<p> Academic quality in for-profit vocational (Gainful Employment) programs is a concern for all stakeholders. However, academic quality is not easily defined. The Department of Education's Gainful Employment Rule defines academic quality With a few easily measured metrics such as student retention and job placement rate, despite the fact that academic quality is widely considered to be complex and multidimensional. Gainful Employment standards alone are not adequate to describe academic quality in for-profit vocational programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to expand understanding of academic quality in on-ground Gainful Employment programs by gathering the lived experiences of faculty who taught in these programs. The study used a phenomenological approach, in which faculty members of two for-profit vocational colleges in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area were interviewed in person. Faculty were recruited using Linkedln groups and e-mail invitations. Systems theory served as the theoretical foundation for the study. The four common systems elements of inputs, processes, outcomes, and institutional environment formed the basis for the research questions. The systems thinking tool of rich pictures was employed to gain deeper insight into the phenomenon of academic quality. Triangulation was accomplished through the comparison of interview data; visual data from the rich pictures; my memos; and institutional Web content and college catalogs. Analysis of the interviews and rich pictures generated 301 attributes, which were organized first by research question, and then by key stakeholder group (faculty, students, administrators, and institution). Ten discernible themes emerged from faculty perceptions of academic quality, categorized according to systems inputs, processes, outcomes, and institutional environment. The conclusion was that academic quality is a multidimensional construct that includes many more attributes than simply student retention or job placement rate. A dynamic model of academic quality incorporating the systems elements of inputs, processes, outcomes, and system environment was proposed, and a composite rich picture was presented. The scope of the research should be expanded to include the perceptions of other stakeholder groups, for example, administrators, students, employers, and taxpayers. Future research should also include other geographical areas and comparisons between for-profit and nonprofit vocational education.</p>

<p>The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how career technical education (CTE) deans implement crucial changes in their programs to keep up with industry standards required by external agencies, the Perkins grant, and the advancements of technology. Deans must make top-down, lateral, as well as vertical change to implement improvements successfully, and to implement or to create new policies. The participants discussed the unique nature and background associated with CTE and their perceptions of the distinct skill sets that may be unique to leading career education programs. </p><p> Little research exists exploring this phenomena and this study could prove invaluable to the CTE field in recruiting, training, and developing current and future CTE Deans. The findings of this study suggest that in order to meet their goals in implementing program changes, CTE deans need to be skilled in the use of referent power, relationship-building, and a participative leadership style. In addition, skilled practitioners must have strong relational skills that emphasize collaboration, persuasion, and determination to lead change successfully. These findings can assist human resource departments in the hiring of effective deans of CTE divisions. </p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine, from a constructivist career development perspective, the factors of well-being and vocational identity that emerged among a diverse sample of upper-division undergraduate students. This study also examined which factors of vocational identity predicted well-being and which factors of well-being predicted vocational identity. Participants included 411 diverse, upper-division health science students from a public university in Southern California. The first two research questions that guided this study were designed to explore emergent factors of well-being and vocational identity using items from the PERMA Well-Being Profiler (PERMA) and the Vocational Identity Status Assessment. The final two research questions were designed to examine the best predictors of well-being among the factors of vocational identity and the best predictors of vocational identity among the factors of well-being. To address the research questions, data obtained from surveys was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.</p><p> The findings of this study demonstrated that PERMA theory and Vocational Identity Status theory explained the constructs of well-being and vocational identity among the diverse sample with few exceptions. Further, the PERMA and VISA instruments proved valid and reliable among the diverse sample. In-depth career exploration, identification with career commitment, and career self-doubt were the vocational identity factors that best predicted well-being. Meaning, accomplishment, and engagement were the well-being factors that best predicted vocational identity.</p><p> Recommendations based on the findings of this study included revisiting performance based funding policies to incorporate the measurement of well-being and vocational identity as metrics of student success alongside more objective measures like retention, GPA, and time to graduation. Further, recommendations were offered for integrating well-being and vocational identity enhancing activities and interventions into current practices in classroom, counseling, and advising settings. Recommendations for qualitative, experimental, and longitudinal research designs were offered based on the findings of this study.</p>

<p> Industries in which effective teamwork is critical for safe operations are quickly discovering the benefits of simulation-based training (SBT). Research has shown the aviation industry, military operations, and medical field utilize impressive simulations allowing people to refine their technical and nontechnical skills in a "no consequence" environment. Grounded in team cognitive and group dynamic research, researchers are focusing their efforts on how to effectively use simulation as a training tool. The focus of this study was to determine how the degree of simulation difficulty affects teamwork. With a unique high fidelity simulation lab, the participants completed 3 hour work shifts to a run a simulated regional airline. Teamwork was based on the following five variables: contributing to teamwork, interacting with the team, keeping the team on track, expecting quality, and having the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's). The experimental design consisted of three teams randomly assigned to either a minimal, moderate, or maximum level of difficulty. After completion of the simulation, the participants completed an online survey for evaluations of their performance. The findings suggest some components of teamwork are affected by the design of the simulation, while others are not as susceptible to its effects. It was discovered the level of difficulty significantly affected individual and group performance in their expectation of quality and having relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's). As simulation difficulty only affected two out of the five teamwork variables, this leads to the conclusion that generally a team will perform based on their level of team cognition and efficient group behaviors, not necessarily based on the degree of difficulty presented during a simulation.</p>

<p> The U.S. workforce is not prepared for the demands of today's workplace (Conference Board, 2006), Previously, workplace employers emphasized environments where the main thrust was expertise in technical skills of employees. However, a shift occurred that caused employers to realize the importance of soft skills in order to maximize business relationships. One major soft skill emphasized is the importance of a positive work ethic, which is a necessary attribute for any successful worker (R. Hill, 1996). Not only has there been a shift regarding the importance and implementation of soft skills in the business environment, but employers who once relied heavily upon adults as employees also now rely upon adolescents as employees. These adolescents are expected to provide the same positive work ethic as adults. Some of these adolescent employees are students in a co-op program in their local high schools where they obtain training in work ethic. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the perception of employers and supervisors regarding the work ethic of employed high school co-op and employed high school non-co-op students. Work ethic descriptors within this study that were examined included interpersonal skills, initiative, and dependability. The descriptors mentioned were statistically examined to ascertain differences in employer/supervisor perceptions among the two groups of students.</p>

This thesis describes a prototype virtual reality (VR) training system. E scSOPE-VR, designed and implemented for Hydro-Quebec by graduate students at McGill University and Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. The project was motivated by the necessity of providing a realistic training environment for substation operators, while ensuring their safety and the network's integrity at all times. / With the simulator, trainees can carry out all the switching operations necessary for their work in absolute safety, while staying in a realistic environment. A speech-recognition system controls the training session, while audio immersion adds a dimension of realism to the virtual world. An expert-system validates the trainee's operations at all times and a steady-state power-flow simulator recalculates network parameters. The automatic conversion of single-line diagrams enables the construction of three-dimensional models of substation equipment. / The present thesis focuses on the speech command, audio, video and network aspects of the system. A survey of current VR applications and an overview of VR technology are followed by a summary of the E scSOPE-VR project.

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine whether student outcomes are a function of participation in different modes of delivery in an Opticianry program at the community college level. First, the intent was to determine whether differences in instructional delivery methods and background characteristics impact student performance in an Opticianry program. The three instructional delivery methods were traditional face-to-face instruction, online delivery, and a hybrid format where students take theory courses online and attend face-to-face laboratories on campus. A second objective was to determine the role of background variables such as student age, which was the age when entering the Opticianry program classified in three categories: Young Adults (18-24), Middle Age (25-33), and Older Adults (34 &amp; >). </p><p> To meet the purpose of the study and its driving questions, a non-experimental explanatory research design relying on survey data collection strategies was used. Data collection was conducted during a six-week period using an online survey available through Survey Monkey. The survey was used to identify instructional delivery method, perception of job preparedness, and perception of program quality. A two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the relationship between independent variables (delivery method and age) and a dependent variable (GPA, national certification score, workplace preparation score, and quality of instruction score). Two hundred and eighty six graduates of the Hillsborough Community College Opticianry Program from 2006-2012 were contacted for participation. </p><p> One hundred and twelve graduates completed the survey representing a response rate of 39%. The results indicated no significant difference in the outcomes of Opticianry program graduates related to instructional delivery method or age. Based on the overall results in the study, the overall conclusion is that students in the Opticianry program should achieve similar outcomes whether they complete the program online, on campus, or in a hybrid format. </p><p> The results of the study provide support for the idea that it is possible to provide equivalent technician preparation using a variety of instructional delivery methods. The study adds to a limited body of knowledge about the impact of participation in online or hybrid courses compared to traditional courses in technical preparation. The outcomes provide support that distance education is a promising strategy for increasing access to adult learners seeking flexible opportunities for technical preparation. The results should also reduce the reluctance of institutions offering career and technical education programs, to offer complete programs via distance learning in fear that distance students will not achieve program outcomes equivalent to face-to-face students. The study has generated positive comparative evidence of student performance as a function of instructional method, and documented students' evaluative perspectives about their occupational readiness and program quality.</p>

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2006.