KAMs

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KAMs

• What are they?What good are they?How are they
  done?

Prepared by Iris M. Yob Center for Teaching and
Learning
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KAMs are

• one of Walden Universitys
• signature
• approaches to doctoral level learning

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The signature? How come?

• KAMs were an early approach to doctoral study
  employed at Waldenbefore courses, before
  e-classrooms, before multiple degrees and
  specializations
• KAMs are distinctive--they set us apart from
  traditional institutions
• KAMs are uniquea blend of features found nowhere
  else in exactly this form
• KAMs reflect the personality of Waldenthe
  universitys mission and values
• Just like a

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KAMs are

• Knowledge
• Area
• Modules

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So what is a Knowledge Area Module?

• A knowledge area is a discipline within the
  social sciences such as psychology, sociology,
  behavioral science, anthropology, political
  science . . .
• . . . these are foundational knowledge for many
  professional degrees.
• These knowledge areas are presented as a series
  of modules, each one a unit of many Ph.D.
  programs at Walden . . .
• . . . with these units along with some courses
  students build their degree programs.
• So KAMs are units of study in the social sciences
  out of which a Ph.D. program is built

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Some more about the knowledge areas . . .

• Walden has drawn out of the social sciences
  specific topics that are relevant to our
  students professions. In most Ph.D. programs
  the Core KAMs are

KAM 1 Principles of Social Change KAM 2
Principles of Human Development KAM 3 Principles
of Organizational and Social Systems
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Advanced KAMs

• Building on the Core KAMs 1, 2, 3 many programs
  add Advanced KAMs 5, 6, and possibly 7 as well.
• Advanced KAMs are specifically related to the
  students specialization.

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Which program and specialization
would each of these advanced KAMs
belong to?

• KAM 6 Effectiveness of Higher Education
  Organizations
• KAM 6 Contemporary Issues and the Ethical
  Delivery of Health Services
• KAM 5 Democratic Governance
• KAM 5 Deterministic Operations Research
  Techniques

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Did you get them right?

• KAM 6 Effectiveness of Higher Education
  Organizations?
• Answer Ph.D. in Education, Higher Education
  specialization
• KAM 6 Contemporary Issues and the Ethical
  Delivery of Health Services?
• Answer Ph.D. in Health Services, Health
  Management and Policy specialization
• KAM 5 Democratic Governance?
• Answer Ph.D. in Public Policy and
  Administration.
• KAM 5 Deterministic Operations Research
  Techniques?
• Answer Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision
  Sciences, Operations Research specialization

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Getting inside a KAM

• A KAM is made up of three parts
• Breadth
• where Theory around a broad theme is explored
• Depth
• where current Research around a sub-theme is
  analyzed in depth
• Application
• where a Project is developed to apply the theory
  and research to the real world

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The overall effect

• Breadth
• where Theory around a broad theme is explored
• Depth
• where current Research around a sub-theme is
  analyzed in depth
• Application
• where a Project is developed to apply the theory
  and research to the real world

• So a KAM takes a student from
• Theory
• and Research
• to
• Practice

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For example

• I am a student in the Ph.D. in Applied Management
  and Decision Sciences and I am working on KAM 1
  Principles of Social Change. Here is what I
  might do in this KAM
• Breadth
• Examine theories about poverty its causes and
  effects on society
• Depth
• Analyze research that connects poverty and
  unemployment
• Application
• Design a job training project for unemployed
  teenagers

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Another example

• I am a student in the Ph.D. in Education, Early
  Childhood Education specialization and I am
  working on KAM 2 Principles of Human
  Development. Here is what I might do in this
  KAM
• Breadth
• Examine theories about physical, cognitive, and
  psychosocial development in the preschool years
• Depth
• Analyze research on the factors that support
  normal development in young children
• Application
• Design a workshop for parents of young children
  wanting to support their childs growth and
  development.

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Difference between a KAM and a Course

• In a Course
• The teacher designs the study, chooses the
  topics, and selects the texts
• Students are part of a larger group
• Students are assessed by their assignments and
  often by an exam

• In a KAM
• The student designs the study, chooses the
  topics, and selects the texts guided by the
  teacher
• Students work as individuals mentored by the
  teacher
• Students are assessed by the completed KAM they
  plan and present

Both KAMs and courses are important in doctoral
programs
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Basic Assumptions

• Ph.D. students at Walden
• are adult learners
• are practicing professionals
• come to their studies with a wealth of
  experience
• have a Masters degree and a foundation of
  professional knowledge
• know what they want, or at least, have a sense
  of the issues and concerns they want to study
• do not want to spend time on topics that are
  irrelevant to them
• are busy people and must have a flexible,
  customized study schedule
• plan to use their studies to make a difference

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So KAMs are made to fit the student

• KAMs allow adult learners to take charge of
  their own learning.
• KAMs allow students to build their studies on
  their own past experiences and present questions
  and concerns.
• KAMs are the next logical step toward becoming a
  lifelong contributor to learning in a persons
  educational development after a Masters degree.
• KAMs develop critical thinkers.
• KAMs are not tied to quarter or semester
  schedules and deadlines.
• KAMs provide a way to make informed changes in
  the real world where there is need.
• Lets look at these a little more closely . . . .

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. . . take charge of their own learning . . .

• Within each of the knowledge areas, there are
  many different themes and possibilities. Each
  learner draws up a plan of what themes,
  sub-themes, and projects he or she will pursue.
• Being independent learners means students are
  more likely to study what is important and
  relevant to them.

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. . . build their studies on their experiences .
. .

• Learners with experience behind them can take
  that experience with them into their Ph.D.
  studies. In fact, KAMs can only work well for
  students with experience to call on. They are
  not a place for novices.
• Out of that experience will come all kinds of
  questions and issues that are demanding
  attention. Those questions and issues help
  students design the KAM so that they can find
  answers and possible solutions.

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. . . next step to becoming a lifelong
contributor to learning . . .

• KAMs are a step towards more independence in
  learning and in the direction of self-designed
  learning that characterizes the doctoral
  graduate.
• The skills, knowledge, and confidence to create
  new knowledge are practiced in the KAM process.

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. . . develop critical thinkers . . .

• Writing a KAM gets students to ask questions
• How can my profession be improved?
• How can my work as a professional be
  improved?
• Is this document sensitive to cultural and
  individual differences?
• What is strong about this writers
  arguments?
• Is this conclusion based on evidence?
• What is missing from this research?
• What does this paper really mean?
• How could I do this assignment better?
• And these questions are critical thinking at
  work!

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. . . not tied to schedules and deadlines . . .

• Each KAM begins when the student is ready to
  begin and ends when the KAM is completed. It
  does not begin at the start of a school term or
  end when the term ends.
• As a general rule, the first KAM takes 20-25
  weeks and future KAMs take 10-15 weeks and in
  both cases take part or all and more of a
  quarter.
• The length of time to do a KAM depends primarily
  on the number of hours per week a student has to
  devote to it. 10-20 hours a week is recommended.
• This provides maximum flexibility for otherwise
  busy professionals.
• Note Since there is a time limit on the time to
  completion of the degree, a KAM needs to be
  completed each year of enrollment.

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. . . make informed changes in the real world . .
.

• Because KAMs take students through a process of
  studies from theory through research to practice,
  they provide both deep groundings in a field and
  up-to-the-minute findings.
• Then in the Application section of the KAM
  students design a project that immediately puts
  that knowledge to work in a real situation in
  their professional world.
• In this way the KAMs enact the Walden mission of
  contributing to positive social change.

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Extending the definition of KAMs

• KAMs are units of
• independent
• study in the social sciences out of which a Ph.D.
  program is built

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Some more definitions

• Core KAMs the first three KAMs which are common
  to most Ph.D. programs
• Advanced KAMs two or three additional KAMs
  designed for specific specializations
• KAM-based programs strictly speaking, any Ph.D.
  program that is built in part by KAMs commonly
  used just for programs that have both Core and
  Advanced KAMs
• Mixed model programs Ph.D. programs that combine
  KAMs and specialization courses

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Being an independent learnerdoes not mean

• being alone
• unaided
• disconnected from the Walden community

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KAMs on their minds!
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Supportive people for KAM students

• their own faculty mentor, someone specially
  chosen for having common interests
• KAM assessors, who are faculty members they
  choose to guide them through a particular KAM
• residency faculty members they will meet who
  will talk over ideas, give suggestions, provide
  feedback
• librarians who can help in searching for
  literature
• academic advisors who will keep an eye on
  progress

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Supportive materials for KAM students

• A Guide to the KAMs a manual of explanations,
  tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.
• KAM curriculum for every KAM and every
  specialization, giving objectives, a summary of
  the content, suggestions for themes, sub-themes,
  and projects, and reference lists.
• Writing templates for formatting and presenting
  completed KAMs
• Rubrics an outline of what the assessor will be
  looking for in a KAM
• Sample KAMs displaying the work of students who
  have gone before, for inspiration.

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Supportive places for KAM students

• SBSF 8005 Foundations for Doctoral Studies an
  orientation course before students begin the
  first KAM to prepare them with an understanding
  of KAMs and give them the necessary skills to be
  successful.
• SBSF 7100 Continuing Research an online
  classroom where students meet with their faculty
  mentor (in online discussions and live chats),
  have access to all the KAM resources, engage in
  discussions with other KAM students, ask
  questions, chat with others, submit work for
  review, receive feedback.
• Residencies twenty days of developmental,
  face-to-face meetings at various times and places
  across the country and around the world, to meet
  faculty members, staff people, and other
  students, share ideas, ask questions, get
  directions and suggestions, network.

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The Faculty Mentor is someone who . . .

• shares the students interests
• is appointed during the students first quarter
• guides the student throughout the program
• engages with the student in his or her section
  of the KAM support course, SBSF 7100 Continuing
  Research
• assesses a couple of the students KAMs
• usually serves on the students dissertation
  committee

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The KAM Assessor is the person who . . .

• students invite to work with them on their
  individual KAMs
• guides students in formulating their plan for
  their KAM and developing their final product
• submits an assessment of the KAM to the
  Registrar when the KAM is completed
• Note
• Students are encouraged to work with different
  faculty members for their KAMs.
• The first KAM is completed with the faculty
  mentor.

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Residency Faculty Members . . .

• are appointed to serve at one of the
  face-to-face residencies
• are experienced faculty mentors and KAM
  assessors
• conduct group seminars
• hold one-on-one advising sessions

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Profile of a typical faculty member

• experienced university professor
• active researcher and publisher
• subject area specialist
• trained in the KAM processes
• sensitive to cultural and individual diversity

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KAMs and degree requirements

• Only Ph.D. programs include KAMs
• Not all Ph.D. programs include KAMs (e.g., Ph.D.
  in Psychology)
• No Ph.D. program is made up entirely of KAMs.
• The number of KAMs in a program depends on the
  specialization specializations may have three,
  five, or six KAMs
• All KAM students also take online courses
  including a sequence of research methods courses
  and possibly other courses depending on the
  specialization

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KAMs and the curriculum

• Following are a number of different curricular
  plans showing different combinations of KAMs and
  courses.
• These are just four of many other options
  currently in use.
• Decisions about which curricular plan to use are
  made by Colleges to provide the best learning
  experiences for the specialization and
  certification requirements.

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Curriculum Plan 1 Maximum KAMs

• KAMs
• KAM 1
• KAM 2
• KAM 3
• KAM 5
• KAM 6
• KAM 7

• Courses
• Foundations
• Research Course 1
• Research Course 2
• Research Course 3

Dissertation E.g., Ph.D. in Health
Services, Ph.D. in Human Services, Ph.D. in
Applied Management and Decision Sciences
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Curriculum Plan 2 More research courses

• KAMs
• KAM 1
• KAM 2
• KAM 3
• KAM 5
• KAM 6

• Courses
• Foundations
• Research Course 1
• Research Course 2
• Research Course 3
• Research Course 4
• Research Course 5
• Research Course 6

Dissertation E.g., Ph.D. in
Education, Ph.D. in Applied Management and
Decision Sciences
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Curriculum Plan 3 Specialization courses

• KAMs
• KAM 5
• KAM 6
• KAM 7

• Courses
• Foundations
• Research Course 1
• Research Course 2
• Research Course 3
• Specialization course 1
• Specialization course 2
• Specialization course 3
• Specialization course 4
• Specialization course 5
• Specialization course 6

Dissertation E.g., Ph.D. in
Public Policy and Administration
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Curriculum Plan 4 Includes practicum

• KAMs
• KAM 1
• KAM 2
• KAM 3
• KAM 5
• KAM 6

• Courses
• Foundations
• Research Course 1
• Research Course 2
• Research Course 3
• Research Course 4
• Practicum

Dissertation E.g., Ph.D. in Education,
Community College Leadership specialization
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Which KAM is missing?

• Did you notice which KAM no longer belongs to any
  Ph.D. Program?
• Where did it go?
• Why did it go?

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KAM 4 no longer exists

• But do not be sad.
• It was replaced with three research courses to
  prepare students better for their dissertation
  research.
• Did you notice that KAM 7 is missing from some
  programs too?
• It is also being replaced by additional research
  courses or a practicum in some programs.

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KAMs prepare for the dissertation

• In KAMs
• The Breadth sections examine many theories.
• The Depth sections analyze a lot of current
  research.
• The Application sections develop projects to meet
  a need.
• Doing a KAM strengthens students confidence,
  skills, and knowledge to be independent learners.
• Working through the KAMs helps students focus and
  refine their own research interest.
• Every KAM is unique and original.

• In Dissertations
• All dissertations have a theoretical framework.
• All dissertations have a review of current
  research literature.
• All Walden dissertations make a significant
  contribution to social change.
• A dissertation is the capstone independent
  research study of a Ph.D. program.
• A dissertation is a narrowly focused research
  study.
• Every dissertation must make a unique and
  original contribution to the body of knowledge

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KAMs and Credits

• A KAM has parts but the parts are connected to
  make a whole.
• The Breadth is 5 quarter credit hours the Depth
  5 credits and the Application 4 credits, making a
  total of 14 credit hours per KAM.
• A KAM is equivalent to approximately three
  quarter-long courses.

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Identifying the parts of a KAM

• Each of the parts of a KAM has its own course
  code and title for the students transcript.
• For instance, in the Ph.D. in Education,
  Educational Technology Specialization, the Core
  KAMs are identified this way
• KAM 1 Principles of Social Change
• SBSF 8110 Theories of Social Change (Breadth)
• EDUC 8125 Current Research in Social Change and
  Educational Technology (Depth)
• EDUC 8135 Professional Practice, Social Change,
  and Educational Technology (Application)
• KAM 2 Principles of Human Development
• SBSF 8210 Theories of Human Development
  (Breadth)
• EDUC 8225 Current Research in Human Development
  and Ed Technology (Depth)
• EDUC 8235 Professional Practice, Human
  Development, and Ed Technology (Application)
• KAM 3 Principles of Organizational and Social
  Systems
• SBSF 8310 Theories of Organizational and Social
  Systems (Breadth)
• EDUC 8325 Current Research on Org and Social
  Systems and Ed Technology (Depth)
• EDUC 8335 Professional Practice, Org and Social
  Systems, and Ed Technology (Application)

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So why KAMs? Recap!

• KAMs are one of the unique, branding features of
  Waldens degree programs.
• KAMs are designed for adult learners.
• KAMs allow students to shape their programs of
  study according to their own interests and
  concerns.
• Every KAM from every student is one of a kind.
• KAMs set the student on the road to lifelong
  learning by practicing the confidence, skills,
  and knowledge to be independent learners.
• KAMs include theory, research, and practice.
• KAMs are a good preparation for the dissertation.
• KAMs begin the process of contributing to
  positive social change.

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Every good piece of work is built on a plan.

• KAMs have a 2-step planning process.
• To make a plan for their KAMs students need to be
  imaginative and look to the support materials to
  help them, especially
• Guide to the KAMs
• KAM curriculum for their specialization
• Sample KAMs

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Planning Step 1 Personal Development Plan

• The PDP is usually developed in SBSF 8005
  Foundations of Doctoral Study, the orientation
  course.
• In the PDP students identify their interests,
  backgrounds, and strengths and weaknesses.
• Out of these they prepare a brief overview of how
  they might use each of the KAMs to explore their
  interests and grow as learners.
• At this stage, they may simply write one sentence
  to outline what they might do with each Breadth,
  Depth, and Application of each KAM in their
  program.

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An example from a PDP

• A student in the Community Health specialization
  of the Ph.D. in Health Services might plan to do
  KAM 1, Principles of Social Change, this way
• In the Breadth, I will examine theories around
  the topic of cultural diversity as a force in
  social change. In the Depth, I will look for
  research to analyze on the topic of how health
  services deal with large volumes of clients from
  a variety of different cultures, but with a
  special focus on non-English speaking clients.
  In the Application, I will develop a set of
  protocols and procedures for our Community Health
  Service office to follow in dealing with a
  non-English speaking client and conduct a
  workshop for all employees on using these
  procedures.

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Planning Step 2 The Learning Agreement

• When students begin work with their KAM assessor,
  they develop a more extensive statement of their
  original idea for the KAM.
• Now they need to expand on the topic by spelling
  out their learning objectives, identifying their
  reference materials, and describing what they
  will submit as a demonstration that they have met
  their objectives.
• The KAM assessor will guide the student through
  this process until the assessor and student agree
  that the plan will work well.

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Some warnings for students!

• At first it can be harder to design your own work
  even around your own interests than having the
  instructor tell you what to study . . .
• . . . but then, independence grows with
  practice!
• Designing and writing a KAM is often a challenge
  and usually assessors require more than one draft
  of the work before they approve it . . .
• . . . but then, that is what encourages
  better writing and thinking!
• It is easy to get bogged down in the first KAM .
  . .
• . . . but then, there is help availablefrom
  faculty, fellow students, librarians, writing
  instructors, and advisors!

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The finished product

• A completed KAM will be about a hundred pages
  long.
• It will include a cover page, abstracts for each
  of the components, a table of contents, the
  Breadth, Depth, and Application sections, and a
  reference list.
• It will be assessed against a set of rubrics
  (standards) developed for this purpose.

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Keys to success

• From what you have learned about KAMs, what do
  you think are the keys to being successful as a
  KAM student?
• Compare your list with the one on the next slide.

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Successful KAM students

• are passionate about their profession
• ask for help when in difficulty
• do not take criticism of their work personally
• set aside regular hours for undisturbed study
  per week
• read extensively
• write well
• are self-starters
• enjoy a challenge
• and more!

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. . . and they graduate
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