocol
During an emergency, there are official university procedures that will maximize your safety.
Severe Weather: If you receive an OU Alert to seek refuge or hear a tornado siren that signals severe weather:
- Look for severe weather refuge location maps located inside most OU buildings near the entrances
- Seek refuge inside a building. Do not leave one building to seek shelter in another building that you deem safer. If outside, get into the nearest building.
- Go to the building’s severe weather refuge location. If you do not know where that is, go to the lowest level possible and seek refuge in an innermost room. Avoid outside doors and windows.
- Get in, Get Down, Cover Up.
- Wait for official notice to resume normal activities.
Additional Weather Safety Information is available through the Department of Campus Safety.
Severe Weather Preparedness Video
Armed Subject/Campus Intruder
If you receive an OU Alert to shelter-in-place due to an active shooter or armed intruder situation or you hear what you perceive to be gunshots:
- Avoid: If you believe you can get out of the area without encountering the armed individual, move quickly towards the nearest building exit, move away from the building, and call 911.
- Deny: If you cannot flee, move to an area that can be locked or barricaded, turn off lights, silence devices, spread out, and formulate a plan of attack if the shooter enters the room.
- Defend: As a last resort fight to defend yourself. For more information, visit:
OU's Emergency Preparedness site
Shots Fire on Campus Procedure
Fire Alarm/General Emergency
If you receive an OU Alert that there is danger inside or near the building, or the fire alarm inside the building activates:
- Leave the building. Do not use the elevators.
- Know at least two building exits
- Assist those that may need help
- Proceed to the emergency assembly area
- Once safely outside, Notify first responders of anyone that may still be inside the building due to mobility issues.
- Wait for official notice before attempting to re-enter the building.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|