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Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - ECW7195
Tracking Number - 5319

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Current Status: Approved by SCNS - 2016-06-01
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: Required for PhD in C&I: Career/workforce revision - replacing selected topics course. To GC. Approved; To USF Sys 4/21/16; to SCNS after 4/28/16. Nmbr 7170 apprd as 7195 Eff 6/1/16

Detail Information

  1. Date & Time Submitted: 2015-11-04
  2. Department: Leadership, Counseling, Adult, Career and Higher Education (LCACHE)
  3. College: ED
  4. Budget Account Number: 0-1716-000
  5. Contact Person: Victor M. Hernandez
  6. Phone: 8139741277
  7. Email: victorh@usf.edu
  8. Prefix: ECW
  9. Number: 7195
  10. Full Title: Comparative Study of Career and Workforce Education Systems
  11. Credit Hours: 3
  12. Section Type: C - Class Lecture (Primarily)
  13. Is the course title variable?: N
  14. Is a permit required for registration?: N
  15. Are the credit hours variable?: N
  16. Is this course repeatable?: N
  17. If repeatable, how many times?: 0
  18. Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Comp Study of CWE Systems
  19. Course Online?: O - Online (100% online)
  20. Percentage Online: 100
  21. Grading Option: R - Regular
  22. Prerequisites: None.
  23. Corequisites: None.
  24. Course Description: This online course provides an overview of global perspectives and models for career and workforce education with an emphasis on comparative analyses of national, state, and international systems.

  25. Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Replacing Selected Topics with Permanent number; already listed in program
  26. What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course is required in the Ph.D. in Career and Workforce Education program and students take it as part of the program sequence.
  27. Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? Yes, 3 or more times
  28. What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Doctoral degree in career and workforce education or a related field.
  29. Objectives: a. Develop an understanding of the changing nature of work, workforce trends, and the implications for career and workforce education.

    As a result of global trends and technological changes, emerging occupational profiles are demanding new ways of preparing youth and adults for successful transition and participation to further education or work. Thus the objective is for students to examine the changing nature of work and contemporary workforce, and the challenges and implications for sustaining the workforce readiness and competitiveness in the midst of a global economy in the United States.

    b. Identify, characterize, and analyze the organizational premises and structures of career and workforce education systems at the national, state and local level.

    The contemporary challenges for career and workforce education are not unique to the United States. It is a challenge for every country in the world. In this context, what are other countries doing to adjust to the new demands for a more interconnected, academically rigorous, and contemporary relevant career and workforce education system? The same issues are relevant at the state and local level. To this end, the objective is for students to conduct comparative analyses of workforce systems at the national, state, and local level.

    c. Identify design implications for improving components of interest within the CWE system.

    Workforce education systems involve a continuum of formal and informal settings at the secondary and postsecondary level shaped by the interplay of cultural perspectives on education and work, as well as social, economic, and political factors. In this regard, the objective is for students to determine the implications for rethinking key components of the CWE system such as technical education in high schools, adult education, higher education, or workplace education and training.

  30. Learning Outcomes: At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to:

    a. Describe changes in the nature of work in a particular area of interest.

    b. Articulate workforce trends focusing in a particular group or occupational area.

    c. Identify the challenges and implications for sustaining the workforce readiness and competitiveness in the midst of a global economy in the United States.

    d. Characterize the workforce education in the United States at the national, state, and local level.

    e. Establish a global frame of reference for workforce education systems with particular focus on work-based learning models using the German system as a benchmark.

    f. Identify implications for rethinking key components of the CWE system such as technical education in high schools, adult education, higher education, or workplace education and training.

    g. Research and develop a thematic comparative review on a topic of interest leading to a potential publication and/or presentation at a professional forum.

    h. Critically analyze and contribute to peer reviews of thematic reviews completed in the course.

  31. Major Topics: In general, how adequate is the current CWE system in the United States for meeting the contemporary demands for new skills and ways of doing things? Target understandings are primarily associated with comparative analyses of work and workforce trends; new directions for career and workforce education, and the fit of the American system in responding to contemporary needs. Specifically, to meet the goals of the course, related content and activities are organized around three complementary modules each guided by a driving question. The modules are designed to set the stage for the participants’ self-regulated knowledge production underlying driving questions as outlined below under the timeframe of the summer term (10 weeks) when the course is typically offered.

    Module 1 (Weeks 1-3). What is the changing nature of work, contemporary workforce, and skills sets? As a result of global trends and technological changes, emerging occupational profiles are demanding new ways of preparing youth and adults for successful transition and participation to further education or work. The purpose of this module is to examine the changing nature of work and contemporary workforce, and the challenges and implications for sustaining the workforce readiness and competitiveness in the midst of a global economy in the United States.

    Module 2 (Weeks 4-6). What can we learn from leading CWE systems at the national, state, and local level? The contemporary challenges for career and workforce education are not unique to the United States. It is a challenge for every country in the world. In this context, what are other countries doing to adjust to the new demands for a more interconnected, academically rigorous, and contemporary relevant career and workforce education system? The same issues are relevant at the state and local level. Thus, the purpose of this module is to establish a comparative framework for workforce systems at the national, state, and local level.

    Module 3 (Weeks 7-10). What are the implications for rethinking career and workforce education systems? Workforce education systems involve a continuum of formal and informal settings at the secondary and postsecondary level shaped by the interplay of cultural perspectives on education and work, as well as social, economic, and political factors. To this end, the purpose of this module is to determine the implications for rethinking key components of the CWE system such as technical education in high schools, adult education, higher education, workplace education and training.

  32. Textbooks: American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual (6th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
  33. Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: Readings/Resources: Students are primarily responsible for conducting independent research to inform their understanding of course topics and completion of assignments. Below is a sample of readings and/or resources students review in the course.

    Blechman, A.D. (2010). For German butchers a wurst case scenario. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Magazine.

    Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013). Women in the labor force: A databook. U.S. Department of Labor.

    Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Demographics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

    Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Labor force statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

    Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Occupational outlook handbook. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

    Clott, C.B. (2004). Perspectives on global outsourcing and the changing nature of work. Business & Society Review, 109(2), 153-170.

    Community College Research Center. (2015). Publication on community college history, mission, and challenges available at: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Community-College-History-Mission-and-Challenges.html

    Comparative and International Education. (2010). Comparative and International Education: A Bibliography, 2009. Comparative Education Review, 54(S1), S1–S132. http://doi.org/10.1086/654889

    Economic Policy Institute. (2015). The state of working America. Interactive website available at: http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org

    Employment and Training Administration. (2015). Education and training. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

    Employment and Training Administration. (2015). The public workforce system. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

    European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. (2009). Germany: VET in Europe country report. Thessaloniki, Greece: Author.

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research. (2007). Dual training at a glance. Berlin, Germany: Author.

    Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. (2015). CareerSource Florida Center directory. Interactive website available at http://www.floridajobs.org/onestop/onestopdir/

    Florida Department of Education. (2015). Career and adult education. Website available at http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu

    Gardner Clagett, M. (2006). Workforce Development in the United States: An overview. Washington, DC: National Center on education and the Economy.

    George, M.S., Mihaela, S., & Ligia, V.V. (2013). Quantitative analysis of the higher education system in Germany: Realities and perspectives. Ovidius University Annals, Series Economic Sciences, 13(1), 1345-1350.

    Gomez, R.E., Kagan, S.L., & Fox, E.A. (2015). Professional development of the early childhood education teaching workforce in the United States: An overview. Professional Development in Education, 41(2), 169-186.

    Grubb, W.N. (1999). From isolation to integration: Occupational education and the emerging systems of workforce development. Centerpoint, 3, (ED429184).

    Jones, A. (2008). The rise of global work. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 33(1), 12-26.

    Hamburg Business Development Corporation. (2015). Locating in Hamburg. Website available at http://www.hamburg-economy.de

    Heerwagen, J.H. (2010). The changing nature of organizations, work, and workplace. Washington, DC: National Institute of Building Sciences.

    Hordern, J. (2014). Workforce development, higher education and productive systems. Journal of Education & Work, 27(4), 409-431.

    Karoly, L.A., Panis, C. (2004). The 21st Century at work: Forces shaping the future workforce and workplace in the United States. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

    Kutscha, G. (1996). The dual system of vocational education in the Federal Republic of Germany. European Education, 28, 49-62.

    LaRose, C. (2015). The North East Regional Employment and Training Association takes a look at the new public workforce system under WIOA [The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act]. Career Planning & Adult Development Journal, 31(3), 59-64.

    May, K.E. (2015). Work in the 21st Century: Implications for selection. Bowling Green, OH: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

    McCormick, K. (2003). Labor and capital in the age of globalization: The labor process and the changing nature of work in the global economy. International Sociology, 18(2), 421-424.

    Morisi, T.L. (2010). The early 2000s: a period of declining teen summer employment rates. Monthly Labor Review Online, 133(5).

    National Research Council, Committee on Techniques for Enhancement of Human Performance. (2001). The Changing Nature of Work: Implications for Occupational Analysis. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Peck, D. (2013). They’re watching you at work. Washington, DC: The Atlantic.

    Rauschenbach, T., & Riedel, B. (2016). Germany's ECEC workforce: a difficult path to professionalisation. Early Child Development & Care, 186(1), 61-77.

    Ruth, K., & Grollmann, P. (2009). Monitoring VET systems of major EU competitor countries: The cases of Australia, Canada, U.S.A. and Japan. Bremen, Germany: Institut Technik und Bildung (ITB), Universität Bremen.

    Salzman, H. (2013). What shortages? The real evidence about the STEM workforce. Issues in Science & Technology, 29(4), 58-67.

    SHRM Foundation. (2013). The changing nature of work and the worker. Alexandria, VA: Author.

    World Economic Forum. (2013). The global competitiveness report (2013-2014). Geneva: Author.

    Werner, E., Rodriguez-Planas, N., Schmidl, R., & Zimmerman, K.F. (2015). A road map to vocational education and training in industrialized countries. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 68(2), 314-337.

    Zajda, J.I. (2005). International handbook on globalisation, education and policy research : Global pedagogies and policies. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

  34. Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: The evaluation of performance in the course will be based on the timely completion and quality of course deliverables. Course participants will be provided with criteria and guidelines to inform related work. The cumulative scores for each major activity will then be used to determine final performance in the course according to the following weights: Thematic review (40%), CWE Brief (30%), two peer reviews (20%), and contributions to discussions (10%). The final grade in this course will be the additive result of final percent scores on major activities and based on the following grading scale indicating the typical bracket associated with graduate-level work: A+ = 98-100, A = 95-97, A- = 91-94, B+ = 88-90, B = 85-87, B- = 81-84.
  35. Assignments, Exams and Tests: The course outline and major topics are noted in section V. Regarding demonstration of learning expectations, in addition to contributions to class discussions, students will be required to complete three primary assignments following an inquiry/project-based approach in the course: Producing a CWE Brief, developing a thematic review, and contributing to peer reviews. Guidelines for preparation and submission of expected deliverables will be provided in course materials.

    Contributions to Discussions. Regular contributions will be expected from all participants in the form of ongoing critical commentary and analyses of course materials and activities. Evidence of related contributions will be documented through threads of electronic conversations via e-mail discussing current developments or articles in career and workforce education connected to course topics. Just make sure the sources are reputable such as Education Week, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Economist, the Atlantic, or scholarly journals. To make these electronic conversations productive, remember to avoid superficial chatter or cameo appearances for the sake of scoring points for class contributions. When contributing to discussions, justify your statements or claims, and make sure to provide a good argument when refuting someone else's. In some cases, I will call on some of you to respond to specific questions, comment on topics of interest and/or critique work completed throughout the course. In any case, whether spontaneous or invited, the quality of our conversation will be a function of completing readings on a weekly basis. Given the fast pace of the summer term it will be difficult to discuss each reading or interact with everyone in the course. Rather, focus on the analysis and reactions to selected readings that are particularly stimulating in a good or bad way or interacting with others in the course sharing similar interests. In any case, an online course depends on consistent and thoughtful participation to learn as much as we can from the entire group. Contributions to discussions will be expected on each module, formally graded using a rubric to be provided for that purpose, and will represent 10% of the final grade.

    CWE Brief. The first assignment involves the research, synthesis, and preparation of a CWE Brief suitable for publication on the CWE@USF program website. The CWE Briefs section of the Career and Workforce Education at the University of South Florida website is intended to offer readers concise descriptions and analysis of current issues in the field. Thus, the expected CWE Brief should profile/compare an issue related to the nature of work, workforce trends, workforce systems, or new directions in the field in a way that is accessible to a wide audience beyond academic or researcher groups. The CWE Brief is due upon completion of Module 1 and will represent 30% of the final grade.

    Thematic Review. The second assignment involves research, development, and synthesis of a thematic review on a CWE topic or component of interest. The goal of the thematic review is to build a comparative understanding on a CWE topic/component of interest at the country, state, or local level, and produce a review report contrasting CWE practices and/or models here and/or abroad. Thematic review activities will allow the comparison of perspectives on issues of interest (e.g., technical education, adult education, higher education, workplace learning) faced in the United States and Germany―or other country (or in two states) of interest as appropriate. The resulting Thematic Review report is due at the end of the course and will represent 40% of the final grade.

    For this major assignment, student will have the choice of completing the thematic review focusing on a comparison of the US system of workforce education and other country of interest, a comparison of state/local systems, or a comparison of system components (e.g., adult education, higher education) between two countries.

    An alternative choice will be a thematic review involving a comparison of the US workforce education system (or a system component) and the German system including a study visit in Bremen, Germany, scheduled upon completion of Modules 1-2. For students interested in this option, the goal of the visit is to provide direct exposure and opportunities to document how the German workforce education system works as a complementary frame of reference for students who can afford the visit. The German system of workforce education has been historically viewed as the global benchmark, and Bremen (located in Northern Germany) is an ideal location for the group study visit component to learn about the German CWE system with the assistance of the University of Bremen’s Institute of Technology and Education. This alternative option is conducted over 12 days (early in July) including travel days and the group study visit includes presentations and discussions to clarify the German system; meetings with employers, policymakers, researchers, and educators; tours of local workplaces, and exploration of the German history and culture. This option requires additional fees for study abroad and is contingent upon having a group of 8-10 participants. The cost of this optional group study visit in Germany is made available in advance by the USF Study Abroad Office, so students can plan and choose to participate accordingly.

    Peer Reviews. A third assignment involves peer review of CWE Briefs and Thematic Review Reports produced in the course for a total of two reviews. Contributions to peer reviews will be based on the examination of manuscripts using review guidelines to be provided for that purpose. Peer review activities will follow APA guidelines for related work and will provide participants with an opportunity to sharpen analytical skills and scholarly writing. Peer reviews will be due five days after submission of CWE Briefs and Thematic Review Reports and will represent 20% of the final grade

  36. Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,

    http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)

    Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)

    In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

  37. Policy on Make-up Work: Policy on Incomplete (I)

    An Incomplete Grade ("I") will be given only for unusual circumstances. It is the instructor's experience that when a participant receives an “I” in a course, a great deal of paperwork, telephone and/or e-mail exchanges and face-to-face meetings are necessary to resolve it. Also, usually due to the time lapse, any pending work is rarely completed in the same quality fashion as those completed on time. University policy calls for incompletes to be awarded only when the coursework has been substantively completed (75%) and there are extenuating circumstances preventing the student from completing the course requirements by the end of the semester. If an "I" is given, any incomplete work must be completed within one semester after the "I" is received due to the fact that the course web site is only archived for one semester. After that time, all records, assignments, postings, etc. for that semester are deleted by the USF computer center. Those receiving an "I" and not completing all outstanding assignments and resolving the "I" during the subsequent semester will have to retake the course to remove the "I."

    Academic Integrity of Students

    Plagiarism is defined as “literary theft” and consists of the unattributed quotation of the exact words of a published text, or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a published text. On written papers for which the student employs information gathered from books, articles, or oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not generally know to the public at large must be attributed to its author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Citations may be made within the body of the text or in footnotes. Plagiarism also consists of passing off as one’s own, segments or the total of another person’s work. Punishment for academic dishonesty will depend on the seriousness of the offense and may include receipt of an “F” with a numerical value of zero on the item submitted, and the “F” shall be used to determine the final course grade. It is the option of the instructor to assign the student a grade of F or FF (the latter indicating dishonesty) in the course. Further, the university has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service, which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to: (a) request that assignments be submitted to me as electronic files, and (b) electronically submit assignments to Turnitin.com. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized. For more information, go to http://www.turnitin.com/ and http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0304/adadap.htm#plagiarism

  38. Program This Course Supports: Ph.D. in C&I: Career and Workforce Education
  39. Course Concurrence Information: Although this course contributes to the core doctoral preparation in career and workforce education (CWE), it can be taken as part of a program of study in related areas (e.g., Adult Education, Higher Education, Educational Administration) or as a stand-alone course for advanced professional development purposes.


- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.