Academic literature on the topic 'Acacia College of Technical and Further Education'

This research work investigated the attitude of students towards Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) using the descriptive survey research design. The research was conducted among undergraduates students of the Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba, 40 students were randomly sampled from the school of Vocational and school Technical education. The instrument was the questionnaire in likert type response format; Strongly Agree (5), A =Agree (4), U= Undecided (3), DA= Disagree (2), and SD =Strongly Disagree (1). the research questions were analyzed using the mean rating, and the findings are that: School equipment were not found replicating those in the industries, the schools lack adequate infrastructures that discouraged students further in showing concern for industry’s based training, Knowledge of I.T was found to be valuable in giving students an idea of industrial management and SIWES enhance student’s ability to tackle technical problems. It was observed that student attitude toward SIWES has improved over time, regardless of challenges on ground. It was however recommended that ITF should ensure regular visitation of the IT officers to supervisors, agencies, institution, employers and students on attachment. Also, checking of log –book issued to students at place of attachment by institutions is recommended so that the average vocational students can develop a good sense of work commitment.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a joint study carried out with groups of colleges in England and technical and further education (TAFE) institutes in Australia. It looks at the factors which promote the delivery of higher technical skills and the infrastructure arrangements that are needed for success. It relates these to the debate concerning the promotion of higher and degree apprenticeships (HAs and DAs) in England. Design/methodology/approach The report is derived from a series of interviews with college and TAFE staff. A policy comparison is also included to provide context. Findings The outcome of the study suggests that similar factors affect the decision to offer, pursue and contribute to the development of higher technical skills in both countries. HAs and DAs are an English construct and the experience of colleges involved in HAs adds a valuable contribution to discussions surrounding the marketing and delivery of DAs. The Australian decision not to pursue either structure encourages reflection on what it is that governments are trying to achieve and what lessons can be learned from their approach. Research limitations/implications The study was carried out within the non-university sector in both countries. Colleges and TAFE institutes are more likely to offer practice-based higher education (HE), have teaching staff with industry backgrounds and have long-established engagement with employers that may be found within universities. The paper was therefore written from a distinctive environment. However, it is likely that the issues identified apply to universities and private providers of HE as much as to colleges and TAFEs. Practical implications The findings suggest that developing HAs or DAs should not be seen merely as just another marketing opportunity. The hybrid nature of both structures requires a holistic approach to delivery on the part of institutional leaders that leads to significant overhaul of internal communications networks, quality assurance schemes and staff development. Originality/value The paper is one of relatively few published documents which focus on the role of dual sector colleges and TAFE institutes in the delivery of HE and higher technical skills. It offers insight into how government pressure for a particular style of HE, deemed necessary for the national economic interest of both countries, can be made into a reality. By using the expertise that already exists within the college and TAFE sectors and their established links with employers, more effective changes can be made at a faster pace.

The Community Options Program Employment (COPE) Project, was initiated in October 1985 by the Consultant for Students with Intellectual and/or Physical Disabilities at Blacktown College of TAFE (New South Wales Department of Technical and Further Education). It is a cooperative program in on-site training and competitive employment support, for workers with an intellectual disability.

Alternatives to the traditional four-year public and private university include a sector of higher education that offers a more advanced curriculum than secondary school and serves as a local and often lower-cost pathway that gives options for university overflow for adult learners, displaced workers, life-long learners, workforce learners, developmental learners, and non-traditional learners (Raby and Valeau 2009). These institutional types are known by several names including College of Further Education, Community College, Polytechnic, Technical College, and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and are found on all continents. Based on a literature review of 1,083 academic publications these institutions share a mission that views educational access as necessary for growing the economic and social capital that is needed to help students improve lives. Central to this mission is the belief that any amount of post-secondary education is life-enhancing, regardless of length of study or level of completion. This article examines application of this mission at community colleges and global counterparts throughout the world.

The article raises the issue of readiness for teaching in the Ukrainian Technical College of specialists who do not have pedagogical education. It is determined that the motivating factor is an important factor influencing the work of a young teacher, the formation and development of future professionals, and the problem of determining the readiness of a specialist with engineering education to teach, his motivation for a new activity, ability to acquire knowledge and skills is extremely relevant and needs attention from the head of scientific and methodological work. It is proposed to introduce the primary scientific and diagnostic development of the mechanism of differentiated psychological and pedagogical influence on teachers of special disciplines of the technical college, which will determine the types of teachers, taking into account the level of their motivation for teaching. The algorithm of application of methods, including author’s, is considered, methodical recommendations concerning their application, calculation, use of results of research are given. It is concluded that the application of primary scientific and diagnostic development of the mechanism of differentiated psychological and pedagogical influence in the technical college will help to adjust group and individual scientific and methodical work with beginning teachers and teaching staff as a whole, to plan further stages of development of psychological and pedagogical competence.

This article contributes to the debate on the efficacy of traditional forms of education versus vocational training. The effects of technical education (leading to an engineering degree or diploma) and vocational training in engineering on the performance of Indian firms are analysed using regression models based on the Cobb–Douglas production function, enhanced to incorporate education and training. Instrumental variable approach is used to establish the direction of causality. It is found that that when a larger share of workers in a particular sector has a college or university-level technical education or vocational education in technical fields, there is a positive impact on firm performance in those sectors. Further, higher education in a general field seems to consistently benefit the organised manufacturing sector, while some levels of school education appear to benefit the unorganised sectors. JEL codes: I-23; L-60; M-53

Education policy reform in England, as enabled by successive governments, has supported the liberalization and supply of an increasing number and diverse range of provision with varying structures and governance models. As such, these reforms have generated a portfolio for parents to exercise school choice. This article explores the discourses surrounding the liberalization of education provision and its implications for technical education, by adopting Hodgson and Spours’ (2012) conceptualization of localism as a lens through which to empirically research one of the former government’s flagship technical institutions – the University Technical College (UTC). Drawing on a series of interviews, the study examines and analyses the concept of localism within the context of a UTC and identifies emergent themes. Importantly, the study’s findings challenge the assumption that institutions will, of their own volition, come together and put aside institutional self-interest for the greater good of the learner and the local and regional skills agenda. The study concludes with recommendations for further research to determine whether the tensions, competitive practices and competition identified at a single institution may be indicative of those experienced more widely across UTCs.

Lifelong Education has changed the old view of the end of education, and promoted sustainable development of education, which is a strategic goal of social development. Lifelong education exhibit new features to further achieve educational equity with the technical support of MOOC/SPOC. In recent years, teaching reform of applied chemistry profession promoted by Department of higher education has gradually gone deeper, but there are still some problems and difficulties, such as contradictions among basic of specialized subject, teaching hours and teaching content, difficulties of lifting of the teaching content and improvement of teaching quality, which restrict teaching reform process. Teaching practice experience of SPOC in applied chemistry profession is simply introduced, proposing countermeasure for SPOC in college teaching applications designed to enhance the quality of teaching for reference.

In this fast-changing and globalized world, English study is more and more important for Chinese college students. Nevertheless, the differences between English and Chinese and the influence of mother tongue have caused great trouble in English study of Chinese college students, especially vocational college students. Among the problems, Chinglish is the most serious one which hinders them in making progress in English study. The author has carried out a study in Leshan Vocational and Technical College about vocational college students’ Chinglish problem. Hopefully, the paper is to help vocational college students to avoid Chinglish and further to provide some advice for English teaching and learning in colleges and universities, on the basis of the findings of the study like the types and causes of Chinglish.

This paper investigates how personality education can be improved among technicians in Korea, proposing a methodology for improving personality education of technicians of Korea Polytechnics. The personality education course for technicians is implemented to improve and reinforce the current liberal arts education in Korea Polytechnics. The methodology proposed in this study includes comparing the personality education at Korea Polytechnics with that of other junior colleges. Furthermore, it included selecting the best volunteer club at college, participating in technical volunteer work abroad, awarding best readers at college, and introducing the best teaching program for enhancing student motivation in the English class. Based on the findings of implementing this methodology, the study recommends nine suggestions for improving personality education, drawing on four case studies from two campuses of Korea Polytechnics, Further research is required in this field before implementing these recommendations.

The central arguments in this thesis rest on two premises. Firstly language and context are intimately bound up in the social construction of workplace gender inequalities. Secondly, organisational understandings and management of women�s access to employment opportunities and rewards in modern bureaucratic organisations are constituted through discourses or systems of organisational knowledges, practices and rules of organising. This study uses the concept of discourse to account for the productive and powerful role of knowledge and language practices in constituting the organisational contexts and meanings through which people make sense of and experience complex organisations.

This field study examines the comparative effectiveness of traditional and humanistic teaching methods. In part I the origins of humanistic teaching and their relationship to Gestalt therapy are considered. The influence of Humanistic education adult learning theory is also discussed. Part I concludes with an assessment of humanistic teaching. Part II: To measure the comparative effectiveness of the humanistic and traditional teaching methods, three groups of first year students in General English classess in a College of Technical and Further Education were selected. The effectiveness was measured in terms of differences in 1. Self-esteem. 2. Spelling Ability. 3. Attrition rates. 4 Academic Results. It can be concluded that there is: No difference in measures of self-esteem between groups, on the basis of the teaching method used. A large increase in the measure of self-esteem was observed in one of the groups that was taught with humanistic teaching strategies. Spelling measures showed no significant changes in any of the groups. Attrition rates were significantly reduced in groups that received humanistic teaching. Academic results of students completing the course showed no significant differences.

This study examines the reasons for student withdrawal from the Accounting Certificate Course at Woden TAFE College during the period 1981 to 1984 inclusive. The investigation concerns students enrolled in a demanding, four year course, which leads to a para-professional qualification including (subject to practical experience) registration with the Tax Agents Registration Board. A 100% survey was made of all students, both withdrawn and continuing for the relevant period. Students are adults, mostly between the ages of 20 to 50. Attrition rates in the early stages of the course were found to be very high, and reasons established were related to a variety of causes, including personal reasons. Follow up interviews by telephone were carried out and these showed no new trends from the results of the questionnaires. The main reasons for attrition within the control of the college, seemed to be related to inaccurate student perceptions of, and expectations from the course. The major recommendations and implications arising from the study suggest that counselling be given greater prominence at the time of enrolment. There is also a case for timetabling to include day classes at times and venues most beneficial for students. Another outcome of the investigation suggests that closer liaison be developed between the college, industry and commerce. An important issue which became evident from this research focused on staff development and the need for administrators and teachers to further their educational leadership knowledge and skills to provide the best possible service for students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roll played by Further Education and Training Colleges in delivering education in South-Africa, with specific reference to technical education. As technology developed, the need for well trained artisans also increased. Technical Colleges have helped in addressing that need by increasing the theoretical knowledge of apprentices and artisans. With the political changes in South-Africa, came changes in education. Technical Colleges changed to Further Education and Training Colleges, and with that the purpose of these institutions. No longer will supplementary theoretical training be done at Technical Colleges, instead complete trade training will be done at Further Education and Training Colleges. This study has shown some problems with this new approach that need to be addressed before Further Education and Training Colleges can take their place in the provision of quality education in South -Africa.
Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

This field study discusses curriculum evaluation in technical and further education in Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The study has been developed to include a case study of evaluation undertaken at the Bruce College of Technical and Further Education. The case study forms an integra1 part of the field study and provides the focus for discussion of evaluation standards developed by Stufflebeam and others (joint Committee, 1981) for evaluation and meta-evaluation. The standards suggested by the Joint Committee (1981) were applied to the case study to examine the value of the case study itself as a form of a meta-evaluation, together with the advantages and limitations of the standards themselves. Following this analysis a modified list of standards has been prepared for application in the TAFE sector.

Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL)
Student dropout, certification and retention rate has played a pivotal role for academic institutions globally. There are various factors that affect student persistence which inevitably leads to a student’s failure to graduate. These factors may also result in voluntary withdrawal from institutions which could impact on the status and funding of tertiary institutions. To deal with such critical issues, there is a need to understand the reasons for the decline in student retention and the factors that influence goals and student departure. The aim of the current study was to explore the factors that may or may not contribute to persistence, which eventually has an influence on the retention rate. In the current qualitative study, Tinto’s longitudinal model was comprehensively explored. Therefore, the current study was located within Tinto’s longitudinal model of student departure. The researcher was prompted to explore the factors that influence student goals, institutional commitments, social and academic integration and persistence. The South African government expected that the role of the TVET colleges would become the cornerstone of the skills development landscape. According to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET, 2013b), it was estimated that the growth in the sector would escalate as follows: the projection of 345 000 students in 2010, 630 000 students in 2013. The total projection for 2030 was that 2.5 million students would be certified (DHET, 2013b). Unfortunately, the 2030 projection has been adversely affected by the poorly performing institution and the high dropout rate. (DHET, 2013b) Therefore, the setting for the research was a Technical Vocational College in Cape Town which offers the National Certificate Vocational NCV. The single institutional study linking academic integration, goal influencers, institutional commitments social and academic integration and persistence was based in a college in Cape Town. Thus the study has an overarching research question and three sub-questions. The college was selected conveniently and the researcher purposively selected the participants. A total of twenty participants (20) were interviewed after providing assent and consent. The qualitative design utilized in the current study allowed the researcher to identify themes. Therefore, thematic analysis was employed in the data analysis section. The researcher is currently an insider in this sector. The unique experience and academic background of the researcher has afforded the opportunity to ethically gain access to past results in the TVET, specifically, in a NCV programme at a Cape Town College.

Thesis (MEd. (Community and Continuing Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015
The research was carried out in Capricorn College for FET. The main aim of this study was to identify the educational needs of Capricorn College for FET. This study attempted to answer the following research question:  What are the educational needs of Capricorn College for FET? This study was designed within a qualitative research paradigm using multiple-case studies. A document analysis, semi-structured interviews, observations were used to identify the educational needs of Capricorn College for FET. Semi-structured interviews allowed me to ask questions to participants while allowing the flexibility to probe further details. Semi-structured interviews helped me to have a broader view and clear understanding of educational needs that might exist in all campuses of Capricorn College for FET. Through observation educational needs of learners, educators and campus managers were noted. Findings of this study show that there are educational needs at the Capricorn College for FET such as; the lack of funding, lack of staffing, poor learner recruitment, poor infrastructural resources and poor quality of teaching and learning. Recommendations were made for educators in the three campuses to be trained so that they can acquire knowledge about teaching methodologies. More funding should be provided to the college to enhance the smooth running of the college. The college should be equipped with resources that are required for teaching and learning. More learners should be able to study and equipped with relevant skills for job market. Capricorn College for FET should use recruitment strategies that may benefit almost learners in the country. The Department of Higher Education and Training should make sure that Capricorn College for FET be provided with necessary and enough infrastructural resources. Teaching and learning materials should be supplied to this institution and on time. In that way it will enhance the effective teaching and learning at the college.

Many claims have been made in the literature about the motivational effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on learners, leading them to have a positive perception towards their work, spend longer periods on tasks and be more committed to their learning. The author of the present study has utilized their previous research evidence of motivation and the results of other previous projects to investigate the factors which motivate educators to use ICT. This project was initiated to investigate the educator's perception, which has contributed to the continued use of ICT, by educators experienced in using it for teaching. The evidence discussed in this paper was collected through a literature search, educator documents, educators' reports or observations and interviews. Weiner's analysis of motivation research and cognitivists theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour have been used as a basis for the analysis of the results. Research findings show that the motivational factors which correlated most positively with the use of ICT were: perceived ability to use Information Technology (IT); level of resources available and their satisfaction with IT; and whether using IT in teaching is considered to be interesting, valuable and enjoyable. The most significant negative factor was difficulties experienced in using IT. Researcher also found that a whole range of other perception factors attributed by the educators to using ICT. Such as: making the lessons more interesting for the educator, increasing learners' motivation, improving presentation of materials, making the teaching more enjoyable, improving the content of the lesson, and making the lessons more fun for the learners, were considered by the educator respondents to contribute to the learners' progress in learning.
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

The study focused on professional development of lecturers at Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges in the Eastern Cape Province. The effectiveness of lecturers at FET colleges depends on continuous development in order to meet challenges that they face due to continuous changes in technology and curriculum. Also, the development of the lecturers has a positive effect on their teaching with the result that both the students and the wider institution benefit from it. The literature reviewed revealed the effects, types, theories and nature of professional development. A qualitative research approach in the form of document analysis, interviews and observations was used in order to explore the implementation and/or lack thereof of professional development and its effects in teaching and learning within the institution. It is hoped that the qualitative study and the literature review will contribute to the implementation of professional development for the benefit of students and the college. Different strategies for the implementation of professional development were recommended that could further enhance the introduction of professional development in FET colleges.
Educational Leadership and Management
M. Ed. (Education Management)

South Africa is a developing country that contends with a serious skills deficit that hampers its economic growth prospects. To address this skills deficit particularly at intermediate level, the government identified the public Further Education and Training (FET) College sector to serve as a medium to counter the challenge. Subsequent to the aforementioned decision by the government, political and financial support was pledged to the sector. Legislation that is attributed to the sector was also enacted and amended to capacitate the sector to perform optimally. The focus of this research was the capability of the public FET College sector in the province of Gauteng to respond credibly and qualitatively to the skills needs of the province‟s labour markets. Thus, the primary purpose was to evaluate the role that the sector in the province plays to address the skills shortage. The research design for the study was triangulation in nature, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. Nine public FET colleges, six companies and the Indlela Training Centre were sampled for gathering information regarding the responsiveness, articulation and efficiency of the province‟s public FET College sector. Students, lecturers, HODs and company‟s skills development managers were interviewed and sampled for the completion of questionnaires. Some significant differences in perceptions relating to the role played by the province‟s public FET college sector in addressing the skills shortage were found. Findings indicated that the massive financial and political support pledged to the sector by the government did not translate into efficiency, credibility and responsiveness nor capacitate the sector. In terms of the findings employers are skeptical about the quality of graduates that the province‟s public FET colleges ect or produces. Further, it was found that the sector‟s lecturers are inappropriately qualified and this contributes to the inefficiency of the sector in performing optimally. The lack of a formal skills development partnership between the sector and the labour markets hampers the articulation and the responsiveness of the sector to the skills needs of labour market. However, the current development whereby all the skills development institutions have been placed under one department has the potential to add value to the skills development landscape, particularly the public FET College sector.
Educational Leadership and Management
D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college environment is marked by increasingly stark juxtapositions between what needs to be achieved in the post-school education sector and the increasing difficulty of current conditions. The triple challengeof poverty, inequality and unemployment weighs heavily on the social, political and economic fabric of the country and expectations are high that the TVET colleges can make a pivotal contribution to counter these challenges. Despite laudable increases in TVET enrolment, the education system needs to work harder to accommodate the weight of demand for post school further education and training (FET) band qualifications from young people not in education, employment or training. At the same time, it is vital to secure adequate quality in TVET programmes which depend so much on the competence and commitment of college lecturers.

For college graduates to be successful in today’s global economy there has been an increasing demand for them to possess business knowledge as well as technical knowledge. To meet the demand, curriculum designers have sought to integrate new technologies, applications, data, and business functions into classrooms so that non-information technology (IT) majors can realize the benefits of IT. This paper discusses the results of research conducted on the use of multimedia case studies to address the curriculum designers’ challenge. The authors have found that students, who are taught using multimedia case studies, perceived a comparatively greater improvement in their higher-order cognitive skills, ease of learning, team working skills, attitude toward information technology, and self-efficacy. This suggests a need for further research into adopting such instructional materials for teaching non-IT majors and for developing other innovative instructional materials.

This chapter deals with research on the development and use of an assessment instrument for measuring affective satisfaction in online learning. The research used a One-Way Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) design, and the measure was students’ perceived affective community satisfaction. An increasing mean score trend combined with positive qualitative feedback provided indicators of an overall growth in students’ perceived affective community satisfaction worthy of further investigation. Data was collected at the college level, although it has important implications for online socio-technical design at all education levels.

Personalized learning refers to a variety of instructional methods, academic support strategies, and educational programs that are proposed to address specific interests and learning needs of the students. The key goal of integrating technology with personalized learning is to have students progress from high school to college or a career. But currently, most of the students leave high school without the knowledge and technical skills that they need for success in further education and workplace. In order to improve K-12 education (i.e., kindergarten [K] and the 1st through the 12th grade) fundamental and systemic changes in middle and high school education are required. Integration of technology can help the students to improve knowledge, advance skills, and to gain the competencies to work well in the society and workforce. This chapter focuses on applicability of technology, implementation, and feasibility issues that play a key role in personalized learning.

The expanding role of English as an international lingua franca has had considerable effects on higher education (HE) provision around the world. English has become the medium of choice for African HE, and its position as a medium of instruction in the Europe and Asia is strengthening (Coleman, 2006; HU, 2009). English-medium tertiary education is also commonplace in the Middle East including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the context of the present study, where the vast majority of courses at university-level are conducted in English (Gallagher, 2011). The increasing use of English-medium programs presents particular challenges for content-area faculty who are in effect called upon to provide disciplinary instruction to students who may not be adequately language proficient. Furthermore, discipline-specific faculty may find themselves sharing responsibility to further develop their students’ English language proficiency. Information technology related schools face unique challenges. A significant majority of IT faculty come from computer science/engineering backgrounds and speak English as a second or third language. Most courses emphasize the development of technical skills and afford relatively few opportuni-ties for writing assignments. While exploratory in nature, the study proposes to identify and evaluate practices that can help IT colleges better develop their students’ proficiency in English.

The Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program was initially based on concepts from the Transferable Integrated Design Engineering Education (TIDEE) model. The TIDEE model was developed in the mid 1990s to focus on continuous improvement of engineering design education. The primary thrust of the TIDEE model focuses on team-based activities that allow students to effectively develop the necessary skills to become qualified, productive, and successful engineers and technologists of the future. The Engineering Challenge Program focuses on project based learning in a team environment and targets two important educational groups: underrepresented students as well as faculty from high schools and community colleges in Connecticut. In order to further develop the students’ interpersonal and organizational skills, the Engineering Challenge Program expands on the TIDEE model through development of technical writing and professional skills including project management, teamwork skills, understanding behavioral diversity using DISC behavioral profiles, and personal accountability. Interdisciplinary teams of high school teachers and college faculty work with a CT-based management consultant group to deliver the program by “teaching teachers” effective methods to assess and coach teamwork in the classroom and labs. The Engineering Challenge Program has impacted over 250 students composed of high school and undergraduate students from community colleges and to a lesser degree four-year universities. By targeting underrepresented student participants, the program has been effective in engaging its participants in pursuing education and careers in STEM-related disciplines. Approximately 35% of the participants have been females and 53% of the participants’ non-Caucasian.

Aim/Purpose: This paper provides the results of the preliminary analysis of the findings of an ongoing study that seeks to examine the social media use, cultural and political awareness, civic engagement, issue prioritization, and social activism of Gen Z students enrolled at four different institutional types located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The aim of this study is to look at the group as a whole as well as compare findings across populations. The institutional types under consideration include a mid-sized majority serving or otherwise referred to as a traditionally white institution (TWI) located in a small coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean, a small Historically Black University (HBCU) located in a rural area, a large community college located in a county that is a mixture of rural and suburban and which sits on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and graduating high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs in a large urban area. This exploration is purposed to examine the behaviors and expectations of Gen Z students within a representative American region during a time of tremendous turmoil and civil unrest in the United States. Background: Over 74 million strong, Gen Z makes up almost one-quarter of the U.S. population. They already outnumber any current living generation and are the first true digital natives. Born after 1996 and through 2012, they are known for their short attention spans and heightened ability to multi-task. Raised in the age of the smart phone, they have been tethered to digital devices from a young age with most having the preponderance of their childhood milestones commemorated online. Often called Zoomers, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation and are on track to be the most well-educated generation in history. Gen Zers in the United States have been found in the research to be progressive and pro-government and viewing increasing racial and ethnic diversity as positive change. Finally, they are less likely to hold xenophobic beliefs such as the notion of American exceptionalism and superiority that have been popular with by prior generations. The United States has been in a period of social and civil unrest in recent years with concerns over systematic racism, rampant inequalities, political polarization, xenophobia, police violence, sexual assault and harassment, and the growing epidemic of gun violence. Anxieties stirred by the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded these issues resulting in a powder keg explosion occurring throughout the summer of 2020 and leading well into 2021. As a result, the United States has deteriorated significantly in the Civil Unrest Index falling from 91st to 34th. The vitriol, polarization, protests, murders, and shootings have all occurred during Gen Z’s formative years, and the limited research available indicates that it has shaped their values and political views. Methodology: The Mid-Atlantic region is a portion of the United States that exists as the overlap between the northeastern and southeastern portions of the country. It includes the nation’s capital, as well as large urban centers, small cities, suburbs, and rural enclaves. It is one of the most socially, economically, racially, and culturally diverse parts of the United States and is often referred to as the “typically American region.” An electronic survey was administered to students from 2019 through 2021 attending a high school dual enrollment program, a minority serving institution, a majority serving institution, and a community college all located within the larger mid-Atlantic region. The survey included a combination of multiple response, Likert scaled, dichotomous, open ended, and ordinal questions. It was developed in the Survey Monkey system and reviewed by several content and methodological experts in order to examine bias, vagueness, or potential semantic problems. Finally, the survey was pilot tested prior to implementation in order to explore the efficacy of the research methodology. It was then modified accordingly prior to widespread distribution to potential participants. The surveys were administered to students enrolled in classes taught by the authors all of whom are educators. Participation was voluntary, optional, and anonymous. Over 800 individuals completed the survey with just over 700 usable results, after partial completes and the responses of individuals outside of the 18-24 age range were removed. Findings: Participants in this study overwhelmingly were users of social media. In descending order, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Tik Tok were the most popular social media services reported as being used. When volume of use was considered, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter were the most cited with most participants reporting using Instagram and Snapchat multiple times a day. When asked to select which social media service they would use if forced to choose just one, the number one choice was YouTube followed by Instagram and Snapchat. Additionally, more than half of participants responded that they have uploaded a video to a video sharing site such as YouTube or Tik Tok. When asked about their familiarity with different technologies, participants overwhelmingly responded that they are “very familiar” with smart phones, searching the Web, social media, and email. About half the respondents said that they were “very familiar” with common computer applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite or Google Suite with another third saying that they were “somewhat familiar.” When asked about Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard, Course Compass, Canvas, Edmodo, Moodle, Course Sites, Google Classroom, Mindtap, Schoology, Absorb, D2L, itslearning, Otus, PowerSchool, or WizIQ, only 43% said they were “very familiar” with 31% responding that they were “somewhat familiar.” Finally, about half the students were either “very” or “somewhat” familiar with operating systems such as Windows. A few preferences with respect to technology in the teaching and learning process were explored in the survey. Most students (85%) responded that they want course announcements and reminders sent to their phones, 76% expect their courses to incorporate the use of technology, 71% want their courses to have course websites, and 71% said that they would rather watch a video than read a book chapter. When asked to consider the future, over 81% or respondents reported that technology will play a major role in their future career. Most participants considered themselves “informed” or “well informed” about current events although few considered themselves “very informed” or “well informed” about politics. When asked how they get their news, the most common forum reported for getting news and information about current events and politics was social media with 81% of respondents reporting. Gen Z is known to be an engaged generation and the participants in this study were not an exception. As such, it came as no surprise to discover that, in the past year more than 78% of respondents had educated friends or family about an important social or political issue, about half (48%) had donated to a cause of importance to them, more than a quarter (26%) had participated in a march or rally, and a quarter (26%) had actively boycotted a product or company. Further, about 37% consider themselves to be a social activist with another 41% responding that aren’t sure if they would consider themselves an activist and only 22% saying that they would not consider themselves an activist. When asked what issues were important to them, the most frequently cited were Black Lives Matter (75%), human trafficking (68%), sexual assault/harassment/Me Too (66.49%), gun violence (65.82%), women’s rights (65.15%), climate change (55.4%), immigration reform/deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) (48.8%), and LGBTQ+ rights (47.39%). When the schools were compared, there were only minor differences in social media use with the high school students indicating slightly more use of Tik Tok than the other participants. All groups were virtually equal when it came to how informed they perceived themselves about current events and politics. Consensus among groups existed with respect to how they get their news, and the community college and high school students were slightly more likely to have participated in a march, protest, or rally in the last 12 months than the university students. The community college and high school students were also slightly more likely to consider themselves social activists than the participants from either of the universities. When the importance of the issues was considered, significant differences based on institutional type were noted. Black Lives Matter (BLM) was identified as important by the largest portion of students attending the HBCU followed by the community college students and high school students. Less than half of the students attending the TWI considered BLM an important issue. Human trafficking was cited as important by a higher percentage of students attending the HBCU and urban high school than at the suburban and rural community college or the TWI. Sexual assault was considered important by the majority of students at all the schools with the percentage a bit smaller from the majority serving institution. About two thirds of the students at the high school, community college, and HBCU considered gun violence important versus about half the students at the majority serving institution. Women’s rights were reported as being important by more of the high school and HBCU participants than the community college or TWI. Climate change was considered important by about half the students at all schools with a slightly smaller portion reporting out the HBCU. Immigration reform/DACA was reported as important by half the high school, community college, and HBCU participants with only a third of the students from the majority serving institution citing it as an important issue. With respect to LGBTQ rights approximately half of the high school and community college participants cited it as important, 44.53% of the HBCU students, and only about a quarter of the students attending the majority serving institution. Contribution and Conclusion: This paper provides a timely investigation into the mindset of generation Z students living in the United States during a period of heightened civic unrest. This insight is useful to educators who should be informed about the generation of students that is currently populating higher education. The findings of this study are consistent with public opinion polls by Pew Research Center. According to the findings, the Gen Z students participating in this study are heavy users of multiple social media, expect technology to be integrated into teaching and learning, anticipate a future career where technology will play an important role, informed about current and political events, use social media as their main source for getting news and information, and fairly engaged in social activism. When institutional type was compared the students from the university with the more affluent and less diverse population were less likely to find social justice issues important than the other groups. Recommendations for Practitioners: During disruptive and contentious times, it is negligent to think that the abounding issues plaguing society are not important to our students. Gauging the issues of importance and levels of civic engagement provides us crucial information towards understanding the attitudes of students. Further, knowing how our students gain information, their social media usage, as well as how informed they are about current events and political issues can be used to more effectively communicate and educate. Recommendations for Researchers: As social media continues to proliferate daily life and become a vital means of news and information gathering, additional studies such as the one presented here are needed. Additionally, in other countries facing similarly turbulent times, measuring student interest, awareness, and engagement is highly informative. Impact on Society: During a highly contentious period replete with a large volume of civil unrest and compounded by a global pandemic, understanding the behaviors and attitudes of students can help us as higher education faculty be more attuned when it comes to the design and delivery of curriculum. Future Research This presentation presents preliminary findings. Data is still being collected and much more extensive statistical analyses will be performed.

Aim/Purpose: To update a 2010 study that recommended “rules of thumb” for more effective use of PowerPoint in the post-secondary business classroom. The current study expanded the focus to include the business classroom in India as well as the US and examined possible shifts in student perception of the utility of PowerPoint among Generations Y and Z. Background: The study examined students’ perception of the learning utility of PowerPoint in post-secondary business classrooms in the US and India and the relationship of the use of PowerPoint to course ratings. Methodology: Surveys were distributed in post-secondary business classrooms in India and the US in 2018 and early 2019, resulting in 92 completions from India and 127 from the US. Separately 50 student course evaluations from the same US college were compared to the use of slides as well as to their conformance to the “rules of thumb” for effectiveness established earlier and other measures of quality. Contribution: These results show how PowerPoint is viewed by post-secondary business students in India and the US and its perceived utility as a learning tool for Generations Y and Z. Findings: Most post-secondary business students (80%) found PowerPoint an effective learning tool, but only 21% of the business classes examined used it. US students were more positive than Indian ones, who were more likely to say PowerPoint is overused. There was no difference in student course evaluations between those that had slides and those that did not. However, most of the slide decks examined did not follow the “rules of thumb,” exhibiting a much greater number of words per slide. Generations Y and Z gave high ratings to slides that incorporated audiovisuals, mixed media, and special effects and said they learned more when they were the ones who created the slides. However, most students did not rate themselves as competent in creation of PowerPoint slides. Recommendations for Practitioners: (1) Faculty should consider students’ positive reception of PowerPoint, their preference for adaptive, interactive learning that builds on strong multimedia elements while creating instructional materials. (2) Faculty should receive prescriptive design instruction for incorporating PowerPoint best practices to cut back on their self-reported high time spent on slide creation and student-reported low technical competency in faculty instruction. (3) Publishers should concentrate on slide design and innovativeness along with content coverage to serve faculty needs. (4) Business curricula should take into account generational as well as cultural differences in learning preferences. (5) To address the students’ conflation of personal social media prowess with superior technology or communication skills in the professional context, Business curricula should incorporate learning outcomes related to professional use of technology tools such as PowerPoint. Recommendations for Researchers: There is still utility in old-fashioned paper questionnaires to assess what impacts student learning. There is also merit in comparing student course evaluations with various in-classroom treatments. Impact on Society: PowerPoint may be underused in the post-secondary business classroom, but this paper raises questions about the value of unedited use of the very dense slides provided by publishers as effective learning tools in the post-secondary business classroom. Future Research: Future research can be focused on the use of PowerPoint slides in the business classroom in other countries and cultures, as only the US and India were examined. Further examination needs to be made of the relationship between extensive and unedited use of publisher-provided slides and the reporting of the staggering statistics that most students are not now buying textbooks. Finally, this study did not touch on gender or socio-economic differences in the student demographics, which might open further avenues for investigation.