Browsing by Author "Dr. J. Conrad Glass, Committee Chair"

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    Computer Use and Interest in Continuing Education via the Internet by Older, Late-Deafened Adults
    (2002-12-09) McCallum, James T Jr.; Dr. J. Conrad Glass, Committee Chair; Dr. Melody Harrison, Committee Member; Dr. John Pettitt, Committee Member; Dr. Robert Serow, Committee Member
    The purpose of this research was to investigate to what extent are older, late-deafened adults interested in continuing education via the Internet. This increasing population is confronted with many barriers in the traditional classroom but do not usually possess the literacy problems of the congenitally deaf, therefore making them ideal candidates for continuing education via the Internet. For the study, 500 surveys were mailed to a random sample of members of Self Help For Hard of Hearing People, Inc. The survey consisted of 30 questions pertaining to computer usage, continuing education experience, and interest in continuing education via the Internet. Of the 297 returned 249 met the criteria for the study. Data analyses consisted of descriptive statistics concerning demographic variables of age, education, degree of hearing loss, race, and age of onset of hearing loss. Chi Square analyses were used for investigation of relationships between demographic and other selected variables. An alpha of 0.10 was selected as the significance level for determining an association between variables. Several conclusions resulted from the research: 1) The majority of the population sampled are computer literate; 2) The majority of respondents (71.9%) were interested in courses for leisure via the Internet; 3) Gender had little effect on computer ownership, Internet usage or interest in web-based continuing education; 4) The more educated the older, late-deafened adult, the greater the likelihood of computer ownership; 5) The level of education has no significant effect on the individuals interest in continuing education via the Internet; 6) Degree of hearing loss has no significant effect on computer usage nor interest in continuing education via the Internet; 7) Age of onset of hearing loss is associated with computer ownership, but not with other aspects of interest in continuing education via the Internet. The subject pool was not sufficiently diverse to study the effects of race on the other variables.
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    The Identification of Strategic Management Counseling Competencies Essential for the Small Business and Technology Development Center: A Modified Delphi Study
    (2004-04-20) Seibert, Michael Jerrell; Dr. J. Conrad Glass, Committee Chair
    The purpose of this study was to identify competency items (knowledge, skills and attitudes) essential for business counselors of the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) program to provide strategic management counseling to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). SBTDC business counselors' roles have changed as the organization developed and implemented strategies for serving existing business clients, or more specifically SMEs. Competency models may provide a framework for linking strategies to people and performance. A 'modified' Delphi technique was used with the initial round one questionnaire modified to solicit opinions of expert panelists on strategic management counseling competencies. The sample (N = 17) represented 32% of the available SBTDC counselor population at the time of the study. The sample or expert panel consisted of counselors who provided strategic management counseling to SMEs, received counseling evaluations of very good to excellent from those SMEs, completed professional development related to strategic management, and received performance evaluations of very good to outstanding from their supervisors. The study featured a 5-point Likert scale used to rate competency items in terms of importance. A review panel employed statistical criteria (mean and median) in order to accept 34 (9 knowledge, 16 skills, and 9 attitudes) identified by the expert panel as competency items. As a matter of interest, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was employed in Round III to determine the association, if any between the Round III final rankings and Round II mean rankings. The study results indicated an association for the knowledge category and skills category respectively, but not for the attitudes category. Furthermore, the three highest rated and ranked competency items were 1) strategic management knowledge of the model, phases and process, 2) communication skills in listening, questioning and interviewing, and 3) integrity attitude toward establishing trust and credibility.