The PEPNet 2 Needs Assessment
Submitted by Mark Gobble, Ed.S., Graduate Research Assistant, PEPNet 2 Research and Evidence Synthesis Center.
Needs Assessment Data
The PEPNet 2 (PN2) Needs Assessment (NA) is a systematic exploration of how our stakeholders and we are meeting the educational and vocational needs of our consumers. Our Research and Evidence Synthesis Center (RES) is preparing to implement the initial survey that will establish baseline data on what works and what could be improved.
The baseline data will guide our initial efforts to improve consumer outcomes, build institutional capacity and increase retention. Subsequent annual NAs over the five-year life of our grant will track how well we have addressed the initially identified needs, and bring to light new areas of concern for research and investigation. To develop the initial NA, we have invited input from professionals, institutions, and agencies working with transitioning individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The NA team, under the leadership of University of Texas at Austin professor Dr. Stephanie Cawthon, PhD, consists of research assistants at the university whose varied backgrounds and experiences include education and employment of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, student readiness for and transition to post-secondary education, post secondary institutions and services, vocational training programs, and PN2 center activities. They will employ mixed method data collection and analysis to collect and evaluate the data.
Needs Assessment Plans
The NA team has reviewed previous needs assessments, researched best practices for large-scale assessments, identified theoretical frameworks to guide our research, and brainstormed methods for data collection. We have developed strategies to collect data from the diverse individuals and groups we have identified, and are currently surveying professionals in the field and interviewing stakeholders, including PN2 professional staff.
The data we collect identify supports and barriers for transitioning individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Throughout this process, we fine tune our sampling techniques, develop methods of classifying and organizing the feedback we receive, and consider the impact of our findings on the PN2 strategic plan. The data can also suggest pilot programs and identify areas that could benefit from revisions.
The NA team will report its findings and recommendations to the PN2 Leadership Team, staff and stakeholders, in presentations at professional conferences, and in professional publications. Professional conferences will also enable the NA team to receive feedback from stakeholders and other professionals directly.
Some conferences that the NA team are scheduled to attend are the Association of College Educators - Deaf & Hard of Hearing (Jacksonville, FL), California Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Monterey Bay, CA), American Educational Research Association (Vancouver, BC), and Association on Higher Education And Disability 2012 (New Orleans, LA).
We look forward to seeing you at the conferences!
Mark Gobble, Ed.S., Graduate Research Assistant
Mark Gobble is a University of Texas at Austin Educational Psychology doctoral candidate (ABD) specializing in Human Development, Culture, and Learning Sciences. He is working on his dissertation tentatively titled, Effects of Language Modality in a Complex Simulation Environment on Deaf Students' Retention and Transfer of Knowledge. His research interests include deaf cognition, learning sciences, and the use of digital media in education.
Mr. Gobble is a graduate research assistant in the PEPNet 2 (PN2) Research and Evidence synthesis (RES) center. In that role he provides information for evidence-based practice, evaluates PN2's impact, and disseminates RES findings to the field.
In addition, he assists in integrating ideas from multiple perspectives, developing the PN2 Needs Assessment, performing professional literature reviews, and collecting and analyzing data.
Prior to attending the UT-A, Gobble was the Texas School for the Deaf high school principal, and a classroom teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind and the Texas School for the Deaf. He has an Educational Specialist degree in Change Leadership from Gallaudet University, and a Masters of Education in Deaf Education from the University of North Florida.
Several foundations have awarded Mr. Gobble fellowships, including the Joseph and Katherine Henderson Foundation, the Gallaudet Graduate Fellowship Fund, and the Foerderer Foundation.
2012 PEPNet 2 Training Institute
In conjunction with the AHEAD 2012 Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana ~ July 9 - 14, 2012
Exhibitor/Sponsorship Information
This combination of two premier disability-related events offers several ways to promote your business or organization to more than 1,000 disability professionals in higher education, rehabilitation, and related fields.
The concurrent conferences of the Association on Higher Education and Disability and the PEPNet 2 Training Institute provide the following advertising and promotional opportunities:
- Booths in the 30,000 square foot exhibition hall,
- Advertisements in the event program book,
- Conference activity sponsorships, and
- Inclusion of your organization's or business' literature in conference registration packets.
For more information on flexible, affordable opportunities to showcase your business or organization, or to learn how to become a sponsor, please visit: www.ahead.org/conferences/2012/exhibit
or contact PTI 2012 Chair Cassie Franklin, at
cassie.franklin@pepnet.org or 414.395.2228 (Videophone).
Cassie Franklin is a PEPNet 2 (PN2) Technical Assistance Specialist.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UW-M), where she is currently pursuing her Master's degree in that discipline.
At PN2 Ms. Franklin is a moderator on the PEPNet listserv, responds to requests for technical assistance, develops Frequently Asked Questions videos for our website, www.pepnet.org, and contributes to PN2's eUpdate. As PN2 Conference Chair she manages the organization's conference participation.
Ms. Franklin gained experience in accommodation and transition issues working with UW-M students who are deaf or hard of hearing as the University's D/HH Counselor for seven years. In 2004, she began part-time work for PEPNet then moved to PEPNet full time two years ago.
In addition to her academic experience, Ms. Franklin was a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Human and Family Services from 2000 to 2002. Her varied professional experiences working with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and affiliated professionals has provided her with a broad understanding of their needs, and enables her to provide effective resources and training.
