Factors Affecting Faculty Attitudes toward the Use of Instructional Media in Selected Public Colleges and Universities in Michigan

Transcription

1 Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College Factors Affecting Faculty Attitudes toward the Use of Instructional Media in Selected Public Colleges and Universities in Michigan Abdelgader Ali El Musrati Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons Recommended Citation Musrati, Abdelgader Ali El, "Factors Affecting Faculty Attitudes toward the Use of Instructional Media in Selected Public Colleges and Universities in Michigan" (1986). Dissertations This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact

2 FACTORS AFFECTING FACULTY ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA IN SELECTED PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN MICHIGAN by Abdelgader A ll El M usrati A D issertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College In p a r tia l fu lfillm en t of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Department of Educational Leadership Western Michigan U niversity Kalamazoo, Michigan August 1986

3 FACTORS AFFECTING FACULTY ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA IN SELECTED PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN MICHIGAN Abdelgader A li El M usrati, Ed.D. Western Michigan U n iv ersity, 1986 The purpose of th is study was to answer th e follow ing questions: 1. Do the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members in in s titu tio n s rated as having high q u ality media service programs d iffe r from the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members in in stitu tio n s rated as having low q u ality media serv ice programs in regard to the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media? 2. Do type of in s titu tio n, subject f ie ld, academic rank, degree held, length of teaching ex p erien ce, fo rm al co u rse s in e d u c a tio n a l media, and in-serv ice train in g programs in in stru c tio n a l media uses a f f e c t fa c u lty members' a ttitu d e s tow ard th e use of in s tr u c tio n a l media? The research population consisted of 6 media d ire cto rs and 390 randomly s e le c te d fa c u lty members from 6 i n s t i t u t i o n s of h ig h er e d u catio n in M ichigan: 2 tw o-year colleg es, 2 four-year colleges, and 2 u n iv e rsitie s. Of the questionnaires d istrib u te d, 83.08% were re tu rn e d. Two in stru m e n ts were used to g a th e r d a ta : the Media D ire c to r Q u estio n n aire and F acu lty Q u e stio n n a ire on the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media. Using o n e-w ay -analy sis of v a ria n c e, th e in v e s tig a to r found a sig n ific a n t relatio n sh ip between type of in s titu tio n s and the a t t i tudes of fa c u lty members toward the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media. The

4 same was tru e of su b ject areas taught and academic rank. However, no s ig n i f i c a n t r e l a tio n s h ip e x is te d betw een d egree h eld and f a c u lty members' a ttitu d e s toward the use of in s tru c tio n a l media. U sing th e t_ te n t, th e in v e s tig a to r found a congruence betw een media d ire c to rs ' ra tin g s and the a ttitu d e s of fa c u lty members toward the use of in s tru c tio n a l media in tw o-year co lleg es and u n iv e rs itie s. There was no congruence re g a rd in g fo u r-y e a r c o lle g e s. There was congruence when a l l in s titu tio n s were compared. Also, the in v e s tig a to r found a s ig n i f i c a n t d iffe r e n c e e x is te d in th e a t t i t u d e s o f fa cu lty members in regard to the use of in stru c tio n a l media based on th e ir teaching experience, formal courses taken in educational media, and p a rtic ip a tio n in in -serv ic e media tra in in g programs. Using the second category of Faculty Q uestionnaire on the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media, the research hypotheses on type of in s titu tio n s, su b ject areas taught, academic rank, and degree held were re je c te d. However, th e re s e a rc h h y p o th eses on te a c h in g e x p e rie n c e, fo rm al courses taken in educational media, and p a rtic ip a tio n in in -serv ic e media tra in in g programs were accepted.

5 INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a manuscript sent to us for publication and microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this manuscript, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. Pages in any manuscript may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. Manuscripts may not always be complete. When it is not possible to obtain missing pages, a note appears to indicate this. '} 2. When copyrighted materials are removed from the manuscript, a note appears to indicate this. 3. Oversize materials (maps, drawings, and charts) are photographed by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each oversize page is also filmed as one exposure and is available, for an additional charge, as a standard 35mm slide or in black and white paper format.* 4. Most photographs reproduce acceptably on positive microfilm.or microfiche but lack clarity on xerographic copies made from the microfilm. For an additional charge, all photographs are available in black and white standard 35mm slide format.* *For more information about black and white slides or enlarged paper reproductions, please contact the Dissertations Customer Services Department T T-lVyf-T Dissertation U l V l l Information Service University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Com pany 300 N. Z eeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106

6

7 El M usrati, Abdelgader All FACTORS AFFECTING FACULTY ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA IN SELECTED PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN MICHIGAN Western Michigan University Ed.D University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml Copyright 1986 by El Musrati, Abdelgader Ali All Rights Reserved

8

9 Copyright by Abdelgader All El M usrati 1986

10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would lik e to express my sin cere thanks, much gra titu d e, and appreciation to many in d iv id u a ls for th e ir b e lie f in my a b ilit ie s as a doctoral student and for th e ir caring for me as an in d ividual: To my advisor and chairperson, Dr. Charles C. W arfield, for h is guidance, encouragem ent, and support; To Dr. David J. Cowden, Dr. S tev en C. R hodes, and Dr. W illia m J. Armstrong, members o f my com m ittee, who gave e x c e lle n t a ssista n ce in th e d evelopm ent and w r it in g o f t h is d is s e r t a t io n. I t has been a great p r iv ile g e to have th ese experts serve as my d isserta tio n comm ittee members. They provided many h elp fu l in sig h ts on the design o f the study and the in terp reta tio n o f the data; To Dr. John C orbin and Mr. Archy Watson fo r t h e ir v a lu a b le a ssista n c e in c o lle c tin g the data for th is study; To ev ery in d iv id u a l o f The S o c i a l i s t P e o p le 's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for th e ir encouragement and support for making my academic achievem ent p o s s ib le. I want to assu re them o f my continued d ed icatio n to them at a l l tim es; To my w ife, Zenab, for her th oughtfu ln ess, p atien ce, encouragem ent, and su pport d u rin g t h is endeavor; to my c h ild r e n, S a b ria, Mohammed, Sarah, and S u hila, who created a clim a te which made th is research p o ssib le; and to my fath er, A li, for h is understanding and h is p o s itiv e support at a l l tim es; i i

11 To a l l of my Arab b ro th e rs fo r th e ir c o n sta n t support and help during th is project; To Mrs. Lee Pakko for the b eau tifu l job she did typing the fin a l d ra fts of my d isse rta tio n ; and L astly, 1 would lik e to dedicate th is work to the memory of my mother, Sabria, and to my fath er-in -law, Mohamed, who are not alive to share in my success. Abdelgader A li El M usrati

12 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... LIST OF TABLES... i i v i CHAPTER I. BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM... 1 Background of the P r o b le m... 1 B arriers A ffecting Media Programs... 3 Media Use in Higher E d u c a tio n... 7 Factors A ffecting the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media.. 8 Statement o f the P ro b lem Research Questions D efin itio n of T e rm in o lo g y S ignificance of the S t u d y S um m ary I I. REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE Media Programs in Colleges and U n iv ersitie s F acto rs A ffe c tin g the Development o f Media Service Programs New Media and College Teaching Comparisons Between In stru c tio n a l Media Acceptance o f In stru c tio n a l Media Media Use and Faculty A t t i t u d e s Factors Influencing Media U tiliz a tio n H y p o th eses S um m ary iv

13 Table of Contents Continued CHAPTER I I I. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY The Research S a m p le I n s tr u m e n ta tio n Design and P ro c e d u re Data A n a l y s i s Null H y p o th e s e s IV. FINDINGS Research R esults Discussion of the Results S u n m a ry V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Sum m ary C o n c lu s io n s Recommendations for Further Research Recommendations Based on Free R e s p o n s e s APPENDICES A. Cover L e tter to Media D irectors B. Media D irector Q uestionnaire C. Cover L etter to Faculty Members D. Faculty Q uestionnaire on the Use of In s tru c tio n a l M edia E. Follow-up L e t t e r BIBLIOGRAPHY v

14 LIST OF TABLES 1. R esults of Studies Examining the R elationship Between Faculty A ttitu d es and Media Use R esu lts of S tudies Exaalnlng the R elatio n sh ip Between Type of In s titu tio n s and Media U s e R esu lts of S tu d ies Examining th e R elatio n sh ip Between Subject Area Taught and Media Use R esults of S tudies Examining the R elationship Between Academic Rank and Media U s e R esults of S tudies Examining the R elationship Between Degree Held and Media U s e R esults of S tudies Examining the R elationship Between Teaching Experience and Media Use R esults of S tudies Examining the R elationship Between Formal Courses and Media U s e R esu lts of S tu d ies Examining the R elatio n sh ip Between In-Service Media Training Programs and Media Use C ategories and R elated D iscip lin es Used fo r the Selection of the S u b j e c t s D istributed and Returned Questionnaires by Group Mean and Standard D eviation of Media Service Programs in Colleges and U n iv e r s itie s Comparison Between the Q uality of Media Service Programs and A ttitu d e s of F aculty Members Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Two-Year Colleges) Comparison Between the Q uality of Media Service Programs and A ttitu d e s of Faculty Members Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Four-Year Colleges) Comparison Between the Q uality of Media Service Programs and A ttitu d e s of F aculty Members Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (U n iv ersities) vi

15 List of Tables Continued 15. Comparison Between the Q uality of Media Service Programs and A ttitu d e s of F aculty Members Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l M e d ia One-Way Analysis of Variance of R elationship Between Type of In s titu tio n s and Faculty Members' A ttitudes Toward the Use of M e d ia One-Way A nalysis of Variance of R elatio n sh ip Between Subject Areas and F aculty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media One-Way A nalysis of V ariance of R elatio n sh ip Between Academic Rank and F aculty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l M ed ia One-Way A nalysis of Variance of R elatio n sh ip Between Degree Held and F acu lty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l M ed ia Years of Teaching Compared to Faculty A ttitudes Formal Courses Compared to Faculty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l M ed ia In-S erv ice Programs Compared to F aculty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l M e d ia One-Way Analysis of Variance of R elatio n sh ip Between Type of In s titu tio n s and Faculty A ttitudes Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2 ) One-Way A nalysis of Variance of R elatio n sh ip Between Subject Areas and F aculty A ttitu d es Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2) One-Way A nalysis of Variance of R elatio n sh ip Between Academic Rank and F aculty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2 ) I l l 26. One-Way A nalysis of Variance of R elatio n sh ip Between Degree Held and F acu lty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2) Years of Teaching Compared to Faculty A ttitudes Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2 ) v ii

16 List of Tables Continued 28. Formal Courses Compared to F aculty A ttitu d e s Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2) In-Service Programs Compared to Faculty A ttitu d es Toward the Use of In stru c tio n a l Media (Category 2 ) R esults of the T esting of the Research Hypotheses of the Present Study (A ll I te m s ) D ifferences Between the R esults of the Data C ollected Using A ll Categories and the Second Category Only v i i l

17 CHAPTER I BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Background of the Problem One of the most Important aspects of the new educational model Is the emergence of new technology In the learning environment. In the school, these new technologies are a lte rin g not only the content but also the stru c tu re of the In stru ctio n a l programs. This new media u tiliz a tio n In both teaching and le a rn in g c o n trib u te s and p ro v id es many o p p o rtu n itie s f o r the le a rn e rs to a c q u ire a wide v a r ie ty of experiences, not only In the classroom se ttin g, but outside as w ell. R esearch s tu d ie s by W. H. A llen (1971) and M oldstad (1974) have dem onstrated th a t I n s tr u c tio n a l media a re v a lu a b le to o ls in the teaching-learning process. Thus, newer approaches to in stru c tio n a l development have been established based upon the a v a ila b ility of the educational technologies in colleges and u n iv e rsitie s. In th is approach, considerable a tte n tio n In the design of In stru ctio n is placed on the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media as an im p o rta n t elem ent in the to ta l in stru c tio n a l program and I ts e ffe c t on the learner. Due to the basic nature of the teaching-learning process and the te c h n o lo g ies in v o lv ed, many u n iv e r s itie s and c o lle g e s have e s ta b lish e d educatio n al media serv ice programs which focus on the conditions of learning, p a rtic u la rly courses and cu rricu la. As noted by Hannum and Briggs (1982), "the lim ita tio n of tr a d itio n a l approaches

18 to co u rse and program developm ent is n o t th a t th ey never w ork, but r a th e r th a t th e q u a lity o f in s t r u c t i o n d eveloped by t r a d i t i o n a l approaches v a r ie s w id e ly, i s u s u a lly u n p re d ic ta b le, and is o fte n n ev er d e te rm in e d a t a l l " (p. 9). Gaff (1975) sta te d th a t: [The use o f] e d u c a tio n a l tech n o lo g y in re c e n t y e a rs has w itnessed im portant advances in te le v isio n, videotape, and co m p u ters, a l l o f w hich have much p o t e n tia l u t i l i t y fo r higher education. Although th is p o te n tia l is la rg ely untapped, the prevalence of media, computer, and te le v isio n cen ters on colleg e and u n iv e rsity campuses and the growing number of academ ic and te c h n ic a l s t a f f s k ille d in th e se m atters are v alu ab le resources for in s tru c tio n a l developm ent. (p. 49) An in v e stig a tio n conducted by Dear (1983) examined the s ta te of audiovisual technology fo r the years 1973 to I t was found th a t "colleges and u n iv e rs itie s have added many educational media courses to th e ir curriculum since 1973" (p. 1613A). Furtherm ore, a study by Dayton (1981) conducted to determ ine how th e pro d u ctio n of in s tr u c tio n a l media in the year 2001 w ill d if f e r from 1981 in terms of the b a s ic n a tu re o f th e p ro c e ss and th e tech n o lo g y in v o lv ed in d ic a te d th a t "th e p a r t ic ip a n ts p re d ic te d th a t th e n a tu re o f th e p ro d u c tio n p ro c e ss w ill change o v er th e n ex t 20 y e a rs. A lso, th ey in d ic a te d th a t i n s t r u c t i o n a l m edia w i l l ten d to become e a s ie r to u se, more compact, and more f le x ib le " (p. 236). C o n seq u en tly, th e re is a need to in c re a s e th e a p p lic a tio n of modern techniques and devices, media technologies th a t can increase the e ffic ie n c y and e ffic a c y of the colleg es and u n iv e rsitie s ' educatio n a l p ro cess.

19 3 B a rrie rs A ffecting Media Programs The learning resources center has two primary functions, service and In stru c tio n. Service Involves th e p ro v isio n of w hatever mater ia ls, equipment, a ssistan c e, and guidance are required by the user. The function of In stru c tio n Is implemented through a ssistin g students and f a c u lty to in q u ire and to search. The n a tu re and scope of the services to be implemented by the learning resources center w ill be a ffe c te d by s e v e ra l f a c to r s th a t have been regarded as the main obstacles in the development of effectiv e media service programs in h ig h e r e d u c atio n. These f a c to rs w ere: (a) i n s t i t u t i o n a l su p p o rt, (b) budget, (c) media personnel, (d) f a c i l itie s, (e) a v a ila b ility of in stru c tio n a l media, and (f) in -serv ice tra in in g program. I n s titu tio n a l Support An im portant re sp o n sib ility of an in s titu tio n of higher educatio n i s i t s commitment to the improvement of in s tru c tio n by encouraging th e use of in s tr u c tio n a l reso u rces and by p ro v id in g funds fo r special research p ro jects related to the use of in stru c tio n a l technology as an in te g ra l p a rt of the in stru c tio n a l system. Several stu d ies have been conducted to examine the relatio n sh ip between in s titu tio n a l support and the use of in stru c tio n a l media by fa c u lty members in h ig h e r ed u catio n. In th e ir s tu d ie s, R. C. A llen (1972), Imogle (1980), Margoles (1969), and Sanner (1974) pointed out th a t in s titu tio n a l support was sig n ific a n tly associated with faculty members' u tiliz a tio n of in stru c tio n a l media.

20 4 Budget Budgeting provides the fin a n c ia l data to support the statem ents of plans and programs. In essence, the budget Is the means by which money can be made to work for established objectives. Finance was Id e n tifie d as a major cause of in e ffic ie n t program o p e ra tio n in c o lle g e s and u n iv e r s itie s. An in v estig atio n was con** ducted by Graf (1976) to d eterm in e th e adequacy of the e d u c a tio n a l media service programs a t u n iv e rsitie s. I t was found th at inadequate budget was the main obstacle in the development of effectiv e media serv ice programs. This study was supported by Bannon (1979) and Joo (1980). Media Personnel A c r u c ia l elem ent in media s e rv ic e program s is the q u a lif ic a tio n s of the media p e rso n n e l. T h e refo re, th e le a rn in g re so u rc es c e n te r on every campus should be supported by s t a f f members w ith broad knowledge and e x p e rie n c e s. Brown and Norberg (1965) poin ted out th at many p o te n tia lly sig n ific a n t p ro jects have aborted because the in tere sted facu lty members were not given sustained consultant support. Several researchers (Forero, 1979; Moore, 1984; Soremekun, 1979) re p o rte d th a t lack of q u a lif ie d p erso n n el in a l l types of i n s t i t u tions surveyed was a sig n ific a n t facto r affectin g the development of educational media serv ice programs. Further, Forero (1979) concluded th a t d e fic ie n c y in s t a f f of the le a rn in g re so u rc es c e n te r was a

21 c ru c ia l problem a ffe c tin g th e ir involvement in the design of in stru c tio n. F a c ilitie s F a c i l i t i e s fo r academ ic p u rp o ses and p h y s ic a l f e a tu r e s m ust provide for d ifferen ces in a b i l i t i e s and needs, o ffe rin g a wide range o f m a te r ia ls and p ro v id in g sp aces f o r in d iv id u a l r e s e a r c h, group study, lis te n in g, and view ing. Various types of research were done by d iffe re n t in v e stig a to rs (R. C. A llen, 1974; Bannon, 1979; Dipaolo, 1980). In t h e i r r e p o r ts o f s tu d ie s th ey co n d u cted, th ey in d ic a te d th a t physical f a c i l i t i e s should be arranged to improve the lo catio n and a c c e s s ib ility of media to the to ta l in s tru c tio n a l s ta f f. A v a ila b ility of In s tru c tio n a l Media The s e le c tio n o f m a te r ia ls and equipm ent fo r th e le a rn in g r e so u rc e s c e n te r is a v i t a l elem en t in m eetin g th e needs o f s tu d e n ts and facu lty. The n ature and the amount of equipment w ill influence th e su c cess o f th e e n t i r e m edia program in h ig h e r e d u c a tio n. The se le c tio n of m ateria ls v a rie s from in s titu tio n to in s titu tio n as does the siz e of the c o lle c tio n. Therefore, the q u a lity of the c o lle c tio n should be m easured by th e d eg ree to w hich i t f u l f i l l s th e needs of th e i n s t i t u t i o n. An e a r ly stu d y re p o rte d by R. C. A llen (1972) in d ic a te d th e im p o rtan ce o f th e a v a i l a b i l i t y and a c c e s s i b i l i t y of in stru c tio n a l m a te ria ls and the accom panying equipm ent to i n s t r u c to r s. T h e re fo re, la c k o f th e a v a i l a b i l i t y and a c c e s s i b i l i t y of i n s t r u c t i o n a l m e d ia, b o th s o f tw a r e and h a r d w a re, le a d to

22 u n d e r u tiliz a tio n of th e se re so u rc e s by f a c u lty members in th e ir in s tr u c tio n a l process (Bannon, 1979; Nkom, 1982). In-S erv ice T raining Programs Studies by Lambert (1971) and M errill and Drob (1977) indicated th a t th e le a rn in g re so u rc e s c e n te r should o f f e r tra in in g in the application of Improved in stru c tio n a l s tra te g ie s to facu lty members on a continuing basis. The re latio n sh ip between in -serv ice tra in in g programs and the u tiliz a tio n of In stru c tio n a l media by facu lty memb ers has been stu d ie d by s e v e ra l in v e s tig a to r s. Abdel-Aal (1980), R. C. A llen (1974), and Sanner (1974), in t h e i r s tu d ie s, re p o rte d th at in -serv ice tra in in g programs for facu lty members and the use of in stru c tio n a l media were p o sitiv ely related and highly sig n ific a n t. In a study of media use in higher education, Thornton and Brown (1968) c le a r ly d efin ed fo u r elem ents th a t seem e s s e n tia l in any in s titu tio n th at d esires to encourage expanded and improved use of new media through I n s tr u c tio n a l commitment. These elements were: (a) adm inistrative involvement expressed in fin a n c ia l support and in recognition of facu lty p artic ip a tio n, by means both of released time and p ro m o tio n al p o lic ie s ; (b) adequate c a p i t a l in v estm en t in both space and equipm ent; (c) te c h n ic a l s t a f f to a s s i s t in s tr u c to r s in developm ent of m a te ria ls and in o p e ra tio n of te c h n ic a l equipm ent, w ith leadership of facu lty sta tu s and w ith enough workers to complete re q u ested work w ith in a minimum tim e; and (d) fa c u lty I n te r e s t in improving the q u ality of in stru ctio n (p. 146).

23 7 Media Use In Higher Education Research studies by Hostrop (1972) and Imogle (1980) discovered th a t th e use of in s tr u c tio n a l media by fa c u lty members in h ig h er ed u catio n was very poor. F u rth e r, Eble ( c ite d in Kozma, 1978, p. 438) observed in h is study of 70 colleges th a t classroom teaching i s s t i l l la r g e ly a m a tte r of a s in g le p ro fe s so r ta lk in g to f a i r l y la rg e numbers of s tu d e n ts. Even though in n o v a tiv e p r a c tic e s a re found on alm ost every campus, the dominant mode of in s tru c tio n remains the lectu re. This finding was supported by S in c la ir and Warin (1977), who have in d ica te d th a t d e sp ite the advances of modern s c i ence and technology, teaching today in some respects is s t i l l by the conventional method. The acceptance of in s tr u c tio n a l media as reso u rces in many i n s t i t u t i o n s to support the teach in g p ro cess and to im prove the conditions of learning is dependent on facu lty members understanding th e n a tu re of the technology and i t s relev an ce to the te a c h in g - le a rn in g process. According to Purdy (1973), media e x p e rts and a d m in is tra to rs focus on the facu lty reactio n to technological innovation which they believe has been introduced successfully. But unless the concerned fa c u lty p erceiv e the in n o v a tio n as a u s e fu l teach in g d ev ice, i t rem ains an ad ju n ct, doomed to remain on the periphery.

24 Factora A ffecting the Use of In stru ctio n a l Media Faculty A ttitu d e S e v e ra l re le v a n t re se a rc h e f f o r t s, how ever, do su g g est th a t facu lty a ttitu d e is a very cru cial facto r in determ ining the acceptance of in stru c tio n a l media as an e ffic ie n t new method to improve the q u a lity of in s tr u c tio n. A com parative study of fa c u lty a ttitu d e s toward teaching by c lo se d -c irc u lt telev isio n conducted by Handleman (1960) concluded th at "although experim ents in d ic a te stu d e n ts le a rn by te le v is io n, f a c u lty acceptance is co n sid ered c r i t i c a l to the su ccess of th e medium in educatio n " (p. 1290). F u rth e r, Chu and Schramm (c ite d in Jam ison, Suppes, & W ells, 1974), in th e ir conclusion relevant to faculty a ttitu d e s, noted th at faculty a ttitu d e was p o sitiv e ly related to the use of in stru c tio n a l media. Proctor (1983) th e o riz e d th a t " i f m edia were not used to teach a le sso n, i t was because of a ttitu d in a lly based reasons rath er than a perceived barr i e r or lack of th e a p p ro p ria te knowledge of how to use media" (p. 1307A). A conclu sio n which can be drawn from the previous s tu d ie s is that there is evidence th a t the u tiliz a tio n of in stru c tio n a l media in both teaching and lea rn in g is dependent upon fa c u lty members' a t t i tudes toward the use of more technological devices and m aterials in th e ir classroom se ttin g s. Therefore, th is requires ascertain in g the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members toward the use of in stru c tio n a l media. Several stu d ies were prim arily concerned w ith the id e n tific a tio n of o th e r f a c to rs th a t in flu e n c e the use of I n s tr u c tio n a l media.

25 These f a c to rs were (a) type of i n s t i t u t i o n, (b) su b je c t f ie ld, (c) academ ic ran k, (d) degree h e ld, (e) teach in g ex p e rien ce, ( f) fo rm al co u rses in e d u c a tio n a l m edia, and (g) in -s e r v ic e media tra in in g programs. Type of In s titu tio n The u n d e ru tiliz atio n of in stru c tio n a l media in higher education was discussed by sev eral studies* R* C. Allen (1974), Bender (1980), and Mims (1984) found in th e ir studies th at type of in s titu tio n was s ig n if ic a n tly a s s o c ia te d w ith fa c u lty members' u t i l i z a t i o n of in s tru c tio n a l media. Subject F ield Numerous studies have been conducted by d iffe re n t in v estig ato rs to exam ine i f a d iffe re n c e e x is ts between the s u b je c t a re a s ta u g h t and th e use of in s tr u c tio n a l media. L lb rero (1982), G rant (1970), and W imberly (1975) re p o rte d in th e ir s tu d ie s on th e su b je c t f ie ld taught. Therefore, the importance of th is facto r has been emphasized by several in v estig ato rs. Academic Rank The e ffe c t of academic rank as a facto r upon the u tiliz a tio n of in s tr u c tio n a l media has been stu d ie d by s e v e ra l re s e a rc h e rs. An e a r ly stu d y by M cintyre (1963) found th a t th e re is a p o s itiv e r e l a tionship between facu lty rank and the u t i l i z a t i o n of in s tr u c tio n a l media.

26 Degree Held The Importance of th is facto r has been emphasized by d iffe re n t s tu d ie s. These s tu d ie s re p o rte d in d ic a te th a t the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media is re la te d to the degree held by fa c u lty members. Abdi (1981) found th a t th e frequency of use of in s tr u c tio n a l media was g r e a te r among f a c u lty w ith m a ste r's d egrees than w ith d o c to ra l degrees. Teaching Experience An abundance of l i t e r a t u r e has been p u b lish ed concerning the relatio n sh ip between the degree held by facu lty members and the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media in c o lle g e s and u n iv e r s itie s. Abdi (1981), M orton (1980), and Stephens (1972), in t h e i r s tu d ie s, found th a t there is a p o sitiv e re la tio n sh ip between in stru c tio n a l media use by fa c u lty members and t h e i r teach in g ex p erien ce. F u rth e r, S. C. Slkkhabandit (1977) found th at "in stru ctio n al media were used more by college in stru c to rs w ith le ss than 10 years of teaching experience" (p. 3230A). Formal Courses The im portance of th is f a c to r and i t s a f f e c t on the use of in stru c tio n a l media by facu lty members in higher education has been studied by several in v e stig ato rs. Numerous stu d ies were conducted by Abdi (1981), A l-d ebassi (1984), R. M. Davis (1983), L arry (1984), and Morton (1980). Results of these d iffe re n t studies suggest th at the

27 use of In stru c tio n a l media Is related to the number of courses taken by In stru cto rs in educational media. In-Service Media T raining Programs The re la tio n sh ip between facu lty members' train in g and the u tiliz a tio n of in stru c tio n a l media in in s titu tio n s of higher education has been em phasized by a number of in v e s tig a to r s in re c e n t years (Abdel-Aal, 1980; A jibero, 1985; Khosh-Chashml, 1983; Mafton, 1981). An in v estig atio n was conducted by Al-Debassi (1984) to determine the relatio n sh ip between te a c h e r's tr a in in g and th e use of e d u c a tio n a l media in higher education. I t was, however, found th at teachers who have attended in -serv ice tra in in g programs in educational media used sig n ific a n tly more in stru c tio n a l media in th e ir teaching courses than teachers without tra in in g. Statem ent o f the Problem The purposes of t h is study were: 1. To d eterm in e th e s ta tu s of the media s e rv ic e program s in two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and u n iv e rsitie s as measured by the media d ire c to r in each in s titu tio n. 2. To examine the relatio n sh ip between the q u ality of the media service programs and the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members in regard to the use of in stru c tio n a l media. 3. To d eterm in e w hether (a) type of i n s t i t u t i o n, (b) su b je c t f i e l d, (c) academ ic ran k, (d) degree h e ld, (e) teach in g ex p erien ce, (f) form al co u rses in e d u c a tio n a l m edia, and (g) in -s e rv ic e media

28 tr a in in g program s a re f a c to r s in v o lv ed as m easured by a fa c u lty questionnaire on the use of In stru c tio n a l media. Research Questions This study was designed to answer the follow ing questions: 1. Do the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members in in s titu tio n s rated as having high q u ality media service programs d iffe r from the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members in In s titu tio n s rated as having low q u ality media serv ic e programs in regard to the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media? 2. Do type of in s titu tio n, subject fie ld, academic rank, degree h eld, le n g th of te a c h in g e x p e rie n c e, form al courses in educational media, and in -serv ice tra in in g programs in in stru c tio n a l media uses a f f e c t fa c u lty members' a ttitu d e s tow ard the use of in s tr u c tio n a l media? D e fin itio n of Terminology A ttitude Page and Thomas (1977) defined a ttitu d e as "a predisposition to perceive, fe e l or behave towards sp e c ific objects or certain people in a p a r tic u la r manner. A ttitu d e s a re thought to be d eriv ed from experience, rath er than innate c h a r a c t e r is t i c s, which suggest th a t they can be m odified" (p. 32).

29 Instructional Media Wood, S o e llie, and Blools (1980) defined In stru c tio n a l media as "the broad range of techniques, se ttin g s, m ateria ls, devices, classroom management d ev ices and s ty le s of I n s tr u c tio n a v a ila b le fo r s e le c tio n and use to th e achievem ent of le a rn in g o b je c tiv e s " (p. 378). Wood e t a l. (1980, p. 381) defined the follow ing term s as: M aterials are nonhuman learning resources which contain messages fo r In stru ctio n and which have d ire c t in te rface w ith learner. Examp le s are overhead tra n s p a re n c ie s, s lid e s, 8 mm film s, 16 mm f ilm s, videotapes, audiotapes, tape recordings, disc recordings, programmed m aterials, programmed tu to rin g m aterials, au d io -tu to ria l m aterials, and co m p u ter-assisted softw are. Devices are item s of equipment or Implements used fo r the d is play of transm ission of in stru c tio n a l m aterials. Examples are overhead p r o je c to r, s lid e p r o je c to r, 8 mm film p r o je c to r, 16 mm film p ro je c to r, v id eo tap e re c o rd e r, te le v is io n s e t, reco rd p la y e r, tap e re c o rd e r, teach in g m achine, m otion p ic tu re p r o je c to r, opaque proje c to r, and computer input/output devices or hardware. Techniques a re s p e c if ic methods and modes for stru ctu rin g and using m aterials, devices, se ttin g, and people to carry the message. Examples are com puter-assisted in stru ctio n, programmed in stru c tio n, sim ulation, gaming, discovery, inquiry, fie ld tr ip, team teaching, individualized in stru c tio n, se lf-in stru c tio n, group in stru c tio n, and combining media.

30 S ettings are lo catio n s e ith e r designed for In stru ctio n or locatio n s where I n s tr u c tio n can take p la ce. Examples a re classro o m, auditorium, and laboratory. Bender (1980) d efin e d hardw are as "the necessary technological devices which are req u ired fo r the proper use of I n s tru c tio n a l mater i a l s " (p. 212), and so ftw a re as " a ll form s of media which can be used as m aterials in the In stru ctio n a l program, as contrasted w ith h ardw are (p. 213). E ducators use a u d io v isu a l m edia, e d u c a tio n a l m edia, I n s tr u c tio n a l media, and/or new educational media terms to describe the same f ie ld. However, th e se term s a re used to mean the same th in g (E rick so n, 1968; E rick so n & C url, 1972). M oreover, in s tr u c tio n a l media Is a somewhat more sp ecific expression th a t educational media, connoting formal and system atic a p p lic a tio n to pedagogy (E rick so n, 1968). Furthermore, the term in stru c tio n a l media means a l l equipment and m a te ria ls t r a d itio n a l l y c a lle d a u d io v isu a l and a l l of th e so - called new media, such as film s, transparencies, programmed in stru c tio n, te le v isio n, au d io -tu to ria l m aterials, videotape, motion p ictu re p r o je c to r, teachin g m achines, m ediated s e lf - i n s t r u c t io n, stu d e n t response systems, sim ulations, com puter-assisted in stru c tio n softw are and hardware, and computer-based in s tru c tio n. Since the terms new educational media and educational media or new in stru c tio n a l media, re fe r generally to the same kinds of media, namely, a l l in stru c tio n a l media exclusive of the p rin t medium, the p resen t study w ill use them interchangeably.

31 15 Learning Resources Center M e r r ill and Drob (1977) d efin ed le a rn in g reaource8 c e n te r as an organized a c tiv ity consisting of a d ire c to r, s ta f f, and equipment housed In one or more specialized f a c ilitie s for the production, procurement, and presentation of Instructio n a l m a te ria ls and th e p ro v isio n of developm ental and planning services re la te d to the curriculum and teaching on a general u n iv e rsity campus, (p. 15). Media Program Media program can be described as p attern s of in terfacin g s among program com ponents, e.g., p eo p le, m a te r ia ls, m achines, f a c i l i t i e s, and environm ents managed by media p ro fe s s io n a ls who e s ta b lis h and m ain tain r e la tio n s h ip s betw een or among the components (American A ssociation of School L ib ra rie s & A ssociation fo r Educational Commun ic a tio n s and Technology [ALA & AECT], 1975, pp ). Because of the need fo r a d d itio n a l le a rn in g re so u rc e s, espec ia lly hardware and the accompanying softw are, has developed, various names have been a p p lie d to the f ie ld. However, a v a rie ty of names such as audiovisual cen ter, I n s tr u c tio n a l media c e n te r, cu rricu lu m m a te ria ls c e n te r, in s tr u c tio n a l communication center, and learning resources center are the t i t l e s various school systems have applied to the o rg a n iz a tio n s which have been e s ta b lis h e d to help te a c h e rs make b e st use of modern methods, m a te ria ls, and equipment (Erickson & Curl, 1972; M errill & Drob, 1977). For th e purposes of th is in v e s tig a tio n, the term le a rn in g re so u rces c e n te r (LRC) r e f e r s to th is g e n e ra l f ie ld. T h erefo re, th e d e f in itio n of the LRC which is s ta te d by M e rrill &Drob (1977) w ill

32 16 be used l a th i s stu d y because I t In c lu d es th e f a c i l i t i e s fo r th e o r ig in a tio n, d is tr i b u t i o n, and d isp la y of au d io, te le v is io n, and graphic m aterials fo r group and Individual p resentation; the In stru c tio n al m aterials thus created and recorded; and the persons employed to p a rtic ip a te with the fa c u lty in th e ir creatio n, presentation, and ev alu atio n. E ducational Technology E d u c atio n a l tech n o lo g y i s th a t broad f i e l d of endeavor where s c i e n t i f i c p ro cesses a re a p p lied to th e s o lu tio n of e d u c a tio n a l problem s (Wood e t a l., 1980, p. 375). In stru c tio n a l Technology In stru c tio n a l technology is a system atic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the to ta l process of learning and teaching in terms of sp ecific objectiv es, based upon research in human learn ing and com m unication, and em ploying a com bination of human and nonhuman resources to bring about more e ffe c tiv e in stru c tio n (Brown, Lew is, &H arclero ad, 1973, p. 3). Community College Bender (1980) defined community co lleg e as a publicly supported In s titu tio n of higher education which o f fe r s in s tr u c tio n, both form al and in fo rm a l, below the baccalaureate degree for high school graduates or post-high school age,, and p ro v id es a program which r e f l e c t s the s p e c if ic needs and i n t e r e s t s of the lo c a l community. (p. 212).

33 17 Junior College The ju n io r c o lle g e in clu d es I n s titu tio n s o fferin g general and s p e c ia liz e d ed u c atio n to persons beyond h ig h sch o o l age, e ith e r to meet immediately th e ir present educational needs or to prepare them fo r f u rth e r study (Thornton, 1972, p. 80). A ccording to Thornton (1972), community junior college is a kind of ju n io r college which is u s u a lly a p u b lic i n s t i t u t i o n, draws most of i t s stu d e n ts from i t s supporting community, develops programs of study in response to needs of th e lo c a l community, and is lik e ly to o f f e r a w ider v a r ie ty of courses than a noncommunity junior college, which intends to a ttr a c t stu d en ts from a much w ider geographic area. Teaching Innovation A teaching innovation is an idea, p ra c tic e, a c tiv ity, applicatio n, or event which occurs in an in s tr u c tio n a l s itu a tio n which i s perceived to be new by an individual or group of individuals (Bender, 1980, p. 213). In-S erv ice Training In -s e rv ic e tra in in g r e fe r s to an ongoing planned program to provide, for professional s ta f f, opportunities to develop s k ills for carrying out th e ir re sp o n s ib ilitie s more e ffe c tiv e ly and e ffic ie n tly.

34 18 S ig n ifican ce of the Study As noted e a r lie r, several studies showed th a t students can learn more when new in stru c tio n a l media are used properly in the teaching- le a rn in g p ro cess than conven tio n al te ach in g m ethods. O ften, th e s tu d e n ts ' a ttitu d e s tow ard new media u t i l i z a t i o n a re changed in a fa v o ra b le d ire c tio n a f t e r being exposed to d iffe re n t in stru c tio n a l media. Also, students g en erally e x h ib it p o s itiv e a ttitu d e s tow ard the use of in stru c tio n a l media. Reviews of relevant studies in d icate th a t facu lty members' a t t i tudes toward the use of the new in stru c tio n a l media is considered a major reason in determ ining the acceptance of in stru c tio n a l media in higher education. F inch, G u s tilo, and W le rste in e r (1970) s ta te d th a t "the more p o sitiv e a teacher's a ttitu d e is toward in stru c tio n a l resources, the more lik e ly he or she i s to use the re so u rces" (p. 39). The p re se n t study was p rim a rily concerned w ith the e f f e c t of c e r ta in v a ria b le s on th e a ttitu d e s toward the use of in stru c tio n a l media. However, i t was a ls o consid ered Im p o rtan t to re se a rc h th e r e la tio n s h ip betw een th e se f a c to rs and the a ttitu d e of the facu lty members in d if f e r e n t i n s t i t u t i o n s of h ig h e r ed u c atio n in o rd e r to id e n tif y the w eaknesses and the s tre n g th s of the e x is tin g media se rv ice programs in each in s t i t u t i o n surveyed. Therefore, the outcomes of th is study should a s s is t adm inistrators and media personnel, p ro fe s s io n a ls, and s t a f f in reco g n izin g the main o b s ta c le s th a t p rev en t the developm ent of e f fe c tiv e m edia se rv ic e program s.

35 F u rth e r, sin c e I n s tr u c tio n a l media have brought numerous p o s itiv e changes in e d u c a tio n, i t c le a r ly would be w orthw hile to stu d y the backgrounds of facu lty members because i t is a cru c ia l element in the teaching process before planned change is introduced to improve the q u a lity of in s tr u c tio n. E q u ally w orthw hile would be to id e n tif y those v ariab les th at hinder the use of In stru c tio n a l media in order to develop a planning approach which w ill a s s is t facu lty to u tiliz e d if f e r e n t fo rm ats of in s tr u c tio n a l media. C onsequently, fa c u lty members should be eager to try new methods of teaching. To achieve th is goal, new teaching to o ls and techniques should be implemented and developed through the use of media technologies. A dditionally, the outcomes of the present study w ill attem pt to a s s i s t those who a re re s p o n s ib le fo r im plem enting the e d u c a tio n a l process in higher education to consider the differences among faculty members with regard to th e ir professional experiences and personal In te re s t in order to redesign the educational program in colleges and u n iv e rsitie s. Further, the outcomes of th is in v estig atio n w ill point out some recom m endations p e r ta in in g to changing fa c u lty members' n eg ativ e a ttitu d e s toward the ap p licatio n of the new technological devices and m aterials. To achieve th is g o al, a d m in is tr a to rs, media p erso n n el, fa c u lty members, cu rric u lu m e x p e rts, and in stru c tio n a l developers should sim ultaneously work to g eth er in planning, designing, and organizing the media service programs in colleges and u n iv e rsitie s. This jo in t e ffo rt, therefore, should reduce facu lty members' resistance to

36 the use of In stru c tio n a l technology and increase the optimum use of availab le learning resources. Summary The growing number o f tech n o lo g ical devices and re la te d mater i a l s in the i n s t i t u t i o n s of h ig h e r ed u catio n have brought about a considerable need to research th e ir effectiv en ess in the educational p ro cess. This need fo c u ses on ways of im proving in s tr u c tio n a l re sources, human c a p a b ilitie s, f a c i l i t i e s, and m a te ria ls. A s p e c ia l em phasis is on ways of Im proving the te a c h in g -le a rn in g p ro cess through the use of in stru c tio n a l media. The im portance of e d u c a tio n a l media s e rv ic e program s to the to ta l in stru c tio n a l process has been emphasized by several stu d ies. As noted e a r lie r, the success of the media service programs in in s titu tio n s of higher education w ill be affected by several b a rrie rs. In th e ir s tu d ie s, R. C. A llen (1972, 1974), G raf (1976), M e rrill &Drob (1977), and Moore (1984) p o in te d out th a t the la c k of i n s t i t u t i o n a l su p p o rt, budget, media p e rso n n e l, f a c i l i t i e s, a v a i l a b i l i t y of in s tr u c tio n a l m edia, and in - s e r v ic e tr a in in g program s have been re garded as the main o bstacles in the development of effectiv e media service programs in colleges and u n iv e rsitie s. O ther s tu d ie s (A jib e ro, 1985; W. H. A lle n, 1971; Finch e t a l., 1970; Handleman, 1960; M oldstad, 1974) dem onstrated th a t in s tr u c tio n a l media are valuable to o ls in the teaching-learning process and showed th e ir e ffe c tiv e n e s s in im proving in s tr u c tio n and le a rn in g. However, re g a rd le s s of new methods and d ev ices made a v a ila b le to

37 facu lty members and the finding of th e ir efficien cy and efficacy, the dom inant mode of I n s tr u c tio n rem ains the le c tu r e In c o lle g e s and u n iv e rsitie s. Further, several researchers have studied the relatio n sh ip betw een fa c u lty a t t i t u d e s and use of I n s tr u c tio n a l m edia. These s tu d ie s suggest th a t fa c u lty a ttitu d e Is a very c r u c ia l f a c to r in d eterm in in g the u t i l i z a t i o n of I n s tr u c tio n a l media (Finch e t a l., 1970; Handleman, 1960; P ro c to r, 1983; Purdy, 1975). This stu d y was designed to examine several facto rs and th e ir relatio n sh ip s w ith the a ttitu d e s of facu lty members toward the use of in stru c tio n a l media in selected colleges and u n iv e rsitie s. These facto rs were: (a) type of I n s t i t u t i o n, (b) s u b je c t f i e l d, (c) academ ic rank, (d) degree h e ld, (e) teaching experience, (f) formal courses In educational media, and (g) in -serv ice media tra in in g programs.

38 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE Discussion of In stru c tio n a l media u tiliz a tio n and the a ttitu d e s of faculty members w ill be the main theme In th is p art of th is study. S p ecific ally, th is p art w ill provide some Inform ation from the l i t e r a tu r e to expand the re se a rc h background and d isc u ss each Idea In order to present the th e o re tic a l framework for the study as outlined previously In the statem ent of the problem. More sp e c ific a lly, the review of selected lite r a tu r e w ill focus on media programs in colleges and u n iv e rsitie s, facto rs a f fe c tin g the developm ent of m edia service programs, new media and college teaching, comparison between in stru c tio n a l media, the acceptance of in stru c tio n a l media, media use and f a c u lty a t t i t u d e s, f a c to rs in flu e n c in g media u t i l i z a t i o n, hypotheses of the stu d y, and l a s t l y, w ill in clu d e a summary which w ill present a ju s tif ic a tio n for sta tin g the questions of th is Investig a tio n. Media Programs in Colleges and U n iv e rsitie s In c re a s e s in u n d erg rad u ate and g rad u ate d is c ip lin e s produces c o n sid e ra b le in c re a se d demands on college and u n iv ersity lib ra r ie s for research m aterials and services. In addition, advances of modern science and technological developments have in itia te d a new role in in stru c tio n and produced dram atic changes in the tra d itio n a l ro le of the lib r a r y as a d e p o sito ry fo r te c h n ic a l books more or le s s in th e 22

39 n a tu re of tex tb o o k s. However, th e se advances and developm ents Involve use of a w ider range of what i s termed new media. F urthermore, the growth of modern media services and f a c i l itie s In higher e d u c a tio n has produced new demands th a t re q u ire q u a lifie d media personnel to support th e learn in g process through c o n stru ctiv e r e la tionships and cooperation w ith facu lty, media experts, and students. Fulton, King, Teague, and T ipllng (1979) have Indicated th at an I n s titu tio n of higher education should have a program of educational media services adm inistered through an I n s t i t u t i o n a l media c e n te r w ith an adequate supply of appropriate In stru c tio n a l m aterials. The c e n te r should be a s e rv ic e u n it th a t o p e ra te s a t the same le v e l as o th e r m ajor i n s t i t u t i o n a l s e rv ic e s w ith c le a r ly defin ed p o lic ie s, procedures, and plan s, in clu d in g sh o rt-ran g e and long-range goals. T ypical Functions of Higher Education Media S ervices Because of the wide v ariety of c lie n te le served and the d iffe r e n t p ro fe s s io n a ls in v o lv ed, th e re have been many ty p ical functions assigned to the LRC as a service center for higher education. These f u n c tio n s, as in d ic a te d by Brown, N orberg, and S rygley (1972), in clude the follow ing: 1. P a rtic ip a tio n in (but not f u ll re sp o n sib ility for) th e d esig n of in s tr u c tio n a l sy stem s, a p ro cess In v o lv in g th e com prehensive a n a ly s is of human and nonhuman facto rs and th e ir in te rre la tio n s in teaching and learning. 2. C irc u la tio n of p rin te d m a te r ia ls, in v o lv in g the use of modern inform ation storage and re trie v a l systems. 3. C irc u la tio n of m otion p ic tu re s and o th e r audiov isu al m aterials and equipment for on-campus in stru c tio n a l purposes.