Teamwork skills and occupational work ethic of secondary school students in a school-to-work program

The main purpose in conducting this quasi-experimental study was to determine, using the WorkKeys Teamwork assessment and the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory (OWEI), if there are significant differences between teamwork skills and work ethic of secondary student participants in a company-sponsored school-to-work program and a control group. Demographic factors were reviewed including grade level, career cluster, work experience, anticipated level of education, and cooperative education participation. In addition, this study examined if there is any significant interaction between WorkKeys Teamwork scores and OWEI scores. Students from a secondary school in Monroe County were used as participants in the study. A total of 128 students were asked to participate in the study. One hundred and five surveys were returned, accounting for an 82% response rate. Descriptive statistics including the mean, standard deviation, and frequencies were gathered for demographic data to assist in the interpretation of the WorkKeys Teamwork scores and work ethic subscales. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOV A), analysis of variance (ANOV A), and Chi-square statistics were utilized to analyze differences between the experimental group and the control group. Finally, Spearman\u27 s rho correlation was calculated to determine if a relationship existed between the WorkKeys Teamwork scores and work ethic subscales. The major findings from the study implied that (a) there are significant differences in work ethic of the experimental and control group and (b) there is a positive correlation between the WorkKeys Teamwork scores and initiative, subscale of work ethic

Connect with your Users: Usability Testing and How User Experience May Actually Work for You

For a library, User Experience (UX) refers to studying the emotions and attitudes of its users regarding the library building, website, or services. This can be executed through usability testing, which allows you to truly learn how users experience the library in all its forms. In this poster, a library system conducted a pilot project, a usability test, to research optimal staffing configurations with the goal of developing a sustainable UX strategy. A task force identified and tested a webpage common to both libraries in the two-library system - the Database List. Faculty and student users were tested and recorded as they completed various tasks using the original Database List and then subsequent redesigned versions. As a result of the study, the Database List was redesigned, personas - fictional characters of users created from actual user data- were developed, and the task force submitted recommendations for the best staffing model for sustainable UX. The presenters will outline the methods and tools used for the usability study, with the benefits and drawbacks of the different staffing models, and exhibit the findings of the project. This poster is a must-see for anyone who is interested in the best way to implement UX in their library

Shaking Up Traditional Training With Lynda.com

Supporting the diverse technology training needs on campus while resources continue to dwindle is a challenge many of us continue to tackle. Institutions from small liberal arts campuses to large research universities are providing individualized training and application support 24/7 by subscribing to the lynda.com Online Training Library(r) and marketing the service to various combinations of faculty, staff and students. As a supplemental service on most of our campuses, lynda.com has allowed us to extend support to those unable to attend live lab-based training, those who want advanced level training, those who want training on specialized applications, and those who want to learn applications that are not in high demand. The service also provides cost effective professional development opportunities for everyone on campus, from our own trainers and technology staff who are developing new workshops, learning new software versions or picking up new areas of expertise from project management to programming, to administrative and support staff who are trying to improve their skills in an ever-tighter economic environment. On this panel discussion, you will hear about different licensing approaches, ways of raising awareness about lynda.com on our campuses, lessons learned through implementation, reporting capabilities, and advice we would give for other campuses looking to offer this service

Home education for children with additional learning needs – a better choice or the only option?

This paper presents findings from a study undertaken in Wales on the safeguarding of children educated at home. Findings revealed that just under a third of home educators had children with additional learning needs who were removed from school due to what parents reported as negative experiences. These experiences included the suitability of a school system based upon assessment and attainment for children with additional learning needs and a failure to provide adequate support. The decision to home educate was not taken lightly, with parents persevering in attempts to make school work for their children. Similar issues are identified in recent media coverage in England and Wales which has suggested that rises in home education may be due to parents “off-rolling” their children because they feel forced out of schools that are unable or unwilling to promote inclusive practices. Findings showed that it was not school-based education that was rejected intrinsically, but rather the extent to which schools could meet their child’s needs. In the advent of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, these findings suggest that a more nuanced understanding of education is required where home education, either full-time or combined with school attendance, may be in the best interests of the child

Foster Parents\u27 Reasons for Fostering and Foster Family Utilization

Better utilization of foster families might be linked to parents\u27 reasons for fostering. This study used data from the National Survey of Current and Former Foster Parents to examine relationships between reasons for fostering and types of services and length of service foster parents provide. Top reasons for fostering were child-centered. The least endorsed reasons were self-oriented. Those who fostered to help children with special problems were more likely to have a child placed, had more children, and had fostered more types of special needs children. Parents who fostered because their children were grown were more likely to have a child placed, had more children, and were more likely to intend to continue fostering. Conversely, parents who wanted to be loved or who wanted companionship fostered fewer children. Implications for improving foster family utilization are discussed

The Value of Balanced Growth for Transportation

The Ohio Balanced Growth Program is a voluntary, locally-driven, incentive-driven program which aims to encourage compact, nodal development patterns. The Ohio Department of Transportation provided support for this research to evaluate potential links between Balanced Growth-type policy, land use and development patterns, and transportation benefits. A literature review was completed to understand the existing body of knowledge regarding the connection between policy, land use, and transportation. This included a scan of Balanced Growth-type programs across the US. Twenty-six US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) were selected and reviewed for general geographic and policy characteristics. Land use and transportation outcome data were examined via scatterplot and linear regression across all of the MSAs. The results were evaluated broadly in light of policy frameworks in effect in each MSA, by categorizing land use policy into “tiers” based on voluntary vs. mandatory provisions, and applicability to private and public investment. Finally, a policy review was completed to understand the potential benefits of policy change at the state, regional, and local agency levels. Significant relationships were found between land use patterns, measured in terms of a sprawl composite index, and transportation outcomes for freeway lane miles, hours of delay, vehicle miles traveled, emissions, and safety. MSAs with “Tier 3” policies (mandatory, rigorous policy affecting both public and private investment) clustered together on both axes (transportation outcomes and sprawl); and MSAs within states clustered together along the sprawl score axis. Otherwise, there was no apparent pattern in the location of policy tiers along either the transportation or land use axes. Possible alternative explanations that could be evaluated in the future include overall transportation investment levels; inter-state and inter-regional travel demand; size and shape of the MSA; and market, economic and social factors. Conclusions included policy recommendations for ODOT in supporting compact, nodal development at the local, regional and state levels. Future study recommendations include pursuing future data collection, monitoring and evaluation over time

The Value of Balanced Growth for Transportation

The Ohio Balanced Growth Program is a voluntary, locally-driven, incentive-driven program which aims to encourage compact, nodal development patterns. The Ohio Department of Transportation provided support for this research to evaluate potential links between Balanced Growth-type policy, land use and development patterns, and transportation benefits. A literature review was completed to understand the existing body of knowledge regarding the connection between policy, land use, and transportation. This included a scan of Balanced Growth-type programs across the US. Twenty-six US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) were selected and reviewed for general geographic and policy characteristics. Land use and transportation outcome data were examined via scatterplot and linear regression across all of the MSAs. The results were evaluated broadly in light of policy frameworks in effect in each MSA, by categorizing land use policy into “tiers” based on voluntary vs. mandatory provisions, and applicability to private and public investment. Finally, a policy review was completed to understand the potential benefits of policy change at the state, regional, and local agency levels. Significant relationships were found between land use patterns, measured in terms of a sprawl composite index, and transportation outcomes for freeway lane miles, hours of delay, vehicle miles traveled, emissions, and safety. MSAs with “Tier 3” policies (mandatory, rigorous policy affecting both public and private investment) clustered together on both axes (transportation outcomes and sprawl); and MSAs within states clustered together along the sprawl score axis. Otherwise, there was no apparent pattern in the location of policy tiers along either the transportation or land use axes. Possible alternative explanations that could be evaluated in the future include overall transportation investment levels; inter-state and inter-regional travel demand; size and shape of the MSA; and market, economic and social factors. Conclusions included policy recommendations for ODOT in supporting compact, nodal development at the local, regional and state levels. Future study recommendations include pursuing future data collection, monitoring and evaluation over time

The Value of Balanced Growth for Transportation: Executive Summary

This project evaluates the benefit that programs like the Ohio Balanced Growth Program could bring to transportation agencies in Ohio