This study was designed to identify faculty and participant perceptions regarding Ball State University's distance education model known as MBA/TV and report on its apparent effectiveness. A second purpose was to examine both motivations for and barriers to participation in this distance education model.Two surveys (faculty and student) were designed to collect data for this study. Responses from faculty included their perceptions of student performance, student inquiries and participation, administrative and logistical support services, technology (performance and limitations), and program strengths/limitations. Responses from students included their demographic profile, motivations for participation (logistical, personal, and career), perceptions of the program strengths/limitations, faculty, technology, and administrative support services. Responses to all questions were reported by number and percentage. Responses to open-end questions were separated into categories and reported by number.The major findings included: Males (67%) outnumbered females (32%) by more than two to one. More students were married (78.9%) than single (20.1%). Nearly all (96.1%) had experienced good TV reception at their site. Many rated issues such as receiving the program in their hometown(s) (71.1%) and offering it at convenient times (80.8%) as important. Other issues rated as important by participants included: the opportunity to earn an MBA (90.9%); the opportunity to upgrade work skills (75.1%); and the opportunity to learn more about business concepts (83.2%).Analysis of the faculty survey revealed the following: 75100 percent of the MBA/TV students demonstrated understanding and resourcefulness in completing class assignments (78.9%); less than fifty percent of the students contributed to the quality of class discussions (78.9%); and mail communication with students had either minor problems (solved) or had always gone smoothly (78.9%).Additional investigation was needed regarding educational resource and training needs of both students and faculty. Also, attitudes of faculty toward distance learners and administrative dictates requiring televised instruction should be further explored.3 / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to examine the GED-ON-TV project operated by Muncie Community Schools in 1986-87, and to look at the effect of the program on under-educated adults in east central Indiana. The study also offered recommendations for improving the operation of the GED-ON-TV project for use by other adult education providers throughout Indiana and the country.GED-ON-TV began to broadcast a series of 43 television in Muncie, Indiana, in November, 1986. The programs were designed by Kentucky Educational Television specifically for adult high school drop-outs who wished to prepare to take the General Educational Development (GED) Tests, and earn a high school equivalency credential. The series featured programs on reading, social studies, science, writing and math.The target population for the series was the 41,150 drop-outs in the six east central Indiana counties, who received the WIPB-TV signal, and who left high school somewhere between theprocedures used ninth and eleventh grade. The counties participating in the project were Blackford, Delaware, Henry, Jay, Madison and Randolph.A massive advertising campaign was launched to recruit students from throughout the area. The promotional campaign resulted in 994 inquiries to an "800" telephone number. Of these, 498 students enrolled in the program. At the end of the series, 157 adults took the GED Tests and 134 passed and received a high school equivalency certificate.The project surveyed all students who enrolled in the program and learned that over 58 per cent claimed that the learn-at-home series was the first contact they had had with any adult education program.This study explains in detail the operating by the project and offers 11 specific recommendations for improvement of the project that may be used by other adult education providers wanting to begin a GED-ON-TV program. / Department of Telecommunications

The purposes of this study were to ascertain and categorize the benefits of GED graduation as reported by recent Indiana GED graduates, and to produce a report on these benefits for local adult educators to use in their ongoing counseling and teaching of current and future Indiana adult learners who are preparing to take the GED tests. An additional purpose was to provide demographic data on the population being studied to local, state, and national systems which can benefit from having research data on what types of individuals tend to use TV to prepare for GED tests.Data collection involved the administration of a sixty-five item questionnaire developed for the study, utilizing questionnaire items from three previous studies of GED benefits conducted in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The questionnaire was mailed to 1,172 GED recipients who received their credentials during 1990-91 school year through the GED ON TV Program administered by the LEARN AT HOME Division of the Muncie Community Schools Adult Education Department. Responses were received from 294 respondents to the initial and follow-up mailings, which accounted for an adjusted response rate of 30.3%. The average age of the respondents was 44.6 years. The respondents were 81.6% female and 91.5% Caucasian-American.Analysis of the data was performed utilizing simple descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions and means, to determine demographic characteristics and benefits perceived by the population. Benefits were empirically reduced by factor analysis, utilizing oblique rotation, into smaller groups of factors of benefit.The findings indicated that there were significant benefits, both tangible and intangible, to be attained by successfully passing the GED Test. The tangible benefits were further education, self-improvement, occupational advancement, and GED participation of others. The intangible benefits were empowerment, improved self-image, higher aspirations, and personal satisfaction. Although the findings of this study confirmed many of the findings of previous studies of GED graduates in other geographical areas of the United States, three types of benefits were newly identified: self-improvement, empowerment, and personal satisfaction. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of the study was to examine the development of Learning for Everyday Living, the Indiana curriculum guide, for the adult performance level (APL) program in the State of Indiana and to determine its use and value to adult basic education (ABE) programs throughout the State of Indiana.An examination of the Guide and its usefulness was undertaken in four areas: First, administrators' judgments of the management aspects of the Guide and its ease or difficulty of use by teachers. Second, teachers' and administrators judgments of the Guide's curriculum value. Third, teachers' judgments of the value of the auxiliary materials in the use of the Guide. Fourth, the degree of administrators' and teachers' inservice and/or preparation prior to the use of the Guide. Respondents were asked to respond to Part A of the questionnaire if they used the Guide, to Part B if they didn't. The respondents consisted of 24 directors and 81 adult basic education (ABE) teachers working in 28 programs.Findings1. Fifty-eight percent of the administrators responding indicated that Learninq for Everyday Livinq material was used in their programs.2. Approximately 93% of the administrators judged that the Guide was effective with students.3. Both teachers and administrators viewed the auxiliary materials as inadequate in working with adult basic education (ABE) students.4. Opportunity for additional staff development opportunities were judged valuable to both teachers and administrators in further use of the Guide.Conclusions1. A general updating of the Guide was recommended by both teachers and administrators with attention directed to the addition of activities and objectives in several content areas, i.e. family, lifelong learning, parenting, problem-solving, etc.2. The Guide was judged by both teachers and administrators to be effective as a curriculum guide and is very manageable in the areas of record-keeping and preparation of lessons. It allows adult students easy entry and exit to Adult Basic Education(ABE) Programs.3. Staff development workshops to acquaint new teachers and administrators with the materials are needed if the Guide is to be further implemented throughout the state.

The research study had three purposes for examining community leadership programs. First, the study described the status of community leadership programs in Indiana. Second, the study compared current data with data collected by Lynch in 1987. This comparison identified trends and changes in planning, administering, and evaluating community leadership programs. Third, the study included a search of literature and an analysis of data which confirmed theoretical and practical linkages between the community leadership, adult education, and community education domains.The study was initiated with a telephone investigation to identify 50 community leadership programs in the state. A questionnaire was then mailed to program directors. The instrument, an expanded version of Lynch's 1987 questionnaire, collected data about program staff, budgets, curricula, participants, alumni, and evaluation. Forty-seven program directors responded by mail and three by telephone.Final data, which provided a profile of the 50 programs, were collated and published as a directory of Indiana community leadership programs. Data showed 43 programs were active, two were inactive, two were pilot programs in 1990 and 1991, and 15 were newly organized in 1990.Analysis revealed several changes and trends which occurred in the three years between 1987 and 1990. The most notable change in the three years between 1987 and 1990 was the 100% increase in the number of programs (from 25 to 50). Two significant trends were seen in the increase of programs in smaller communities (under 50,000 population), as well as, a shift in curriculum emphasis from community orientation toward community trusteeship.Data analysis also indicated that community leadership programs embodied the values of social responsibility and community action espoused by adult education and community education fields. Although no collaboration was noted with local community education programs, many community leadership programs had partnerships with adult education providers.This study concluded that economic pressures on, and an increasing sense of social responsibility within communities appeared to contribute to the popularity of community leadership programs. This study suggested further research: (a) designing more effective ways to assist community leadership program directors, and (b) identifying more effective models and procedures for cooperation between community education and leadership development programs. / School of Continuing Education and Public Service

The purpose of this project was to identify the content of a series of electricity and electronics courses which would meet the training needs of the Muncie community and the enrollment of the Muncie Community School's program for adults. To achieve this, it was necessary to determine who the program serves and to determine their training needs. Representative advisory committees were therefore, used to evaluate and recommend course content. Since the study was concerned with the training needs of the whole community, a survey of three different types of electrical and electronic employers was conducted. Thissurvey was conducted by means of a mailed questionnaire.

More and more developmentally disabled adults who in the past were institutionalized are now being returned or kept in their communities. Often there are few appropriate alternatives in education to handle their needs. This thesis examines an alternative that has great promise asan appropriate approach to the learning needs of the developmentally disabled adult.Using 4-H concepts as a lifelong education alternative, Elkhart County has demonstrated the success of an informal and flexible educational program that can be offered for as long as the developmentally disabled adult wishes.As a pilot program for the past four years, 4-H has continued to grow in areas of enrollment, projects selected, community awareness, personal growth, state and national interest.This paper takes into account the problems, successes, leadership requirements, materials adaptations, and career development of both youth and adults.Much work remains to be done in the area of lifelong educational alternatives for the developmentally disabled adult so that each person continues to grow through his/her life. The recommendations given in the final chapter suggest avenues leading to this end.