Browsing by Author "Mayer, Amy"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Computer Access Survey
    (University of Minnesota: General College, 2003) Franko, Jenniefer; Wambach, Catherine; Mayer, Amy; Hatfield, Jennifer
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    General College Persisters and Leavers: A Comparative Study
    (University of Minnesota: General College, 2003) Wambach, Catherine; Hatfield, Jennifer; Franko, Jennifer; Mayer, Amy
    Research and theory on student retention suggests that it is a complex process influenced by both personal and institutional factors. Since retention and graduation rates are important benchmarks used to evaluate educational institutions, administrators at the University of Minnesota (U of M) are questioning why these rates are lower at the U of M than would be expected given the characteristics of the student body (Improving our graduation, 2001). Research by the U of M office of Institutional Research and Reporting (IRR) suggests that for most U of M freshman admitting colleges, including General College (GC), the predicted graduation rate for students is higher than the actual rate.
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    Generational Perspective on Teen and Older Drivers on Traffic Safety in Rural and Urban Communities
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-09) Manser, Michael; Rakauskas, Michael; Ward, Nic; Jones, Pam; Mayer, Amy; Armson, Rossana
    The purpose of this project was to explore beliefs and attitudes about risky driving behavior and traffic safety interventions between urban and rural drivers as a function of age. This was accomplished by conducting focus groups and surveys in rural and urban areas with teens and seniors. Results indicated that traffic safety policy for teens should focus on distraction and sensory-motor functioning amongst seniors. In terms of traffic safety policy for rural areas, attention should be given to interventions promoting seatbelt compliance. Relative to traffic safety interventions, teens felt GDL helped them become better drivers but weren’t convinced GDL had made them better/safer. Teen felt smart technology could have positive effects on safety, but an acceptable program based on this technology needs to balance factors such as cost, robustness, and limitations on driving. Seniors were receptive to mandatory testing but felt it must be flexible, objectively administered, and based on criteria other than age. Rural seniors were concerned about alternative mobility programs for those drivers that fail the proposed test. Relative to these alternative programs, seniors’ acceptance was related to the perceived accessibility to a safe and affordable program that is sufficiently versatile to accommodate a range of transportation needs.
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    Leaving General College: Interests and Issues Related to Student Departure
    (University of Minnesota: General College, 2000) Wambach, Catherine; Mayer, Amy; Hatfield, Jennifer; Franco, Jennifer
    Many of the freshmen who begin postsecondary education at the University of Minnesota General College (GC) leave before they complete degrees. The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of achievement, academic interests, reasons for leaving, and plans after leaving for a cohort of GC leavers. Advising files, the U of M student database, and the General College Student Inventory (GCSI) were used as sources of information. Half of the leavers were found to have academic performance issues. Leavers expressed a wide variety of academic interests on the GCSI, the most common being business and social sciences. There was some evidence to suggest that students with interests in physical science and computer science were more likely to leave, which warrants future investigation. Information in advising files suggested that about 25% of the leavers intended to transfer to another college. Issues that may have been related to leaving that were mentioned most frequently in the files were lack of motivation, physical and mental health concerns, financial problems, and conflicts between family or cultural expectations and the demands of college.
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    Using a modified delphi in rapidly changing times- Ash management guide
    (University of Minnesota Extension, 2011) Gupta, Angela; Mayer, Amy; Miedtke, Julie
    The world is changing quickly; however, delivering scientific information takes time. A modified-Delphi approach offers those of us working in Extension a way to address methodological constraints to our ability to provide research-based, credible information under rapidly changing conditions. In 2011, the authors used a modified-Delphi technique facilitated by Survey Monkey to create a systematic, interactive, structured survey process to engage a panel of experts from many different areas of expertise. A careful administration of the survey over three distinct rounds generated sound management recommendations from which the publication Ash Management Guidelines for Private Forest Landowners was produced. The process used could be applied in varied disciplines when there is a desire to find meaningful answers to difficult questions in an efficient, timely manner. The modified-Delphi process enabled natural resource professionals and other stakeholders to share management recommendations in a quickly changing world of invasive species, climate change, and an increasingly unknown future. Respondents provided survey-based feedback in three rounds. Their responses, stripped of identifiers, were used to generate each subsequent survey round.
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    Using a Modified Delphi in Rapidly Changing Times-- Ash Management Guide
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2011-10) Gupta, Angela; Mayer, Amy; Miedtke, Julie
    The world is changing quickly; however, delivering scientific information takes time. A modified-Delphi approach offers those of us working in Extension a way to address methodological constraints to our ability to provide research-based, credible information under rapidly changing conditions. In 2011, the authors used a modified-Delphi technique facilitated by Survey Monkey to create a systematic, interactive, structured survey process to engage a panel of experts from many different areas of expertise. A careful administration of the survey over three distinct rounds generated sound management recommendations from which the publication Ash Management Guidelines for Private Forest Landowners was produced. The process used could be applied in varied disciplines when there is a desire to find meaningful answers to difficult questions in an efficient, timely manner. The modified-Delphi process enabled natural resource professionals and other stakeholders to share management recommendations in a quickly changing world of invasive species, climate change, and an increasingly unknown future. Respondents provided survey-based feedback in three rounds. Their responses, stripped of identifiers, were used to generate each subsequent survey round.