Melanie Booth, Ed.D.
I am the Dean for Learning & Assessment and the Director of the Center for Experiential Learning & Assessment at Marylhurst University (yes, I have two jobs; it’s complicated). I am interested in teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education; adult learning and development; experiential learning in higher education, including service-learning; Prior Learning Assessment; and the academic use of social media in higher educational settings.
Me and my son Mac, when we were both much younger.
CURRENT PROJECTS & PROFESSIONAL PREOCCUPATIONS
- Participating in WASC Assessment Leadership Academy
- Peer reviewing articles for PLA Inside Out: An International Journal on Theory, Research and Practice in Prior Learning Assessment
- Authoring New Directions for Teaching & Learning chapter on learning assignments / assessments that result in student self-disclosure and resulting student-professor boundary challenges.
- Co-authoring New Directions for Teaching & Learning chapter on adult learners and boundaries with Dr. Harriet Schwartz.
- Participating in regional accreditation processes by being a NWCCU evaluator.
- Providing academic assessment specialization for a WASC accreditation visit and report.
- Attempting to work with Twitter as a tool for my own learning. (So far, so good!)
TEACHING I DO:
- Learning Assessment Workshop – LRN 150
- From Experience to Learning: Prior Learning Assessment Seminar – LRN 305
- Prior Learning Assessment Workshops – LRN 311, 312, 003
- Preparing for Graduate School – LRN 492
- Introduction to Social Media Communications: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, & More – CCM 366-1E
- Mentoring & Peer Coaching — Teacher Leadership Certificate Program
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
2011
Booth, M. (August 25, 2011). Assessment as an act of care. Guest post: University of Venus, InsideHigherEd.
Booth, M. & Esposito, A.J. (2011). Mentoring 2.0 – High tech/high touch approaches to foster student support and development in higher education. In C. Wenkel (Ed.), Higher education with social media: Applications in student affairs, enrollment management, alumni, careers, and other functions. Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing.
In this chapter, the authors – heralding from two very different kinds of higher educational institutions (one small, private, liberal arts university on the west coast and one large public university on the easy coast) – discuss how social media tools such as Facebook, blogs, LinkedIn, and YouTube have allowed them new ways to mentor and advise their traditional and non-traditional student populations.
2010
From Dichotomy to Confluence: A Bi-Coastal Appreciation of Advising-as-Mentoring. Presented with Art Esposito from Virginia Commonwealth University at the Penn State Division of Undergraduate Studies Fall 2010 Academic Advising Conference, October 2010.
In this workshop, the presenters compared and contrasted their two very different populations of students within their two very different institutional contexts: traditional and nontraditional (adult) students at a large four-year public and a small four-year private universities. In doing so, they analyzed their roles as mentors and revealed similarities in advising philosophies. Attendees reflected on significant differences in student populations, institutional contexts, and programmatic roles and expectations to reveal what is likely a similar approach to supporting student development and success: advising as mentoring.
The Horse Before The Cart: Institutional Strategic Planning to Foster a Culture of Service. Presented with Amanda Baker at the Continuums of Service Conference, Portland, OR. 2010.
Participants in this interactive session learned the story of one university’s efforts to intentionally and thoughtfully integrate service into the institution’s Strategic Plan. Working together, participants identified principles of strategic planning and culture-building that they could apply to their own efforts of creating and supporting a culture of service across their institutions.
2009
Facebook, Blogs, & Friendly Treehouses: Mentoring Adult Learners Via Social Media. Presented with Harriet Schwartz at the Adult Higher Education Alliance Conference, Chicago, IL. 2009.
In this interactive session, participants discussed ways in which adult educators can use various social media tools to connect with and engage their learners, and to expand learning communities. We also considered the implications for educators and learners in using these technologies for educational and mentoring purposes.
Reflections on PLA: Is the Revolution Still a Revolution? Presented with Cindy Stevens and Annalee Lamoreaux at the Adult Higher Education Alliance Conference, Chicago, IL. 2009.
Reflecting on Thomas’ (2000) contention that PLA is a “quite revolution” in higher education, this session was an inquiry-based conversation in which participants reflected on the pre-conference PLA workshop as well as their own PLA-related experiences with this theme in mind. To what extent is PLA revolutionary?
Social Media! Facebook! Linked-in! Blogging! How important is it? (It is!) Workshop presented at Life By Design NW. 2009.
Harvesting Adult Learners’ Prior Knowledge: Prior Learning Assessment in Higher Education. Presented with Gwen Hyatt and Gretchen Potter at the OrACRAO Annual Meeting, Silverton, OR. 2009.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is an academic program that provides opportunities for adult undergraduate learners to earn college credit for college-level learning obtained through non-college experiences. PLA programs can be highly attractive to prospective students, and can also create opportunities (and challenges) for Registrars. In this interactive workshop, participants:
- Reviewed different kinds of PLA programs,
- Learned about managing PLA programs from different institutional perspectives, including Admissions and the Registrar,
- Considered the benefits of PLA programs for the institution, and
- Engaged with each other to identify implications to their own institutions and departments.
A Match.com for Mid-Life Adults in Higher Education: Prior Learning Assessment & Career Planning and Development. Presented with Jackie Fowler and Lynn Brown at the Student Success and Retention Conference, Portland, OR. 2009.
In this interactive workshop, participants considered the natural and intentional synergy between two seemingly disparate programs designed to promote access and success for mid-life adult learners in higher education: Prior Learning Assessment and Career Planning & Development. Several key themes – including the role of critical reflection, life and career transitions, lifelong development, goal clarification, and the identification of transferable skills and knowledge – were highlighted. Participants also engaged with each other to consider their own institutional possibilities for program “matches” and to generate ideas for addressing the needs and assessing the learning of mid-life adults in higher education.
Prior to 2009
Booth, M. & Fowler, J. (2008). Prior Learning Assessment: An Avenue for Access to Higher Education for Adult Learners. Presentation at the Student Success and Retention Conference, Portland State University. Portland, OR.
Booth, M. (2007). Becoming and Being Self-Directed: Adult Undergraduate Students’ Experiences & Implications for Adult Educators. Presentation at the Adult Higher Education Alliance Conference. Dayton, OH.
Booth, M., Sasser, J., Brown, L. & Abbott, K. (2007). Lifelines, lenses and livelihoods: Supporting adult learners in higher education. Presentation at the Oregon Women in Higher Education Annual Conference. Portland, OR.
Booth, M., & Lamoreaux, A. (2006). Reflections from the non-traditional road to a doctorate: Adult learner practitioners as adult learners in doctoral programs. Presentation at the Adult Higher Education Alliance Conference. Dallas, TX.
Booth, M., & Lamoreaux, A. (2004). Feedback as dialogue: Accelerating development and transformation through the Learning Process Paper. Presentation at the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning Conference. Chicago, IL.
Booth, M., Taylor, K., & Lamoreaux, A. (2004). Self-reflective writing, reconstructive learning and adult development. Paper presented to the Adult Education Research Conference. Victoria, B.C.
Booth, M., Taylor, K., & Lamoreaux, A. (2003). Using the ‘F’ word: A faculty development program about feedback to facilitate student learning. Presentation to the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning Conference. San Diego, CA.
Booth, M., & Taylor, K. (2003). Using the ‘F’ word: A faculty development program about feedback to facilitate student learning. Presentation to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Conference. Irvine, CA.
CONSULTING / PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Assessment Consulting Overview
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AAHLE)
- American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service Evaluator
- Adult Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) – Board Director (2008-2010)
- Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) – Member
EDUCATION
B.A. in English – Teacher Preparation, Humboldt State University
M.A. in English – Rhetoric & Writing Studies, San Diego State University
Ed.D. – Educational Leadership & Change in Higher Education, Fielding Graduate University
Research Focus: Adult Learning and Development in Higher Education
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
To learn more about me, please visit my profile on LinkedIn or follow my PrattleSquawks on Twitter. Feel free to contact me directly as well: melaniebooth@melaniebooth.com
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