Call for Applications for Mid-Career Learning Circles Fellows

Deadline Monday, September 15, 2008

The American Evaluation Association (AEA) is seeking applications from those interested in participating in a one-year pilot project employing learning circles as an avenue for professional development among mid-career professionals. Those participating will be competitively selected from among the applicant pool and the learning opportunity will be offered FREE to AEA members selected for the program.

The program is broken down into two tracks. Those applying must agree to participate in both tracks and thus make a one-year commitment to the program.

Track 1 will begin with a vendor-led two-day training retreat for a diverse group of 10-12 mid-career evaluators. The retreat will focus on building a professional community generally and on learning circles specifically as an adult education methodology. The training will be held November 3 and 4, 2008 in Denver , Colorado in conjunction with the AEA annual conference.

The retreat will be followed by two or more learning circles lead by an experienced contracted facilitator with the Learning Circle Fellows who participated in the two-day training retreat. Each Learning Circle will meet approximately every two weeks via distance technologies over a period of approximately six months (with a holiday break in December). Each circle will identify its desired outcomes and develop a project that focuses on the learning needs of that group.

Track 2 will begin shortly after completion of the track 1 circles and will involve implementation of Fellows-lead Learning Circles during the period of approximately June through November of 2009. Each Fellow will facilitate one circle involving 10-12 colleagues. It is anticipated that some of the track 2 Learning Circles will also be conducted remotely using distance technologies at the discretion of the Fellow. During track 2, the Fellows will be supported by their circle colleagues from track 1 and will have the retreat and track 1 facilitator available as a resource with whom to raise questions or concerns.

Thus, each Fellow first participates in a two-day retreat in November at the annual conference, then a learning circle with ongoing interaction using distance technology with synchronous meetings every two weeks via phone for six months from November to April (with a holiday break in December) lead by an experienced facilitator, and finally he or she will facilitate a learning circle among professional colleagues over a period between May and November.

Applicants are responsible for their own travel expenses related to the retreat, but all training expenses will be covered by AEA - there is no registration fee for this program.

The retreat and follow-up circles will be facilitated by Margaret Riel, a noted researcher and user of LCs who has been developing, writing about, and researching LCs since the mid-1990s and studying collaborative learning for over 25 years. Dr. Riel has developed learning circle curriculum guides, produced the Teachers' Guide to Learning Circles, and served as the convener of a multinational program using online learning circles. Dr. Riel is a senior researcher at SRI-International and a visiting professor at Pepperdine University .

This experience is designed to meet multiple outcomes:

To provide professional development for each selected Fellow, through (a) building a professional community with and through which he or she may learn, (b) training the Fellow in learning circles, a facilitation and learning skill applicable in many contexts, and (c) providing an opportunity for supported hands-on application of the LC skill.
To provide professional development for the larger group of evaluation professionals in track 2 through the second round of learning circles. Please stay tuned for calls for participants for track 2 next winter.
To identify the viability of learning circles as an ongoing professional development mechanism for AEA and its members.

Applicant Criteria

Fellows will be competitively chosen from among the pool of applicants. In order to be considered, each applicant must meet the following criteria:

Member: Be a current member of the American Evaluation Association,
Mid-Career: Be a mid-career professional, defined as having at least seven years post-graduate experience in evaluation,
Diversity: Contribute to the diversity of the group's racial and ethnic composition, thought, methodologies, regionality, background experience, perspective, or other factors that will add to a dynamic, engaged, set of learners,
Evaluation: Be an evaluation professional, whose livelihood includes funding, conducting and/or managing evaluations as well as teaching/training, technical assistance and/or capacity building activities related to evaluation,
Facilitator: Be an experienced facilitator who has lead groups, outside of the classroom, in group processes, ideally in multiple settings and with multiple stakeholders,
Apply: Desire to learn about and apply LCs in your professional practice and thus be able to describe how LCs would support your professional work,
Travel: Commit to paying for travel, accommodations, and any other expenses associated with your attending the retreat, noting that there is no cost for the retreat itself nor for the materials that will be provided at the retreat, nor for use of the technologies that will be used for the LCs with the exception of possible long-distance phone calling,
Commitment: Commit to (a) attending the two-day retreat, (b) participating in the follow-up learning circles, and then (c) implementing an LC with other AEA members within your affiliate, TIG, local region, or other relevant group, either face-to-face or using provided distance technologies.

Application Process - Due Date: Monday, September 15, 2008

Please send an application consisting of a single file of no more than six total pages in length, INCLUDING any and all appendices, that details in narrative form your ability to meet the applicant criteria. Please arrange your application using the following eight headings: Member, Mid-Career, Diversity, Evaluation, Facilitator, Apply, Travel, and Commitment. Make your most compelling case for how you meet each criteria. Your application should serve as a stand-alone document, and thus not require linking to a website or other external content in order to be reviewed and understood in terms of the extent to which you meet the selection criteria. Send your application by midnight, Eastern time, on Monday, September 15, 2008, to info@eval.org with the subject line "Learning Circles Application."

The selection task force will work to identify Fellows who demonstrate the strongest application based on the criteria above while representing the breadth and depth of the field.

Questions

If you have questions, we would welcome you to participate in an informational conference call on Monday, September 8 at 4:00 pm Eastern and/or to send your questions via email. In order to sign up for the conference call to learn more about learning circles, please email info@eval.org with the subject line "Learning Circles Conference Call." You need not participate in the conference call in order to apply.

More About Learning Circles

A growing body of literature indicates that alternative models of professional development such as learning circles, communities of practice and/or learning communities are more effective at building leadership and management related knowledge and skill as well as strengthening networks among seasoned practitioners (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker & Many, 2006; Collay, Dunlap, Enloe & Gagnon, 1998). Noted experts in the field of professional development indicate that once beyond the basic technical knowledge and skill intensive induction phase, most mid-career learners benefit most from sustained participation in interactive, inquiry-based, multiple session opportunities that are focused on their specific issues and interests.

A learning circle (LC) is a focused discussion group that harnesses the wisdom and experience of professional peers. Typically, a LC is issue focused and convenes around topics of interest to the circle participants. A facilitator hosts the group providing structure and a framework for high quality professional development that emphasizes peer learning and mentoring. The facilitator typically engages in some preliminary discovery either by telephone or email with participants to determine their strengths and learning interests. This early discovery is then used to tailor or shape the LC to best meet the needs and style of any given group. A LC uses an inquiry-based, approach to strengthen connection, learning and exchange among participants.

LCs have the advantage over traditional professional development in that they provide consistent, deep focus that supports problem-solving, asset development, tool generation and/or exchange as well as spreading knowledge grounded in shared experience and practical application. An LC brings together a group of practitioners in a process of mutual support and collective inquiry to explore issues, questions and themes that are of mutual interest to the group and who are poised to advance the practice of participants and the field (Hannum, Martineau & Reinelt, 2006).