"Choose Your Own Adventure": Web-Based Case Studies of Inclusive Education as a Form of Professional Learning for School Principals.

Steve Sider,Jacqueline Specht,Carolyn Treadgold,Hillary Winger,Kimberly Maich

doi:10.1177/19427751211046978

Abstract

We examine the process of developing web-based case studies, a novel form of professional learning for principals, specifically related to inclusive school leadership. Based on the input from 39 principals, 5 case studies were developed with branching scenarios that provided multiple options for decision-making. These "choose your own adventure" case studies were used in a special education for school administrators course with 109 participants in Ontario, Canada. We consider the authenticity of the cases, the importance of incorporating multiple perspectives, and issues related to function, form, and choice. We incorporate five lessons for developing web-based case studies.

Highlights

We examine the process of developing web-based case studies, a novel form of professional learning for principals, related to inclusive school leadership
The study explores the following research question: How can web-based case studies provide an effective form of learning for school principals in a professional learning course on special education? We developed and evaluated five online case studies that were used in a professional development course for principals in Ontario, Canada
According to the special education leader at the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC), the cases were authentic because they reflected the complex and diverse situations that principals encounter with regards to supporting students with special education needs (SEN)

Summary

Introduction

We examine the process of developing web-based case studies, a novel form of professional learning for principals, related to inclusive school leadership. Based on the input from 39 principals, 5 case studies were developed with branching scenarios that provided multiple options for decision-making These “choose your own adventure” case studies were used in a special education for school administrators course with 109 participants in Ontario, Canada. The cases were provided via an online platform with branching scenarios that included multi-modal delivery mechanisms (i.e., text, video, and images), providing participants with multiple options for decision-making These branching scenarios offered a “choose your own adventure” form of professional learning. We utilized an iterative research design in which input from school leaders informed the development of the case studies which were piloted with 109 principals in a professional learning course In following this design process, we worked with school administrators in the field who could identify the problems, solutions, and refinements based on their experience (Cosner, 2019). We designed the cases, implemented them, and utilized feedback from participants to adjust the cases, as needed

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion