Decision Making in Educational Organizations

Catalog description

Decision making in organizational and environmental contexts; case studies of administrative problems; application of decision making models. EDLDR 569 Decision Making in Educational Organizations (3) Decision making is one of the central processes in the leadership of educational organizations. The effective decision maker is one who can define a problem, establish criteria for its successful solution, identify and evaluate alternative problem solutions and their consequences, and choose an appropriate plan of action. The course utilizes a case study approach to examine and practice decision making in an educational context. Emphasis is placed on a systematic approach to making decisions, based on theory, research, and best practice knowledge. Various models of decision making are introduced and their usefulness and appropriateness in different types of situations are examined. Working in teams, students analyze increasingly complex cases and prepare both verbal and written presentations, which are tested in general class discussion. Through active learning experiences provided by the case method, students will study significant problems of practice while developing teamwork skills in collaborative work groups.