The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between on-site Technology Facilitators, access to technology, technology usage, and technology skill levels of teachers at the eleven C?R?E?A?T?E for Mississippi Partner Schools in the 2003-2004 school year. Four hundred eighteen certified teachers, seven Technology Facilitators, and two Technology Aides participated in the C?R?E?A?T?E for Mississippi project in this time frame in the Partner Schools. Mean difference scores relative to teachers? beginner technology skills and advanced technology skills showed greater gains in Partner Schools that had some level of on-site support than Partner Schools that did not have on-site support. Moreover, schools that had on-site support had greater technology usage rates than the Partner Schools that did not have an on-site support person. Level of on-site support and access to technology, along with other variables of interest, were regressed on teachers? beginner technology skill levels, advanced technology skill levels, and technology usage depicted in the form of student contact hours. The level of on-site support and access to technology explained most of the variance on teachers? beginner and advanced technology skill levels. However, the interaction between level of on-site support and access to technology explained most of the variance on technology usage when loaded into the hierarchical multiple linear regression model further supporting researchers? claims that these two variables are first-order barriers to technology-integration.

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Syftet med denna essä är att undersöka facilitatorers handlande när ett skifte i en grupp äger rum. Med skifte avses en ny förståelse av ett innehåll som bearbetas. Facilitator är den som underlättar en grupps process att arbeta med någon typ av material eller fråga. Essäns frågeställning är vilka aspekter av praktisk kunskap utövar facilitatorn när hon erfar att en grupp skiftar sin förståelse. Studien är fenomenologisk och etnografisk då facilitatorers egna erfarenheter är i fokus. I essän ställs egen erfarenhet, intervjuer och samtal med fem facilitatorer i dialog med improvisationsteater och filosofer som skrivit om praktisk kunskap. Ur dessa samtal träder ett antal aspekter av praktisk kunskap fram. En aspekt är intuition som blir till i det relationella, kroppsliga och erkännande mötet med andra. När tanken inte förmår vägleda kan intuition infinna sig baserat på känslan som kommer ur intention och tidigare erfarenheter. Erfarenheter är en aspekt av praktisk kunskap och bildar mönster med andra erfarenheter. Intuition utgår från dessa erfarenheters mönsterbildning och vägleder vidare handling. En annan aspekt är samspelet mellan känsla, emotion, tanke och handling, både som kronologiskt och överlappande skeende. En ytterligare aspekt är kunnande-i-handling liksom reflektion-i-handling som akt av konstnärlighet och hantverkskunnande vilket leder vidare till betydelsen av att kunna improvisera. En facilitator har att vara i det skeende som pågår utan att ta över skeendet. Det är i unika skeenden som aspekter av den praktiska kunskapen yttrar sig som en helhet bestående av flertal samverkande aspekter. Det handlar om ett förhållningssätt att vara varande som facilitator. / The purpose of this essay is to investigate the actions of facilitators when a shift in a group takes place. Shift refers to a new understanding of a content being processed. Facilitator is the one who facilitates a group's process of working with any type of material or issue. The essays question is which aspects of practical knowledge the facilitator exercises when she experiences that a group is shifting its understanding. The study is phenomenological and ethnographic as the facilitators' own experiences are in focus. In the essay the own experience, interviews and conversations with five facilitators are put in dialogue with improvisation theatre and philosophers who have written about practical knowledge. From these conversations, a number of aspects of practical knowledge appear. One aspect is intuition formed in relational, bodily and recognition meetings with others. When the thought is not able to guide, intuition can emerge based on the feeling that comes from intention and previous experience. Experiences are an aspect of practical knowledge and form patterns with other experiences. Intuition is based on the pattern formation of these experiences and guides further action. Another aspect is the interaction between feeling, emotion, thought and action, both as a chronological and overlapping course of events. Further aspect is knowledge-in-action as well as reflection-in-action as the act of artistry and craftsmanship, which further leads to the importance of being able to improvise. A facilitator has to be in the course of events that goes on without taking over the event. It is in unique course of events that aspects of practical knowledge manifest themselves as a whole consisting of several interacting aspects. It is about an approach to be as a facilitator.

This research examines managers’ and facilitators’ perceptions of effective facilitation. A review of the literature revealed that practitioners have written much of the existing information regarding the practice of facilitation. There has been little validation of findings by independent researchers and little empirical research. None of the claimed outcomes on facilitation effectiveness had been confirmed by managers. Further, where research had been conducted it had focused on immediate, rather than longer term issues and outcomes. This research seeks to rectify the lack of robust research into perceptions of effective facilitation by both the facilitators involved and the managers who seek to use facilitators. In this research 40 people were individually interviewed: 20 managers and 20 facilitators. Interviewees were asked to comment on both their positive and negative experiences of facilitation. The data was transcribed and QSR NVivo was used to assist with the analysis. Combinations of a priori and inductive codes were used to analyse the data. The a priori model (Brinkerhoff, 1986) had six stages, namely: Goal Setting and Needs Analysis; Program Design; Intervention; Immediate Outcomes; Intermediate or Usage Outcomes; and Impacts on the Organisation. It was found that only four of the six stages were helpful in explaining perceptions of effective facilitation; and additional themes emerged that did not fit within this predetermined model.

There are various factors that accounting educators should consider when involved in accounting education. These include: A continuous changing business environment; A new generation of learners studying at universities; A lack of skills among learners; Accounting educators resisting changes in accounting education; and The requirements for continuing professional education. From the literature it seems that much research has been done in the field of accounting education, but that it did not find practical application in the classroom. It is therefore necessary to think creatively in order to find practical solutions for the challenges facing both lecturers and facilitators. In the study the following elements of the teaching-learning environment were identified: Learners; The lecturer/facilitator; The milieu; The subject content (including technical content and competencies); and the Teaching methodology. Each of these elements were investigated during the research in order to identify factors from literature that could be included in an improved teaching plan. As part of the plan (methodology) a board game "Commercium™" was developed to meet the requirements of the teaching-learning environment. The board game was evaluated by first year learners at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. The evaluation proved to be very positive. The learners indicated that technical skills, understanding of the roles of the accountant, soft skills as well as knowledge of the subject content improved as a result. What should especially be noted is their positive reaction due to the fact that the game simulated the business environment and linked theory to practice. They also enjoyed the social and group work aspects of the assignment. The learners further had a general positive attitude towards the game. The highest evaluated positive experiences were described as good, exciting and fresh. On the negative side words such as unhappy, uncomfortable and tensed were recorded. The learners were thus required to move outside their comfort zones. Learners were also required to summarise the project in one word. Two thirds of the remarks were positive, with the number one remark being the word "interesting". The largest negative comment was that the project was confusing at the start. This could, however, be addressed in future projects. In conclusion it can thus be said the Commercium™ game meets the requirements of an effective teaching-learning environment by providing an effective teaching methodology. Lecturers now have an empirically proven effective teaching tool for introductory accounting, based on research of the requirements of the teaching-learning environment. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Accounting))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This thesis is based on four studies that explore accessibility for older adults during whole trips by public transport. The overall goal was to gain knowledge of the interrelationships among key variables and to develop a conceptual model of the overall accessibility of public transport. More specifically, the research goals were: (a) to explore links among the key variables postulated to be involved in overall accessibility and to explore the links between these variables and railway accessibility; (b) to gain a deeper understanding of links between critical incidents in traveling and travel behavior decisions; and (c) to develop a conceptual model of overall accessibility. The key variables contributing to overall accessibility are functional ability (depending partly on the person’s functional limitation or disease), travel behavior, and barriers encountered during whole-trip traveling involving train. Respondents with more than one functional limitation or disease reported lower functional ability than did those with only one such limitation and respondents with low functional ability were less frequent travelers than were those with high functional ability. Frequent travelers reported railway accessibility to be better than did those who traveled less frequently. The main barriers were ticket cost and poor punctuality, but respondents with the lowest functional ability attributed the barriers encountered to their own health. The critical incidents most frequently reported were found in the categories “physical environment onboard vehicles” and “physical environment at stations or stops”, as well as in the “pricing and planning during ticketing” phase of the trip. Five themes of reactions to critical incidents were identified that had resulted in behavior change: firm restrictions, unpredictability, unfair treatment, complicated trips, and earlier adverse experiences. A conceptual model of overall accessibility was developed, grounded in the empirical research results. This model is summarized in the following propositions: Overall accessibility is a reciprocal relationship among the barriers/facilitators encountered, functional ability, and travel behavior. Accessibility emerges in the person–environment interaction. To understand accessibility, past experiences and future expectations should both be considered, because both will guide travel decisions. / Measurements enable future train travelling for everybody

As an academic working in the field of applied theatre with undergraduate students, I became increasingly interested in how their skills, techniques, knowledge and understanding are developed to work in applied theatre settings, particularly those that were unfamiliar to them. I was particularly interested in investigating how important, if at all, are the concepts of empathy and sympathy in the preparation of students to work in applied theatre settings and with different client groups. Research of relevant literature revealed pedagogical parallels with social work, particularly in relation to the client-facilitator relationship. There appeared to be synergy between the work undertaken in applied theatre settings and in social work. The interdisciplinary nature of this research contributes to new professional knowledge and practice. A qualitative case study was undertaken, adopting a constructivist and interpretative approach, to understand the way meanings of empathy and sympathy were constructed and interpreted by the students when working in applied theatre settings. The research took place as part of normal professional practice and consisted of a questionnaire (n=14), two semi-structured interviews (n=4) and a focus group (n=4) with third year students studying a BA(Hons) Drama in the Community degree at a small UK Higher Education Institute (HEI). The findings indicated that the participants found it difficult to define, or describe, the concepts of empathy and sympathy with any clarity. They also found it difficult to distinguish between the concepts. However, there was a consensus of opinion that the ability to distinguish between them was important because of the client-facilitator relationship when working in applied theatre settings. The data highlighted that the concepts had only been taught or considered on the programme of study in an implicit way. From this, I concluded that teaching the students the concepts in a more explicit way would help develop their knowledge and understanding of those concepts, thus enabling them to become more informed applied theatre graduates.

The primary purpose of this study was to craft and validate a set of core competencies necessary for an e-Helper to possess. A review of the literature guided the creation of the initial competencies. Following expert review, the competencies were revised and formatted into an online survey which was sent to respondents in four target groups: (a) school administrators who had adopted telepractice as a service delivery model; (b) SLPs experienced in telepractice within a school setting; (c) current e-Helpers, and (d) scholars experienced in telepractice. Sixty percent (21 out of 35) of the competencies were rated as “important” by 76-100% of respondents. The remaining competencies could be more or less important dependent on workplace requirements.

Domestic violence, specifically intimate partner violence (IPV), is a major social problem in the United States despite legislative efforts aimed at reducing it. The Duluth model, which is the preeminent domestic violence intervention model used in the United States, is a male-only group intervention based on feministic views that domestic violence stems from men's behaviors to assert power and control in relationships. While the model is widely emulated, its policies and practices are under scrutiny from researchers who question the program efficiency, pointing to high recidivism rates. Guided by feminist theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to examine perceptions of 7 male and female program facilitators with various educational backgrounds, specifically toward the effectiveness of the anger management component of the Duluth model. Individual in-depth interviews were collected and inductively analyzed, revealing a lack of diversity related to various cultures and client base, limited scope of the model in addressing causes or contributors of battering, lack of coordinated community response, and limited use as an orientation tool at the beginning of counseling to discuss violent behaviors and behavior modification. These findings provide insight for positive social change by addressing facilitators' concerns and developing solutions to create positive social change at the individual and family level.