Innovative Leadership in Professional Learning Programs

Shantalea Johns, Assistant Professor, Clinical, and Director of Continuing Education, Wayne State University

Shantalea Johns is the Director of the Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development at Wayne State University. Her career was profoundly shaped by attending national higher education conferences, which helped her grow as a leader and engage deeply with student success initiatives. Formerly an academic advisor, Shantalea emphasizes collaborative leadership, innovative practice and meaningful professional connections, drawing on her experiences presenting research and engaging with national conversations on student success to guide and inspire her work.

Creating Effective, Culturally Responsive Learning

Designing continuing education (CE) begins with listening. I pay attention to what is happening in the field—such as policy changes and conversations about access to quality services, and I ask, "What does this mean for the people we serve?" Moreover, how can we equip social workers and other allied health professionals to respond with both skill and compassion? Those questions ground all my work.

With the support of the dean and my CE team, I turn listening into action. Together, we create a calendar of courses and programs that professionals can access in ways that fit their lives, whether in person, live online, or fully online. That flexibility ensures the knowledge reaches those who need it most.

Enhancing Learning Through Digital Platforms

Digital tools and online platforms have revolutionized how we engage in and offer continuing education programming. At Wayne State, we start with our online store, which serves as the primary entry point for our CE courses and training sessions. It provides professionals with an easy and user-friendly way to explore course offerings, register quickly and immediately connect with courses for professional development. From there, our learning management systems provide the foundation for structured learning. These platforms provide participants with a central hub for materials, discussions, assessments and ongoing interaction with both faculty and peers, creating a sense of connection even when learners are physically apart.

“Strong leaders of continuing education programs are macro social workers who invest in building relationships and stay connected to the field's needs.”

We also leverage a cloud-based multimedia collaboration and presentation platform that takes engagement to the next level. The multimedia platforms we use allow instructors to create presentations that integrate images, documents and videos with accompanying text, audio, or video formats. This interactivity brings content to life, empowering professionals to engage with the material in various ways.

Leveraging Technology to Expand Reach.

One of the greatest challenges I face in my role is marketing our courses to a wider audience. We know the value of our programs, but ensuring they reach the professionals who need them most takes intentional strategy. Technology can help us address such issues through targeted digital marketing and using analytics to understand learner interests.

Strategies to Boost Access and Engagement

We’ve found that offering courses in multiple formats—in person, live online and fully online—greatly improves accessibility. Our learning management systems and cloud-based multimedia platforms enhance engagement by making content interactive and flexible. Finally, using analytics to track participation and outcomes helps us refine our programs to ensure they are effective, relevant and impactful for today’s professionals.

Key Traits for Continuing Education Leadership

Strong leaders of continuing education programs are macro social workers who invest in building relationships and stay connected to the field's needs. They are not afraid to step forward to listen, build trust and create programs that truly serve professionals and the communities they impact.

Innovative Approaches for Aspiring Leaders

If I could give one piece of advice to someone aspiring to lead in continuing education, it would be not to be afraid to reach for innovation. Technology gives us the tools to do that. Online platforms, cloud-based collaboration tools and learning management systems enable us to extend learning beyond physical walls and traditional schedules.

Learning Management

Marketing

Digital Marketing