Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Admission to the Program
The center's coordinator, a certified adult scholar practitioner, initiated a program in which
students falling outside the normal range could have a private lesson consultation. The pro-
cess began with the center's staff recording the above data, including vital signs, account-
ability, and awareness, and performing a screening assessment for readiness and IQ levels.
Each student received a copy of the results with written instructions on how to make an ap-
pointment for extra consultation. The instructions included a request for students to call the
coordinator's direct phone line and ask for an appointment for extra consultation. Upon re-
ceiving a phone call from a student, the coordinator made a private consultation appointment
for the student and asked the student to engage in meticulous study time for approximately
one week before the initial meeting.
If students reached the coordinator's voice mail, they were instructed to leave a detailed
message with instructions on how they could be reached and at least two appointment times
when they would be available to meet (the directive was written in the instructions to avoid
ongoing phone calls). The written instructions indicated students were to begin doing rigor-
ous writing exercises from the day of the call until they meet with the coordinator for the
appointment, so by the time of the first meeting, the coordinator could evaluate sufficient
practice recall. Selection of the above procedure for making consultation appointments oc-
curred after the coordinator attempted to call students from a list of supposedly interested
students compiled by the institute staff. The effort proved time consuming and tedious be-
cause many students were either not interested or phone numbers were not accurate. The
institute staff puts the responsibility on the students to read the instructions and make their
own appointments.
The decision inadvertently improved the overall goal to increase the students' intrinsic
motivation so change occurred from within rather than from an external source (Bandura
1977; Maslow 1954). The motivational interview as defined by W. Miller and Rollnick
(2002) was a client-centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change
by exploring and resolving ambivalence. The current Application uses the premise to devel-
op a computer study or usage assessment and intervention that would overcome ambivalen-
ce regarding computer science study behavioral changes and improve computer competency
patterns among students, especially the younger generation.
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