| Descript |
373 p |
| Note |
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-06, Section: A, page: 2056 |
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Sponsor: Barbara Macaulay |
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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Columbia University Teachers College, 2004 |
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The purpose of this study was to assess an academic and corporate partnership program, using the perspective discrepancy assessment approach, in order to give program decision makers information to use to make more informed decisions about the program. To accomplish this goal a primarily qualitative mixed methods design was used. Eight interviews were conducted along with document analyses to identify the key decision making areas of the program. Six versions of perspective discrepancy assessment questionnaires were created to obtain four groups of stakeholders' perceptions of the intended state and the current state of program practice. Two hundred and thirteen stakeholders from the four groups (participants, managers of participants, deans/executives, and program staff) returned the questionnaires resulting in a 47% response rate. Two follow up sessions were held with program owners to present the findings and create action plans for implementation. The researcher found that the key decision making areas or critical questions facing decision makers of an academic and corporate partnership program are goals, success criteria, roles, support services, interfering factors, and participant improvements. The PDA questionnaires revealed that there were many more consistencies than there were gaps in viewpoints among stakeholders, within and between groups, about the key decision making areas. Program owners agreed to specific action steps in regard to program goals, roles of manager and participant, success criteria, college support, communication, group cohesion, and writing skills. This study recommends that program goals and measures be jointly created by the partnership and that the role of the manager and of the participant needs to be clearly defined and communicated. In partnership programs where only college credit, not degrees, are granted, participants need support in the process of transitioning to college throughout the program years, and writing skills was discovered to be a basic need of the entry level clerical worker. Lastly, the PDA proved to be a valuable method for the assessment of an academic and corporate partnership and should be considered in assessments of other adult learning programs |
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School code: 0055 |
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DDC |
| Host Item |
Dissertation Abstracts International 65-06A
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| Subject |
Education, Adult and Continuing
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0516
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| Alt Author |
Columbia University Teachers College
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