This descriptive study, adapted from Holton and Bates' Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI), examined factors that facilitated and/or hindered transfer of learning for participants of a four-day grant writing workshop. The targeted population was a group of faculty and staff at a Midwest state-supported institution of higher education. The workshops included lecture, group and individual work time, and one-on-one consultation with workshop presenters. Learning focused on developing project ideas, searching for a funding sponsor, and developing the proposal narrative and budget. Multiple workshops were offered between December 2000 and December 2003.The LTSI represents sixteen factors for transfer of learning; these factors were adapted to construct an online survey related to Grantsmanship Workshop content. The survey items reflected the workshop phases and the transfer concepts of each phase: prior to the workshop (learner readiness, supervisor/peer support, motivation to attend, learning interests, pre-workshop preparation); during the workshop (workshop design, time allotment, feedback); and after the workshop ended (content validity, transfer design, personal capacity for transfer, opportunity to use). In addition to these 49 Likert scale items, the survey included yes/no, short answer, and open-end questions related to post-workshop activity, allowing the opportunity to provide additional evidence of their workshop experiences. Of the sixty-six former participants contacted via email, twenty-two voluntarily completed the survey.Issues highlighted during the pre-workshop time period were (1) understanding the significance for learning about grant writing, (2) perception of external support for workshop attendance, and (3) preparation for the workshop. During the workshop, participants acknowledged the benefits of using individual interests to learn the general concepts surrounding grant writing and connecting the learning back to their respective transfer environments. Points of debate were raised regarding program design, particularly with time allocation; responses varied from "not enough individual time" and "too much lecturing" to "too fast-paced" and "not long enough." Two transfer issues emerged after the workshop: time for completing projects, and departmental- and college-level support for pursuing externally funded projects.Findings from the study were used to recommend strategies for future study, as well to suggest transfer strategies for program planners, instructors, program attendees, and other stakeholders. / Department of Educational Studies
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/177866 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Lundin, Deborah L. |
| Contributors | Armstrong, Joseph L. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vi, 125 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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