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The Perceived Impact of Technology-Based Informal Learning on Membership Organizations

Educational leadership goes beyond the boundaries of the classroom; skills needed for talent development professionals in business closely align with those needed in traditional educational leadership positions as both are responsible for the development and growth of others. Traditionally, the role of professional membership associations or organizations such as the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly known as the American Society for Training and Development), the group dedicated to individuals in the field of workplace learning and development, is to provide learning opportunities, set standards, identify best practices in their respective fields, and allow members to network with other professionals who share their interests. However, with the rampant increase in the use of technology and social networking, individuals are now able to access a vast majority of information for free online via tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, and YouTube. Where has this left organizations that typically charged for access to this type of information in the past? Surveys and interviews were conducted with ATD members in this mixed-methods study to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the perceptions of Association for Talent Development (ATD) members regarding the effect of technology-based informal learning on the role of ATD? 2. How do ATD members utilize technology for informal learning? 3. Are there factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, educational level, or length of time in the field that predict a member's likelihood to utilize technology for informal learning? 4. Are there certain ATD competency areas for which informal learning is preferred over non-formal or formal learning? The significance of the study includes the identification of how the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) can continue to support professionals in our constantly evolving te chnological society as well as advancing the field by contributing research connecting informal learning with technology to membership organization roles. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_32107
ContributorsMiller, Lori (author), Bryan, Valerie (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
PublisherFlorida Atlantic University
Source SetsFlorida Atlantic University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text
Format114 p., application/pdf
RightsCopyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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