EDD810 Communication, Power, and Learning in Organizations (3 cr.)

Prerequisite(s):  EDD 802 , EDD 809    
This course examines how communication and power operate within educational and organizational systems and how they shape learning, relationships, and decision-making. Drawing on critical cultural and organizational perspectives, students explore how structures of power influence whose voices are heard, how meaning is constructed, and how learning environments can either reproduce or disrupt inequity. The course emphasizes ethical, relational, and culturally responsive communication for adult learners and leaders. Students analyze patterns of organizational communication, practice dialogue and facilitation skills, and develop strategies for navigating conflict, difference, and power dynamics in professional settings. Through reflective practice, case analysis, and applied activities, students strengthen their capacity for empathy, emotional intelligence, and collaborative leadership while learning to design communication that fosters trust, inclusion, and collective understanding.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Analyze how power, culture, and identity shape communication and learning in educational and organizational systems.

2. Evaluate organizational policy and practice, identifying how they enable or constrain equity, participation, and trust.

3. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication strategies tailored to diverse adult audiences and professional contexts.

4. Facilitate dialogue and collaborative sense-making that encourages multiple perspectives, psychological safety, and shared understanding.

5. Apply emotional intelligence and reflective practice to navigate conflict, build relationships, and lead ethically in complex environments.