Summary of the Case
American Intercontinental University1
Master of Education Program
The Summary of the Case is written by the auditors and approved by program faculty. The Summary
reflects the auditors’ understanding of the case the faculty are making for accreditation.
The University is pursuing the Inquiry Brief Proposal path due to the need to collect
more substantial data to support the University’s claims. This decision was made after
discussion with TEAC officials and an audit of program courses, policies and
procedures, and a review of the robust Institutional Effectiveness data by the School of
Education faculty. The School of Education currently offers six specific specializations to
graduate students under the umbrella of one program offering. Neither the program nor
specializations currently lead to certification recommendations. The AIU Master of
Education program (MEd) is offered 100% through an online methodology to adult
learners located in various states and countries.
The specializations are as follows:
 Adult Education and Training
 Classroom Integration of Technology
 Curriculum and Instruction for Educators
 Educational Assessment and Evaluation
 Instructional Design and Technology
 Leadership of Educational Organizations
This document follows the Inquiry Brief Proposal format suggested by TEAC.
Areas such as School demographics, admissions requirements, and distinguishing
features are addressed and the programs to be eventually evaluated by TEAC
personnel are identified.The second section of the document contains three claims
made by the School of Education related to TEAC principles and standards for
educational leadership programs, TEAC’s Quality Principle I, and Evidence of
Candidate Learning. These claims deal with areas of candidate learning associated with
educational leadership, professional knowledge, strategic decision-making, learning
how to learn, multicultural perspectives, use of appropriate technology and caring
leadership skills. The third section of this Inquiry Brief Proposal provides an in-depth
review of assessment instruments selected by School faculty to support programmatic
claims. The final sections of the report include the Results and Discussion sections.
AIU, described as a for-profit institution, was founded in Europe in 1970 on the
premise that universities should transcend the bounds of the traditional, theoretical
approach to education by providing students with a curriculum that can help prepare
them to pursue their professional interests in many of today's most opportunistic
industries. For more than 40 years, AIU has offered an innovative approach to
education at its campuses in Atlanta, South Florida, Houston, and London, as well as on
the award-winning Virtual Campus of AIU Online, which was launched in 2001 and
recognized as a separate campus in 2002. In January 2001, Career Education
Corporation (CEC) acquired the University. The initial design of the mEd program by a
group of subject matter experts and an online web design team, was implemented in
2002 and worked within the structure already used for the undergraduate programs
created for AIU Online.
As the fields have grown more and more competitive, AIU has responded by
developing curricula that can provide students with industry-current degree programs
and focused specializations in business, criminal justice, design, education and
information technology. Overall design of curriculum and content were supervised by
the provost, the program chair, and the director of instructional design for the University.
The MEd program began providing courses to students in early 2003. At that time, the
emphasis on the program was on the use of technology in education and training. The
original program had three intended audiences: learners interested in academic
applications of technology, individuals interested in commercial business applications of
a mEd degree, and military personnel. The first program version consisted of 48 Quarter
Hours provided in eight graduate courses. The faculty for the program were hired
specifically for the subject matter and topics included in the program, and included
professors with Ph.D. and EdD. qualifications. The faculty also had practical experience
in the fields in which they taught.
MEd Starts and Graduation Historical Data by Specialization and Gender
Concentration/Specialization
Curriculum and Instruction
Gender
Female
Start Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Female Total
Male
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
Curriculum and Instruction
Total
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
First Time
Starts
130
402
199
202
178
152
24
1287
Graduated
92
253
111
123
105
73
14
771
%
71%
63%
56%
61%
59%
48%
58%
60%
32
81
31
23
30
16
59%
56%
67%
47%
54%
34%
213
53%
7
17
10
7
7
1
2
12
7
6
4
29%
71%
70%
86%
57%
49
31
63%
1736
1015
58%
54
144
46
49
56
47
4
400
Educational Assessment and
Evaluation
Female
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
39
23
20
27
32
5
146
24
10
14
15
10
2
75
62%
43%
70%
56%
31%
40%
51%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
1
7
12
9
10
10
1
50
5
7
7
5
2
1
27
71%
58%
78%
50%
20%
100%
54%
2006
2
198
102
52%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
811
163
101
58
58
62
11
1264
495
109
57
39
40
34
7
781
61%
67%
56%
67%
69%
55%
64%
62%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
362
96
37
29
38
21
4
587
199
56
24
24
21
7
3
334
55%
58%
65%
83%
55%
33%
75%
57%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2010
53
10
5
2
1
28
5
4
2
53%
50%
80%
100%
71
39
55%
1922
1154
60%
Female Total
Male
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
2
Educational Assessment and
Evaluation Total
Instructional Technology
Female
Female Total
Male
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
Instructional Technology Total
Leadership of Educational
Organizations
Female
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
170
159
125
130
137
11
732
103
91
87
65
70
5
421
61%
57%
70%
50%
51%
45%
58%
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
65
86
78
70
55
5
359
39
61
51
44
26
3
224
60%
71%
65%
63%
47%
60%
62%
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
6
7
4
3
1
5
4
2
2
83%
57%
50%
67%
21
13
62%
1112
658
59%
67
97
24
188
29
17
43%
18%
46
24%
21
21
8
50
10
5
48%
24%
15
30%
239
61
26%
22
25
6
53
12
1
55%
4%
13
25%
Female Total
Male
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
Leadership of Educational
Organizations Total
Specialization in Adult
Education and Training
Female
2011
2012
2013
Female Total
Male
2011
2012
2013
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
2013
1
Specialization in Adult
Education and Training Total
Specialization in Classroom
Integration of Technology
Female
Female Total
1
2011
2012
2013
Male
2011
2012
2013
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
2013
Female
2011
2012
2013
Female Total
Male
2011
2012
2013
Male Total
Not specified
2011
2012
2013
Not specified
Total
Specialization in Curriculum
and Instruction for Educators
Total
Specialization in Educational
Assessment and Evaluation
Female
2011
2012
2013
Female Total
Male
2011
2012
2013
Male Total
Specialization in Educational
Assessment and Evaluation
Total
Specialization in Instructional
Design and Technology
Female
1
2
33%
25%
3
18%
71
16
23%
81
90
16
187
35
8
43%
9%
43
23%
22
23
8
53
14
6
64%
26%
20
38%
1
3
1
1
33%
5
1
20%
245
64
26%
11
24
4
39
4
3
36%
13%
7
18%
6
1
2
9
1
1
17%
100%
2
22%
48
9
19%
1
27
32
10
1
12
5
100%
44%
16%
1
1
Specialization in Classroom
Integration of Technology
Total
Specialization in Curriculum
and Instruction for Educators
3
8
6
17
2010
2011
2012
2013
Female Total
Male
2011
2012
2013
Male Total
Not specified
2011
2012
2013
Not specified
Total
Female
2011
2012
2013
Female Total
Male
2011
2012
2013
Male Total
Not specified
Not specified
Total
Specialization in Leadership of
Educational Organizations
Total
18
26%
11
16
4
31
10
3
91%
19%
13
42%
107
31
29%
75
87
24
186
38
16
51%
18%
54
29%
44
42
10
96
21
4
48%
10%
25
26%
1
6
1
100%
7
1
14%
289
80
28%
1
4
1
6
Specialization in Instructional
Design and Technology Total
Specialization in Leadership of
Educational Organizations
70
2011
2012
Program Description
The role of instructors, instructional designers, and curriculum developers has
changed dramatically over the past decade. The emphasis in education today focuses
on ensuring educational programs help learners understand abstract concepts, solve
problems, work as effective team members, and develop critical thinking skills. The
Master of Education Degree provides a solid foundation for effective educational
practice and career advancement for all levels of educational practitioners, including K12, higher education, and corporate learning. AIU’s graduate programs and course work
are organized and delivered to provide students with an advanced theoretical
framework of professional practices and mastery of appropriate discipline-specific tools
to identify and solve problems within their field of study. The AIU Graduate Studies
Outcomes are:
1.
Professional mastery: identify and analyze current trends, theories, opportunities
and challenges within specific disciplines.
Critical analysis: evaluate, integrate and critique a wide range of opinions,
beliefs, abstract ideas and data to inform judgment, identify and solve problems
and, where appropriate, propose new hypotheses.
3. Knowledge acquisition/management: demonstrate an innovative approach to the
application, acquisition and interpretation of knowledge within the disciplines,
and use that knowledge and understanding to solve problems in new or
unfamiliar environments.
2.
In addition, the MEd program maintains a set of outcomes. These MEd Program
Outcomes include:






Analyze research findings to respond to academic, physical, social and cultural
differences in educating students and recommend method modifications based
on research results.
Design educational programs that effectively address objectives integrating the
appropriate use of various instructional media and technologies for learning.
Develop educational programs that use the appropriate criteria for selecting
curricular content, organization of content and methods of curriculum evaluation.
Create a plan for implementation of learning content in various educational
settings.
Evaluate the opportunities and challenges involved in the organizational
development and delivery of learning programs using formative and summative
instruments.
Evaluate educational situations and problems in order to develop and
substantiate solutions using leadership and management strategies. (AIU
Catalog, p.79)
Then following from the existing Graduate Studies Outcomes and the MEd Program,
Program faculty and administration developed a set of Program Claimsconnected to the
program for the purpose of the TEAC process. These Program Claims include:
o
Graduates of the Master of Education (MEd) program at American InterContinental
University (AIU) acquire the professional knowledge required to lead and manage in
a variety of learning environments. They understand organizational theory and
development, as well as human resource management. The Master of Education
degree provides a solid foundation for effective practice and career advancement for
education practitioners including K-12, higher education, and corporate learning.
(Quality Principle I, 1.1 Professional Knowledge)
o
American InterContinental University graduates demonstrate competence in
designing educational experiences. Graduates are able to evaluate educational
situations and problems in order to develop and substantiate solutions using
leadership and management strategies. (Quality Principle I, 1.2 Strategic decision
making )
o
American InterContinental University graduates demonstrate caring leadership skills.
Students develop a solid foundation in learning theory, instructional design, and
instructional technology, enabling them to employ appropriate criteria for selecting
curricular content, to organize content, and to determine methods of curriculum
evaluation. (Quality Principle I, 1.3 Caring and Effective Leadership Skills)
MEd program leaders and faculty identify measures and indicators for tracking
program performance and student learning. A variety of direct and indirect measures of
student learning are employed to assess and improve programs through the University’s
institutional effectiveness process. For example, the program has a capstone course
with culminating assignments, providing students the opportunity to demonstrate
achievement of the program learning outcomes. In addition, course outcomes and
assignments are mapped to program learning objectives throughout the program,
providing formative feedback to instructors on student progress.
Cross-Cutting Themes
TEAC has identified learning how to learn, multicultural perspectives, and
technology as integrated themes necessary for a successful educational leadership
program. In further support of these themes, the Standards, Assessment, and
Professional Development Committee of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has
identified knowledge work, thinking tools, digital lifestyles, and learning research as the
four driving forces of 21st century learning (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). AIU’s Master of
Education program embraces and reflects these powerful learning elements throughout
the courses in the program.
Specifically, the curriculum is intentionally designed to provide students with an
advanced theoretical framework for professional practice, mastery of appropriate
discipline-specific tools, multicultural perspectives to enable the identification and
solution of challenges, and an award winning digital platform to support diverse learning
needs and authentic assessment options. The cross cutting themes of learning to learn,
diversity, and technology are mapped to Master of Education program outcomes. This
mapping is evident in course CMAP’s.





Program outcomes of AIU’s MEd state that students will:
Analyze research findings to respond to academic, physical, social and cultural
differences in educating students and recommend method modifications based
on research results.
Design educational programs that effectively address objectives integrating the
appropriate use of various instructional media and technologies for learning.
Develop educational programs that use the appropriate criteria for selecting
curricular content, organization of content and methods of curriculum evaluation.
Create a plan for implementation of learning content in various educational
settings.
Evaluate the opportunities and challenges involved in the organizational
development and delivery of learning programs using formative and summative
instruments.


Evaluate educational situations and problems in order to develop and
substantiate solutions using leadership and management strategies.
Demonstrate advanced, discipline appropriate communication skills in written
and presentation formats.
Master of Education faculty and administrative staff believe data collected through
the identified assessment instruments and assessment methods will provide evidence
to support the claims that graduates are competent, caring, and qualified. Further, the
alignment between program standards, industry standards, and TEAC Quality Principles
provide additional support for these claims.
Specifically, the AIU mission focuses on preparing students academically,
personally, and professionally for successful careers. Therefore, the MEd program
aligns the subject matter requirements with content that supports the AIU mission. By
incorporating the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) and Occupational
Employment Statistics (OES) from 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov),
systems used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational
categories, the MEd program is able to identify the academic, personal, and
professional competencies needed of graduates for career success. To further align the
program, the curriculum is reviewed by the MEd Advisory Board, which is comprised of
notable experts in the targeted discipline and industry. The MEd curriculum is mapped
through the AIU Course Mapping and Assessment Plan (CMAP) process, which ties
measurable program level objectives to terminal course objectives. Terminal course
objectives are mapped to unit objectives, which are measured by higher order thinking
assessment artifacts. In addition, every course in the MEd program includes a Common
Assessment element for formative program and learner assessment.
The assessment system employed by the program includes a variety of types of
measures. These measures include:
Student work samples
Course grades
Graduate employment responses
Rubric assessment data
Capstone presentation and project scores and rubrics
Alumni survey results
Faculty survey results
Employer survey results
Advisory board minutes
Data collected from the assessment system set of measures is used by the Program to
make decisions about program revisions, edits, and directions to continue to promote
effective student learning and match student and professional area needs.
1
Program options include:
 Adult Education and Training





Classroom Integration of Technology
Curriculum and Instruction for Educators
Educational Assessment and Evaluation
Instructional Design and Technology
Leadership of Educational Organizations
The state of Illinois, at its discretion, offers licensure to program completers in these option areas.