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A Case Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions of a Campuswide Computer Network at a Small Liberal Arts College (open access)

A Case Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions of a Campuswide Computer Network at a Small Liberal Arts College

This study was an examination of faculty and student perceptions of a campus-wide computer network at Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio. The most important conclusion of this study is that the computer network at Cedarville College has significantly impacted interactions between faculty and peers and faculty and students. It is recommended that a longitudinal study be conducted to explore the possibilities of the computer network and its importance to and impact on the teaching/learning process. It is also recommended that an evaluation program be set up to monitor the usefulness of the computer network to the teaching/learning process.
Date: December 1996
Creator: Morgan, Peter R. (Peter Ronald)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Career Paths of Board-Certified Clinical Specialists in Geriatric Physical Therapy with Implications for Higher Education (open access)

Career Paths of Board-Certified Clinical Specialists in Geriatric Physical Therapy with Implications for Higher Education

Geriatric board-certified specialists (GCSs) address health care needs of the growing geriatric population. The study's purposes were to: examine career paths of GCSs, identify influencing factors, and explore implications for higher education. Twelve of 14 original 1992 GCSs participated. Data included document collection and interviews. Using a qualitative methodology, commonalities were sought among individuals and HyperRESEARCH software was used for data management. The participants were adventurous, valued education, and were enthusiastic about physical therapy (PT), geriatrics, and specialization. Their career path began with choosing PT as a career, professional education, and their first job. One GCS moved directly into geriatrics. Others went to different settings before geriatrics. As participants recognized they "fit" in geriatrics, they pursued postprofessional education to increase knowledge before choosing board certification. In choosing PT, volunteer experience and personal research were common influences. In choosing to work with elders, influences throughout life gradually built a social context supporting the decision. GCSs chose specialist certification to assist in professionalization of geriatric PT, because they were highly skilled, for career advancement, and for self professionalization. Specialist certification had few financial consequences. Participants gained friends and professional networks. They experienced improved patient care, increased educational opportunities, and/or increased professional service. …
Date: August 1996
Creator: Thompson, Mary E., 1958-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Implementation Characteristics of Effective Continuous Quality Improvement Training as Perceived by Selected Individuals at Two- and Four-Year Colleges in the United States (open access)

Implementation Characteristics of Effective Continuous Quality Improvement Training as Perceived by Selected Individuals at Two- and Four-Year Colleges in the United States

Within the last decade, continuous quality improvement (CQI) has been embraced by higher education management. An important component of the quality philosophy is to institute training for everyone: faculty, administrators, staff and students—in order to achieve a cultural transformation. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the implementation characteristics of CQI training programs and to determine whether or not and to what degree relationships exist between these characteristics and training program effectiveness, as perceived by selected individuals at two- and four-year colleges in the United States. A survey instrument was designed to elicit the perceptions of both the chief administrators and those quality professionals who are charged with the training process as they relate to specific implementation characteristics such as training content needed to convey the appropriate philosophy, program implementation processes, and the perceived effectiveness of the respondents' quality training program. A 21-item questionnaire was used to gather the data from a sample of 524 individuals at two- and four-year colleges in the United States. The dependent variables in the study related to items addressing program effectiveness based on four types of program evaluation, and the independent variables related to specific implementation characteristics. Spearman correlation matrices were …
Date: December 1996
Creator: Miller, Katherine C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Institutional Advancement in Selected Southern Baptist Colleges and Universities (open access)

A Study of Institutional Advancement in Selected Southern Baptist Colleges and Universities

The purpose of this study was to determine what institutional advancement processes are currently operating in a sample of Southern Baptist 4-year colleges and universities ("what is") and how these processes compare with Wesley K. Willmer's model of an effective small college institutional advancement program ("what ought to be"). An overview of advancement literature suggested that Willmer had developed the best model of an effective, small college advancement program. Willmer's model consisted of five benchmarks which focused on the following: institutional commitment, authority and organizational structure, personnel resources, advancement activities and functions, and evaluation. Willmer developed the model based on his review of advancement literature and results from a survey he sent to 191 small colleges as part of his 1980 dissertation. The same survey instrument, with slight revisions, was subsequently mailed to more than 650 small colleges over a seven year period and through a series of three studies in 1985, 1989, and 1992.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Melton, Douglas Owen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of an Intercultural Sensitizer for Cross-Cultural Training of American and Japanese Business Professionals (open access)

Development of an Intercultural Sensitizer for Cross-Cultural Training of American and Japanese Business Professionals

Increasing globalization and transnational trends in business have resulted in greater contact with people from different cultures. However, in any cross-cultural encounter, miscommunication and misunderstandings are likely to occur. In a workplace setting, these can seriously undermine job performance and employee relations. The Intercultural Sensitizer is a cross-cultural training tool that is designed to increase the likelihood that trained individuals will make accurate interpretations concerning behavior observed in individuals from other cultural groups (Albert, 1983) . The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to identify cultural differences between Americans and Japanese that can lead to misunderstandings in the workplace and hinder communication, and (2) to construct an intercultural sensitizer that will enable the two cultural groups to interact more effectively with each other. The study's five-phase research design was based on Albert's (1983) delineation of the construction of an intercultural sensitizer. Twenty-four episodes were constructed and statistically analyzed to determine if there was a difference in the way the two cultural groups responded to a given situation. Nine episodes yielded critical values significant at the .05 level. The study concluded that there while there are differences in the cultural perspectives of American and Japanese business professionals, the two groups …
Date: December 1996
Creator: Mehta, Gopika
System: The UNT Digital Library