Online risk behaviors
Abstract
Proposals for school reform and improvement almost always include a faculty professional development component that requires evaluation of effectiveness. Often these evaluations are of poor quality because they rely on questions related to participants' enjoyment or satisfaction and how a person feels about something does not necessarily translate to how they behave. The Learning Teaching Center (LTC) at the University of Dayton provides faculty professional development as one of its services. The LTC's mission is not just to provide participants with information or a good time", but to transform or change participants through what they learn. The purpose of this study was to pilot a measure that addressed reported "levels of use" (how much they applied new knowledge and skills) from faculty and staff after attending faculty development programs at the LTC. Data were also used to gain a better understanding of which program types, duration, and demographic characteristics were associated with higher usage levels among participants at the LTC. Data analysis indicated no significant relationships between the demographics of participants (college affiliation, rank, gender, or years employed) and their reported change in level of use. There were also no significant differences between those who attended a single session professional development program and those who attended a program that consisted of multiple sessions in terms of amount of change; however, those who attended multiple sessions, on average, reported higher levels of use. In general, the majority of respondents reported an increase in their level of use after attending professional development at the LTC. Limitations of this mode of assessment and implications for future research are presented."
