Research and Reality Come Together in Online Graduate Sport Education Programs

1. Research and Reality Come Together in Online Graduate Sport Education Programs Rosalie Carter Ward and Dr. Lou Marciani The University of Southern Mississippi

2. “Before any decision is made, we ask… “What is best for our students? If the answer is ‘our students will benefit,’ the decision is implemented, and we move forward.” Quote from Dr. Shelby Thames President, The University of Southern Mississippi

3. Why Develop Online Education Programs in the School of Human Performance and Recreation at The University of Southern Mississippi?

4. Our Reasons for Online Sport Education Programs • Providing cutting edge educational opportunities for students seeking careers in sport related fields • Sports Industry a $213 Billion Dollar Industry • Largest Number of Majors in the School of HPR • Tradition and History • Identified need in sport education for flexibility and delivery • Job Opportunities

5. Job Opportunities • Sports and Recreation Administration • Sport Marketing Firms • High School Athletic Administration • Professional Sports • Amateur Sports • Sport Event Management • Intercollegiate Athletics

6. Steps for Expanding Educational Opportunities Step 1: The University of Southern Mississippi ● Professional development for all participating faculty ● High Quality enhanced learning outcomes ● Technology hosting, management, development, and maintenance Step 2: Grant hire curriculum/instructional Designer

7. Steps for Expanding Educational Opportunities Step 3: Introduce faculty to benefits of expanded educational opportunities for students Step 4: Stress the integration of intensive interaction, individual attention, high standards, and enhanced learning outcomes Step 5: Curriculum/instructional designer mentorship of faculty of students

8. Online education can be considered an innovation when it is introduced to faculty for the first time.

9. The Path of Research to Successful Development of Online Programs Rogers’ Stages of Adoption Bandura’s Social Learning Theory Barriers to Innovation Dissertation Research Diffusion & Adoption Theories

10. Rogers’ Stages of Adoption • Based on the work of Ryan and Gross (1940s) --- study of farmers’ rate of adoption of hybrid corn • Five stages or categories of adoption identified ● Stage 1: Innovators ● Stage 2: Early Adopters ● Stage 3: Early Majority ● Stage 4: Late Majority ● Stage 5: Laggards

11. Stage 1: Innovators Characteristics of Innovators as described by Rogers • Venturesome, risky • Ability to understand and apply complex technical knowledge • Ability to cope with a high degree of uncertainty of an innovation Generally, speaking, the innovator is a catalyst who brings about the use and adoption of new ideas.

12. Stage 2: Early Adopters Characteristics of Early Adopters as described by Rogers • Integrated part of the local social system • Greatest degree of opinion leadership in most systems • Serve as a role model for other members or society • Respected by peers • Successful Generally speaking, other members of the group look to these individuals for advice and knowledge about the innovation.

13. Stage 3: Early Majority Characteristics of Early Majority as described by Rogers • Deliberate, careful, and seekers of information • Usually hold opinion leadership positions within the group • Tend to adopt the innovation just prior to time the average individual adopts it • Act as a link between early adopters and later majority • Interact frequently with peers Generally speaking, early majority makes up about 1/3 of the members of the social system.

14. Stage 4: Late Majority Characteristics of Late Majority as described by Rogers • skeptics • cautious • pressure from peers • acceptance comes after the average person accepts and uses the innovation Generally speaking, the late majority make up about 1/3 of the members of the social system.

15. Stage 5: Laggards Characteristics of Laggards as described by Rogers • the last ones to accept and use the innovation • pressure needed to force change • usually hold no opinion leadership role • usually isolate themselves from the workings of the social system Generally speaking, laggards are those who are consistent or even adamant in resistance to change.

16. Bell-Shaped Curve Representing Rogers’ Stages of Adoption

17. Social Learning Theory The social learning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, an environmental influences.

18. Components of Social Learning Theory Component processes underlying observational learning are: Attention, including modeled events (distinctiveness, affective valence, complexity, prevalence, functional value) and observer characteristics (sensory capacities, arousal level, perceptual set, past reinforcement), Retention, including symbolic coding, cognitive organization, symbolic rehearsal, motor rehearsal), Motor Reproduction, including physical capabilities, self-observation of reproduction, accuracy of feedback, Motivation, including external, vicarious and self reinforcement.

19. Barriers to Innovation Zaltman and Duncan were the first researchers to introduce the idea of barriers. They placed their list of barriers into four general categories. • Cultural barriers • Social barriers • Organizational barriers • Psychological barriers Other researchers followed in their footsteps, including Zane Berge who investigated factors or barriers which affect faculty satisfaction.

20. Dissertation Research The element of faculty satisfaction is a major force which impacts the success of developing, implementing, and the adoption of online programs. Based on a review of literature, I identified seven predictors (barriers) which I believe are basic to faculty satisfaction. • Time • Resources • Participation • Competency • Intrinsic rewards • Institutional rewards • Course Management System Each of these can be further divided into subcomponents

21. Diffusion & Adoption Theories Rogers’s Innovation Decision Process Model Rogers’ Five Stages of Adoption • Knowledge • Persuasion • Decision • Implementation • Confirmation • Awareness • Interest • Evaluation • Trial • Adoption

22. Concluding Thoughts A major part of an instructional designer’s responsibilities is to develop, interact with, and build professional relationships with faculty. To do so, demands and requires an awareness of the attitudes of faculty and the nature of the stages of diffusion and adoption of innovation. Without this awareness one may become discouraged, misinterpret or misunderstand the reasons for faculty response to online learning. Being familiar with the research helps to alleviate the feeling that you are alone. You realize research substantiates that people introduced to an innovation do experience a range of feelings. Whether we like it or not, it takes time to move through the steps and stages of introducing something new to a social group.