Browsing by Subject "Training"
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Item A qualitative study of technology-based training in organizations that hire agriculture and life sciences students(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Frazier, Leslie JeanTechnological advances have created unlimited opportunities in education. Training and technology have merged to create new methods referred to as technology-based training. Technology-based training, for the purpose of this study, was defined as training that is delivered via the Internet, CD-ROM, or video conferencing either at a distance or in a local setting. A variety of forms of technology-based training were found throughout educational and workforce settings. The purpose of this study was to identify organizations that hire agriculture and life sciences students for positions involving technology-based training and identify competencies required for these positions from the perspective of the identified organizations. This study described the technologies that the identified organizations were using to design and deliver technology-based training, the audience to which the organizations were providing training, and the competencies that the identified organizations were seeking in potential employees. Findings from this study revealed a need for individuals with specialization in creating and providing technology-based training. Data suggested seven key skills and competencies needed to work in technology-based training: 1) instructional design, 2) technology/computer skills, 3) the ability to conduct a needs assessment, 4) interpersonal skills, 5) writing skills, 6) planning and organizational skills, and 7) evaluation skills. The identified skills and competencies related to technology-based training mirror those reported in previous research. Based on analysis of the data, it was concluded that students with expertise in these skill and competency areas are more marketable in organizations that hire agriculture and life sciences students.Item The B.E.S.T. Connection Berryhill's Educational Stagecraft Training(2011-05) Berryhill, Tramaine Quinton; Jones, Omi Osun Joni L., 1955-; Cloyes, RustyIn this document I explore the history of African Americans backstage, detail the types of technical theatre training currently provided to young technicians and offer a program that targets African American high school students. The focus is on students who are already engaged and interested in the performing arts but may not have the resources or opportunity to explore design and technology. I spend time discussing models of mentoring, apprenticeship and coaching as examples of the types of training that my program will provide. This document concludes with the proposal of a program that will help educate young African Americans about careers in technical theatre and design. It is my desire to combine two ideas that have been with me my entire life, mentoring and performing arts education, into a program that helps to provide opportunity, ignite ambition, and guide students to success.Item Crew resource management training's effect on railroad crews' perceptions of task interdependence and teamwork(Texas A&M University, 2008-10-10) Kyte, Tobin BruceThe accuracy and similarity of team members' perceptions regarding the interdependencies of their task as well as the criticality of teamwork behaviors is essential to team performance. Unfortunately, these perceptions are not always accurate or similar, which has led to calls for research evaluating the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving these perceptions. The present study evaluated the accuracy and similarity of crew members' perceptions of task interdependence and teamwork in the U.S. railroad industry. Specifically, this study assessed (1) the effect of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training on the accuracy and similarity of locomotive and maintenance of way (MOW) crew members' perceptions and (2), the extent to which the accuracy and similarity of those perceptions are retained 2-years after training. The overall results of the present study suggests that CRM training is effective in increasing the accuracy and similarity of crew members' perceptions of team-relatedness (amount of task interdependence) and perceptions regarding the importance of teamwork. However, the effectiveness is often dependent on the metric used (i.e., accuracy vs. similarity), and the specific characteristics of the crew members (i.e., locomotive vs. MOW, higher vs. lower interpositional experience). Furthermore, the results suggest that training did not increase the accuracy or similarity of crew members' perceptions of team workflow pattern (form of task interdependence). Lastly, a small sample size and low power precluded the running of quantitative statistical analysis assessing the long-term retention of the accuracy and similarity of participants' perceptions of task interdependence or teamwork. However, for the sake of completeness, the means, standard deviations, and effect sizes are presented in the Appendix.Item The effects of morphological awareness training on reading : a systematic review(2011-05) Fink, Tamara Caryl; Sheng, Li, Ph. D.; Bedore, LisaThe results of 17 peer-reviewed studies utilizing morphological intervention were evaluated and compared in this meta-analysis. Participants included children from preschool to ninth-grade studying deep alphabetic, shallow alphabetic, or logographic (i.e., Chinese) orthographies. Cohen’s d was calculated to examine the effects of training on reading outcomes. Effects were analyzed according to child factors (ability level and age), intervention factors (agent, duration, frequency, setting, and group size), and orthographic factors. Additionally, effects were analyzed according to linguistic level (morphological, phonological, lexical, and supralexical) as well as group (experimental treatment group versus control group; experimental treatment group versus alternative treatment group) for the ability level, age, and orthography comparisons. Results indicate that (a) morphological training generally benefits students regardless of ability level and age; however, effectiveness varies per linguistic level, (b) with proper training and scaffolding, a variety of instructors can effectively implement morphological intervention, (c) the push-in school setting is generally the most effective setting, although gains were seen across all settings, (d) treatment was most effective when offered to individuals or large groups, (e) morphological intervention yield the greatest gains when lasting longer than one month, (f) it is effective for all types of orthographies.Item Emergency Response: Creativity and Training(2010-01-14) Bastian, MarciaEvery time emergency responders respond to an incident, they enter an ambiguous situation that is an ill-defined problem space. As the responders engage with the incident, they discover, piece by piece, the unique interlocking problems and act quickly to put form and structure onto the potential solution. In order to quickly, effectively, and safely resolve an incident, emergency responders must have depth and breadth of knowledge across responder disciplines and domains. This knowledge is acquired through both formal training courses and informal training in the station house. The ability to quickly assess a situation, accurately identify the elements as they emerge and their significance, then decide on a course of action combining a variety of domains and skill sets speaks to the creative nature of emergency responders. This study uses naturalistic inquiry to explore what it is like to be an emergency responder, describe how creativity manifests itself in a field environment, and discuss what emergency responders want in their training. This study found that being an emergency responder is emotional, exciting, stressful, challenging, full of the unexpected, and rewarding. During an incident, emergency responders are dealing with the complex interactions of various emotions while resolving difficult and often sad situations. Being an emergency responder is synonymous with being a good problem solver; they are also highly emotionally resilient. The process of creativity within an emergency response environment is seen through preparation that is, training. The consistent review and development of skills makes the skills automatic. Responders also cross-train and, often, an individual responder will have expertise in multiple areas. The improvisational skills of emergency responders to events which are often emergent and creative in their own right, demonstrate a depth of creative force through the handling of complex, high-risk situations with persistence, endurance, and determination. Finally, this study found that emergency responders are passionate about their training. They know that what they learn and practice during training evolutions forms the foundation of their professionalism, provides opportunities to learn new skills or hone already established skills, reinforces safety considerations, and will save their lives and the lives of other people.Item Holistic training in a corporate environment(2011-08) Lambert, Michael Frederick; Paulson, Gaylen D.; Lewis, Kyle, 1961-As the scope of responsibility and the sophistication of each job role changes there is no longer the ability to assume that certain skills/capabilities exist simply because the person has the correct degree or has been to the proper corporate training course. A broader, holistic view, of the person has to be taken. My focus in this paper will be to look at the holistic training and development of employees through the context of Applied Materials. There has been a significant change in training, an evolution in the past several years in training from the learning of specific skills that will enable you to do your job more effectively to one where the whole learner is looked at from the time they are hired, giving them the skills they need to be successful and tying those skills sets into an overall career path. However while this is a long term goal not all training needs to accomplish all of these heady tasks. Some training focuses only on the point skills necessary to be effective in the work place. This paper will break down into four broad sections; the state of adult learning in America and the context of Applied Materials, a holistic view of the technical and sales professional, the value of training and its measurements, and finally I will look at four case studies employing the context and metrics defined earlier and drawing some conclusions about the evolution of training at Applied Materials to one where it is becoming more holistic and looking at the entire employee.Item Imagining the scenario: emergency training simulations and embodied action(2015-12) Suy, Melissa Lynne; Streeck, Jürgen; Ballard, DawnaThis thesis is a microanalytic investigation of embodied resources used to complete imaginary emergency scenarios in paramedic simulation training exercises. Emergency simulations present an intriguing site for investigating the process of imagination in that cognitive processes are displayed through human action. I examine training from both a multimodal perspective and also as an embodied cognitive process. I found that the students employ a number of communicative strategies to anchor themselves physically in the imagined space of the scenario. First, I examine how the fictional frame is embedded in the instructional frame, particularly focusing on how the lead student designs utterances in relation to the fictional component of the scenario. I argue that the routine activities serve as scaffolding and recognizable actions throughout the simulation grounding the students physically in the simulation. Secondly, I found that there is never a point in the laboratory exercises where the simulated action becomes automated; rather, the students must continually work at building action in the scenario. I also examine how sensory exploration, specifically looking and touching, allow students to rehearse future embodied action. Lastly, I argue that the students are not only developing intellectual knowledge of treating and stabilizing a patient in the field, they are also training their bodies as the main source of action.Item Multicultural human resource management in China : a case study of common future way(2011-12) Wu, Kejia, M.S. in Engineering.; Lewis, Kyle, 1961-; Crawford, Richard H.Common Future Way (CFW) is an international training program initiated by Iveco, a subsidiary of Fiat Industrial. By examining each module of this program – recruiting, employment terms and liabilities, training process, post training positioning, compensation and career development – this paper will explain how multiple factors due to the cultural differences between Eastern and Western societies affect new Chinese employees in an Italian-Chinese joint venture in a negative way. Recommendations on how to improve new employee retention under this international context will be given at the end.Item Needs assessment for volunteer leadership training among volunteer based organizations in the Bryan/College Station area: an exploratory study(2009-05-15) Snapp, Byron WebsterA strong volunteer development program is important to the success of volunteer based organizations. Such a program can bolster volunteer recruitment efforts, increase retention of current volunteers, and improve their performance. But, in order for the training to be successful, the training must help the volunteers achieve their personal goals as well as helping the organization achieve its own goals. For this reason a skills approach to leadership was used in this study since it would be beneficial to both the organization and the volunteer. The seven leadership competencies chosen for the study based on the literature review were: (1) identifying problems, (2) gathering information, (3) solving problems in new ways, (4) communicating effectively, (5) understanding other roles in the organization, (6) understanding others? attitudes, and (7) adapting behavior to work with others. The purpose of the study was to determine for which of these leadership competencies volunteers at Bryan/College Station nonprofit organizations needed training. To determine this, it was important to first determine the current leadership competencies of local area volunteers and how important each of these competencies were to nonprofit organizations. With this information, it was possible to draw conclusions and determine what areas of volunteer leadership training would be most beneficial to both nonprofits and their volunteers. This study found that all seven leadership competencies chosen were important to the organizations studied. More than eighty percent of organizations asked their volunteers to explicitly or implicitly perform each competency. Furthermore, each competency was rated as either important or very important by at least half of the organizations. Based on the findings, it was concluded that communicating effectively and adapting behavior to work with others were the two most important competencies. At least two thirds of the organizations demonstrated a need for training in these areas. Identifying problems, solving problems in new ways, understanding other roles in the organization, and understanding others? attitudes showed a need for training in about half of the organizations. These competencies should be developed, but show less potential for training benefits. Finally, gathering information showed limited need for training.Item New media communication in education(2012-06) Livingston, Kat; Bichard, Shannon; Baake, Ken; Stoker, KevinResearch and teaching are the crossroads at which higher education exists. Great scholar-researchers in the field understand that new media communication in education is a very fluid area of study, rich with opportunities to glean context and insight in every interaction. This project evaluates the learning processes and experiences that took place in my pursuit of a Master of Science in the interdisciplinary studies of new media communication in education. The research included in this portfolio is a reflection of my growth and development as a professional scholar. The content provides an assessment of the academic work I completed, and a means for self-examination and exploration. The papers within this portfolio draw attention to research and literature related to different elements within the realm of Mass Communications, Educational Instructional Technology, Technical Communication and Rhetoric, and Educational Psychology. The content, research, and subject matter seek to explore various concepts and challenges within these four areas of study. Additionally, this research provides a bridge of understanding in regards to the role of new media communication in education, and analyzes the relationship and connectedness of new media and instructional learning. In the study and exploration of these areas of interest, I was able to gain great focus on a research agenda that concentrates on generating research pertaining to the psychological effects of new media on teachers and students, and how these areas work together to better pedagogy and instruction in education. In analyzing the various issues surrounding Mass Communications, Educational Instructional Technology, Technical Communication and Rhetoric, and Educational Psychology, I was able to develop a greater understanding of the world and a foundation upon which my interest in higher education is built.Item Participants' Perspectives of Training Experiences: An Exploratory Qualitative Study(2010-07-14) Mathis, Robin S.Perceptions concerning training and development continue to appear in practitioner literature; however, the fact that those perceptions are not explored in HRD literature is a problem. The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives of participants in organization-sponsored training. A general qualitative methodology was utilized in this study. Then, through a social constructivism lens, the researcher looked closely at the interactions described in the trainees? experiences in order to understand their assumptions and how they made sense of their experiences. The researcher collected 10 interviews from participants representing various types of training experiences. The 10 interviewees identified shared experiences that led to the formation of four themes: (1) relevance and applicability, (2) attitudes and preferences, (3) immediacy, and (4) relational learning. Within the first theme, there were three subthemes: (1) responsibility for relevance and application, (2) communicating relevance, and (3) trainees? recognition of relevance and application. Theme 2, immediacy, consisted of three subthemes as well. Immediacy was explained by trainees as verbal, nonverbal, and environmental. No subthemes emerged from the other two themes. Finally, the themes revealed two episodic narratives. The two narratives were "Time is money--Is this worth the time?" and "If you don't care, I don't care." The two episodic narratives, pieced together, disclose the idea of the desired training described by the 10 participants. In conclusion, the findings of the study lead to a number of implications for practice and research. This study demonstrated the importance of trainers and instructional designers to develop clear understandings regarding what trainees think of face-to-face and online training and why they hold those opinions. Also, trainers and/or instructional designers should explore the use of communication and technology theories to develop training modules. In addition to practice, scholars should conduct more qualitative studies exploring trainee perceptions in online organizational training. Finally, the findings of the study showed that instructional communication researchers have not explored the issue of the importance of out-of-the classroom learning experiences in the field of human resource development.Item Patterns of surface EMG following muscular endurance training(2011-08) Savard, Ryan Richard; Griffin, LisaThe delayed occurrence of fatigue while maintaining submaximal force output is a function that could be driven by the central nervous system (CNS). It has been found previously that mean EMG amplitude increases with fatigue. Endurance time has also been found to increase over repeated testing. The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle activation patterns and endurance times after training of the AdP muscle. This study analyzed surface EMG of the adductor pollicis (AdP) muscle in young, healthy adults during a sustained submaximal isometric fatiguing contraction before and after 4 weeks of muscular endurance task training. Eight participants (training group: n = 4 and control group: n = 4) carried out maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) while sustaining isometric force of 20% MVC of thumb adduction before and after the four weeks of endurance training. EMG, recorded through surface electrodes, was measured before and after training in an effort to detect a possible CNS training effect. The endurance training group trained the AdP muscle at 20% MVC every other day for 4 weeks. Average force was calculated over 5 second time bins every 5% of endurance time (20 time bins total). A significant increase in endurance time was seen in the training group of this study. A significant effect of change for pre and post-training mean EMG amplitude across the two groups was found (p < .001). A significant interaction effect between pre and post training and control groups was also found (p = .016). There was also a significant deficit in increases of mean amplitude between the first and last time bins of the endurance task (pre and post) after training. This indicates that there is an effect of training on increasing endurance time which can be exhibited through changes in mean EMG amplitude.Item Preventing cervical cancer in rural Tanzania : a program model for health worker trainings(2015-12) Morrison, Peter Barclay; Weaver, Catherine, 1971-; Harrell, Melissa BlytheWith a focus on Northern Tanzania, this report seeks to demonstrate the need for increased resource allocation to cervical cancer interventions, examine best practices for cervical cancer screening promotion, and develop an intervention and program evaluation framework. The intervention is a training program designed for dispensary-level healthcare providers in the Northern Zone of Tanzania and aims to increase provider awareness and knowledge of cervical cancer, and build skills among providers to educate patients on cervical cancer prevention and screening and treatment resources. This report is purely a program design and planning tool; no new data was collected, nor interventions implemented in the development of report. The first objective of the report is to develop an intervention to be presented to Foundation for Cancer Care in Tanzania (FCCT) and the second is to develop an evaluation framework to be presented to FCCT. FCCT is a non-profit agency working to bring comprehensive cancer services to the region. The program will complement existing and planned services related to cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the Northern Zone of Tanzania, and will be considered for implementation by the Foundation for Cancer Care in Tanzania (FCCT). Part I of the report reviews published literature and data to demonstrate the need for increased resource allocation to cervical cancer interventions and the appropriateness of Northern Tanzania as a case selection. Part I also examines best practices for cervical cancer screening promotion in Northern Tanzania, providing evidence from the published literature to inform Part II, the intervention design and program evaluation framework. Included in the intervention design is a logic model for change, detailed training plans and curriculum, and guidelines for selecting trainers. The report recommends appointments to a local planning team and estimates a timeline and budget for the program. Additionally, the report designs a thorough program evaluation, the objective of which is to measure the effect of training and health education materials on dispensary-level healthcare providers’ awareness, knowledge, and skills regarding cervical cancer prevention.Item Seeing past the expert blind spot : developing a training module for in-service teachers(2013-12) Goertz, Patrick Wayne; Petrosino, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1961-The expert blind spot hypothesis provides an explanation as to why experts with superior content knowledge find it difficult to communicate this knowledge to novices. Previous studies have shown that as predicted by the expert blind spot hypothesis, participants with more advanced mathematics education are more likely to believe in the necessity of symbolic reasoning and mastery of equations as a prerequisite for algorithmic or mathematical problem solving. This pattern has been shown across several subject areas including mathematics, science, and language arts. While there has been a good deal of work done identifying this issue, findings have been slow to transfer to teachers in the field. This project integrates findings regarding the expert blind spot into an online training module that will educate in-service teachers about the expert blind spot and provide strategies to overcome its pitfalls.Item Student identified leadership competencies, skills, behaviors, and training needs: perspectives of college newspaper editors(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Rowlands, Alice J.This study identified the leadership competencies, skills, behaviors, and training needs most critical to a college newspaper leader's success. A Web-based Delphi technique, supported by the Center for Distance Learning Research at Texas A&M University, was used to submit three rounds of questionnaires to a panel of 25 editors from 19 institutions in 13 states. The experts responded to 13 open-ended questions in Round One designed to elicit information to establish the leadership competencies, skills, and behaviors critical to college newsroom leaders. Round One also established information concerning participants' prior knowledge of the top leadership position. The Round Two instrument included seven questions with 189 statements developed from responses to Round One. Panelists rated responses using a four-point Likert scale. Panelists reached consensus in the final round by selecting the three most important of the ranked responses to each question returned from Round Two. Additional questions asked for recommendations for the future training and development of editors. The panel's list of leadership traits agrees with more than 50 percent of the admired traits of all leaders (Kouzes and Posner,1997), and more than 50 percent of the ideal traits of top professional journalists (Peters, 2001). The panel reached consensus on 8 situations they considered unique to the college newsroom that had a significant impact on their leadership experience. The topthree included: the need to manage everything and still publish a great paper, dealing with uncommitted students, and dealing with frequent staff changes. The panel reached consensus on the following as most important for incoming college newsroom leaders: the most critical leadership competency was "ability to communicate"; the most critical leadership behavior was "a passion to improve and develop the newspaper"; the most critical leadership competency editors "lacked" was "ability to take charge"; the experiences they considered most important to shaping their understanding of the role was that it is a full-time, difficult, and frustrating position; and they indicate that "dedication to the newspaper" is the leadership trait that separates an average from a great newsroom leader.Item The food safety knowledge level of certified food managers who attended two self-selecting training courses(2013-05) Payton, Larry; Brashears, Michael T.; Burris, Scott; Dooley, Kimberly; Lindner, JamesThe foodservice industry is dependent on millions of employees daily to ensure proper and safe food handling of food products consumed by the general public. The State of Texas requires food establishments’ management or person in charge be trained in food protection. For this inquiry, the researcher studied the knowledge level gained by food mangers from two food companies and two certification courses. There were 90 food service operations that participated in the study. The data was collected through the use of a food safety knowledge test instrument. The scope of the study was to explore the level of food safety knowledge of two self-selected certified food managers in Texas. Sixty-five percent (65.6%) of the certified food managers were certified by course A and 34.4% were certified by course B. The researcher explored two educational theories that are often utilized in the agricultural education discipline. Adult education and training programs in agriculture should use appropriate and effective instructional methods. Creswell and Martin (1993) inferred a linkage between adult education and instructional design as it related to agriculture. This study explored the phenomenon regarding certified food manager training courses and knowledge level through certification. In agricultural education, lives are affected through education and training. Trede and Wade (1993) suggested that agricultural education helps people improve their lives through an educational process using scientific knowledge. The participants’ knowledge test scores were as follows: course A (n=59) 72.9% and course B (n=31) 69.0%. The resulting t-test was determined to the knowledge test score of course A and course B, and proved not to be statistically significant at an alpha level .05. Thus, the researcher concluded instructional design and adult learning theory did not have an impact on the knowledge level of participants as a result of the two self-selected courses for certified food manager training in this study. Food safety knowledge of participants who spoke English or Korean as their native languages were analyzed closely as they represented the largest population of the participants. Korean as a native language represented the largest group at 45.6% of the population. English as a native language represented the second largest group at 43.3% of the population. Certified Food Manager Training is offered in these languages throughout Texas. Differences were found within the participants’ native or first languages. The certified food managers who identified as English and Korean native or first language resulted a statistically significant comparison when analyzed via independent t-test. The researcher recommends further research on affects of native language on certified food manager training. This research study discusses potential improvements that may be implemented in future research for certified food management training. The scope of this study utilized two self selected courses that were available to the participating certified food managers. For example, the Food Safety Knowledge Test instrument which was developed specifically for the scope of this research. Although this instrument was only used once it served as a suitable tool for this research project and could serve as a guide for the development of future research instruments. The researcher suggests that future researchers consider utilizing a tested and established research instrument. A study with a broader scope including courses supported by other National and State level accreditation organization as well as increasing the number of participant; may yield additional findings.Item Thermomechanical Cyclic Response of TiNiPd High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloys(2012-10-19) Atli, KadriTiNiPd high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) have attracted considerable attention as potential solid-state actuators capable of operating at temperatures up to 500 ?C, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance, adequate ductility levels and significant strain recovery under both constrained and unconstrained thermomechanical conditions. During operation, these actuators may be subjected to multiple cycles and from an application point of view, the functional stability, i.e. conservation of original actuator dimensions and transformation temperatures during repeated employment, is of considerable importance. This study addresses the issue of functional stability in a model HTSMA, Ti50.5Ni24.5Pd25, for its use as a compact solid-state actuator. Since the primary reason for functional instability is the creation of lattice defects (dislocations, vacancies, etc.) during repeated transformation cycles, several methods were successfully undertaken to improve the functional stability through inhibiting the generation of these defects. Solid-solution strengthening through Sc microalloying and thermomechanical treatments via severe plastic deformation were the two approaches used to strengthen the HTSMA against defect generation. Thermal cycling the HTSMA under stress was the third method to voluntarily introduce defects into the microstructure such that further defect generation during application would be impeded. Overall, severe plastic deformation was found to be more efficient than other strengthening methods in improving the functional stability of TiNiPd HTSMA, yet it brought about disadvantages such as reduction in transformation strain and transformation temperatures. While functional instability is due to the creation of lattice defects, the generation of these defects is mainly controlled by the crystallographic incompatibility between martensitically transforming phases and the strength levels for plastic deformation. It was shown that TiNiPd HTSMAs, which exhibited martensitic transformation from a cubic (B2) to orthorhombic (B19) symmetry, illustrated better compatibility and thus better functional stability levels compared to TiNi SMAs, which had a B2 to monoclinic (B19?) transition. Although crystallographic incompatibility seems to be the governing factor for the functional stability of the TiNiPd HTSMA, the strength differential between the onset of plastic deformation and local constraint due to the martensitic transformation was also found to be an influential factor determining the overall stable behavior. Functional stability was also investigated for the two-way shape memory effect (TWSME) in TiNiPd HTSMAs. Better strength and compatibility levels compared to TiNi SMAs were also reflected in the TWSME characteristics in the form of enhanced stability under stress-free thermal cycling. The stability during constrained thermal cycling was not as good and TWSME degraded rapidly while doing work against an opposing stress. Nevertheless, work output levels were much higher as compared to those obtained from conventional TiNi and Cu-based SMAs.Item Time out : organizational training for improvisation in lifesaving critial teams(2012-08) Ishak, Andrew Waguih, 1982-; Browning, Larry D.; Ballard, Dawna I.; Stephens, Keri K.; Maxwell, Madeline M.; Ziegler, Jennifer A.Exemplified by fire crews, SWAT teams, and emergency surgical units, critical teams are a subset of action teams whose work is marked by finality, pressure, and potentially fatal outcomes (Ishak & Ballard, 2012). Using communicative and temporal lenses, this study investigates how organizations prime and prepare their embedded critical teams to deal with improvisation. This study explicates how organizations both encourage and discourage improvisation for their embedded critical teams. Throughout the training process, organizations implement a structured yet flexible “roadmap”-type approach to critical team work, an approach that is encapsulated through three training goals. The first goal is to make events routine to members. The second goal is to help members deal with non-routine events. The third goal is to help members understand how to differentiate between what is routine and non-routine. The grounded theory analysis in this study also surfaced three tools that are used within the parameters of the roadmap approach: experience, communicative decision making, and sensemaking. Using Dewey’s (1939, 1958) theory of experience, I introduce a middle-range adapted theory of critical team experience. In this theory, experience and sensemaking are synthesized through communicative decision making to produce decisions, actions, and outcomes in time-limited, specialized, stressful environments. Critical teams have unique temporal patterns that must be considered in any study of their work. Partially based on the nested phase model (Ishak & Ballard, 2012), I also identify three phases of critical team process as critical-interactive, meaning that they are specific to action/critical teams, and they are engaged in by critical teams for the expressed purpose of interaction. These phases are simulation, adaptation, and debriefing. These tools and phases are then placed in the Critical-Action-Response Training Outcomes Grid (CARTOG) to create nine interactions that are useful in implementing a structured yet flexible approach to improvisation in the work of critical teams. Data collection consisted of field observations, semi-structured interviews, and impromptu interviews at work sites. In total, I engaged in 55 hours of field observations at 10 sites. I conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with members of wildland and urban fire crews; emergency medical teams; and tactical teams, including SWAT teams and a bomb squad. I also offer practical implications and future directions for research on the temporal and communicative aspects of critical teams, their parent organizations, and considerations of improvisation in their work.Item Training and development: an organizational assessment of the TECHniques Center(Texas Tech University, 2004-08) Lathem, Bailey AnnAt the onset of this project, the goal was to add to organizational communication literature and training literature by conducting a training program for one of the uncountable organizations in or around the city of Lubbock, Tx. After considering several possibilities, it became clear that the most promising organizations in Lubbock were affiliated with Texas Tech University. Working with a campus organization became more appealing because it created an opportunity for the researcher to complete this project and enhance student learning. A focus group with senior level tutors at the TECHniques Center revealed a need for assertiveness training. After the completion of the training program, which consisted of three one-hour seminars, the tutors showed an improvement in their assertive behavior.