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wc10 1/11/2010 10:27:19

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (no formal paper) Panel Discussion: Live session and asynchronous discussion

//Janet Salmons, Capella University, Boulder, CO, USA, jsalmons@vision2lead.com// //Laurence Rose, Capella University Minneapolis, MN, USA,// //lrose@icfi.com// //Nancy Haig, Capella University Minneapolis, MN, USA, nancy_haig@eisai.com// //Armin Ebrahimi, Capella University Minneapolis, MN, USA, armin_ebrahimi@yahoo.com //
 * Rethinking Doctoral Education2: The Formation of Scholar Practitioners**

Two recent books from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching look at new challenges for 21st century doctoral education. One is titled The Formation of Scholars: Rethinking Doctoral Education for the Twenty-First Century (Walker, Golde, Jones, Bueschedul, & Hutchings, 2008); the other is Envisioning the Future Of Doctoral Education: Preparing Stewards of the Discipline (Golde & Walker, 2006). These books-- as their titles boldly state-- aim to rethink the way people study for the PhD, and what they are prepared to do once they have the degree. While both discuss the importance of intellectual community in doctoral education, neither mentions the online community and how it allows learners and faculty to connect across time and distance. Indeed, the Formation of Scholars suggests the need for "physical spaces for intellectual community" (p. 130).

Both books discuss doctoral study as a process of developing stewards of the discipline who consider "the applications, uses, and purposes of the discipline and favors wise and responsible applications" (Golde & Walker, 2006). Neither book discusses the need for or importance of the multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary scholar-practitioner who can bridge study and application and who can reach across disciplines as needed to expand thinking and solve perplexing problems.

Do we need to rethink this rethinking?

In the interactive Rethinking Doctoral Education2 panel discussion, Dr. Janet Salmons and her doctoral mentees Nancy Haig, Lawrence Rose and Sharon Vogus will discuss experiences and observations from the perspectives of online, adult learners. The goal of the panel will be to examine doctoral education for adult learners as scholar/practitioners who cross and blend disciplines, and to explore online learning and mentoring at the dissertation stage.

Golde, C. M., & Walker, G. E. (Eds.). (2006). Envisioning the future of doctoral education: Preparing stewards of the discipline. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Walker, G. E., Golde, C. M., Jones, L., Bueschedul, A., & Hutchings, P. (Eds.). (2008). The formation of scholars: Rethinking doctoral education for the twenty-first century. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

All Audiences PhD, doctoral e-learning, online mentoring