A comparison of the Delphi technique with the nominal group technique (NGT) in determining the criteria to be used for measuring the value-added effect of associate degree graduates of two Pennsylvania community colleges.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Kratz, Richard Allen.

Contributor:

Tierney, Michael L., 1950- advisor.

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Education, Higher.

Education.

Educational tests and measurements.

Community colleges--Research.

Community colleges.

0275.

0288.

0515.

0745.

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

0275.

0288.

0515.

0745.

Physical Description:

212 pages

Contained In:

Dissertation Abstracts International 53-05A.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

There is a great deal of interest, and concern, today in the value-added effect of a college education. This concern has been expressed by legislators, legislatures, and taxpayers at the local, state, and federal levels. While everyone has focused their attention on the final criteria that will be used to measure--or assess--these outcomes, no one has looked at the process, that is, which method, or process, is best for a college to pursue when developing these criteria to measure the value-added effect of a college education. This dissertation focused on two processes, the Delphi Technique which was used at one community college in the Eastern region of the State, and the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) which was used at a community college in the Western part of the Commonwealth. The research method used was a case study approach. In both instances, the writer focused on the social-emotional satisfaction (SES) of the committee members and the quality of the criteria that was developed. The writer felt that the committee using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) would be more satisfied, from a social-emotional satisfaction perspective, because they had the opportunity to meet, face-to-face, with each other and openly discuss these critical issues. The Delphi Technique group never met as a committee and, in fact, had no idea of who was on the committee. The writer's hypothesis was correct, the study clearly indicated that the committee using the Nominal Group Technique was more satisfied, from the social-emotional satisfaction perspective, than was the committee using the Delphi Technique. In terms of the quality of the criteria developed, a group of community college professionals, not involved in either case study, reviewed the criteria and compared it with the philosophy and mission of each institution. They concluded that one technique was not superior to the other in terms of the quality of the criteria developed. The results of this particular study, then, were that the Nominal Group Technique was superior to the Delphi Technique from a social-emotional satisfaction of the committee members, but that there was no difference between the two processes with regard to the quality of the decisions reached.

Notes:

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, 1991.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-05, Section: A, page: 1375.

Chair: Michael L. Tierney.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175.

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.