Bryan, Valerie

The percentage of older adults in the American population is expected to
increase from about 12% now to 22% by the year 2030 (Eisen, 2005). Educators can
play an important role in managing the effec.,ts of this demographic shift by designing
learning opportunities that increase older adults' motivation to participate and their
ability to learn. Because older adults themselves can otTer important insights on what
helps and hinders their learning, the purpose of this study was to explore the
perceptions of adults over age 64 residing in a large metropolitan area in the
southeastern United States on effective and ineffective learning experiences.
Utilizing a qualitative design, the researcher interviewed 36 older adults
involved in learning experiences at three distinct sites. Data were also collected
through observations and document analysis. Five research questions were answered with the following four findings: 1) effective learning experiences are involving, 2)
the instructor is a key component in the classroom, 3) familiar or relevant topics are
interesting, and 4) the computer and the Internet are both loved and hated. The
participants in this study value learning experiences that involve them in the
classroom and keep them involved in the world. They enjoy asking questions,
discussing ideas, and learning with friends and family members in environments free
from the pressures of mandatory assignments and tests. They seek instructors who
are knowledgeable about the subject, clear and understandable in their presentation,
respectful of their experience, and effective at grabbing their attention through
enthusiasm, humor, and relevant stories. When they discover effective instructors,
they tend to take classes with them over and over again. However. when instructors'
abilities are unknown, they look for learning experiences that will either expand their
knowledge abcut something familiar or teach them something that will have some
relevance in their lives. Finally, these seniors enjoy the convenience of accessing a
wealth of information using computers and the Internet. Yet, they also experience
considerable frustration in learning computer tasks and dealing with computer
problems. Reommendations are provided for designing, marketing, and delivering
quality learning experiences for senior adults.

In the years since the establishment of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment
test (FCAT) in 1998, the Florida public school districts have had little standardized,
diagnostic data to assist in preparation for the FCA T. The FCAT serves as a high-stakes
assessment for students as a graduation requirement, and it serves as a high-stakes
assessment for school and district accountability for the Florida A++ Plan, and for
national accountability within No Child Left Behind Act, 2001.
A quantitative study was conducted to determine if the College Board's
Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test, PSAT/NMSQT®, could be used to predict
scores on the FCAT. More than 11 ,000 student test records ofBroward County public
school lOth graders were used for this study. Predictive discriminant analyses were
conducted using the October 2003 PSAT/NMSQT® and the March 2004 FCAT scores.
Three contextual variables: gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomics were used to determine if the variables moderate the ability of the PSAT in classifying the students as
passing the FCAT.
The study found the percent of the groups correctly classified for predicting
FCAT Reading from the PSAT Verbal scores for all subjects and each contextual
variable ranged from 75 percent to 78.70 percent. The accuracy for the PSAT Verbal
predicting failing the FCAT Reading for all of the subjects was at 84.50 percent, and the
accuracy for PSAT Verbal predicting passing the FCAT Reading was at 71.40 percent.
The study also found the percent of the groups correctly classified for predicting
FCAT Math from PSAT Math scores for all subjects and each contextual variable ranged
from 72.40 % to 76.00 percent. The accuracy for the PSAT Math predicting failing the
FCAT Math for all subjects was at 89.70 percent and the accuracy for PSAT Math
predicting passing the FCAT Math for all subjects was at 70.90 percent.
The model in this study has proven to be successful in predicting FCAT success
through the use of the PSAT scores. Recommendations for educators, both district and
school staff, include exploring optimum utilization of available data through the PSAT,
and optimum utilization of the PSAT score reports for direct intervention with students.

The Delphi technique was used as a means to achieve
consensus on a set of competencies developed and field
tested by a prior task force. After three rounds of the
Delphi, a high rate of consensus was reached on competencies
viewed as needed by entry-level professionals in park,
recreation and leisure fields (round one, 17.9% consensus:
round two, 86.0% consensus: round three, 95.5% consensus).
The Delphi technique was effective in moving the Florida
Recreation and Park Association certified professionals to a
like view of a core of competencies.
The 116 competencies that had achieved consensus and
reached a 4.0 criterion level were then sub-divided into the
categories of Philosophy of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure:
Administration/Management of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure; Personnel Management; Financial Management; Community
Development; Marketing; Planning; Park and Facility
Maintenance; and Program Development. The category
assignment of individual competencies was based on a
previously validated task analysis study (Middleton, 1981).
The 116 competencies were then rank-ordered by means in
each of the sub-categories. Nine hypotheses were then
tested to determine if statistically significant differences
existed between and among items in the study. Five of the
nine null hypotheses were rejected.
In this study, there was a difference in how
administrators, supervisors, and leaders view essential
competencies. There was also a difference in how
individuals at various levels of education view desirable
competencies. This suggested that specific competencies are
more important for different employment levels and that
certain competencies should be acquired at different stages
of one's career.
Significant differences also were noted when the selfdirected
learning readiness scores were compared with the
rating of the selected competencies. The findings imply
that individuals who are more involved in pursuing
additional learning are also going to expect a higher level
of competency than individuals who are not as professionally
involved. A list of 11 items were suggested as recommendations
for future research. It was sugges~ed that a competencybased
curriculum could be developed utilizing the
information gleaned through this research. Other
recommendations were made regarding certification, selfassessment
checklists, a manpower study, and training
methodologies.

Educational leadership goes beyond the boundaries of the classroom; skills needed for talent development professionals in business closely align with those needed in traditional educational leadership positions as both are responsible for the development and growth of others. Traditionally, the role of professional membership associations or organizations such as the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly known as the American Society for Training and Development), the group dedicated to individuals in the field of workplace learning and development, is to provide learning opportunities, set standards, identify best practices in their respective fields, and allow members to network with other professionals who share their interests. However, with the rampant increase in the use of technology and social networking, individuals are now able to access a vast majority of information for free online via tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, and YouTube. Where has this left organizations that typically charged for access to this type of information in the past? Surveys and interviews were conducted with ATD members in this mixed-methods study to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the perceptions of Association for Talent Development (ATD) members regarding the effect of technology-based informal learning on the role of ATD? 2. How do ATD members utilize technology for informal learning? 3. Are there factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, educational level, or length of time in the field that predict a member's likelihood to utilize technology for informal learning? 4. Are there certain ATD competency areas for which informal learning is preferred over non-formal or formal learning? The significance of the study includes the identification of how the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) can continue to support professionals in our constantly evolving te chnological society as well as advancing the field by contributing research connecting informal learning with technology to membership organization roles.

The field of nonprofit management education is nascent and little of the research has extended into the area of leadership as a requisite competency for nonprofit leaders. Likewise, the research on leadership has not been widely extended to the nonprofit sector. Prior research suggests a broad range of competencies are necessary to lead in the dynamic, complex environment of nonprofits, the exercise of which differs from that in the for-profit sector.

An intrinsic case study was conducted to understand what helps Early Care and Education (ECE) English as a Second Language (ESL) students to enroll in a customized ECE ESL course at a local state college and what barriers may hinder their success in the course. This research examined whether the following were either motivators or barriers or both in ECE ESL participants enrolling in an ECE ESL customized course: course design and delivery, student support systems, student self-motivation, student self- efficacy, time and schedule commitment, instructor and student relationship, availability of resources, and level of classroom involvement. The results revealed that the students were highly motivated to enroll and complete the course successfully. Across the board, there was (1) a sense of gratitude from the participants for being afforded an opportunity to learn the English language, (2) evidence of knowledge of their future goals, and (3) their knowledge that learning English was their first step in achieving their goals.

Breast cancer affects one in eight women in the United States. Estimated new
breast cancer cases for 2012 in the U.S. are 229,060 women (American Cancer Society, 2012). For all women it is important to be informed regarding all current treatment options. For women in high-risk categories of breast cancer it is even more important. Risk-reducing strategies for women at high-risk of breast cancer include surveillance, chemoprevention, and bilateral prophylactic mastectomy. Prophylactic mastectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer by excision of most breast tissue. Breast cancer among those initially diagnosed as high-risk is 90-94.3% (Hartmann et al., 1999). This procedure entails serious surgeries with numerous physical, social, and emotional ramifications and is not without side effects. The patient has the right to be informed and base her decision-making on the suitability of the procedure for herself. This research describes six (6) woman’s experiences, focusing on the role of transformational learning and self-efficacy, as these women progressed through the stages. Prophylactic mastectomy is radical, irreversible, and costly at the onset. The procedure may preclude a whole lifetime of surgeries, radiation, and chemical treatments. If this treatment is the right fit, and has been fully researched, balanced with options, family history, genetic predisposition, personal concerns, and anxiety levels, along with physician recommendations, a woman should consider pursuing it.

Narrative inquiry was the qualitative method utilized to collect stories related to
former migrant African American females who transformed their lives from migrant
workers and found alternative career paths. Sustained poverty among migratory workers created a disenfranchised culture of uneducated citizens. A large part of this labor force was women. It was expected that this culture of poverty would perpetuate itself through generations. The universal stereotypes associated with impoverished migrants were so ingrained that overwhelmingly the majority of migrants accepted a life of poverty as prophesy. However, some former migrant African American women defied odds and rose above the cumulative effects of poverty. The major findings of this study revealed factors that significantly contributed to their success in a variety of professional careers: consistent family support, adaptive coping skills, catalyst for change, transformative learning, and meaningful relationships with non-family members, and commitment to community service. Sub-findings emerged that revealed that these additional factors also contributed to their success: value placed on education, strong belief in God, and leadership skills.

Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has suffered through
centuries of disenfranchisement, poverty, slavery, environmental disasters, internecine
racial prejudice, and foreign infringement. Its people won independence from France in
1804 but only at the cost of huge human and financial losses. Since then, Haiti has
known little freedom or democracy. In 1991, the first truly democratically elected
president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was elected (with a 67% majority). Nine months later,
he was deposed by a military coup d'état. During that time and the chaotic years that
followed, groups of human rights observers traveled to Haiti in an attempt to record and
report publically, officially, what was actually happening to the Haitian people and their
institutions. Although much has been written about the country during that period, there
have been no studies focused on the human rights observers who were intimately
involved with the people and the country. These groups and other groups participating in similar situations have not been studied and, yet, research in that area might provide
important insights in the field of social justice. It is important to identify what encourages individuals to become a part of the effort to make a positive difference in the lives of others, in the most adverse situations, the process by which human rights observers become engaged, and how that engagement affects their lives both during and after their in-country experiences. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to see if there are commonalities (e.g., socio-cultural influence, self-directed learning readiness, etc.) among the initial in-country experiences of several human rights observers and further to discover what, if any, effect those experiences had on their leadership styles.
The study identified socio-cultural influences (self-directed learning readiness and
familial, religious, educational impact); motivational factors; methods of processing the
experience (immediate responses of connectedness/love and reasoned responses
involving individual and group reflection); and multiple outcomes (spiritualty, social
action, and creativity). The overarching findings included identification of
transformational learning in the participants and the evolution of their leadership from the servant model into a transformational/chaos model, including reflection in and on action as an operating context.

This study explored the healthy aging process by: (a) examining the selected
demographics of older adults in South Florida; (b) examining technology use of older
adults in South Florida; (c) examining the health literacy levels of older adults in South
Florida; (d) determining whether a relationship exists between older adults living in
South Florida use of technology and their health literacy levels; and (e) evaluating the
effects of health literacy as it relates to technology use in older adults in South Florida.
Variables explored included health literacy, education, ethnicity, and technology use.
The sample study included 102 older adults (age > 60) living in South Florida that
had completed profiles on the South Florida Quality Aging Registry, a part of the Healthy Aging Research Initiative (HARI). The sample size represented 22.3% of the total South Florida Quality Aging Registry population. The ethnicities of the participants among the South Florida Quality Aging Registry were African American (17%); Afro Caribbean (7.8%); Hispanic (10.7%); and European American (63.7%). The education
mean was 15, indicating that the majority of participants had an education level
equivalent to completing high school. The mean health literacy score was 3.88,
demonstrating that the majority of the participants had moderate levels of health literacy. The mean technology use score was 7.5 on a scale of one through ten, indicating that the majority of the participants had a moderate level of technology use.
Analysis of variance, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis
was used to explore the variables that may influence health literacy. There was a
statistically significant difference among Afro Caribbean and African American, Afro
Caribbean and European American, European American and Hispanic ethnicities related to their health literacy skill level (p < .01). Additionally, there was a statistically
significant difference among Afro Caribbean American and European American
ethnicities and technology use (p. < .01).