Growing an Assessment: Focus Groups

Co-Curricular & Other, Poster Exhibit
Outreach College serves as an advocate for the needs of the nontraditional, adult and distance learning students, i.e., those who are unable to attend the regular day program that Mānoa provides. This population includes both the working adult seeking a degree and the professional looking to upgrade his or her skills. A few months ago, a task force made up of faculty and staff at Outreach College was formed to investigate ways to better service this nontraditional student population. The name “Transitions” was given to this project since we were specifically looking at adults interested in starting or returning to college and specifically, UH Mānoa. We invited two focus groups made up of representatives from various student support groups on campus and a third group composed of students who had taken noncredit courses from us in the past, asking them the same questions: 1) who are these nontraditional students; 2) what are the challenges they face in returning to school, and 3) how can we help them overcome these challenges. The poster will outline the formation of our focus groups from the beginning to the action plan resulting from these sessions. Also included will be mention of things that worked for us in this endeavor.

Outreach College serves as an advocate for the needs of the nontraditional, adult and distance learning students, i.e., those who are unable to attend the regular day program that Mānoa provides. This population includes both the working adult seeking a degree and the professional looking to upgrade his or her skills. 

A few months ago, a task force made up of faculty and staff at Outreach College was formed to investigate ways to better service this nontraditional student population.  The name “Transitions” was given to this project since we were specifically looking at adults interested in starting or returning to college and specifically, UH Mānoa. We invited two focus groups made up of representatives from various student support groups on campus and a third group composed of students who had taken noncredit courses from us in the past, asking them the same questions: 1) who are these nontraditional students; 2) what are the challenges they face in returning to school, and 3) how can we help them overcome these challenges.

The poster will outline the formation of our focus groups from the beginning to the action plan resulting from these sessions. Also included will be mention of things that worked for us in this endeavor. By Harriet Abe, Paulette Feeney, Nena Horn, Lei Wakayama, and Carolyn Okinaga

No Poster Available

Recommended Citation:
Abe, H., Feeney, P., Horn, N., Wakayama, L., Okinaga, C. (2008, November). Growing an Assessment: Focus Groups. Poster session presented at the Assessment for Curricular Improvement Poster Exhibit at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI.