Open Educational Resources (OER)

Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment for LGBTQIAA+ Individuals by Dr. Gary Walker-Roberts from SCOE

The OER white paper project Dr. Gary embarked on covered the following topics: LGBTQIAA+ key terms, gender nonconforming brief history, and gender nonconforming issues in online education contributing to attrition rates. The purpose of the educational white paper, with practice materials, is to serve as an educational foundation in present matters facing gender nonconforming LGBTQIAA+ folks and online students. The educational white paper presents best practices for creating an inclusive and encouraging e-learning environment to increase a sense of belonging and inclusivity in this community. Lastly, there is a review of six PRIDE flags that are used to represent critical members of the community.

Dr. Gary Simeon Walker-Roberts, Ph.D. (they/them/theirs), is a proud LGTBQIAA+ scholar and an accomplished award-winning Professor at National University (NU). They began their educational journey at the local community college in California. After earning an Associates of Arts in Arts and Humanities at Los Medanos College, Dr. Gary earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexualities at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). Thereafter, they earned a Master of Arts in English at Arizona State University and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in E-Learning at legacy Northcentral University, now known as National University. Dr. Gary is a Professor in the Global Innovation, Social Emotional Learning, and Education Technology Department of the Sanford College of Education at NU. Dr. Gary enjoys their role as Professor, Dissertation Committee Chair, and Subject Matter Expert where they successfully facilitate doctoral candidates to reach their terminal degrees. Lastly, Dr. Gary is a proud delegate of National University System’s Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (S-JEDI) Office where they champion the Inclusive Excellence Framework with a focus on LGTBQIAA+ inclusion and equity at NU.

Developing Yourself as a Doctoral Learner by Dr. Brian Allen and Dr. Marie Bakari

This three-part presentation demystifies strategic elements of the doctoral mindset needed to understand and succeed along the doctoral journey. The presentations cover the foundational elements of education that bring most learners to the doctoral level of academic effort. We address the key skills of linking and aligning learning, decision-making, and accepting the gift of feedback. We review the danger of applying logical fallacies, identifying a problem, and narrowing the score of research for success. We cover the principles of time management and logical organization of reviewed literature. We examine how conducting a personal SWOT analysis can help doctoral students focus on research within their respective domains toward developing a solutions mindset. Finally, we address the need for full ownership and stewardship of the doctoral student as the agent of their own educational success.

Dr. Brian Allen has a Doctor of Business Administration in Technology Entrepreneurship, an MBA, and a Master of Project Management. He is currently serving as the Associate Dean of Faculty in the School of Health Professions at National University. His research interests center on organizational development, entrepreneurship, project management, strategic planning, international business, business information technology leadership, and applied research for solving real-world business problems. Brian has broad experience in educational leadership, information technology, e-commerce, telecommunications, international sales, operations management, and international project management. His experience includes work leadership in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Western Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Dr. Marie Bakari has a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership, a Doctor of Business Administration in Multicultural Entrepreneurship, an MBA, and a Master of Science in Accounting. She currently serves as a program director for the MBA in the College of Business, Engineering, and Technology at National University. Her research interests include diversity, equity, and inclusion, accounting, and leadership. Marie became a professor in 2014 after a 20-year career in the dental field. Today, she enjoys mentoring students through their dissertation journey.

The Enduring Legacy: Structured Inequality in America's Public Schools by Dr. Mark Edward Ryan from SCOE

Enduring Legacy describes a multifaceted paradox—a constant struggle between those who espouse a message of hope and inclusion and others who systematically plan for exclusion. Structured inequality in the nation's schools is deeply connected to social stratification within American society. This paradox began in the eighteenth century and has proved an enduring legacy. Mark Ryan provides historical, political, and pedagogical contexts for teacher candidates—not only to comprehend the nature of racial segregation but, as future educators, to understand their own professional responsibilities, both in the community and in the school, to strive for an integrated classroom where all children have a chance to succeed. The goal of providing every child a world-class education is an ethical imperative, an inherent necessity for a functioning pluralistic democracy. The challenge is both great and growing, for teachers today will face an evermore segregated American classroom.

Dr. Mark Ryan has taught at all grade levels from elementary classes to university seminars.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz, a Master of Education degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, and a Doctorate in Higher and Adult Education from Arizona State University at Tempe.  He was awarded the President’s Distinguished Teaching Award at National University.  Dr. Ryan wrote Ask the Teacher: A Practitioner’s Guide to Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom, (2000, 2001, 2002, 2008) a book that speaks directly to the teacher candidate with a wealth of tips about educational issues in foundations, history, psychology, curriculum, methodology, classroom management, and family involvement. His latest book The Enduring Legacy: Structured Inequality in Americans Schools (2020), contains a foreword by Secretary Leon Panetta.

Integrating Mindfulness into Your Professional Practice: Centering in an Uncentered World by Dr. Joy Kutaka-Kennedy

This presentation explores the practice of mindfulness for teachers. The rationale for this practice is explored for teachers to become more productive, more effective, and happier. Happier teachers create classrooms where students learn better. By practicing mindfulness, teachers can create and sustain positive environments in which students can thrive. A Mind Body meditation is included as the author leads viewers through a centering exercise.

Dr. Joy Kutaka-Kennedy spent over twenty years teaching students from pre-school through high school in regular education, gifted education, at-risk education, and special education before entering higher education. Her university responsibilities include course development and oversight, field work supervision, and mentoring adjunct faculty. Dr. Joy Kutaka-Kennedy has the lifelong interest in personal growth, spiritual practices, and becoming a better human being.

Servant Scholarship: Weaving a Lasting Tapestry by Dr. Maggie Broderick, PhD

This Open Education Resource (OER) is designed to guide emerging scholars as they embark toward participation in the broader scholarly community. Many doctoral students, in particular, have questions about approaching and pursuing scholarly publications and presentations, collaborating with others, and finding their place in academia. The content of this booklet centers around the guiding principle and mindset of Servant Scholarship. A framework for Servant Scholarship that builds on established literature on the notion and practice of Servant Leadership is presented. Theoretical and practical guidance on participating with this framework in mind are presented to help scholars understand their roles in academia and choose a rewarding path. The metaphor of weaving a tapestry is utilized throughout to represent how individuals and groups of scholars contribute to lasting products and processes in academia over time.

Dr. Maggie Broderick, PhD, is a faculty member in the Teacher Education Department of National University’s Sanford College of Education, where she serves as a Dissertation Chair and Faculty Lead for the Curriculum and Instruction Specialization and the Social Emotional Learning Emphasis. Dr. Broderick serves as the Director of the Advanced Research Center (ARC) and the Editor of the International Journal of Online Graduate Education (IJOGE). She is passionate about teaching, mentoring, participating in and nurturing a robust scholarly community, publishing, and presenting - and she is always learning something new.

Summary Stats by Steven S. Friedland

The statistical program Summary Stats© was written by Steven S. Friedland pursuant to a grant from the National University OER & Curriculum Support Transformation Initiative #5757 for delivery as a Creative Commons resource. Summary Stats is a descriptive statistics program designed to automate the calculation of the most commonly used measures of central tendency and variability. Students enter sample data in Column A of the Excel spreadsheet and instantly see the output of the mean, median, sample standard deviation, sample variance, and Coefficient of Variation.

Steven S. Friedland has taught at universities, community colleges, and a parochial school since earning a master's degree at the University of Iowa with an emphasis in policy research and statistics and at Northeastern University, a BA degree with an emphasis in public administration and economics.

He has worked in government agencies at the local, state, and Federal level, for non-profit organizations, on quality improvement projects for business firms, and as a research specialist for health administration organizations. In Boston, Steve was Executive Producer for Public Affairs and Religious Programming providing shows for CBS Radio. In Fresno, he was systems manager responsible for operations and IT for a local construction firm.

Steve currently serves as Chair of a City Parks and Recreation Commission in Oregon and as Secretary of the Executive Board for a non-profit promoting green spaces and outdoor activities.

At National University, Steve is the Subject Matter Expert in the School of Professional Studies for the Quantitative Methods in Public Administration course. He has taught statistics and research methodology courses in the School of Business & Management and the School of Nursing. Steve is a member of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. As a member of the American Statistical Association, Steve is a section member of the Joint Government and Social Statistics Section, the Section on Statistics and Data Science Education, the Section on Statistics and the Environment, the Section on Statistics in Defense and National Security, the Section on Statistical Learning and Data Science, and the Survey Research Methods Section.

Untwisting the Two Identity Strands in the LGBTQIAA+ Community by Dr. Gary Simeon Walker-Roberts, Ph.D and Illustrated by Narissa Grieser, BFA

This Open Education Resource (OER) educational white paper untwists the two identity stands (gender identities and lovealities/sexualities) that form the LGBTQIAA+ Community. Many people ask, “How did gender identities (beyond the binary gender system) and lovealities/sexualities (beyond the romantic love/sex between a male and a female) become twisted together to form one community?" Dr. Walker-Roberts to provide their insight on the question by covering the following topics: LGBTQIAA+ key identity terms, a brief history of two events that forced the identities to form a community, and gender identity and lovealities/sexuality terminology. A comprehensive review of each identity strand is provided independently from each other. A re-imaged conversational flow is presented so people can avoid the unproductive apologetic cycle when incorrect assumptions are made regarding the two ways in which people identify. When people face new ideas, skills, concepts, and beliefs, they must accept using the growth heartset theory before relying on the growth mindset theory. The growth mindset theory is well-known, whereas the growth heartset theory is new. An explanation of the characteristics of the growth heartset theory is explained in this OER educational white paper.

Dr. Gary Simeon Walker-Roberts, Ph.D. (they/ them/theirs), is a proud LGTBQIAA+ scholar who began their educational journey at the local community college in California. After earning an Associates of Arts in Arts and Humanities at Los Medanos College, Dr. Gary earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexualities at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). Thereafter, they earned a Master of Arts in English at Arizona State University and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in E-Learning at legacy Northcentral University, now known as National University (NU). Dr. Gary is a Professor in the Global Innovation, Social Emotional Learning, and Education Technology (GSET) of the Sanford College of Education at NU. Dr. Gary enjoys their role as Professor, Dissertation Committee Chair, and Subject Matter Expert where they successfully facilitate doctoral candidates to reach their terminal degrees. Dr. Gary is a proud member of the National University System’s Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (S-JEDI) Council where they champion the Inclusive Excellence Framework with a focus on LGTBQIAA+ inclusion and equity at NU. Lastly, Dr. Gary is a prestigious 2023 Award-winning National University Faculty Member: Jerry C. Lee Presidential Award.