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CAPSTONE PAPER TEMPLATE

Title of Capstone Paper

Randolyn Patrice McKinstry

This submitted Paper is being submitted in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of

Science degree in Organizational Leadership

Bethune-Cookman University

Daytona Beach, Florida

Spring , 2024

Deleted: Fall

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Title

Randolyn Patrice McKinstry

APPROVED:

____________________________

Dr. Ranjna Patel, DBA, Department Chair

_____________________________

Cecily J. Ball, Ph.D., Internship Advisor

__________________, Year

Date

DEDICATION

I dedicate this capstone paper to my grandmother, Andrenia Chalmers, my

stepfather Tyrone Blair, my brother Trevor Greer, my Uncle Jeffery Chalmers. These

family members always believed I would achieve great things in my life, and they

believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I would also like to dedicate this capstone

paper to my god children and my niece/nephews. Jhanelle, Ma’Kiyah, Ke’Ziah, Na’Kai,

Syre, MyZier, Izhari, and Navy Bleu. Jhalen, Leo Jr., Jordin, and Ashton. I want to

always be an example to them and for them. I am not perfect, but I have never given up

on my dreams and goals. They can do and be whatever they chose to be in this life if they

work hard for it. Yes, life will try to knock you down, but it’s about how you continue to

get back up and keep trying.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In your acknowledgements, you should recognize all persons who helped you

complete your capstone paper.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the research was to analyze survey data from the MSOL program

at Bethune-Cookman University and identify barriers to online learning faced by the

students in the program. The primary research question was: What are barriers to online

learning in a selected online graduate program? The sub-questions for research included:

1) What are the demographic or personal barriers for students? 2) What is the instructor

or program barriers for students? 3) What are technology barriers for students?

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Instructions: Begin your chapter with a paragraph that tells the “big picture” view of the

problem using a quote from a research study someone else conducted related to your topic.

Background Context of Internship Environment

Bethune-Cookman Univesity was founded in 1904 by Dr. Bethune a civil and human rights

activist. It was founded as the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro

Girls. Bethune has an enriched history and foundation that is attached to America’s history. B-

CU is a private institution that focuses mainly on liberal arts programming that reflects diverse

educational, cultural, and social needs. The Master of Organizational Leadership (MSOL)was

established as the first graduate program at the University in 2009. The MSOL program was

created to be completely online and has currently graduated ??? students. Most students in the

MSOL program are African American. Current research suggests that there are barriers

experienced by African American students in online environments. Bethune Cookman was

founded by Dr. Mary Bethune-Cookman.

Description of Proposed Mentor in Leadership Role

Dr. Cecily Ball served as the mentor in this research project. She has served as an

administrator and faculty member in the MSOL program since 2009. She currently teaches the

research courses in the MSOL program, which included the final research course where students

Formatted: Highlight

Deleted: Use the essay you wrote for the Critical Incident assignment to describe the internship setting and background of the Internship problem.

Deleted: Write here about the history of BCU – when it was founded, its an HBCU, the mission etc. The Masters of Organizational Leadership (MSOL) was established as the first graduate program at the University in 2009. The MSOL program was created to be completely online and has currently graduated ??? students. The majority of students in the MSOL program are African American. Current research suggests that there are barriers experienced by African American students in online learning environments (citation here). …

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finish their theses and complete the oral defense process. Dr. Ball was responsible for providing

the information needed to complete this research. She created and distributed the online survey

and summarized the data collected.

Statement of Problem

African American students may face certain barriers in online learning environments

(Back this up with information from articles) Cite Babbett

Purpose of Internship (With Inquiry Questions)

The purpose of the research was to analyze survey data from the MSOL program at

Bethune-Cookman University and identify barriers to online learning faced by the students in the

program. The primary research question was: What are the barriers to online learning in a

selected online graduate program? The sub-questions for research included: 1) What are the

demographic or personal barriers for students? 2) What is the instructor or program barriers for

students? 3) What are technology barriers for students? 4) What are individual barriers for

students?

Importance of Internship

Deleted: Identify potential leadership mentor and describe mentor’ ¶s job role.

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Formatted: Highlight

I will have benefit from having a mentor during this process to help guide me and help me

understand the information I am receiving and analyzing. Having participated in an internship

will give me better understanding of the program and in return the organization will benefit from

having someone collecting/analyzing data on a topic that affects the organization directly. The

results of the data analysis provide suggestions and recommendations for program improvement

to help break down the barriers that students may face in an online master’s program.

Deleted: Explain how you will benefit from interning with the proposed mentor and how the internship organization will benefit from your internship role as a data-based

¶decision making.

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CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Instructions: Begin your chapter with a paragraph that tells the purpose of your research, the

research questions and how you organized your review.

The purpose of the research was to analyze survey data from the MSOL program at

Bethune-Cookman University and identify barriers to online learning faced by the students in the

program. The primary research question was: What are barriers to online learning in a selected

online graduate program? The sub-questions for research included: 1) What are the demographic

or personal barriers for students? 2) What is the instructor or program barriers for students? 3)

What are technology barriers for students? 4) What are individual barriers for students?

The Review of Literature investigates primary studies related to the following topics

connected to my research questions: 1) Online Learning; 2) African American Students and

Online Learning; and 3) Barriers to Online Learning. An explanation of action research, the

selected methodology, is included, along with a review of Transformative Leadership and the

Ethics of Transformative Leadership.

Online Learning

Summarize the findings from the literature relevant to this topic listed in the first paragraph. Cite references in APA Style and use quotations with a page number when material is a direct quote.

Major studies

Significant findings

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Major gaps identified

How does your study contribute to the topic?

African American Students and Online Learning

Same as above for each topic

Barriers to Online Learning

Same as above for each topic

Action Research

Conferring the work of Peter Reason and Hilary Bradbury, activity research referred to a

participating, popularity-based cycle worried about creating reasonable knowing chasing after

beneficial mankind purposes, stranded within a partaking perception that is acceptable for arising

at the confirmable second. which looks for the connected action in addition with consideration, a

suggestion also preparation, through a concern in others, chasing down to earth responses aimed

at disputes of pressing fear in personalities, in addition to everything the supplementary via too

huge the thriving of single persons plus the networks. Activity research is a setup research

technique being used in the social furthermore, clinical sciences since the mid-20th century. At the

finish of the 1990s, it started filling in prominence for use in insightful examinations of data

frameworks. (Baskerville 1999). Activity research includes mind-boggling antiquity since it's

anything but a solitary scholastic control yet a way to deal with research that has arisen over the

long run from an expansive reach of fields. (Gaventa & Cornwall, 2001).

Characteristics of Action Research

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Activity research is a methodical multi-arranged recurrent interaction, which looks to

further develop rehearsal over the implementation with accomplished as well gradual alteration.

Activity exploration is not performed in parting yet examines available promising circumstances

aimed at coordinated effort besides the cooperation of diverse professionals.

An understanding of action (consideration also surveillance);

➢ Implementation of the action aimed at progress towards a particular exercise;

➢ The exploitation of material assortment proceeding the action;

➢The investigation of the various actions over rumored of material;

➢ The distinctive impervious in additional chances for extra developing arbitration.

Everything over every step, the expert's knowledge remains verbalized in addition to plowed to a

measure. Now a practice knowledge occurs aimed at exercise, around preparation with the help of

teaching.

Difference between action research and other research fields

There is an immense contrast between activity research and different explores. Activity

exploration can be performed to acquire information that can be applied straightforwardly to the

neighborhood homeroom circumstance and to give the taking part instructors in assistance

preparing while different investigates can be directed to get information that is generalizable and

to create and test extra speculations. Activity research utilizes less controlled strategies to

comprehend the impacts of some instructive intercession. Changes are made during the

investigation. Interestingly, different explores different exploration configurations to show

circumstances and logical results relationship. A significant consideration is given to decrease

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mistakes and biases. Activity research is directed by the educationists (educator and head of

organizations). While different explores are led by the college teachers and scholars (Uzbekistan,

2019).

Cooperative inquiry action model

Cooperative inquiry is a type of activity research that accentuates interest: all those

included add to the choices about what is to be taken a gander at, the request strategies to be

utilized, the translation of what is found, and the activity which is the subject of the examination.

It is research with individuals, not approximately individuals. Cooperative inquiry is a sort of

activity research pointed toward securing information about the human experience through activity

and joint reflection. CI scrutinizes quantitative, positivist examination on individuals. Such

exploration overlooks the basic freedom of individuals to take an interest in choices about

acquiring information on them (for example, an absence of political support). It produces

information that isn't experientially grounded: the specialists are not associated with the experience

analyzed by the examination, and the 'subjects' are not associated with the choice of the

developments which are utilized to sort out their experience. Subjective, interpretive examination

about individuals is additionally scrutinized where the exploration is planned and deciphered

singularly by the analyst. Notwithstanding, interpretive scientists do incorporate some support in

the event that they try to approve their record with their 'respondents.' Interpretive analysts can

likewise be a part member on the off chance that they do hands-on work, including member

perception (Cain, 2008).

Transformative Leadership

Transformative leadership is all about inspiring and motivating people to grow and work

together efficiently. It is a leadership style that inspires people positive changes in people who

follow this style or the leaders who follow these leadership styles. The transformational theory of

leadership is the one in which the team is working all together, for instance, the leader works in

coordination with the team to identify the needed change and then planning the strategies to

implement this change to prosper the ways of managing the organizational goals (northouse,

2009).

Transformational leaders have goals like motivating and enabling the followers to do a

job and after that they set some personal goals as well as some goals for their followers so that

they can walk on the right path to achieve these goals (Steinmann, 2018). A transformational

leader has some characteristics like individualized consideration, influence, inspirational

motivation, and intellect which combine to influence their followers positively for the wellbeing

of the organization as well as the individual performance. The individual performance of any

employee is directly influenced by these leaders and their strategies which they apply for the

better management of people and the organizational goals. These characteristics are the main

difference between the other leaders and transformational leaders.

Transformational leaders and their individualized consideration:

These characteristics are the main difference between the other leaders and

transformational leaders. The individualized consideration means that the leader of a certain

team considers the needs and requirements of all his followers on an individual basis and that he

meets them on an individual basis. This provides a sense of involvement and achievement in the

team members, and they can work comfortably. These leaders pay special attention to their

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individual employees to know their individual needs and problems. Then he or she responds to

them accordingly and helps them to solve these issues (Bass, 2010). This technique produces a

supportive climate for the team and helps them in building a strong bonding with the leader. This

type of leader is a good listener, he talks and listens to his followers to better understand their

position and problems they are facing, and then develops delegated tasks to ensure that the

followers can work on them according to their intellect. These delegated tasks are then

monitored by the leader without them knowing that they are being monitored but at the back of

the process the leaders are evaluating the leading and the lagging areas of the followers and are

advising them with the additional support and leadership if needed (Diaz-saenz, 2011). In this

way, the transformational leader pays attention to the individual followers and helps them as a

person and not just an employee.

Transformative leadership stimulation of ideas and creativity:

The transformative leader stimulates the ideas and the creativity in followers and

motivates them to do their job creatively by making a safe and comfortable environment so that

employees can work in peace. This type of leader works for bringing out the innovative side of

his employees and that works well for both the employee and the organization (De Jong, 2007).

Transformational leaders are the role models for their followers and when a bulk follows the

same ideology, they can easily challenge the status quo. This style of leadership is directly linked

with the creativity of the employees (Shin, 2003). The status quo is a way the organization works

under the influence of strong management which makes the employees servants but this

transformative style of leadership ignores it and creates another perspective among employees to

deal with this status quo. This way the leader and the employees work together and create an

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atmosphere that is basically comfortable for all the employees. This comfortable environment is

very much needed for the organization and its employees for acquiring goals.

Vision of Transformative leadership:

Transformative leaders are leaders who have a specific vision. They pass this vision to

their employees or followers and let them communicate their own ideas and creativity to reach

the goals. These leaders are the ones who have the specialty to work with their followers and

inspire and motivate them. They are the role models, and they motivate their employees which

helps them to work efficiently. Research says that the boss or the leaders who are motivating or

inspiring have stronger and successful organizations than the actual bossy ones (carless, 2000).

These motivating leaders motivate their followers to follow them and, in this way, they create

this coordination which makes their relationship strong. Most of them also get inspired to

become leaders and they also become transformational leaders and inspire more people to work

in this way. When most of the leaders work this way they transform the organizations they are

working in and make them better. When all the followers of a transformational leader work

together they can maintain the level of communication which is needed to achieve goals.

Transformational leaders are responsible for providing change and movement in the organization

(Tucker, 2004). As these leaders have a vision, they alter the structure of the organization and

influence people to trust them and follow their ways. In short, these leaders sell their vision to

their followers and in return they get the job done.

Transformative leaders as Role Models:

Transformational leaders motivate their followers and inspire them to identify the

organizational goals and vision. This knowing of the goals of the organization is the most

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important step for the employees to work on them. These leaders serve as role models as they

have a certain ideology that makes them unique from one another. This ideology makes them

better leaders as they look at the followers like they are a whole person and not just an employee

of the organization. They motivate their employees to identify the things that they do not know

about the organization. As when the employee knows the goals and the vision of the organization

in depth he or she will be able to work on those goals effectively. This leads to the achievement

of goals and the employees feel the sense of achievement which motivates them to work in an

even better way. This motivational and transformational role of the leaders inspires all the

employees to motivate their family and friends and other employees which leads to a positive

atmosphere.

Conclusion:

Transformational leaders have a certain personality that attracts their employees to listen

and work with them. They also help employees to develop certain personalities which are strong

enough for themselves as well as the people around them. These strong personalities help the

organization in becoming successful and achieve goals. Transformational leaders have an

intellect and a vision that makes them successful leaders and they share their knowledge and

experience with their followers to help them grow (Blanchard, 2018). When the leaders has a

vision, he can easily lead the mass or the team and share that vision with them to equip them

with his experience and knowledge. Sharing of this knowledge and the vision is the main theme

of this leadership style (Paarlberg, 2010). With a lot of positive outcomes, there can be some

negative outcomes of everything including the transformational leadership style. The

transformational leadership style wants the employees or the followers to always agree with the

leader. The influence can also backfire sometimes if the leader or the followers do not get along

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well (Andersen, 2015). But most of the time this leadership style works well and hence, most

organizations and leaders adopt this style to manage their goals and achieve them.

Ethics of Transformative Leadership

Charles Curran was a prominent Catholic moral theologian who proposed the responsibility

ethics model. The model emphasizes the importance of keeping good relationships while at the

same time managing one's responsibilities. Curran thought that moral decision-making should

consider the context of relationships and their associated duties rather than universal principles

as detailed in deontological and teleological perspectives (Mada, 2022). Therefore, the model

appreciates that leaders have individual responsibilities to whom they serve. For example, a

manager in charge of a supervisor who is a parent in a local school should appreciate that they

should take deliberate steps to grant such an employee permission to attend their children's

academic days. The approach is critical in transformational leadership because it emphasizes the

leader's responsibility to foster positive relationships, consider stakeholder needs, and make

decisions that uplift the community. By prioritizing relational responsibilities, leaders can create

meaningful change and empower others.

In addition to the Curran responsibility model, the Conscience concept by Richard Gual

examined how Conscience affects leadership. According to Hermann (2020), Conscience is the

capacity to discern right from wrong and make moral judgments by involving individual reason,

will, and emotion. Leaders with conscience are aware of the values required to make a decision

in a particular scenario. Conscience helps leaders navigate extreme moral absolutism by

encouraging leaders to make decisions based on judgments before them and their responsibility.

Commented [2]: Complete this section – use information from LEAD 613 and 623 regarding ethics Formatted: Indent: First line: 0", Line spacing: Double

Deleted: Responsibility Ethics (Relationality – Responsibility Model for ethics) – the literature review should rely on Charles Curran’s work, specify how he defines this approach to ethics, how it is different from other approaches, particularly deontological and teleological ethics, and why this approach is well suited for Transformative Leadership.¶

The following consciousness makes leaders consider that they might be held responsible in the

future for their current actions. In transformational leadership, leaders must consider the situation

before them when making the best decision.

Welch defined ethics of control as a decision-making approach that seeks to eliminate

uncertainty and ambiguity through strict adherence to moral absolutes. It is a contradiction of

Gaul's consciousness. The ethics of control concept is founded on the assumption that there are

clear, universal moral rules that can guide all decisions and actions. In other words, morality can

be measured from a universal point of view (Welch, 2000, as cited in Scott, 2022). Welch

advises that when risks confront leaders, they should use engagement with their teams to

establish a definite solution. Organizations led by leaders with ethics of control have high levels

of open communication and entertain diversity of opinions. Therefore, Welch's idea aligns with

transformational leadership's tenets in encouraging courage to face other leaders in making

decisions. Proponents of transformational leadership and ethics of control agree that leaders

should challenge themselves by accepting opinions from their team members.

In his exploration of systematic injustice, Young defined it as structural and institutional

oppression embedded in social norms, practices, and institutions. He also identified the "Five

Faces of Oppression" as powerlessness, marginalization, cultural imperialism, violence, and

exploitation (Young, 1990, as cited in Dubeau, 2020). He defined exploitation as the transfer of

benefits of labor from one group to the other based on either race m, gender, or class, while

marginalization is the deliberate and systematic exclusion of certain groups from the manful

decision-making in society. When people are marginalized, three become powerless and lose

control of their lives. Cultural imperialism involves the imposition of a dominant group's culture

on others, and where the force seems to fail, there are threats of the use of violence by some

groups over others. Leaders should challenge and dismantle systematic injustice by empowering

marginalized groups and advocating for structural change. Therefore, in addressing systematic

injustices, leaders should critically examine their power structures and treat others with the moral

equality they deserve.

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Deleted: <#>Conscience - the literature review should specify a definition of conscience suitable for ethics (e.g., how conscience leads to the avoidance of both absolutism on the one hand and extreme forms of relativism on the other. Here, coursework related to the work of Richard

¶Gula, for instance, is helpful. Ethics of Risk in contrast to an Ethics of Control – this portion of the literature review should focus on the work of Sharon Welch and others who offer a definition of both. The literature review should include a precise definition of both, following from her work (and the work of others). Remember that both an ethics of risk and an ethics of control were conceptualized by Sharon Welch. An ethics of risk is especially well suited for Transformative Leadership, and the literature review should make this

¶clear. Systematic Injustice – this portion of the literature review should rely on the work of Iris Marion Young and her conceptualization of “Five Faces of Oppression.” Other references about systematic injustice can be used so long as they are consistent with Transformative Leadership and

¶the ethics for Transformative Leadership.

CHAPTER THREE

DATA ANALYSIS

The purpose of the research was to analyze survey data from the MSOL program at

Bethune-Cookman University and identify barriers to online learning faced by the students in the

program. The primary research question was: What are barriers to online learning in a selected

online graduate program? The sub-questions for research included: 1) What are the demographic

or personal barriers for students? 2) What is the instructor or program barriers for students? 3)

What are technology barriers for students? 4) What are individual barriers for students?

Description of Internship Environment Data

The internship environment for this study was the MSOL graduate program at Bethune

Cookman University. The MSOL program currently has ??? students enrolled in the program.

The retention rate for the MSOL program is ????. This program is fully online and uses the

Canvas online learning system to deliver courses. The researcher is currently a student in the

MSOL program and the supervisor is a full time faculty member who teaches solely in the

MSOL program.

Methodology for data gathering AND data review/analysis

In 2015, the MSOL program conducted a survey of MSOL students entitled Barriers to Online

Learning. The survey tool for this data collection was based on specific barriers including

demographic, instructor, course/program and technical. In Spring 2022, the MSOL program

Commented [3]: Get number from Dr. Patel

Commented [4]: Get number from dr. Patel

Deleted: Include description of research environment, your role within the environment, your supervisor and his/her role in research environment

Deleted: Describe all data you are reviewing and how it will be analyzed.

redistributed this survey to current MSOL students. The survey contained ??? questions and ???%

of MSOL students responded. This data was then summarized and analyzed. A comparative

analysis of the 2015 and 2022 studies were completed.

CHAPTER 4

DATA AND ANALYSIS

The purpose of the research was to analyze survey data from the MSOL program at

Bethune-Cookman University and identify barriers to online learning faced by the students in the

program. The primary research question was: What are barriers to online learning in a selected

online graduate program? The sub-questions for research included: 1) What are the demographic

or personal barriers for students? 2) What is the instructor or program barriers for students? 3)

What are technology barriers for students? 4) What are individual barriers for students?

In this chapter the data, analysis and findings are summarized.

Analysis of Data and Results

SubQuestion 1 - What are the demographic or personal barriers for students?

Survey participants were asked to disclose their gender. As shown below in Graph 1,

20% of respondents were male and 80% were female.

Graph 1 - What is your Gender?

Deleted: ¶ Page Break

Graph 2 - What is your age?

Male Female

Gender

2015 2022

11 11

18-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 over 40

Age

2015 2022

Deleted:

Deleted: Survey respondents were asked to disclose their ages. As shown on Graph 2 below, 21% were between 18 and 25 years old, 43% were 31 – 35, and 36% were over 40.

Deleted:

Deleted: Survey participants were asked to disclose their race. As shown on Graph 3 below, 13% were white, 73% were African American, and 13% were “other.”

Graph 3 - What is your race?

Graph 4 - Do you have children?

8 8 13

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

White African American

Hispanic Asian Native Hawaiian or

Pacific Islander

Other

Ethnicity

2015 2022

yes no

Children

2015 2022

Deleted: Deleted: Survey participants were asked if they had any children. As shown below on Graph 4, 73% stated yes, and 27% stated no.

Deleted:

Graph 5 - Do you have children who live with you?

yes no

Children Living in Home

2015 2022

Deleted: Survey participants were asked if they had children that resided with them. As shown below on Graph 5, 60%

¶stated yes and 40% stated no.

Deleted:

Graph 6 - Please choose the type of undergraduate school you attended.

Community College Majority White Four Year Institution

HBCU Private Institution

Undergraduate School

2015 2022

Deleted: Survey participants were asked to disclose the type of undergraduate school they attended. As shown below on Graph 6, 7% stated community college, 27% stated a majority white four-year institution, 47% stated and HBCU, 13% stated a private institution, and 7% stated “ ¶other.”

Deleted: Deleted: Survey participants were asked what percentage of their undergraduate coursework was completed online. As shown in Graph 7 below, 27% stated 10%, 7% stated 20%, 13% stated 30%, 20% stated 50%, and 7% stated 60%, 7% stated 80%, 7% stated 90%, and 13% stated 100%.

Graph 7 - What percentage of your undergraduate coursework was online?

Community College Majority White Four Year Institution

HBCU Private Institution

Undergraduate School

2015 2022

Deleted:

Graph 8 - Are you currently employed?

SubQuestion 2 - What is the instructor or program barriers for students?

Survey participants were asked a series of questions regarding instructor barriers to their

online learing experiences. The results of those questions are displayed below on Graph 16.

Participants were asked if their instructors were flexible. As shown below, 67% strongly

agreed, 33% agreed, and 7% disagreed. Participants were asked if instructors are available on-

line for help. As shown below, 53% strongly agreed and 47% agreed. Participants were asked if

instructors are effective at interacting online. As shown below, 60% strongly agreed, 27%

agreed and 13% disagreed. Participants were asked if instructors are accommodating to

individual differences. AS shown below, 67% strongly agreed, 27% agreed, and 7% disagreed.

23 15

100

Full time Part time Unemployed

Employment

2015 2022

Deleted: Survey participants were asked if they are currently employed. As shown below on Graph 8, 87% stated

¶fulltime, and 13% stated unemployed.

Deleted:

Deleted: Survey participants were asked to briefly describe the nature of their employment. The responses are captured on Table 1 below.

Deleted: Chart 1 - Nature of Job

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Deleted: Briefly describe the nature of your job such as: for profit-customer relations department or nonprofit social service. ... [1]

Deleted: dispayed

Participants were asked is instructors provide timely feedback. As shown below, 67% strongly

agreed and 33% agreed. Participants were asked if instructors are willing to provide extra help.

As shown below, 73% strongly agreed, 20% agreed, and 7% disagreed.

Graph 16 – Instructor Barriers

48 44

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My instructor is flexible.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My instructors are generally available on-line for help.

2015 2022

Deleted:

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My instructors are effective with interacting on-line.

2015 2022

48 48

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My instructors are accommodating to individual differences.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My instructors provide timely feedback.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My instructors are willing to provide extra help.

2015 2022

Subquestion 3 – What are course/program barriers for students?

Survey participants were asked a series of questions regarding course and/or program

barriers to their online experiences. The results of those questions are displayed below on

Graph 17.

Participants were asked if they felt the demands of the course were too high. As shown

below, 7% agreed, 73% disagreed, and 20% strongly disagreed. Participants were asked

if the number of hours required for coursework in this program lepton time for personal life. As

shown below, 13% agreed, 67% disagreed, and 20% strongly disagreed.

Participants were asked if it is very difficult to meet the demands of their jobs and Virtual

Class requirements. As shown below, 27% agreed, 60% disagreed, and 13% strongly

disagreed. Participants were asked if they thought the number of course hours required each

semester was too much. As shown below, 7% agreed, 67% disagreed, and 20% strongly

disagreed. Participants were asked if they had enough time to finish coursework and work on

their thesis/capstone papers. As shown below, 13% strongly agreed, 40% agreed, 40% disagreed,

and 7% strongly disagreed. Participants were asked if they could better handle coursework

without the thesis/capstone required research. As shown below, 20% strongly agreed, 7%

agreed, 73% disagreed, and 20% strongly disagreed. Participants were asked if they always

received support from their academic advisor. As shown below, 33% strongly agreed, 40%

Deleted: he number of hours required for coursework in ¶this program left no time for personal

life

agreed, 7% disagreed, and 13% strongly disagreed.

Graph 17 - Course/Program Barriers

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I feel that the demands of the course were too high.

2015 2022

6 13

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

The number of hours required for coursework in this program leave no time for personal life.

2015 2022

Deleted:

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

It is very difficult to meet the demands of my job and Virtual Class requirements.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I think the number of course hours required per semester is too much.

2015 2022

8 13

40 40

0 5

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I have time to complete my coursework and work on my thesis.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I could handle the course work if I did not have to work on my thesis.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I always get support from my thesis advisor.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I can navigate effectively through my on-line courses.

2015 2022

6 6

53 47

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I have the technical skills to complete all assignments in my courses.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I always have access to a computer that serves the needs of my on-line courses.

2015 2022

7 7

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I have high speed internet available to complete my course work.

2015 2022

47 47

7 7

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I can use all the software required in my courses.

2015 2022

SubQuestion 4 - What are technology barriers for students?

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I can always get technical help with my on-line courses when I need it.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Canvas course navigation is effective and easy to use.

2015 2022

Survey participants were asked a series of questions regarding the technical barriers to

their online learning experiences. The results of those questions are displayed below on Graph

18.

Participants were asked if they could effectively navigate through their online courses.

As shown below, 53% strongly agreed and 47% agreed. Participants were asked if they had the

technical skills needed to to complete course assignments. As shown below, 53% strongly

agreed and 47% agreed. Participants were asked if they consistently have access to a computer

that serves the needs of the online program. As shown below, 33% strongly agreed, 53% agreed,

7% disagreed, and 7% strongly disagreed. Participants were asked if they have high speed

internet available to complete coursework. As shown below, 40% strongly agreed, 47% agreed,

7% disagreed, and 7% strongly disagreed. Participants were asked if they could effectively use

the software required in their courses. As shown below, 47% strongly agreed, 47% agreed, and

7% disagreed. Participants were asked if they always received technical help online when they

needed it. As shown below, 47% strongly agreed, 33% agreed, and 20% disagreed. Participants

were asked if Canvas course navigation was easy to use. As shown below, 60% strongly agreed

and 40% agreed.

Graph 18 - Technical Barriers

7 7

100

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I am afraid to learn using new technologies.

2015 2022

53 47

100

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I do not trust sharing work on-line with my instructors.

2015 2022

Deleted:

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I do not find on-line learning as engaging as face-to- face learning.

2015 2022

40 40

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I feel isolated in an on-line learning enviroment.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I find it difficult to be motivated to work on my way.

2015 2022

40 33

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I am distracted by family member's and noise and other disruptions when trying to work on my courses.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I find it difficult to establish relationships and feel a personal connection to the courses I take.

2015 2022

7 13

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I tend to procrastinate and find it difficult to work on online assignments.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

On-line environment does not give me enough time to complete assignments.

2015 2022

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

On-line learning cuts into my personal time.

2015 2022

100

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

On-line learning tecnology is too costly for me.

2015 2022

Subquestion 4 – What are individual barriers for students?

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I lack family, employer or friend's support.

2015 2022

33 33 35 40

0 5

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I believe that on-line courses offer grading that is free from prejudices such as age, gender or race.

2015 2022

Survey participants were asked a series of questions regarding the individual barriers to

their online learning experiences. The results of those questions are displayed below on Graph

19.

Participants were asked……

# Question Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly

disagree Total

1 I am afraid to learn using new technologies 6.67% 1 6.67% 1 46.67% 7 40.00% 6 15

2 I do not trust sharing work on-line with my instructors 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 53.33% 8 46.67% 7 15

3 I do not find on-line

learning as engaging as face to face learning

6.67% 1 20.00% 3 46.67% 7 26.67% 4 15

4 I feel isolated in an on-line learning environment 6.67% 1 13.33% 2 40.00% 6 40.00% 6 15

5 I find it difficult to be

motivated to work on my own

6.67% 1 20.00% 3 60.00% 9 13.33% 2 15

I am distracted by family member's and noise and other disruptions when

trying to work on my courses

6.67% 1 40.00% 6 33.33% 5 20.00% 3 15

7 I find it difficult to

establish relationships and feel a personal connection

to the courses I take 0.00% 0 26.67% 4 60.00% 9 13.33% 2 15

8 I tend to procrastinate and find it difficult to work on

online assignments 20.00% 3 60.00% 9 6.67% 1 13.33% 2 15

9 On-line environment does not give me enough time to complete assignments

0.00% 0 7.14% 1 71.43% 10 21.43% 3 14

10 On-line learning cuts into my personal time 0.00% 0 13.33% 2 80.00% 12 6.67% 1 15

Commented [5]: Randolyn, follow the same format as above

11 On-line learning

technology is too costly for me

6.67% 1 20.00% 3 60.00% 9 13.33% 2 15

12 I lack family, employer or friend's support 6.67% 1 0.00% 0 60.00% 9 33.33% 5 15

13 I believe that on-line

courses offer grading that is free from prejudices

such as age, gender or race 40.00% 6 46.67% 7 6.67% 1 6.67% 1 15

Graph 19 - Individual Barriers

Commented [6]: Use this to write the above section

Participants were asked to provide any other comments regarding barriers to online

earnings. The open-ended responses cited unpredictable life interferences (relationships,

financial issues, mental health, etc.) as barriers students face. It was suggested that these barriers

could be overcome through effective communication and collaboration between students and

instructors.

Chart 2 – Open-Ended Comments Please provide any other comments that you may have regarding barriers to online learning.

Unpredicted life interferences like relationships/breakups, logistics involved(leases, bills, owed money) and mental health. However it does seem that as long as BOTH student and professor are willing to work with and for one another positive outcomes do and HAVE happened.

None at this time

Key Findings (BULLETED)

Commented [7]: List the summary statements for each subquestion below in bulleted form

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The purpose of the research was to analyze survey data from the MSOL program at

Bethune-Cookman University and identify barriers to online learning faced by the students in the

program. The primary research question was: What are barriers to online learning in a selected

online graduate program? The sub-questions for research included: 1) What are the demographic

or personal barriers for students? 2) What is the instructor or program barriers for students? 3)

What are technology barriers for students?

Sub Question 1 - What are the demographic or personal barriers for students?

Conclusions from Findings

Related to your research questions, what overall conclusions do you have after reading these key findings (related to subquestion 1)?

Implications

As a standard part of this a portion of the implication section address:

a. The moral or ethical implications of the research, specifically using the ethics focused upon in the program (Lead 613 and 623) … ethical model we use, mention of systematic injustices like marginalization, etc…to the extent that these things apply – and given our process, some of this will certainly apply generally.

b. Some mention of how the implications relate to specific understandings about TL

Recommendations

Three types of recommendations are appropriate: 1. recommend solutions to original problem or next steps based on specific data in findings; 2. recommend improvements in problem area based on insights from review of literature; 3. recommend further research and changes in your methodology tools

Subquestion 2 - What is the instructor or program barriers for students?

Formatted: Highlight

Conclusions from Findings

Related to your research questions, what overall conclusions do you have after reading these key findings (related to subquestion 1)?

Implications

As a standard part of this a portion of the implication section address:

b. Some mention of how the implications relate to specific understandings about TL

Recommendations

Subquestion 3 - What are technology barriers for students?

Conclusions from Findings

Related to your research questions, what overall conclusions do you have after reading these key findings (related to subquestion 1)?

Implications

As a standard part of this a portion of the implication section address:

b. Some mention of how the implications relate to specific understandings about TL

Recommendations

Limitations of Findings

Tell how your findings only apply to your study population. Also tell whether your efforts to reduce bias seem to have worked.

Implementation Plan

Explain how you will implement your recommendations. How is this plan consistent with the ethics of transformative leadership?

Overall Summary

Tell reader of thesis your main “learning” and support with citation from chapter two.

REFERENCES

At least 30 references related to your topic and action research in APA format.

Formatted: Highlight

APPENDIX A

NIH CERTIFICATE

APPENDIX B

EMPLOYER AGREEMENT FORM

PASTE EMPLOYER AGREEMENT FORM HERE

APPENDIX C

INTERNSHIP LOG FORM

INSEERT A COPY OF THE COMPLETED AND SIGNED COPY OF THE INTERNDSHIP

LOG FORM HERE.

APPENDIX E

MENTOR EVALUATION FORM

INSERT COPY OF THE MENTOR EVALUATION FORM HERE. IT MUST BE FINALIZED

AND SIGNED.

APPENDIX F

DATA FILES

ATTACH ALL DATA FILES HERE

SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENT GUIDANCE

SAMPLE LITERATURE REVIEW DEALING WITH ACTION

RESEARCH

SAMPLE LITERATURE REVIEW DEALING WITH THE ETHICS OF

TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP

The following is a sample literature review for the ethics of Transformative Leadership. Please

use this for guidance. The literature review in your thesis must be in your own words, etc., using

references from coursework.

Practicing ethical leadership means, precisely, the implementation of one’s own moral

agency as part of one’s leadership. Transformative Leadership is a participatory and collaborative

endeavor where one approaches leadership in a holistic way. At the heart of this approach to

leadership is an emphasis on emancipating others (as well as the leader themselves) from

patterns, policies, or ways of thinking that inhibit innovation, creativity and problem solving.

Following from this definition of Transformative Leadership, moral agency for a Transformative

Leader should be conceptualized (and practiced) in ways directly related to this definition: a

collaborative, holistic and emancipatory conception of moral agency where doing justice is a

central consideration.

Relationality-Responsibility Model for Ethics. Charles Curran (1999) elaborates an

approach to ethics that is neither strictly deontological (an ethics of principles) nor simply

teleological (an ethics of aims or outcomes). While deontological and teleological ethics are

frequent topics in the literature of ethics and moral theology, Curran’s alternative approach has

gained far less attention in the literature. Yet, as will be evident below, it is particularly well

suited for Transformative Leadership. Curran’s approach to ethics is based on H. Richard

Niebuhr’s conception of Responsibility Ethics, elaborated in the now classic text, The

Responsible Self (1962).

In contrast to deontological or teleological ethics, Curran opts instead for a “relationality-

responsibility model” (p. 73) where, simply put, one comes to know their moral responsibilities

through the experiences one has in the multiple relationships within which one is a participant,

where conscience is understood as central in the exercise of one’s moral agency. As such, this

model is intrinsically collaborative because it is informed through one’s participation with others.

It is also holistic, particularly when one considers conscience as a matter of one’s reason and

affectivity.

Curran’s model incorporates a sense of responsibility in terms of an agent’s contextual

specificity as defined by the multiple relations of which an agent is a part. An agent acts in

reference to others and does so in response to having been affected by the actions of others. An

agent interprets what those actions mean while at the same time maintains a “willingness to be

accountable for any reaction” while remaining in “solidarity with a community of agents” (p. 73).

After rehearsing the shortcomings of deontological ethics (the challenges of competing

moral obligations and the relevance of likely outcomes), Curran turns to an examination of

teleological ethics. In his view, extrinsically teleological ethics such as utilitarian ethics can

become far too relative or subjective in that utilitarian ethics (where the ends are said to justify

the means) is highly dependent on how well-being is defined and by whom it has been defined

(pp. 72-3).

Agency, Leadership and Ethics. Curran (1985) has long held that a person is both a

“moral agent and subject” (p. 63). As such, a moral person is (in part at least) constituted by

their own actions as they are expressed, exhibited, practiced and/or embodied in relation with

others. One’s own sense of moral agency develops in concert with others.

At the heart of his notion of moral agency is the primacy of conscience (1985). As

Curran explains, conscience is informed by the experience one has in relationships with others

and is constituted in part through one’s own affective response to those relationships. Curran’s

thought echoes others, including Richard Gula.

Like Curran, Gula argues (2004) that conscience is in part subjective (it is a matter of

experience) but also that conscience points toward truths that transcend each of us, truths that are

greater than ourselves. As he suggests,

This does not mean that conscience independently determines what is

good and want is evil. Nor does it mean that conscience makes all morality

relative to a person’s own desires, or that one’s moral judgment is true

merely by the fact that judgment cones from one’s conscience. It does

mean that the person’s sincerely reflective judgment of what to do sets the

boundary for acting with integrity or sincerity of heart. To say ‘My

conscience tells me ’means “I may be wrong, but I understand this to be an

objective demand of morality and so I must live by it lest I turn from the

truth and betray my truest self (p. 53).

Thus, relying primarily on conscience means we avoid absolutism (because conscience is

in part subjective) and it also means we avoid extreme forms of relativism (because conscience is

not only subjective but instead leads also to truths that transcend our subjectivity).

Curran’s understanding of conscience is emancipatory. This is evident when one

considers that in Curran’s view, conscience is not an authoritarian faculty of a human person but

is contrastingly a creative aspect of the self, born of one’s own experience in relation to others.

As Anne E. Patrick (1997) points out in her text, Liberating Conscience, Curran retains a

preference for the dignity of human persons, “the existence or an objective moral order, and the

fact that freedom is not an absolute value” (153). This underscores that Curran’s ideas do not

collapse into sheer relativism or subjectivism. Yet, conscience is nonetheless emancipatory in

Curran’s ethics because, conceptually, he understands this aspect of the self as relational, formed

and informed through experiences with others where over time, one is freed to realize greater

understandings of moral truth. Conscience is the ongoing result of a process of constant moral

reflection or praxis (Curran, 1999).

Ethics, leadership and taking risks. As “change agents” (Reed), Transformative

Leaders arguably must take risks. This suggests an ethics that conceptualizes moral agency in

terms of taking risks. Toward this end, Welch (1990) argues in favor of a distinction between an

“ethics of control” and an “ethics of risk.” Her work (well cited since its publication) was

developed through an intensive study of African-American Women’s literature. Welch suspected

that this literature might reveal truths about how responsibility can be understood, particularly by

communities that know well the realities of various forms of systematic injustice (1990).

While an ethics of control is described as exhibiting unilateral actions where control (or

the possibility of gaining control) is held as a matter of one’s own agency, an ethics of risk is

conceptualized much differently and is based on a different assumption (Welch, 1990).

An ethics of risk, as Welch (1990) explains it, is based on the assumption that one

exercises responsibility in community with others while making no assumption about being in

control. As such, and ethics of risk is a construct that emphasizes power with others (shared

power) rather than power over others.

Welch argues further that an ethics of risk involves taking concrete and strategic steps

that make for a "matrix” (p. 46) of possibilities (a sense that anything might happen) instead of

taking unilateral and decisive actions where power is exerted over others and control is assumed.

As she explains,

Responsible action does not mean the certain achievement of desired ends

but the creation of a matrix in which further actions are possible, the

creation of the conditions of possibility for desired changes. It is found in

taking steps toward a desired goal, and focusing on possibilities, rather

than outcomes, choosing to care and to act although there are no

guarantees of success (p. 46).

Ethics, leadership and emancipation. As noted above, Transformative Leadership

emphasizes emancipation and this suggests liberation (or freedom from systematic injustice).

Iris Marion Young (2012) offers a helpful conceptualization of systematic injustice that provides

an understanding of emancipation where doing justice is understood as lessening or eliminating

systematic injustice. In her text Justice and the Politics of Difference (2012), Young identifies

five ways to identify and conceptualize systematic injustice. These include the following.

Marginalization. Marginalization is when a group is not afforded the ability to make

decisions or shape what society does to the extent afforded to more dominant groups.

Marginalized groups in this country include, for example, ‘Native Americans. ’

Systematic violence. Hate crimes are a form of systematic violence. Because hate

crimes are rooted in the larger social attitudes of some in certain groups toward others in other

groups, then the violence that is so much a part of “hate crimes” is an example of “systematic

violence.” The central point is that larger social patterns lead to the experience of violence by

some groups and not others.

Exploitation. When a person or group is taken advantage of in a material way, they are said

to be exploited. Instances where one is underpaid relative to one’s peers is an example of

exploitation.

Cultural Imperialism. This is identified by instances where a group yields important cultural

practices or beliefs to those held by other, more dominant cultures.

Powerlessness. This is identified as specific instances where a group lacks power. This

might include political or economic power, for instance.

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