The Decision to Learn: Why People Seek Continuing Education and How Membership Organizations Can Meet Learners' Needs

ASAE - American Society of Association Executives, August 2010, Pages: 100

The Decision to Learn examines how people who are members of one or more associations use the various sources of professional education—
including the associations that serve their field—to advance in their profession or career. The basis is a comprehensive research study designed
to explore the learning activities and preferences of association members and to understand how associations and other member-serving organizations
fit in the context of a member's total professional education.

This approach supplies a good sense of overall learning background and also helps us to understand how members perceive and use association learning
programs in the context of all of the competing sources of education available to them.

A total of 7,848 individuals responded to an internet survey sent to a random sample of members and nonmembers of 12 cosponsoring organizations
in November to December of 2009. The study was specific to professional education, directing respondents to report their preferences
and experience specifically related to their professional or career education.

The questionnaire covered the following areas:

- Attendance in the recent (past year) and distant past.
- Provider preferences
- Format preferences
- Motivations
- Barriers
- Presenter preferences
- Investment (and by whom)
- Feelings of affiliation with the association that provided their name

Respondents also provided demographic information including certification status, age, gender, and employment sector.

Based on survey of nearly 8,000 members from various non-profit organizations, this study reflects learners' preferences for educational formats and providers as well as the actual actions they take and are likely to take; speaks especially to contemporary concerns around distance- versus face-to-face educational programming

Acknowledgements
The “Decision to…” Series
Table of Exhibits
Chapter 1 What Frames the Decision to Learn?
Chapter 2 A Conceptual Framework for Learning
Chapter 3 Context: Who Are the Learners?
Chapter 4 Affiliation with the Association
Chapter 5 Certification
Chapter 6 Generations
Chapter 7 Gender
Chapter 8 Employment Sector
Appendix A Study Design and Method
Appendix B Frequency Tables for All Questions/All Respondents
References
Index
About the Authors

3.1 Gender
3.2 Age
3.3 Level of Education
3.4 Employment Sector
3.5 Race (U.S. respondents only)
3.6 World Location
3.7 Respondents' Sense of Affiliation With Cosponsor: Would you say that you consider [cosponsor] your primary professional affiliation
or does another association fill that role for you?
3.8 In the last 12 months have you participated in ANY professional education offered or sponsored by any of the following types of
providers? (Check all that apply.)
3.9 How important is it to you that [cosponsor] serve your profession or industry in the following ways? (Mean rating in column 2) How
satisfied are you with the performance of this association in delivering benefits and services in the following areas? (Mean
Satisfaction rating in column 3 and Rank in column 4)
3.10 How likely is it that you would recommend professional education offered by [cosponsor] to a friend or colleague?
3.11 Regardless of whether or not you have participated in any professional education in the last 12 months, please rate the degree to
which each of the attributes motivates your decision to participate in ANY professional education program.
3.12 Listed below are a variety of learning formats. Please use the space provided to indicate your MOST RECENT experience in
each learning format taken for purposes of your professional education. PLEASE EXCLUDE ANY classes you might have taken in
UNIVERSITY LEVEL DEGREE PRO GRA MS in which you were formally enrolled.
3.13 Type of Learning in the Last Year Summarized
3.14 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education provided in the formats listed.
3.15 Listed below are some common learning styles. Please use the scales provided to describe the learning styles that best describe
your own.
3.16 In general, when you attend face-to-face professional education programs, which of
the following types of people do you prefer as instructors/presenters?
3.17 After completing a professional education program, which of the following are
helpful to you? (Check all that apply.)
3.18 Listed below are some reasons that people give for why it is difficult for them to
participate in professional education programs. In general, how much of a barrier is
each one of them to you?
4.1 Respondents' Learning Experiences in the Last Year
4.2 Respondents' Sense of Affiliation with Cosponsor: Would you say that you consider
[cosponsor] your primary professional affiliation or does another association fill that
role for you?
4.3 How likely is it that you would recommend professional education offered by
[cosponsor] to a friend or colleague?
4.4 Percent of respondents who have participated in at least one cosponsor education
program in the last year by sense of affiliation and selected demographic
categories
4.5 In the last 12 months have you participated in ANY professional education offered or
sponsored by any of the following types of providers? (Check all that apply.)
4.6 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education
provided in the formats listed.
4.7 Type of Learning in the Last Year Summarized
4.8 Listed below are some reasons that people give for why it is difficult for them to
participate in professional education programs. In general, how much of a barrier is
each one of them to you?
5.1 Respondents by Certification Status
5.2 Demographics by Certification Status
5.3 Listed below are some common learning styles. Please use the scales provided to
describe the learning styles that best describe your own.
5.4 Regardless of whether or not you have participated in any professional education in
the last 12 months, please rate the degree to which each of the attributes motivates
your decision to participate in ANY professional education program.
5.5 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education
provided in the formats listed.
5.6 Listed below are a variety of learning formats. Please use the space provided to
indicate your MOST RECENT experience with each learning format taken for purposes
of your professional education. PLEASE EXCLUDE ANY classes you might have taken
in UNIVERSITY LEVEL DEGREE PRO GRA MS in which you were formally enrolled.
5.7 In the last 12 months have you participated in ANY professional education offered or
sponsored by any of the following types of providers? (Check all that apply.)
5.8 In general, when you attend face-to-face professional education programs, which of
the following types of people do you prefer as instructors/presenters?
5.9 After completing a professional education program, which of the following are
helpful to you? (Check all that apply.)
5.10 In the last 12 months how much (in U.S. dollars or the equivalent) was invested in
your professional education? (Please enter $0 if none.)
6.1 Respondents by Generation
6.2 Demographics by Age
6.3 Regardless of whether or not you have participated in any professional education in
the last 12 months, please rate the degree to which each of the attributes motivates
your decision to participate in ANY professional education program.
6.4 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education
provided in the formats listed.
6.5 In-person and Distance Learning by Generation
6.6 Listed below are some common learning styles. Please use the scales provided to
describe the learning styles that best describe your own.
6.7 In general, when you attend face-to-face professional education programs which of
the following types of people do you prefer as instructors/presenters?
6.8 After completing a professional education program, which of the following are
helpful to you? (Check all that apply.)
6.9 In the last 12 months how much (in U.S. dollars or the equivalent) was invested in
your professional education? (Please enter $0 if none.)
6.10 Listed below are some reasons that people give for why it is difficult for them to
participate in professional education programs. In general, how much of a barrier is
each one of them to you?
7.1 Respondents by Gender
7.2 Demographics by Gender
7.3 How important is it to you that [cosponsor] serve your association or industry in the
following ways?
7.4 Regardless of whether or not you have participated in any professional education in
the last 12 months, please rate the degree to which each of the attributes motivates
your decision to participate in ANY professional education program.
7.5 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education
provided in the formats listed.
7.6 Listed below are a variety of learning formats. Please use the space provided to
indicate your MOST RECENT experience with each learning format taken for purposes
of your professional education. PLEASE EXCLUDE ANY classes you might have taken
in UNIVERSITY LEVEL DEGREE PRO GRA MS in which you were formally enrolled.
7.7 Listed below are some common learning styles. Please use the scales provided to
describe the learning styles that best describe your own.
7.8 After completing a professional education program, which of the following are
helpful to you? (Check all that apply.)
7.9 Listed below are some reasons that people give for why it is difficult for them to
participate in professional education programs. In general, how much of a barrier is
each one of them to you?
8.1 Employment Sector
8.2 Demographics by Employment Sector
8.3 Listed below are some common learning styles. Please use the scales provided to
describe the learning styles that best describe your own.
8.4 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education
provided in the formats listed.
8.5 Listed below are a variety of learning formats. Please use the space provided to
indicate your MOST RECENT experience in each learning format for purposes of
your professional education. PLEASE EXCLUDE ANY classes you might have taken in
UNIVERSITY LEVEL DEGREE PRO GRA MS in which you were formally enrolled.
8.6 In the last 12 months have you participated in ANY professional education offered or
sponsored by any of the following types of providers? (Check all that apply.)
8.7 In general, when you attend face-to-face professional education programs which of
the following types of people do you prefer as instructors/presenters?
8.8 After completing a professional education program which of the following are helpful
to you? (Check all that apply.)
8.9 Listed below are some reasons that people give for why it is difficult for them to
participate in professional education programs. In general, how much of a barrier is
each one of them to you?
8.10 In the last 12 months how much (in U.S. dollars or the equivalent) was invested in
your professional education? (Please enter $0 if none.)
B.1 Listed below are a variety of learning formats. Please use the space provided to
indicate your MOST RECENT experience in each learning format for purposes of
your professional education. PLEASE EXCLUDE ANY classes you might have taken in
UNIVERSITY LEVEL DEGREE PRO GRA MS in which you were formally enrolled. That
type of education is covered below.
B.2 Have you participated in any other types of learning formats in support of your
professional education in the last 12 months NOT DESCRIBED ABOVE?
B.3 In the last 12 months have you participated in ANY professional education offered or
sponsored by any of the following types of providers? (Check all that apply.)
B.4 Please use the scales provided to indicate your preference for professional education
provided in the formats listed.
B.5 During the past 12 months were you:
B.6 In what type of college degree program were you enrolled?
B.7 Regardless of whether or not you have participated in any professional education in
the last 12 months, please rate the degree to which each of the attributes motivates
your decision to participate in ANY professional education program.
B.8 Listed below are some common learning styles. Please use the scales provided to
describe the learning styles that best describe your own.
B.9 In general, when you attend face-to-face professional education programs, which of
the following types of people do you prefer as instructors/presenters?
B.10 After completing a professional education program which of the following are helpful
to you?
B.11 Listed below are some reasons that people give for why it is difficult for them to
participate in professional education programs. In general, how much of a barrier is
each one of them to you?
B.12 In the last 12 months how much (in U.S. dollars or the equivalent) was invested in
your professional education by: (Please enter $0 if none.)
B.13 How important is it to you that [cosponsor] serve your association or industry in the
following ways? AND How satisfied are you with the performance of [cosponsor] in
delivering benefits and services in the following areas?
B.14 How likely is it that you would recommend professional education offered by
[cosponsor] to a friend or colleague?
B.15 Are you currently a member of [cosponsor]?
B.16 Would you say that you consider [cosponsor] your primary professional affiliation or
does another association fill that role for you?
B.17 Which of the following is the highest level of education you have achieved up to
now? (Do not include any degree program in which you are currently enrolled, just
the highest degree you hold now.)
B.18 Which of the following best describes your employer?
B.19 What is your gender?
B.20 What year were you born?
B.21 What is your nation of citizenship?
B.22 Which of the following U.S. Census categories best describes your race or ethnic
background?

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