Megan Hennessey
US Army War College, Office of Educational Methodology, Department Member
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- Megan J. Hennessey, PhD, is the Director of Educational Methodology at the United States Army War College. Previously, she held senior instructor and instructional systems designer positions at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy and the National Geospatial-Intelligence College. From 2010 to 2013, she was a faculty member in and acting department ... moreMegan J. Hennessey, PhD, is the Director of Educational Methodology at the United States Army War College. Previously, she held senior instructor and instructional systems designer positions at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy and the National Geospatial-Intelligence College. From 2010 to 2013, she was a faculty member in and acting department head of the Communication Department at the Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps University. Hennessey earned her doctorate in higher education with a secondary specialization in Shakespearean andragogy from George Mason University.edit
This study explores students’ sense of belonging in problem-based learning (PBL) environments at the senior service college level in professional military education. Two seminars of students from the resident education program at the... more
This study explores students’ sense of belonging in problem-based learning (PBL) environments at the senior service college level in professional military education. Two seminars of students from the resident education program at the United States Army War College participated in a PBL intervention in the school’s five-day intro- ductory course. Seeking to explore the influence of problem-based learning on individual student experiences, the inclusion of a sense of belonging measure was one part of this intervention. Adapted from Walton and Cohen’s (2007) measure of sense of social and academic fit, the Sense of Belonging measure recorded students’ attitudinal reactions to the PBL intervention in the context of their feelings of inclusion and cognitive conformity within their re- spective seminar groups. Overall, the implementation of a prob- lem-based learning intervention does not appear to have had an adverse effect on the treatment group’s sense of belonging, com- fort, or agency in the course when compared to the control group.
Research Interests:
With unconventional modern-day warfare and the pervasiveness of social media comes an unprecedented operational environment of highly publicized ethical dilemmas for young military officers. The United States service academies are in the... more
With unconventional modern-day warfare and the pervasiveness of social media comes an unprecedented operational environment of highly publicized ethical dilemmas for young military officers. The United States service academies are in the unique position of educating their undergraduate students in the traditional four-year academic construct as well as in ethical decision-making within strict rules-based cultures. Further complicating this charge is the posturing of students as both scholars and contracted employees of the Department of Defense, liable to the American taxpayer. Using the construct of ethical education at the United States military academies, this paper makes the case for the shifting emphasis
from rules-based to values- and principles-based ethical instruction in higher education, and will explore a variety of models by which they may be taught, to include pre-scripting (Gentile, 2010), ethical triangulation (Baker, 2012), and Theme Centered Interaction (Wortel & Bosch, 2011).
from rules-based to values- and principles-based ethical instruction in higher education, and will explore a variety of models by which they may be taught, to include pre-scripting (Gentile, 2010), ethical triangulation (Baker, 2012), and Theme Centered Interaction (Wortel & Bosch, 2011).
Research Interests:
Throughout continuing education focusing on the adult learner, standardized and sometimes even effective measures of instructor performance have remained elusive. As Smith (2012) stated, “Teaching practice cannot be measured according to... more
Throughout continuing education focusing on the adult learner, standardized and sometimes even effective measures of instructor performance have remained elusive. As Smith (2012) stated, “Teaching practice cannot be measured according to lists of competencies or techniques, it cannot be safeguarded by a collection of prescriptions for good teaching, and as such, it cannot be assessed by a neat and clean assessment instrument” (p. 229). How, then, can a professional development institution subsidized by federal tax dollars ensure quality teaching and accountability through objective assessment? This article shares best practices learned from just such an institution regarding an instructor observation tool that emphasizes student-centeredness rooted in adult learning principles (Knowles, 1984).
Research Interests:
This article explores the impetus behind and lessons learned from the redesign of the U.S. Army War College's (USAWC) 2019 New Faculty Orientation. The goal of the New Faculty Orientation is to meet new faculty's needs in a customized... more
This article explores the impetus behind and lessons learned from the redesign of the U.S. Army War College's (USAWC) 2019 New Faculty Orientation. The goal of the New Faculty Orientation is to meet new faculty's needs in a customized program by providing networking opportunities across all departments , schools, centers, and institutes in a positive and reflective environment. Foundational seminar-facilitation skills and adult-learning theories were introduced during the orientation and subsequently reinforced in a series of continuing workshops throughout the academic year. Additionally, the inaugural use of a digital and interactive new faculty handbook introduced a hybrid-learning component and provided an accessible introduction to the USAWC community before new faculty arrived at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.