Browsing by Author "Diane Chapman, Committee Member"

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An Analysis of Dialogistic Presence on Community College Web Sites in Nine Mega-States.
(2010-05-06) Shadinger, David; James Bartlett, Committee Chair; Pooneh Lari, Committee Member; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Joe Busby, Committee Member
Becoming a Worker-Mother: Understanding the Transition
(2010-03-24) LaMonica, Laura Tripp; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; James Bartlett, Committee Member; Mary Wyer, Committee Member; Julia Storberg-Walker, Committee Chair
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of women who both work and mother into the workforce in recent years. The patriarchal structure of the typical U.S. organization is based on rational-economic models and the â€œeconomic manâ€ model of worker. This structure systematically disadvantages women who work and mother. The HRD function within organizations can feed the patriarchal status quo of the organizations within which it exists by adopting the rational decision making model to formulate and develop policies that require performance at all costs. There are few studies that look specifically at womenâ€™s transitions in becoming worker-mothers. Literature typically has focused on perceptions of workplace policies and programs designed to assist work-life balance and of those who use those programs. The purpose of this exploratory, grounded narrative inquiry is to examine the experiences of primiparous (pregnant for the first time) women as they negotiate pregnancy and exit of and planned re-entry to the workplace around the birth of a first child. The conceptual framework for the study is radical feminist theory. The framework has at its core a belief in patriarchy as the basic system of power on which all human relationships are structured and arranged. Male oppression and dominance are recognized as the most fundamental form of inequality, superseding and preceding both classism and racism. Radical feminism recognizes that only the elimination of patriarchal structures will end the oppression of women. Five women, pregnant for the first time and working in very different contexts, shared their experiences as they navigated pregnancy, birth, maternity leave, and a return to work. Data analysis was based on the work of Mishler (1986) and Hatch (2002). The study found that the co-researchers exhibited little to no awareness of the impact of the patriarchal structure of the workplace on their experiences and decisions. The dominant performance orientation of HRD and organizations permeated not only these womenâ€™s working lives, but their personal lives as well, impacting their ability to enjoy and value their maternal role. Further, the patriarchal structure of the workplace increased the risk that women who encountered physical complications during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum would be forced to leave the workforce. The radical feminist framework of the study is limited in its ability to account for the dissonance between women who make different choices regarding work and mothering. The study findings have important implications for HRD, including a need to open HRD to critique, question the masculinist structures of work and the way that HRD supports that structure, and reduce or replace HRDâ€™s dominant performance orientation.
A Critical Analysis of the Representation of Race in High School Social Studies WebQuests
(2005-07-08) Weeks, Tracy; Jane Steelman, Committee Member; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Patricia Marshall, Committee Member; Ellen Vasu, Committee Co-Chair; Alan Foley, Committee Co-Chair
This study critically examines how race is constructed and represented in a sample of high school social studies WebQuests. The study is located within instructional technology and instructional design and framed within critical theory, critical race theory, and multicultural education. The discussion is constructed as an examination of the role of multicultural education within the field of instructional technology as opposed to the role of instructional technology within the field of multicultural education. The sample includes twelve secondary social studies WebQuests selected based on their high level of multiculturality according to Gorski's multicultural web site evaluation criteria. Critical discourse analysis is used to examine how the sample of WebQuests constructs race and the role that Internet resources and instructional design play in that construction. The topics, images, roles, and external Internet resources included in the WebQuests are the focus of the analysis. The Internet resources are examined with respect to the categories of resource, the sources of knowledge the resources represent, and how the resources are used to construct knowledge within the WebQuests. The findings show that white topics of interest and methods dominate the sample WebQuests. The topics were divided into three categories: explicit references to race, implied references to race, and those that ignore race altogether with the final category containing the largest number of WebQuests. Further, the images present in the sample WebQuests overwhelmingly represent white people. Roles defined for cooperative learning only specify race when referring to people of color and are limited in number in comparison to roles which do not specify race. The external Internet resources in the sample WebQuests rely on sources of knowledge that provided information as a third person retelling of the events and usually did not acknowledge any bias or worldview that formed the lens through which the information was provided. Resources that contained first person stories were stories from white men in almost all cases. Stories and counter stories from people of color were largely absent from the sources of knowledge.
Designing an instrument to identify instructor characteristics and student reactions to U.S. Marine Corps vocational training.
(2010-10-22) Lathers, John; James Bartlett, Committee Chair; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Debra Lucas, Committee Member; Julia Storberg-Walker, Committee Member
Examination of the Interaction of Team Learning Variables Within a Systems Focus on Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization: A Study of a Nursing Team at a Large Southeastern Teaching Hospital
(2003-09-03) Corpening, James L. Jr.; Conrad Glass, Committee Member; John Pettitt, Committee Co-Chair; Tony O'Driscoll, Committee Co-Chair; Diane Chapman, Committee Member
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, this study takes an exploratory approach into examining the interaction of the team learning variables contained in the Team Learning Survey developed by Dechant and Marsick (1993). The interaction of the variables was examined to give further insight into whether the variables individually, or in combination, add to the empirical base of understanding team learning theory. Secondly, this study employs an already established work team and analyzes whether the team learning variables are applicable to work and demographic variables (ethnicity, gender, salary, age, professional degree, work status, and nursing longevity). The team selected for analysis is nurses at ABC Hospital (pseudonym). This team was chosen because teamwork is fundamental to their work product, and they rely upon the knowledge of one another to provide care for patients. A multiple regression procedure was used to examine the interaction of five team learning variables: 1) team learning processes, 2) team learning conditions, 3) team learning outcomes, 4) organizational learning conditions, and 5) organizational learning contributions. A regression model indicated team learning processes, team learning conditions, and organizational learning contributions predict team learning outcomes. The model was able to explain 73 percent of the sample variation in team learning outcomes. However, the team learning processes variable alone explains 70 percent of the 73 percent sample variation. Additional analysis was conducted with respect to the team learning variables. ANOVA and Tukey procedures were used to determine if the team learning variables differ by ethnicity, gender, full- vs. part-time work status, age and salary. At a .05 level of significance, Asians scored higher than Caucasians on team learning conditions and African-Americans scored higher than Caucasians on organizational learning contributions. Spearman correlation was used to determine if a relationship exists among the team learning variables and demographic variables (nursing longevity, salary, and age). At a .05 level of significance, the team learning variables showed no relationship with the demographic variables.
An Exploration of the Relationship Between Instructor Learning Styles, Instructional Models, Roles, and Strategies.
(2005-01-16) Stevenson Jones, Leslie Kay; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Colleen Wiessner, Committee Member; Paula Berardinelli, Committee Chair
There has been considerable research done concerning online learning for the student, but a look at how learning styles of instructors might help or hinder the student learning experience are less visible. What is the relationship between instructor learning style, instructional role, and strategy in an online course? What are the learning style strengths and areas for development of an online course instructor? What instructional roles and practices support instructor-learning styles in relation to online course? What strengths and areas of development can be identified from a literature review of Kolb?s learning style theory that will assist online instructor development? Universities, colleges, other educational, or training orientated interests, and the business community would benefit from a practical tool that merges instructional models, roles, and strategies with adult learning styles. This tool would also specify instructor strengths and areas to enhance instructor professional and personal development. For the greatest number of students with a variety of learning styles to have their styles met by their instructors, the instructor should strive to enhance and develop expertise in all four of the learning style modes (Kolb, 1999). An instructor should strive to develop practical application if not expertise in all the learning style arenas. Exploring each learning style and practicing each instructor role enhances personal and professional development for the instructor and the student. Whether an individual is new to instruction or not does not matter. To most, online instruction is new. To meet the needs of all the learners, no matter what the age level, an instructor must be flexible and strive to move effortlessly between the styles and roles. People grow and develop affectively, symbolically, behaviorally, and perceptually throughout their lives. If a beginning online instructor's learning style is in the acquisition stage and focuses on mainly one mode and the instructor/learner is aware of the need to develop the other modes, then over time the level of complexity and skill sophistication will increase to specialization and integration (Kolb, 2000). The purpose of this research is to create a model linking learning styles, instructional models, roles, and strategies to assist in the educational development of instructors of online courses. Such a model provides a map for areas of needed development per learning style and a resource for practical application of strategies for the matching instructor role. Possible outcomes of this study include contribution to the literature and a tool for the instructor depicting models, roles, strategies, and instructor learning style. A model was developed using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory as a base with the researcher adding instructional models, roles, strategies, and practices gathered from many resources. The researcher suggests that if an instructor takes Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and then compares their results with the model, a plan for their individual professional development that would meet their learning needs and that of their students would present itself. Expanding a personal view of one's learning style allows understanding and the ability to provide appropriate instruction for the learning needs of students.
Managers' Perceptions of the Website Development Field: The Process of Creation and the People Involved
(2005-10-23) Gottlieb, Jacquelyn C.; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Brad Mehlenbacher, Committee Chair; Jason Swarts, Committee Member
This qualitative study is based upon the responses of three Web designers and three managers employed in student services departments at a Southeastern U.S. University. The purpose of the research has been to describe managers' perceptions of the Website development field with respect to their preconceived notion of what is a Website, reasons why to create one, and intended use. These perceptions helped lead me towards the ability to further understand managers' communication patterns and expectations of Web designers. The research was focused on established organizational development theories, in particular, cross-boundary communication challenges between employees from different disciplinary cultures. It was found that, in many ways, Web designers and managers expect similar qualities in one another. Likewise, all participants similarly valued Websites. The challenge was that they perceived each other as having different expectations and felt frustration from experiencing their manager or Web designer 'speaking different languages.' All managers agreed that some level of understanding of Website development, including HTML knowledge, is necessary for a manager to have the ability to communicate well with their Web designer. Web designers also agreed that managers need some understanding of Website development, but knowledge of HTML is not necessary. Web designers having effective communication skills and understanding their business were the biggest expectations by the managers. Although there was agreement about the significant role their Websites' played in their businesses, there appeared to be a lack of formal strategic planning. Each participant realized the vast skills necessary for Website design and the lack of available resources, yet the concept of a Website development team was not explicitly prevalent. There seemed to be a more implicit understanding through the division of tasks via acknowledging different job titles. The Web designer was seen primarily as a visual designer and not expected to have the same skills as other titled Web developers such as an Information and Communication Specialist. Since all participants saw Website creation as continuing to become more complicated, they voiced their belief that Web designers are not qualified enough to design what may be the future of Websites. Managers seem to be expecting their Websites created in such a way that those staff members without HTML knowledge can easily update the content. T he aspect of Website creation that was a big dilemma for all was who owned and maintained the content. The Web designers agreed with the managers that Web designers are not expected to be responsible for content creation. Managers claimed that Web designers don't have the skills or interest in content. Web designers only acknowledged that their role was formatting content for the Web. Ultimately all participants wanted the same thing—to be able to communicate well with one another to create an effective and useful Website. All believed they were decent communicators. All managers felt their Web designers spoke another language and had different priorities in mind. The Web designers felt it was their manager who couldn't seem to communicate well or able to focus on the correct priorities of Website design.
Understanding Teaching Experiences: Faculty Transitions from Traditional to Online Classrooms
(2008-07-22) Lari, Pooneh; Julia Storberg-Walker, Committee Member; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Colleen Aalsburg Wiessner, Committee Chair; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member
The purpose of this study was to describe the transition of faculty members from traditional to online environments and to examine their assumptions about their teaching and learning in face-to-face and online environments. In that it describes the transition experiences of faculty members from traditional to online environments, their teaching and learning assumptions and possible changes and transformations, this study may assist those faculty members who have been resistant to transitioning from traditional to online classrooms. The questions guiding this research were (a) How do faculty members describe their transition from teaching face-to-face to teaching in an online environment? (b) What personal, professional, pedagogical or other assumptions do faculty members hold about the teaching and learning in traditional and online environments before starting their transition and how do those assumptions change after their transition? And (c) How are the changes the faculty members experience as they transition from traditional to online environments defined along a continuum in relation to change theories? This qualitative study research was conducted as multiple case studies, meaning participants at various locations were interviewed. The results of this study contribute to creating a body of knowledge useful to institutions, faculty members, and others transitioning from traditional to online classrooms. It expands the online teaching literature regarding what teaching and learning means to the faculty members and allows them to bridge technology with pedagogy. It also contributes to the literature that discusses the role of emotional intelligence as faculty members transition from traditional to online environment and how emotions affect the decision-making process in this transition. This research also adds to the different types of presence the faculty members can have online that enable the faculty members to be more effective in the way the faculty members teach, learn, and interact within their community of practice.