Browsing by Author "Hedrick, Deborah K."

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    A history of Virginia VIEW 1980-1995
    Knobloch, Mary Anne (Virginia Tech, 1996-07-01)
    Virginia VIEW (Vital Information for Education and Work) has provided Virginians with up-to-date-career information since 1980. This research furnished a descriptive, historical narrative of Virginia VIEW, the Virginia Career Information Delivery System (CIDS) from 1980-1995. The study included the major trends and events that led to Virginia VIEW's founding. Primary sources for this study were Virginia VIEW records contained in the Virginia VIEW archives, Virginia Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (VOICC) records, materials available from the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC), educational institutions, and private collections. Categorical sources comprised the Feasibility Study for a Career Information System for Virginia, 1979, Virginia VIEW Quarterly Reports 1980-95, Virginia VIEW Annual Reports 1991-1995, meeting proceedings, agreements of understanding, and other pertinent data. Secondary sources included data on events that demonstrated the necessity for career information development. Specific research problems consisted of finding out the answers to the following five research questions: What is the summation of the 15-year history of Virginia VIEW? How does the historical documentation reflect Virginia VIEW's mission of providing equity in career information delivery? How has the project remained faithful to, and forged on, its mission over the years? How has Virginia VIEW met the original goals and objectives as set forth in the 1979 study? How has Virginia VIEW's premise of maintaining a multi-media approach been received and recorded? What impact have various evaluation studies of Virginia VIEW had on the project? This investigation included an in-depth account of Virginia VIEW's funding, costs, products, specific services such as the Career Information Hotline and publications, workshops, information gathering, information dissemination, evaluation, comparison with other states, and project impact. Virginia VIEW's implementation proved to be an apt example of application of theory to practice and strong Federal-State cooperation. The project's mission compelled it to develop into its most effective form of service to its customers. This vitalistic force, which could be equated with clear vision of purpose, also compelled Virginia VIEW to shift and change. How these changes and shifts occurred played a vital role in this study. In summary, the results of this study showed that Virginia VIEW is a flexible, comprehensive, and accommodating career information delivery system which has the following components: microfiche and print materials, computer program, career information hotline, and a place on the world wide web. Constant project evaluation and networking with users and organizations such as the Virginia Counselors' Association ensured that the Virginia VIEW staff never lost touch with their users. In conclusion, Virginia VIEW knew its origins were in producing career information materials that would be available to the largest number of Virginia citizens. New products were added without ignoring the user demand for the older, still serviceable products. At the end of its 15-year history, Virginia VIEW can be used with paper, pencil, and microfiche reader as well as the career information hotline, the stand-alone computer program, and the Internet. A full range of career information products were available to a wide range of users. The program planners, from the start, were interested in information equity.
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    Use of and satisfaction with a career information accessing strategy
    Hedrick, Deborah K. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985)
    Computer-assisted guidance and information systems have recently gained increased popularity among counselors and students. However, there has been little objective research performed on them. The result has been that counselors are often uncertain about the appropriate usage of these instruments. A popular computer-assisted information system which has received little study is the Virginia VIEW Career Search. The Career Search is an accessing strategy designed to lead the users to access occupational and/or educational information from the Virginia VIEW microfiche. The Career Search was adapted from the Michigan Structured Occupational Search, which was developed using the Department of Labor's (DOL) occupational classification system and the Ohio Vocational Interest Survey's weighting of the DOL's data-people-things classification. The purpose of this study was to clarify the appropriate usage of the Virginia VIEW Career Search. The study sought information concerning how the Career Search is being used in public schools in Virginia by assessing user satisfaction and determining whether the search does lead the users to access occupational and educational information. Finally, user satisfaction ratings and the results of the Career Search and the Ohio Vocational Interest Survey II (OVIS II) were compared. The sample consisted of 624 Virginia secondary school students whose school districts use both the Career Search and the OVIS II in their counseling programs. The students completed the Career Search, the OVIS II, and the Student Questionnaire. The Student Questionnaire includes a revision of Zener & Schnuelle's 1972 Feedback Sheet, which had been revised to include a questionnaire which assesses whether users seek occupational/educational information after taking the Career Search. A portion of the Feedback Sheet collected ratings so that satisfaction for the Career Search and OVIS II could be compared. Finally, the results of the Career Search and the OVIS II were compared. The results of the study indicated that users do access career information after taking the Career Search. One of the most utilized sources of career information is the Virginia VIEW microfiche occupational files. Users were generally satisfied with the Career Search, and felt that it helped them gain insight concerning appropriate careers for themselves, and was a good use of their time. Data was insufficient to make a comparison of the levels of user satisfaction for the Career Search and the OVIS II. The comparison of the results of the two instruments yielded limited data as well. However, approximately fifty percent of the subjects had matched results for the first OVIS II scale on their OVIS II Student Report and one or more occupational titles (viewscripts) generated from using the Career Search.