Date of Award

4-2009

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Ron Van Houten

Second Advisor

Dr. Heather McGee

Third Advisor

Dr. John Austin

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Campus Only

Abstract

This evaluation was conducted to assess the effects of an experimental intervention as compared to a standard treatment control condition on learner participation in a training curriculum for new managers which used a blended learning approach. A blended learning approach has been defined as a training approach which includes courses or curricula which integrate web-based and face-to-face activities in a pedagogically valuable and planned manner, and include a portion of face-to-face learning interactions that has been replaced by web-based activities (Picciano, 2006). Blended learning curricula, perhaps because they involve a combination of web-based and instructor-led courses and learning experiences, can offer some unique challenges with regard to participation rates (Rossett, 2006). Participants were newly hired and promoted managers working for an international corporation based in the Midwestern United States. Thirty-four participants were randomly assigned to either a control or experimental condition. Results showed that the experimental intervention may have lead to the earlier program initiation as well as earlier detection of unqualified participants (participant withdrawals) than was observed in the control condition. Results may also indicate that on average participants in the experimental condition completed more program tasks during the same time period than their counterparts in the control group.

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