The Role of Continuillg Education ill tlIe Land Surveying Profession: ..... to
understand and translate these plans into use to resolve real world problems.
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The Role of Continuing Education in the Land Surveying Profession: Public Protection and Professional Responsibility
by Devon J. Vanden Heuvel A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree In
Career and Technical Education
The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout April, 2010
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The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI
Author:
Vanden Heuvel, Devon J.
Title:
The Role of Continuillg Education ill tlIe Land Surveying Profession: Public Protection (lnd Professional Responsibility
Graduate Degree/ Major: MS Career and Technical Education Research Adviser:
Stanley Goetz
Month/Year:
April /2010
Number of Pages:
62
Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 61h edition
Abstract Continuing education is a requirement of many professions that is utilized to help maintain proficiency in a pal1icular career. How a continuing education program is setup and maintained is imp011ant to the success of the program. The purpose of this research was to identify the most imp011ant topics to include in continuing education, the methods of instructional delivery that will fit the needs of the incumbent land surveyor and, the benefits that will result to both the land surveyor and the public. In addition, the research was used to determine ifthere was a difference in the continuing education needs of an individual based on the number of years they have been registered. The results indicated that there was not a significant difference in the needs of continuing education based on the number of years the land surveyor had been registered, with the exception of the prefened delivery fOlmat. The results indicated that the preference for online delivery
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actually went up with the number of years registered rather than down, as was expected by the researcher. The study also found that there were three distinct topics that the entire sample group felt was the most important for continuing education.
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The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout Menomonie, WI Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge several people that have been instlUmental in my pursuit of this Masters degree and the completion ofthis research project and paper. First and most impOliantiy I would like to thank my wife Sheree for her patience and unending suppOli throughout the past two years. It was from her example of individual strength that I have drawn my motivation to achieve the goal of completing this thesis and Master's degree. She is my lifelong paJiner and a daily reminder to never give up, and for this I thank her. I want to thank my daughters Shauna and lenna who have stood by me and given me their continuous suppOli and encouragement. Their pursuit of higher education has caused me to strive to be a better man, role model, and father. I want to acknowledge my Mother and Father who led by example and provided me with the strong foundational values that have assisted in my success in work, family and life.
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Table of Contents ............ ........................................... ..... .................... ... .............. ..... ........ ........... ..... .... .................. Page Abstract ........ ..................... ... ... ............... ... ... .. ............... .. ........ .. .............................. .. .................. ... .. 2 List of Tables ............................... ................. ... ....................................... .... .................... .... ............. 7 Chapter I: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 8 Statement of the Pro blem .......... ....... ................. .... ................ ...... .............................. ..... .... 12 Purpose of the Study ... ... .. ........................... ...................... ........... .. ...................... ..... ......... 13 Research Questions .......................... ... ....... .. ............ .. ....................... ........ ......................... 13 Significance of the Problem ......................................... ... .......... .. ................. .13 Limitations ............................. . .................... ... ........................... ............ 15 Definition of Terms ............................................. .... ........................................................... 16 Chapter II: Literature Review ...... ......................................................................... .. ............ ........... 19 Introduction ...................................................................................... .... .................. ..... ....... 19 Role of Continuing Education ........................................................................................... 19 Responsibility for Continuing Education ........................................................................... 23 Benefits of Continuing Education ............ ........ .................. .. ........................ .. .................... 27 Chapter III: Methodology .... .. ... ...... .. ...... .. .. ...... ................................ .................. .... ...................... .29 Introduction .. ...................................................................................................................... 29 Description of Research Method .......... .... .............. .. . . .................................... 29 Subject Selection and Description ....... ............ .... ................. ...... ...... .. ............................... 29 Instrumentation ............. ...... ............................................................................. .................. 31 Data Collection Procedures ............ ... ............... ............ ....................... ... ... ............... ...... .. .. 32
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Data Analysis ........... ..... ....................................... ....... .. ..... ..................... ...... ..................... 33 Limitations ............................................................................................. 33 Chapter IV: Results ........................................................................................................................ 36 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 36 Demographic Information .................. .... ... .. ...... ..................... .. ........ ........... .. ..................... 36 . Item Analysis ........ ....... ................................... ...... .............................. ....... ...... .................. 39 Chapter V: Discussion ....................................................................................................... ........... .49 Limitations ... .... ....... ................ .............. ...... ...... ... ................... .............. ............ ......... ........ 49 Conclusions .......................... ................... ...................... .... ...................... ....... .... ................ 49 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 53 References .................. ... .. ... ... ....... ............. ............. .. ................................ .... .. ... ............................ .55 Appendix A: Consent to Participate FOlm ..................................................................................... 59 Appendix B: Survey Instrument: Continuing Education for Land Surveyors ............................... 60
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List of Tables Table 1: How Many Years Have You Been a Registered Land Surveyor .................. 37 Table 2: How Many People are Employed by the Company That You Work For ......... 38 Table 3: How Many Registered Land Surveyors are Employed by Your Company ...... 38 Table 4: Do You Have Access to High Speed Internet At. ........................... . ....... 39 Table 5: Do You Believe Continuing Education Should be Mandatory ................... .41 Table 6: Do You Believe That a Land Surveyor Has a Professional Responsibility to Perform Continuing Education ........................ .. .............................. .41 Table 7: What is Your Preferred Method of Taking Continuing Education Classes ..... .42 Table 8: If You Were to Take Continuing Education Classes Select All of the Formats That You Would Likely Utilize ........................................................ .43 Table 9: The Public Will Benefit From Continuing Education for Land Surveyors By: ........................................................................................... 44 Table 10: The Land Surveyor Will Benefit From Continuing Education by: ... . ......... .44 Table 11: Number of Public Complaints Filed by Year ...................................... .45 Table 12: Continuing Education Should Include the Following Topics .... .... ........... .47 Table 13: How Important is Continuing Education to the Land Surveyor ................. .48 Table 14: How ImpOliant is Continuing Education for Land Surveyors to the Public ....................................................................................... 48
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Chapter I: Introduction
Dramatic leaps in the evolution of land surveying have taken place since the first Egyptian rope-stretchers (Ghialani & Wolf, 2007) made their measurements in 1400 B.C., to the professional land surveyor of today that uses global positioning stations (GPS) to determine ones exact location on the face of the earth. Throughout history, the land surveying profession has been held in esteem as an educated profession of thinkers and practical mathematicians with the ability to relate formulas to everyday situations. Three of the most famous surveyors in history; Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln, sit atop Mount Rushmore, with Thomas Jefferson being recognized as one of the leaders in establishing one of the most impressive land surveying systems in the world, the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) (Robillard, Wilson, & Brown, 2006). From Egyptians measuring with ropes, the profession of land surveying and its technology eventually moved to measuring with Gunter's chains and surveyors' compasses. In the early days of the United States and in the early history of land surveying in Wisconsin, which includes the performance of the original surveys in the state, the device that was used to measure distances was the Gunter's chain, while the surveyor's compass and later versions known as solar compasses were the directional instruments. Tec1mological advances continued with the production of the steel ribbon tape that was able to be calibrated to one one-hundredth of a foot (0.01 '), and transits capable of measuring angles within 30 seconds of arc. Even as these advances in surveying instruments were taking place, they were really nothing more than small steps in technology. These were not dramatic leaps from the compass and chain to the transit and steel tape; they could be easily learned by reading a ShOli manual or under the apprenticeship of another surveyor (Houle, 1980). The techniques used for the performance of the survey
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remained relatively unchanged. Continued advances in technology brought changes in surveying instruments and techniques of monolithic proportions, bringing us to the point where survey instruments are at the current time. Along with the changes in the technology came changes in the role of the land surveyor. The original role of the surveyor was to determine where the corner of the land lay and the area encompassed by these land corners. In looking at the original survey of the state of Wisconsin, it is clear the surveyor had a few goals in mind. These goals were very basic to the structure of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) and they were to establish on the ground the location of six mile square townships and one mile square sections, for the sole purpose of disposal of the land by the federal government (Robillard, Wilson, & Brown, 2006). The land was to be transferred from the federal government to the ownership of states or private individuals. To do this, the land had to be marked on the ground with the surveyor establishing government land corners at one-half mile intervals with monuments that were considered durable and retraceable. The new process of surveying required special knowledge of the land survey system that had been developed, and the methods dictated in the printed manual of instructions and special instructions to the surveyors performing the surveys. Surveyors are now stal1ing to see education other than math having a role in land surveying, but still at a low level. As transactions occurred, land values skyrocketed to the CUlTent levels and the land has moved from the original ownership through many levels of ownership; the role of the surveyor has dramatically changed along with the potential for liability (Madson & Munro, 1979). Land surveyors still perform the role of determining the location of land corners on the ground through the use of original and retracement surveys, but because of the increased land values and development across the nation, there have been incremental additions to this role along with the
10 liability associated with it (Robillard, Wilson, & Brown, 2006). A land surveyor has the role of locating land corners as described in a written document and frequently land possession does not comply with the written document. A land surveyor that fails to identify and show these differences can be held financially responsible for the loss of property or the loss of rights associated with the property. EffOlis have been made to protect the public and their land by incorporating rules of land use, but these alone are only a part of the solution. Land surveyors have to gain the knowledge to understand and translate these plans into use to resolve real world problems. These uses are often dictated through state statutes and administrative rules, county, city, and township ordinances controlling the use of the land in some fashion. States consist of many counties and each county has the potential to have their own rules and regulations governing land use that apply to their county only (Madson & Monro, 1979). Along with this are the numerous cities, villages, and township that also have the authority to incorporate land use plans or ordinances into their overall plan. Land surveyors now have the role of being expelis in land development that comply with all of the state, county, city and township regulations affecting a paliicular propeliy, not only in a horizontal plane but also in vertical planes, both above and below the surface of the earth (Ghilani & Wolf, 2008). Land surveyors have become expert resources for engineers, architects, highway depmiments, law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and many other professions. Without a continuous upgrade of their skills, they may soon find themselves obsolete (Knox, 1979) and unable to serve their client at a professional level. Land surveyors have the responsibility of developing land while trying to use techniques that minimize the impact of the development on the land (Dewberry, 1996). Along with this comes the daunting task of assisting land owners in
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protecting their rights to the propel1y that has been legally transfened to them. The "preparatory education" (Knox, 1979, p. 136) now plays a prominent role in the development of a land surveyor, along with his/her potential responsibility to the profession of surveying and the client for continuing education in an effort to stay informed of cunent rules and regulations of the state and local governments . Litigation and business practices generally are not what individuals think about when they enter the profession of land surveying, but it is a reality in a society whose first response is often to pursue legal recourse for real or perceived problems. Land surveyors must take a close look at the business aspect of surveying before declaring themselves a small business owner. Too many surveyors, upon gaining registration, have the perception that all they have to do to open their own land surveying business is to buy some equipment and put an advet1isement in the yellow pages. For a small business to be successful, this could not be further from the truth. Also involved in the process is the preparation of a well-defined business plan indicating what expected expenses and income will be over a period of the first 3 to 5 years. Who is the targeted population or market that will become the client base? Will an accounting firm be contracted to perform payroll and tax preparation or will this be dealt with by the land surveyor or even the knowledge and understanding of what are the typical payroll and accounting practices that are available to the small business owner (McKeever, 1992). Land surveyors often are very technical-oriented individuals and may not think through the professional liability issues (Robillard, Wilson, & Brown, 2006) and business practices that will affect their endeavor into the business world. A surveyor that prepares a faulty survey may be held financially responsible for the cost of moving or removing a building that was erroneously placed on a parcel of land that has been located in the wrong place. Theories of how to run a successful business have been
12 well documented, but they continue to evolve based on new experiences and case studies being done on a continual basis. It is the belief of many land surveyors, as well as other professionals, that continuing
education is needed to assure that all professionals continue to meet the needs of an everychanging world and profession. According to Williams and Huntley (1979, p. 32), "the pressure for continuing education programs for professionals stems from a widespread concern about competency," an individual who met the criteria for registration in 1979 very well may not be able to pass the same registration exam today simply based on the extraordinary changes in technology and methodology of surveying over the last twenty-five years. The public has the right to expect from the surveying profession that every land surveyor meets the same level of competence and professionalism, whether they have been registered for thiliy years or for three years .
Statement of the Problem Land surveying in Wisconsin has seen many changes since the first mound of ealih was raised at the initial point for the Original Survey of the state of Wisconsin in the early 1830's. Since the inception of the registration process in the state of Wisconsin, there has not been a requirement mandating the need to perform periodic continuing education by registered land surveyors. Land survey methods, tools, and the rules and regulations guiding the practice of land surveying both nationally and within Wisconsin are constantly changing. The purpose for the requirement of registration is to ensure public protection by establishing a minimum level of competence by the professionals performing land surveying services.
13 Purpose of the Study The purpose of this research was to identify the specific needs of continuing education for land surveyors registered in the state of Wisconsin including potential topics of instruction and possible delivery methods, and to identify potential benefits to land surveyors and to the public. This was accomplished during December of2009 and January of2010 tlu'ough an analysis of historical data from regulation and licensing bureaus tlu'oughout the United States, along with a study of attitudes of Wisconsin surveyors on continuing education needs. The work of this research may assist in developing continuing education guidelines for land surveyors in Wisconsin.
Research Questions This study attempted to answer the following questions: 1.
What are the topics that will be most beneficial to land surveyors for continuing education?
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What methods of delivery will be acceptable to land surveyors?
3.
What benefits for the public and for the land surveyor will result in the implementation of continuing education requirements?
4.
Is there a need for different topics based on how long a surveyor has been registered as a land surveyor in the State of Wisconsin?
Significance of the Problem The role of the land surveyor is constantly changing and Wisconsin is in the infancy of developing formal continuing education requirements. Historically, the major continuing education exercise in the state has been sponsored by the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors (WSLS) and is held in January or February each year. Records from the 2008 WSLS seminar
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indicate that only 369 registered land surveyors, or approximately 31 % of the 1,200 practicing registered land surveyors in the state of Wisconsin, attended the seminar. This leaves a significant number of surveyors that did not perform any continuing education in an effort to stay current with the changes that occur in the profession. The key changes that have occurred that have led to the need for continuing education include the following: 1.
Technological advances in measuring equipment that include advanced total stations, robotic surveying, global positioning systems, data storage units, along with technological strides in computerized drafting and calculation software. These are tools that are constantly changing that require the user to continuously stay up to date in order to remain competent in these technologies.
2.
Statutory requirements that surveyors are faced with have significantly changed, requiring several additional levels of review. The state of Wisconsin contains 72 counties with each county consisting of numerous smaller units of govemment from local townships to cities and villages. Each of these bodies of government has the potential to organize and enforce their own set of subdivision and development standards that work as guidelines for surveyors. Land surveyors need to be expert interpreters and users of both local and state government rules, regulations and statutes in order to effectively perform their duties.
3.
Significant increases in land values have increased the liability of the surveyor exponentially requiring better business practices by both land survey business owners and employees in an effort to reduce exposure to liability. Clients that invest millions of dollars in property based on land surveys and the potential development of the property
15 are no longer willing to overlook errors and omissions in the survey, and surveyors are commonly drawn into civil lawsuits as a result of lost revenue. 4.
The cost of performing a land survey is now in the thousands of dollars which represents a major purchase for many land owners. Many of these private land owners have very little knowledge of land surveying or what a land surveyor does and what should be expected of a registered land surveyor. This issue alone leads to many disputes, due to lack of good communication. This study did show a connection between continuing education, public protection,
increased public perception of surveyors, and the benefits to land surveyors. This connection may result in an increase in the acceptance of continuing education by the land surveying profession as a requirement for renewal of licensure. Limitations
The study reviewed the role and impact of continuing education in the land surveying profession, but the following limitations may exist. 1.
The perception of non-members of WSLS that this study is being used as a method to fUlther the goals of WSLS and not for the benefit of the public. Because of the researchers' long standing membership and involvement in the WSLS, some individuals may see this as a self serving study for the purpose of promoting the WSLS goals and annual seminar.
2.
The researcher, in an attempt to acquire a list of registered land surveyors living in Wisconsin, was not able to obtain a complete mailing list. The information obtained from the Depaltment of Regulation and Licensing was not a complete list of land
16 surveyors, due to the ability of individuals that are licensed by the state to choose not to have their personal data released in a mailing list provided to the public. 3.
Longitudinal Data indicating the effects of continuing education does not exist in states that have recently implemented continuing education requirements. This could result in a very small data group and cause the information to be inconclusive or unreliable. Some states do not have systems in place to compile and track data on public complaints, compliance to the continuing education requirement or preferred method of delivery.
4.
Responses may be skewed based on a lack of understanding of the requirements of continuing education and resistance to change within the profession. There may also be a strong difference of opinions based on educational background and length of time an individual has been a registered land surveyor.
5.
Some individuals may have a negative view of continuing education which may lead to untruthful answers to survey questions. If the perception by some individuals is negative and they believe that there is not a need for continuing education in any format they may not answer the survey honestly, which could result in inaccurate data.
6.
The research instrument is a combination of previous instruments and the design of the researcher, so it may lack documented validity.
Definition of Terms The following is a list and definition of terms that are used throughout this study.
Attribution theory. A theory based on an individual's perception of internal and external causes for their success or failure on a given task. The theory is strongly tied to the acceptance of personal responsibility for individuals' actions and the end result that occurs.
17 Autonomous groups. An independent group free of outside controls by other individuals or groups. It is self-governing and is bound only by the rules set up by the group itself; they answer to nobody but themselves.
Gunter's Chain. A device for measuring distance in the 1800's, made from steel and was 66 feet long. The chain consisted of 100 links, with each being 0.66 feet (7.92") in length. It was used as the basis of measuring distances in the process of performing the original Public
Land Survey System surveys of Wisconsin
Land Description. A written document defining the unique boundaries of an individual parcelofland. A method by which lots are created and land is transfened in the United States
On the ground. A phrase used by land surveyors to indicate the process of physically placing monuments on the earth's surface at the land corners as indicated in a written land description or document. The term is found in the Manual of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Land Survey System.
Public Land Survey System (PLSS). A regimented rectangular system established in 1785 and in use today, that divides land into square townships of six miles on each side and fUliher divides the townships into 36 sections, each being a square of one mile on each side.
Rope-Stretchers. Early Egyptian surveyors, commonly accepted as the first surveyors. They made their measurements using a rope treated with a mixture of beeswax and resin. They had the task each spring of delineating the land to determine how much land was lost or gained by the floods of the Nile River for the determination of the payment of taxes.
Solar compasses. A surveyor's compass with verniers and arcs that allow a surveyor to site and take readings on the sun to detelmine the direction of true DOlih.
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Surveyor's compass. A compass that has site veins on both sides, for viewing and establishing a straight line while performing a survey. On surveyor's compasses, the directions for east (E) and west (W) are reversed to allow for direct reading of the bearing of a line when sited tlu'ough the site veins .
Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, WSLS. The statewide professional organization for land surveyors in the state of Wisconsin with a goal of supporting and promoting land surveyillg.
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Chapter II: Literature Review In trod uction
This chapter identifies the role of continuing education in the profession of land surveying and will also include the responsibility to acquire continuing education and responsibility to supply the courses required for continuing education. Lastly the impact or benefits to the practitioner and the general public will be examined to identify the personal, professional, and financial impacts that may be seen due to continuing education. Role of Continuing Education
In the 2006 ASHE Higher Education Report article, Professional Continuing Education, Knol-I'ledge Management, and the Workplace : A GrOl-l'ing IndustlY, the point is clearly made that
the receiving of the degree isjust the beginning ofa person's learning and simply helps them gain entry into the profession. The degree gives them the survival tools necessary to compete in the workplace and continue to learn new and advanced skills in their profession. The professional education must continue through partnerships with educational institutions and professional organizations in order to fully develop their modest skills. Cyril Houle emphasized the need for individuals to continually upgrade and modernize professional skills, and he quoted Alfred Whitehead from his text, "The fixed person for the fixed duties, who in older societies was such a godsend, in the future, will be a public danger" (Whitehead, cited in Houle, 1980, p. 282). This belief is strengthened by Chris Argyris and Donald Schon in their statement that "whatever competence means today we can be sure it's meaning will have changed by tomorrow" (1974, p. 157).
20 Great events have occurred since the middle of the decade of the 1970's that have had a tremendous impact on the everyday practicing land surveyor. Major advances in technology that can be tied to the miniaturization of electronics made possible by the space program of the 1960's and 70's has created surveying instruments in use by today's land surveyors that even Orson Wells would not have dreamt possible. Along with these new instruments came increased roles in the land surveying profession. According to the 2006 ASHE Higher Education Report, as the new technologies evolved employees sta11ed to realize and understand the importance of keeping their skills current and staI1ed to seek out continuing education offerings that fit their working lifestyle and maintain a competitive edge. In a 1990 conversation this researcher had with fellow surveyor, Fred Zietlow, it was stated that technology has made the job easier and faster allowing land surveyors to gather more information and do more than in the past; surveyors do more now because they can. It can be agreed that technology has made certain aspects of the job much easier and the tendency is to do more with the extra time available in an eff0l1 to provide a better product. A considerable amount of technology has been incorporated into innumerable activities and professions within our society that has an end result of a lack of understanding of many of the professions by the pUblic. Does the general public really know and understand a majority of the activities land surveyors perform in the everyday delivery of their service? Not likely, but they do depend on surveyors to assist in protecting their prope11y, prope11y rights and the resources of the property. Kent explains that the goal of continuing education is "to maintain high-quality standards of practice. These standards may contribute to the protection of vulnerable clients from potential unethical, inappropriate and harmful practice" (2006, p. 443). Mott (2000) has identified a con-elation between the rise in the number of professions and the
21 public's decrease in understanding the professions and an increase in dependence on the professions. It is this dependence on professions by society that has raised public concem in suppoli of continuing education to ensure continued public protection. To borrow a phrase from the University of Avignon in 1650 when they presented a degree to a long-term student who they felt should be moving on, it was stated, "sub spefufure sfudi, i" which translated means "in the hope of future study." It can be said that without future
study, the ability to use new techniques, tools, and knowledge of a profession severely inhibits the professionals' ability (Houle, 1980). Land surveyors cannot rely solely on their own ability to learn how to use new technology and must embrace continuing education, even though it may be difficult for many to admit they don't know the answers. According to the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (Nov. 1996, p. 229) "When students feel anxious about or incompetent in a situation, they lack the motivation to learn," educators are well aware of the anxiety that individuals feel when they are placed into situations where they feel they lack some control over the situation. For many people the task of trying to learn new techniques or new information is very difficult because they feel a lack of prior knowledge will reflect poorly on how other professionals view them and it makes them uncomfotiable. In addition when the professionals being served have a negative perception of the continuing education program the potential is that the continuing education program may cause more harm to the profession than the lack of continuing education itself (Donavant, 2009). In an effort to battle this potential negative impact continuing education programs should be developed that incorporate active learner centered activities. These types of learning activities create an interaction between the learner, instructor and other paliicipants giving the learner an opportunity to interact with others and share their own personal experiences relevant to the topic of discussion. The learners
22 become active patticipants in the session allowing them to make critical cognitive connections with the continuing education experience and their own experiences in the workplace (Mott, 2008). Professional registration and licensing boards certainly need to understand that there will be opposition to requirements of continuing education, but they have to understand their role as the public protector (Williams & Huntley, 1979). Williams and Huntley also very clearly pointed out that even though an individual may meet all of the minimum requirements for registration at the time of licensure, what guarantee does the public have that the same practicing professional will continue to meet or exceed the minimum requirements throughout their career, and if they do not, how is the general public going to be aware of this? The public relies on the state to assure their protection from individuals who may be lacking current skills. This is not to say that any individual who has not performed continuing education at some point in his or her career is deficient in their skills, or even that the ones who have done continuing education are automatically better. It just says there is not any documented data that the public can look at and rely on to indicate a higher potential for continued competency. Knox (1979) took the view that the lack of continuing education by the professional can actually lead to an individual becoming obsolete within the profession or celtainly within an organization. Knox defined obsolescence as "less than optimal proficiency for current professional performance" (p. 133). This is a very strong statement that says if professionals are not current with issues, rules, and technology, then they may be acting in a less than professional manner and may not be fulfilling their obligation to the client. In the 1992 atticle, Confronting New Understandings about Professional Learning and
Change (Morris Baskett & Marsick), they discussed Nowlens' 1990 critique of the competence
23 model. Nowlen has stated that the biggest flaw in the competence model is that it assumes competence is a "personal affair" (Nowlen, p. 20), but it is really a community of events and relationships with peers, clients, legislation, and communities. Morris Baskett and Marsick went on to state that "competence is much more than an abstract set of knowledge and skills" (p. 8), it is more relevant to how we function within society as adults. It is fUliher stated that "it is clearly fallacious to assume that professional learning occurs in isolation. Colleagues, clients, family and friends as well as others influence the way professionals learn and change" (Morris Basket et aI, 1992, p. Ill). This concept is suppOlied by Brian Donavant who wrote that "for adults, education does not occur in a vacuum; adults can, and do, consider their educational endeavors in respect to other peliinent aspects of their lives (2009, p. 242). An incredible amount of resources , both financial and human, are used to suppOli the two to six years of a professional's initial education, but until recently, little systematic thought was given to what happens for the following forty years of an individual's professional practice. This lack of a continuing education has had an inverse effect on public esteem and confidence in professions, whereas any unfOliunate event involving an individual of a profession is generalized by the public throughout the profession (Houle, 1980). It is important to recognize that neither education nor experience and application can stand alone in sustaining a competent professional. It is a finely woven plan that incorporates both that ensures continual competence and maintains public confidence (Houle). Responsibility for Continuing Education When looking at the aspect of responsibility for continuing education, it may be separated into two categories: who is responsible for providing the continuing education activities, and what is the professionals' responsibility to perform continuing education? If taken in the context
24 of the attribution theory as it applies to learning, it is clearly the responsibility of the land surveyor to take personal responsibility for his or her own learning to ensure he or she continues to meet the standards of the profession and expectations of the pUblic. The assumption held by many is that professionals perform self-regulation and assessment of their personal skills and knowledge through a process of personal reflection based on feedback from others as a way of determining their weaknesses and using this self-reflection to develop an improvement plan. Research has placed this assul11ptionin doubt by showing that individuals will utilize the data and interpret it in a manner that reinforces their poor performance and leads them to believe they are competent (Regehr & Mylopoulos, 2008) and not in need of continuing education. Obviously not every professional believes in the same role or need for continuing education and there are those who will debate against the need for fUither education, but "a pivotal need is for every professional to be able to carry out his or her duties to the highest possible standards of character and confidence" (Houle, 1980, p. 7), "one way is for every practicing professional to engage in lifelong learning" (Houle) . In an effolt to decrease the anxiety relative to continuing education and ensuring that all professionals patticipate, various learning models and methods of delivery must be incorporated into the process. By using Argyris and Schons theory (1974) that freedom of choice builds support and understanding, the role of continuing education can be maximized. "Maximize free and informed choice, a choice is informed if it is based on relevant information. The more an individual is aware of the values of the variables relevant to his decision, the more likely he is to make an informed choice. A choice is free to the degree to which the individual making it can: define his own objectives; define how to achieve these objectives; define objectives that are within his capacities; and relate his
25 objectives to central personal needs whose fulfillment does not involve defense mechanisms beyond his control" ( Argyris & Schons, 1974, p. 88). In order for this freedom to occur, there has to be a suitable number of opportunities with varied topics and styles of learning activities available to satisfy the needs of the professionals attempting to perform the continuing education. The largest portion of this responsibility generally falls into the hands of four distinct organizations that are identified as follows: 1. Educational institutions: Technical colleges and colleges and universities 2. Professional organizations 3. Educational enterprises that specialize in the business of seminars and training 4. Professionals themselves: in house training and autonomous groups Successful continuing education programs create a balance between these four identified continuing education providers, private and public, and form strong relationships between all of these organizations in an effort to meet the bigger needs of the profession and society (Mott, 2000) (Cervero, 2001). Within these four organizations there have been distinct trends that have been identified by Cervero. The role of the educational institutions has been as active providers with increasing numbers offered in a distance education format (2000). Distance learning fits into a working individual's schedule better than going to an actual building and can save an individual a significant amount of money. Additionally distance learning provides the opportunity for the self-directed learner more time to think about a response to a discussion question through asyndu:onous communications resulting in a more thoughtful, higher quality of discussion (Cunningham, 2010). Professional organizations have consistently provided continuing
26 education at a variety of locations that generally require travel and perhaps overnight stays, but generally are closely associated with current trends. Many workplaces offer their own in-house continuing education programs that may be specific to needs they have or they may include broader topics and hire private educational providers to come to their facility. There have been an increasing number of collaborative arrangements between providers and workplaces (Cevero) to the point that continuing education offered at the workplace dwarfs that of other providers. It has been "estimated that 90% of education, employers offer to professionals are tlu·ough collaborative efforts rather than in house staff' (Cervero, 2000, p. 5). There has been a consistent rise in the number of states that are requiring continuing education for recertification (Cervero, 2000) and this will lead to an increased need for multiple providers working collaboratively. This will include states, associations, and businesses working with colleges, technical colleges, and private sector suppliers to develop programs that can be utilized at a variety of sites at various times of the year. The profession of land surveying is a very broad field supplemented by many specializations within the profession and each of these surveyors has a unique need for continued learning. A rural surveyor performing boundary retracement surveys has a very different need for continuing education than the urban surveyor performing city lot retracement surveys. However, with that said, there are also many similarities between the specializations that can be identified. Continuing education programs can be developed that meet the various needs of each profession. According to Mott (2000), continuing education should not focus solely on the formal or technical knowledge required by a profession, but should also incorporate methods of building practical knowledge and the "process by which professionals use their practical knowledge to construct an understanding of current situations of practice" (Cervero, 1988, p.
27 55). Methods such as case studies, stories, and examples are just a few of the techniques that help to reinforce or strengthen technical knowledge of a topic (Mott, 2000). By utilizing different topics, methods, and providers, the needs of the wide range of specializations in land surveying can be sufficiently met.
Benefits of Continuing Education Indications are that involvement in continuing education or life-long learning has additional positive benefits to the individual, aside from the mere technical gain he or she acquires. The creation of a suppoliive but challenging climate of inquiry provides the 0ppOliunity for the learner to perform critical reflection ultimately strengthening their educational experience and creating the desire to continue to learn (Knox, 2003). The professional stmis to examine their own beliefs and assumptions There is an intangible relationship between continuing education and an individual's personal life as active participation in a continuum of education has shown increased development in assets, such as family, leisure time, the role taken in the community (Knox, 1980), and financial. Another significant change that has taken place is the rapid increase in land values, land that at one point was not valuable enough to walTant the cost of a survey has now seen massive increases in value (1975 value $300/acre, 2008 value $3000/acre). This huge increase has brought along with it an increase in liability for the land surveyor and an increase in the land owners' expectations of the land surveyor. It can be certain that everyone remembers Sir Isaac Newton and his famous phrase pertaining to the laws of physics that stated, " For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." This statement holds as true for land surveyors as it does for the laws of physics. UnfOliunately for the land surveying profession, the action often comes in the form of cOUli actions from lawsuits brought against the land surveyor from a disgruntled
28 client or neighbor. Even if the land surveyor has a solid defense against the lawsuit, there will be a financial impact from the cost of his/her defending themselves (Madson and Munro, 1979).
29 Chapter III: Methodology Introduction The vast increases in technology and liability have caused a change in the role of the land surveyor and have produced a need for continuing education in the interest of public protection and professional competence. The research questions were designed to address: potential topics for continuing education, the most appropriate methods of delivery, and the benefits that may result both to the public and for the land surveyor. This chapter discusses the method of research that was used, including how the subjects were selected, what type of instrumentation was utilized, and how the data was collected, recorded, processed, and analyzed. The limitations of the research and the method selected were also be reviewed and discussed.
Description of Research Method This research was performed using a descriptive research method, which included collection of historical data from several states that already had a mandatory continuing education requirement in place. Additional information was gathered through a survey that focused on the prefelTed topics for instructions, methods of delivery, and the potential benefits of continuing education.
Subject Selection and Description Six states from the Midwest that already had a continuing education requirements were selected to gather information from relative to the number of consumer complaints filed against land surveyors in each calendar year for up to the past 10 years. These six states were selected in an effOli to obtain data quickly. The states selected were Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois , Indiana, Iowa and Kansas. Along with these states Wisconsin's DepaIiment of Regulation and Licensing was asked to supply the same information in an attempt to see if there are a higher number of
30
complaints against Wisconsin land surveyors that are not required to perform continuing education. Of these states, information was obtained from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin but it was not a complete ten years in all cases. Michigan, lllinois, and Indiana either did not respond to the request or indicated they did not keep this type of historical data. At the time of the research there were approximately 1,200 active registered Land Surveyors working in Wisconsin, but many of these live in other states and have registration in multiple States and Wisconsin is not their primary state of work. It was the intent of the researcher to only include land surveyors that actually live and practice in the State of Wisconsin in the sample group. The purpose of this was to avoid potential biases from surveyors in States that cUlTently have a continuing education requirement; this potential bias could be a threat to the reliability of the results of the survey based on prior experiences with continuing education. The goal of this survey was to obtain only the opinions of Wisconsin land surveyors that have not had the requirement of continuing education. It is possible that there may be a negative opinion by some surveyors but this is part of what the research was trying to determine so proper continuing education programs can be developed. The selection of the sample group for the survey was performed by random selection of 100 land surveyors from a list of land surveyors registered and living in the state of Wisconsin; this 100 land surveyors represents 25% of the total group. The list of land surveyors was obtained through the department of regulation and licensing but was not a complete list due to privacy rights of individuals and their right to opt out of any mailing lists the State of Wisconsin provides to the public. The list included 406 names and addresses of registered land surveyors that live within the state. From this list 100 individuals were randomly selected to make up the sample group. Due to the fact That the survey was to be performed online email addresses had to be found for each member of the sample group. The individual's
31 emails were located through personal contact and through the use of a web-based email search tool; valid emails were found for all of the members of the sample group. Wisconsin's professional organization the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors was not approached in an effort to attain a larger mailing list because the researcher felt that by including just the members of the State Society would incorporate a bias into the sample group. The State society has been at the forefront of promoting continuing education and although this can be viewed as a positive role the researcher wanted to gather a broader range of opinions. Members were not excluded but they were not sought out; if they were on the list provided by the State of Wisconsin they had an equal chance of being selected to the sample group as a non-society member. This was done in an eff0l1 to add validity to the research. Instrumentation The instrument utilized in the collection of historical data from the states was a simple questionnaire developed by the researcher that asked each State to provide the following four items: State name, year, the number of complaints filed in that year and the year in which continuing education was implemented. The questionnaire asked the States to include data for a ten year period of time. If the implementation of continuing education was prior to this ten year period it was asked that the State also include a minimum of an additional two years data prior to the year the continuing education requirement was instituted. The online survey completed by the sample group was developed by the researcher for this research proj ect and had a total of 12 questions. The first pal1 of the survey (4 questions) was used to gather ordinal information relative to the number of years the individual has been registered, the company size and their ability to access high speed internet. The second pal1 of the survey (7 questions) was used to gather information on the preferred method of delivery,
32 other acceptable methods of delivery, topics of instlUction and personal feelings about the need for continuing education. The third and last part of the survey was a 2 part question rating the importance of continuing education to the land surveyor and to the general public using a four (4) point likeli scale. The following 4 point scale was utilized (4) "very important", (3) "important", (2) "somewhat impOliant" and (1) "not important". Data Collection Procedures The information gathered from the sample group of states was gathered by contacting the icensing agency of each of the states via email. An email request was sent to each department
J
head on January
i
h
2010 requesting infOimation relative to public complaints filed against land
surveyors. More specifically each state was asked to supply the number of complaints filed by calendar year and the year continuing education was implemented. The response from the states was received through electronic means and four states including Wisconsin provided the researcher with data. The survey instrument used for this research, (Appendix A) was created online and a web-based survey format was utilized. The questions were developed based on interviews with land surveyors and based on the readings in chapter II: Literature Review of this research paper. Upon completion of the survey instrument it was distributed to a pilot group of five local surveyors to determine the clarity and validity of the instrument. Questions about the instrument were answered by the researcher and one minor revision was made to the instrument before submitting it to the sample population. On December 26 th , 2010, Invitations to take the survey were sent out via email to the 100 members of the sample group along with the Consent to PaIiicipate form indicating UW Stout IRB approval. The invitation gave a brief explanation of the reason and use of the survey and provided the participant with a web-link to the "Continuing
33 Education for Land Surveyors" web-based survey. The participants were notified that the survey results would not be able to be tracked to an individual person and that all responses would be 100% anonymous. On January 6th , 2010 reminders were sent out to all participants thanking them for completing the survey and reminding the others to perform the survey. In this email there was also a notification that the survey would close on January 1i\ 2010. The survey was closed on January 12th and the final results showed that 39 individuals out of the 100 selected to participate completed the survey for a 39% completion rate. Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data from this research. The use of frequency distribution tables was used to analyze the results of the individual questions. The demographic data relative to the number of years the land surveyor had been registered and the size of the company that the land surveyor was employed by was used to determine ifthere were different needs based on demographics of the participants. The demographic data was utilized in combination with survey questions five (5) through twelve (12) to create subgroups for the purpose of identifying differences between the groups. A statistical analysis of question 12 was performed to calculate the statistical means and the standard deviation for the responses. Limitations
The survey was performed on a random basis statewide, but celiain geographic regions have stronger feelings about the requirement of continuing education and what form it should take. Every effort was made by the researcher to ensure a high level of reliability and validity by selecting a diverse sample group ilTelevant to geographic region, age, gender or professional affiliations. The sample group although it was a small representative of the overall group did provide the researcher with useable data
34 The research performed had several limitations that will be discussed in this section. Perhaps the greatest limitation had to do with the ability of the researcher to obtain a complete list of the registered land surveyors living in Wisconsin. At the time this research was performed there were approximately 1,200 active registered Land Surveyors working in Wisconsin. Of these 1,200 land surveyors a large percentage lives in adjoining states and do not work primarily in Wisconsin and this number is unknown to the researcher but does significantly reduce the instate population for sampling purposes. Furthermore a complete list of the registered land surveyors living in Wisconsin could not be gathered due to privacy issues and the ability of registered individuals to opt out of the mailing lists the State Department of Regulation and Licensing provides to outside sources. This resulted in a smaller total population than expected and limited the selection of a sample group to this paIticular popUlation rather than the entire group ofland surveyors. The list of registered land surveyors purchased from the state of Wisconsin by the researcher only included 406 names from which to select the sample group. The sample group consisted of 25% of the list but because the list was already a reduced population from the actual number of land surveyors the actual percentage is unknown and could be as low as 10% of the total population. In conjunction with the limitation of the size of the overall population of the group another limitation was the number of responses to the survey. Of the 100 participants of the survey only 39 members of the sample group responded to the survey resulting in a completion rate of 39%. This small response may contribute to the potential lack of validity of the results. A potential lack of validity of the measuring instrument exists based on the fact that it was created by the researcher and there were no other instruments of this nature to compare it to.
35
The instrument was created based on input from several sources and pilot tested which adds strength and validity to the instrument but there may be unknown limitations that would only be ascertained if additional work was perfOlmed.
36 Chapter IV: Results Introduction
The purpose of this research was to identify the specific needs of continuing education for land surveyors registered in the state of Wisconsin incl uding potential topics of instruction, possible delivery methods, and to identify potential benefits to land surveyors and to the pUblic. The data was collected during the months of December of2009 and January of2010 using two distinct methods. First a review of historical records over a ten year period from various state regulation and licensing bureaus throughout the United States was made. In addition a webbased survey of attitudes of Wisconsin land surveyors on the topic of continuing education needs was utilized to determine if various groups held different beliefs or had different needs for continuing education. The resulting data was used to answer the research questions as stated and will be discussed in the following charts. Demographic Information
A total of 100 invitations were sent by email to the sample population inviting them to paliicipate in the online survey. There were a total of 39 completed surveys that were utilized in the research resulting in a percentage of completion of 39%. The first part of the survey contained several questions related to the demographics of the sample group. These questions were asked in an effOii to determine the number of years the individual had been registered as a land surveyor, the size of the company that the individual works for, the number of registered land surveyors that work for each employer and the respondents access to high speed internet. The ordinal demographic data was originally divided into five (5) groups based on the number of years registered and they inc! uded the following categories: 1-6 yrs, 7-12 yrs, 13-18 yrs, 19-25 yrs, and more than 25 yrs. It was found that due to a small number of responses in the
37
1-6 yrs (4 responses) and the 13-18 yrs (4 responses) groups these two groups should be combined with adjoining groups to create three groups with a more even distribution of the number of responses. This combining resulted in the following three groups: 1-12 yrs (14 responses), 13-25 yrs (11 responses), and more than 25 yrs (14 responses). The three resulting groups were similar in size and did provide the researcher with a means of identifying difference between groups, but it should be noted that this combining of groups also results in a further degradation of the ordinal data. Table 1 indicates the original groups before combining. Table 1 also shows that all groups indicating the number of years registered are represented and the largest group of respondents was the group of individuals registered for more than 25 years with a total of 36% of the sample population falling in this group. This demographic data was gathered so the researcher could determine if various methods of delivery or topics of instruction would be necessary based on experience level of the sample group. Table I
How Many Years Have YOli Been a Registered Land Surveyor
Years Registered
Number
Percentage
1-6
4
10%
7-12
10
26%
13-18
4
10%
19-25
7
18%
14
36%
More than 25
The second set of data is in response to the question how many people are employed by the company where the respondent works. Table 2 shows that 43% of the respondents are employed by companies of 1-3 employees and that 47% of the respondents are employed by
38 companies of20 or more employees. This indicates that registered land surveyors either work for very small or very large companies. Table 2
How Many People are Employed by the Company That You Work For? 1-3 42%
4-7 5%
8-13 5%
14-20 0%
20+ 47%
The third question asked how many registered land surveyors are employed by the company you work for. The results of the question as shown in table 3 show that 56% of the registered land surveyors work for a company that employs 1-2 registered land surveyors while only 18% of the respondents work for a company that employs more than 8 registered land surveyors. The purpose of the question was to determine the potential for continuing education tlu'ough contract training by an individual company as a viable delivery format. Contract training is a popular tool for larger firms but could also be utilized through collaborative efforts by groups of small businesses teaming up to obtain continuing education on a contract basis in a cost effective manner at a central location. Table 3
HOHI Many Registered Land Surveyors are Employed by Your Company? 1-2 56%
3-4 16%
5-6 5%
6-8 5%
More than 8 18%
Continuing education can be delivered in numerous formats and the online fonnat has become increasingly more popular with the incumbent worker. Online delivery has evolved into a very sophisticated form of delivery tlu'ough the use of discussion boards, video, PowerPoint
39 and course casting tools. Based on personal experience and discussions with other instructors at my place of employment, Nicolet Area Technical College, to make cun-ent online delivery a viable option for learners they need to have access to high speed internet connections rather than a simple dialup modem connection. Table 4 includes the response to the question; do you have access to high speed internet? The question asked whether the individual had access to high speed internet at home, work, both or neither. The survey indicated that 77% of the respondents had access to a high speed internet connection at both home and work and 0% of the population did not have access to high speed internet at either location. The evaluation of this data set indicates that the use of online continuing education classes could be a viable option as a delivery format for continuing education and at least in pal1 helps to answer research question number two; what methods of delivery will be acceptable to land surveyors? Table 4
Do You Have Access to High Speed Internet At: Home
Work
6%
15%
Both 77%
Neither
0%
Item Analysis The second part of the survey dealt with individual feelings, perceptions, and preferences about continuing education and the potential benefits for registered land surveyors and the general public. Along with these questions a variety of questions were asked in an effort to determine prefen-ed delivery formats and topics. In question five the respondents were asked if they felt continuing education should be mandatory. Table 5 shows that 79% of the total sample group responded that continuing education should be mandatory leaving 21 % of the group feeling it should not be mandatory.
40 The responses to this question varied slightly by the number of years an individual was registered with the newer registrants having a stronger feeling towards mandatory continuing education. Results indicate that 86% of the individuals that were registered for 1-12 years felt continuing education should be mandatory while a slightly smaller percentage of 71 % of the individuals that have been registered for more than 25 years responded positively towards mandatory continuing education. Question six asked whether a registered land surveyor has a professional responsibility to perform continuing education. The results as shown in table 6 show that an overwhelming 95% of the respondents believe there is a professional responsibility to engage in continuing education. When these two questions are viewed together it does indicate that although not all respondents believe that continuing education should be mandatory they do agree almost unanimously that there is a responsibility for a professional to take part in continuing education. This phenomenon agrees with the earlier stated Argyris and Schons theory (1974) that freedom of choice builds support and understanding, thus the role of continuing education can be maximized. "The more an individual is aware of the values of the variables relevant to his decision, the more likely he is to make an informed choice. A choice is free to the degree to which the individual making it can : define his own objectives; define how to achieve these objectives; define objectives that are within his capacities; and relate his objectives to central personal needs whose fulfillment does not involve defense mechanisms beyond his control" ( Argyris & Schons, 1974, p. 88).
41 Table 5
Do You Believe Continuing Educationfor Land Surveyors Should be Mandatory ? N umber of Years Registered
Yes
1-12
86%
14%
13-25
80%
20%
25+
71%
29%
All
79%
21%
No
Table 6
Do You Believe That a Land Surveyor Has a Professional Responsibility to Perform Continuing Education? Number of Years Registered
Yes
1-12
93%
7%
13-25
100%
0%
25+
94%
6%
All
95%
5%
No
The purpose of this research was to identify specific needs of continuing education for land surveyors and more specifically to answer the research question number 2, what methods of delivery will be acceptable to land surveyors? Question number 7 of the survey asked the respondents what their preferred method of taking continuing education classes was. They were given the options of online, face to face in a seminar, at work through contract training, face to face at an educational institution or through a self study course. This question was analyzed based on the number of years an individual has been registered to see if there were differences based on years of registration. The results indicate that the two prefelTed methods for continuing
42 education are online and face to face in a seminar setting regardless of number of years registered. Although the responses do indicate that the number one preferred method of delivery is in a face to face seminar it is interesting to see that the longer a person has been registered the higher the preference is towards online classes. The results show that only 14% ofland surveyors registered for 1-12 years prefer online continuing education while 40% of the surveyors that have been registered for more than 25 years prefer the online option. This deviates from the common perception that younger adults are more comfortable on computers than older adults and perhaps more likely to prefer a computer based class. Table 7
What is Your Preferred Method of Taking Continuing Education Classes? Number of Years Registered
Online
1-12
14%
72%
0%
7%
7%
13-25
30%
70%
0%
0%
0%
25+
40%
46%
7%
7%
0%
All
23%
62%
5%
8%
3%
Face to Face at Seminar
At Work Through Contract Training
Face to Face at Educational Institution
Self Study/ Correspondence Course
Along with the desire to learn what is the pre felTed method of performing continuing education the researcher wished to define the range of formats of continuing education that would be willingly utilized by land surveyors. The respondents were given five choices of continuing education formats and asked to select all formats that they would use. The results as shown in Table 8 indicate that all five formats would be utilized by learners in the pursuit of continuing education and based on the data the face to face formats are very desirable methods.
43 Similar to the results in table 7 the number one method of taking continuing education was face to face in a seminar setting with 95% of the respondents selecting this option for continuing education courses. This was followed closely by online classes that were rated favorably by 77% of the sample group and the option of face to face instruction at an educational institution which was selected by 72% of the sample group. When the data was analyzed based on years of registration there was not a significant statistical difference between individual groups and the entire sample group. Table 8
/fYou Were fo Take Continuing Education Classes Select All o/the Formats That You Would Likely Utilize.
Online
77%
Face to Face at Seminar
95%
At Work Through Contract Training 59%
Face to Face at Educational Institution 72%
Self Study! Correspondence Course
44%
The next two questions that were asked had to deal with research question number three; what benefits for the public and what benefits for the land surveyor will result in the implementation of continuing education requirements? When asked what benefits the public will gain, table 9 shows 85% of the sample group believed that continuing education requirements would result in improvements in surveys while 72% of the sample group felt improvements in survey maps would be a major public benefit. The results to the question of benefit to the land surveyor closely parallel the public's benefits with 97% of the respondents feeling there will be an improvement in the surveys and 77% believing that there will be improvements in the survey maps. What was interesting to see was the wide range between public benefit and land surveyor benefit when it came to contracting. Only 41 % of the respondents felt the public would benefit
44
by improved contracting but 74% felt that the land surveyor would benefit by improved contracting. Although the data does indicate that there is a significant portion of the population that does not support mandatory education (21 %, Table 5) the data does indicate a strong belief in the potential benefits for both the public and the land surveyor. Only 8% of the sample group felt there would not be a benefit to the public from continuing education for land surveyors (Table 9), and 0% of the respondents felt that the land surveyor would not benefit from continuing education (Table 10). Table 9
The Public Will Benefit From Continuing Education for Land Surveyors by: (All respondents: Select all that apply)
Improved Contracting
41%
Improved Communication
64%
Fewer Consumer Complaints 51%
Improved Surveys
85%
Improved Survey Maps
72%
No Benefit to Public
8%
Table 10
The Land Surveyor Will Benefit From Continuing Education by: (All respondents: Select all that apply)
Improved Contracting
74%
Improved Communication
64%
Fewer Consumer Complaints 51%
Improved Surveys
97%
Improved Survey Maps
77%
No Benefit to land surveyor 0%
When detelmining the benefit to the public, one way to measure the benefit is by reviewing the number of complaints filed against land surveyors with the State licensing and registration boards. Six Midwestern states were asked to supply the researcher with data indicating the number of complaints filed by the general public with the registration and
45 licensing boards or their equivalent governing body. Four states responded and the results did not indicate a correlation between continuing education and a reduced number of public complaints. Table 11 shows the results of the request for the number of complaints filed by the public over the past ten years with the year that continuing education was implemented given an asterisk (*). Not all of the states instituted continuing education at the same time but based on the dates of implementation the results indicate that the number of complaints was not reduce but in some cases actually increased in certain years. Table 11
Number of Public Complaints Filed by Year. (* indicates the year after continuing education was implemented)
State
Kansas Minnesota
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
8
11
12*
11
8
10
12
9
14
8
8
7
5
3
5*
5
9
14
5
3
10
4
3
4
3*
3
4
3
3
3
9
6
7
10
6
7
5
7
8
Iowa
Wisconsin
8
Research question number 1 asked, "What are the topics that will be most beneficial to land surveyors for continuing education"? While research question number 4 asked," Is there a need for different topics based on how long a surveyor has been registered as a land surveyor in the State of Wisconsin"? Survey question number 11 of the continuing education for land surveyors survey made the statement "continuing education should include the following topics", and it gave the respondents 13 potential topics of instruction for continuing education with one of the options being "other", this gave the respondents a chance to add their own topic of
46 importance. Of the 13 topics the respondents were instructed to select the five topics that they felt should be pali of the continuing education requirement. Table 12 shows that there were three topics that were rated the highest by all tlu'ee subgroups of the sample group. All three subgroups overwhelmingly selected the same three topics as their top tlu'ee choices and in the same order of importance. These include the following topics . Number one was Legal Elements, number two was Boundary Decisions and number three was State Statutes. The other impOliant aspect to look at in this selection was the percentage of respondents that selected each one of these three topics. The percentage of respondents that selected these tlu-ee topics was very consistent across all tlu'ee subgroups with the exception of the number three selection in the 13-25 years registered group. Only 60% of this subgroup selected State Statutes relative to 83% and 87% of the other two subgroups. This subgroup of land surveyors having been registered for 13 - 25 years had more topics that ranked 40% or higher than the other two subgroups. Although the top tlu'ee topics were relatively consistent tlu'oughout the tlu'ee subgroups the results do indicate some differences between subgroups. When the results are viewed from the aspect of differences between the groups there are two topics that stand out as being needed at different levels by the subgroups. The topic of business management was selected by only 25% of the 1 - 12 years group while 50% of the 13 25 year subgroup and 47% of the 25+ subgroup felt this was impOliant. Additionally a much greater percentage, 67%, of the respondents that were registered for more than 25 years selected "survey techniques" as impOliant while only 33% and 40% of the other subgroups selected this as a topic. These results could indicate that there is a need for different topics based on number of years an individual has been registered answering research question number 4.
47 Table 12
Continuing Education Should Include the Following Topics (Grouped by number ofyears registered with results in percent)
Topics of Instruction
]-12 yrs
13-25 yrs
More than 25 yrs
Whole sample
Boundary Decisions
100
90
93
95
Communication Skills
42
40
27
35
Business Management Business
25
50
47
38
Software
0
0
7
3
Survey Calculations
25
10
27
22
Survey Techniques
33
40
67
46
Legal Elements
100
90
100
97
Local Ordinances
33
10
13
19
Map Preparation
50
50
53
51
Organizational SJdlls
8
0
7
5
State Statutes
83
60
87
78
Survey Software
8
20
13
14
Other
8
20
13
14
The last question of the survey was a two part question and it asked the respondents to; number 1, rate the importance of continuing education for surveyors to land surveyors and secondly, to rate the importance of continuing education to the public. The question was based on a four point likert scale and asked the respondent to rate the importance as; very impOliant (4), important (3), somewhat important (2), and not important (1). The results of this question are shown in Table 13 and it indicates that a very high percentage, 62%, of the respondents rated continuing education as very important for the land surveyor while another 20% rated continuing
48
education as important. With 82% of the respondents rating this very highly the result was a high mean rating of 3.44 and a standard deviation of 0.88. Table 13
How Important is Continuing Education to the Land Surveyor? Very Important
Important
4
3
62%
20%
Somewhat Important 2 13%
Not Important 1 5%
Table 14 shows how land surveyors feel about the impOltance of land surveyor continuing education to the public with a slightly lower number of respondents (51 %) believing it is very impOltant to the public. This resulted in a mean score of 3.23 and a standard deviation of 0.98 within the sample group. Overall 74% of the respondents felt that land surveyor continuing education was either "important" or "very important" to the public with only 8% feeling it was "not important at all". Table 14
Hal-v Important is Continuing Education/or Land Surveyors to the Public? Very Important
Important
4 3 51%
23%
Somewhat Important 2 18%
Not Important 1
8%
49 Chapter V: Discussion The State of Wisconsin is in the infancy of requiring continuing education as a requirement for the renewal of an individual's land surveying license. The objective of this research was to identify the specific needs of land surveyors in an effoli to fulfill the requirements of continuing education. This included determination of potential topics of instruction and preferred delivery methods. Along with identifying the topics and delivery method it was a stated goal to identify potential benefits to land surveyors and to the public. The research, although not complete, may be used to help guide the fUliher development of the continuing education program for land surveyors in Wisconsin.
Limitations The major limitation of this research was in the inability to obtain a complete list of individuals that are registered as land surveyors in the State of Wisconsin due to privacy rights of these individuals. This resulted in a much smaller population than anticipated ultimately resulting in a much smaller sample group. A second significant limitation that may affect the validity of the research was the small response rate of the sample group. Only 39% of the sample group responded by completing the online survey.
Conclusions Wisconsin's legion of registered land surveyors are at a continuing education crossroads. As a group, professional land surveyors have a great deal of autonomy simply by the nature of the job itself. Many of the tasks and duties of the job rely on an individual's ability to make independent decisions based on their interpretation of various forms of evidence with little help from other sources. It is because of this independent nature that many individuals struggle with the idea of mandatory continuing education. This dichotomy of beliefs is evident in the
50 responses to the questions whether continuing education should be mandatory and if there is a professional responsibility to perform continuing education. The results of these two questions strongly conform to Argyris and Schons theory (1974) that freedom of choice builds support and understanding. Twenty-one percent or one fifth of the sample did not believe that continuing education should be mandatory but this very same group of individuals overwhelmingly, 95%, stated that yes there is a professional responsibility to perform continuing education. This strengthens the argument made by Argyris and Schons that freedom of choice strengthens the acceptance of the role of continuing education. This freedom is only a freedom when an individual can define his/her own objectives for continuing education. Along with this freedom to define personal objectives there needs to be a suitable number of oppOliunities with varied topics and style oflearning available to satisfy the needs of the professionals (Argyris and Schons, 1974). In an effort to satisfy this need for a variety of topics of instruction numerous alternatives exist but it was quite clear by the respondents that two topics stood out from all of the rest regardless of the number of years an individual had been registered. Of the respondents 97% and 95% respectively stated that the legal elements of surveying and boundary decisions should be included in continuing education. The third most important topic was relative to State Statutes where overall 78% of the respondents felt this was an important topic. This particular topic actually had a dispersion of responses based on the number of years registered and a definite reason for this cannot be determined by this research and may require additional research in the future. The finding was that 83% and 87% of the 1-12 year group and the more than 25 years registered groups respectively had selected this as an important topic while only 60% of the 13-25 year group felt that information on State Statutes should be pati of continuing education. This in pali provides an answer to research question numbers one (l) and four (4)
51 that ask "what are the topics that will be most beneficial" and "is there a need for different topics based on how many years the individual has been registered". Based on the response, there does not appear to be a need for different topics on this basis alone, as responses by topics were relatively stable across the three registration groups and there were clearly three topics that were ranked significantly higher than the other nine topics. Freedom of choice to select the most appropriate learning method also can influence the acceptance of continuing education. Educators have understood for years that not all individuals learn in the same way and when forced to try to learn in a particular format that is not conducive to the individuals learning style anxiety relative to continuing education will exist (Houle, 1980). In the researchers opinion an unexpected statistic was uncovered in this research, and that was relative to the preferred fOlmat of continuing education by the sample group and subgroups. It is generally presumed that the younger an individual is the more comfortable they are with the utilization of computers and consequently it could be related to the comfort level with online education. The presumption could be made that a younger adult would be more likely to prefer an online course than an older adult, however in this research it was shown by the responses that 40% of land surveyors registered for more than 25 years preferred an online course while 72% and 70% respectively of the 1-12 years and 13-25 years registered groups actually responded that they would prefer a face to face seminar over an online course (Table 7). One reason for this preference of an online course for the surveyor that has been registered longer may be due to his/her extended absence from the classroom. This long absence may be producing a high level of anxiety over possible failure and the individual may feel safer in an online environment where they are free to make mistakes within the privacy of their own home or place of business. This would seem to align with the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy that stated "when students
52 feel anxious about or incompetent in a situation, they lack the motivation to learn (Nov. 1996, p.229). Consequently if the anxiety can be removed the ability and motivation to learn can be increased. This particular topic should include additional research at a later date to gain a better understanding of the reason for this difference in delivery formats. This data can be used to answer research question number two (2) by stating that there are a variety of methods that land surveyors find acceptable but the preferred method for the majority of land surveyors is in a face to face seminar. This was even more evident when asked to select what formats they would utilize and not simply their preferred format. In response to the question as shown in table 8, 95% of the land surveyors indicated they would take a course in a face to face seminar. The last research question that warrants discussion is the question of public and personal benefit. Will there be a benefit to the public and to the land surveyor themselves due to a requirement to performing continuing education in order to renew his/her license? Based on the response to the questions it is clear that land surveyors felt there would be a benefit not only to the land surveyor but also to the public as well. This benefit will occur in several forms from improved surveys and survey maps to improved contracting and communication. Based on a prior conversation the researcher had with the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing in 2008, a large number of complaints filed against land surveyors are a result of poor communication and poor or nonexistent contracting and it is a hope that education will result in better practices in these categories. Will there be a personal benefit? Alan Knox in 1979 stated that without continuing education a professional actually runs the risk of becoming obsolete, defining obsolete as less than optimal proficiency for current professional performance" (p. 133). With changes in technology happening all around the profession there is a true risk of professional obsolescence without continuing education. Land surveyors felt there would be a
53 benefit to themselves through improved surveys and improved contracting. Land surveyors also recognized that there would be a benefit to the public. A solid 92% of the respondents believe there would be a benefit to the public and that benefit would occur in numerous ways with the biggest benefit being better surveys. Professional registration and registration boards exist for a reason and that reason is to protect the public (Williams and Huntley, 1979) An individual that met the minimum requirements for registration ten years ago must be able to show the public that they still meet the criteria for professional registration. Without continuing education there cannot be a guarantee that this would occur?
Recommendations The goal of any continuing education program is to improve the perfOlmance of the individuals and ultimately the overall profession. In order for this to happen quickly and to build enthusiasm for continuing education the initial focus needs to be on the topics and the instructional delivery methods that the majority of the respondents selected. Acceptance of the role of continuing education and the role it can play in the profession of land surveying is critical to its ultimate success. The two prefened delivery methods of continuing education are in face to face seminars and in an online format so the majority of offerings at least initially should be presented in these two formats. The Wisconsin technical college system, Wisconsin university system and the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors should work together to guarantee that all Wisconsin land surveyors will have a wide breadth of opportunities available to them in order to meet the State's requirements for continuing education. As stated the initial topics should follow the top selections from table 12, which indicated boundary decisions, the legal elements of land surveying and Wisconsin's statutes that relate to land surveying were very important topics.
54 If continuing education is to be successful in Wisconsin and accepted by the rather autonomous group of land surveyor there needs to be flexibility in topics and instructional techniques. It is the recommendation of the researcher that additional research be performed to help understand why there is a difference in the preferred method of delivery of continuing education classes in the subgroup of individuals that have been registered for more than 25 years. In addition a recommendation is made to perform additional research on a larger sample group. This larger sample may be a better representation of the population as a whole and help validate this data before the research and the data is generalized to the population.
55
References Argyris, C., Schon, D. A. (1974) Theory practice: Increasing professional effectiveness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Cervero, R. M. (1988). Effective continuing education for professionals. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Cervero, Ronald M. (2000). Trends and issues in continuing professional education. In V. W. Mott & B. 1. Daley (Eds.), New Directionsfor Adult and Continuing Education, (86), pp 3-12. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Cervero, R. (2001). Continuing professional education in transition, 1981-2000. International
Journal of Lifelong Education, 20(112), 16-30. doi: 10.1 08010963828001 0008282. Cunningham, 1. (201 0). Self-direction: A critical tool in distance learning. Common Ground
Journal, 7(2), 89-100. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.uwstout.edu:2048/10gin?url= http://search.ebscohost.comllogin.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=48656931 &loginpage =Login.asp&site=ehost-live Dewberry, S. (Ed.). (1996). Land development handbook planning, engineering, and surveying. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Donavant, B. (2009). The new, modern practice of adult education: Online instruction in a continuing professional education setting. Adult Education Quarterly, 59(3),227-245. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=380 18226&10ginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live Ghialani, C. D., & Wolf, P. R. (2008) Elementaty surveying an introduction to geomatics (1 i ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall
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56 Hansman, C. (2001). Context-based adult learning. New Directionsfor Adult & Continuing
Education , (89), 43. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.uwstout.edu:2048/10gin?url=http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9178903&loginpage=Login. asp&si te=ehost -1 ive. Houle, C. O. (1980) Continuing learning in the professions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Jeris, L., & Conway, A. (2003). Time to regrade the terrain of continuing professional education: Views from practitioners. Adult Learning, 14(1), 34-36. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. lib.uwstout.edu:2048/10gin?url=http://search.ebscohost.comllogin.aspx?direct=true&db= a9h&AN=17481905&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-1ive Joyce, P., & Cowman, S. (2007). Continuing professional development: Investment or expectation? Journal ofNursing Management, 15(6),626-633 . doi:10.11111j.13652834.2007.00683.x Kent, H. (2006) . Protecting clients from harm : The role of continuing professional education.
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57 Lawler, P. A. (2000). Ethical issues in continuing professional education. In V. W. Mott & B. 1. Daley (Eds.), New Directions/or Adult and Continuing Education, (86), 63-70. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Madson, II, T. S. & Munro, R. J. (1979). Understanding your pro/essionalliability as a land
surveyor. Gainesville, FI: Land Surveyor's Seminar. McKeever, M. P. (1992). How to write a business plan. Berkeley, Ca: Nolo Press. MOlTis Baskett, H. K., Marsick, V. J. (1992). Confronting new understandings about professional learning and change. In H. K. MOlTis Baskett & V. 1. Marsick (Eds), New Directions/or
Adult and Continuing Education, (55), 7-15. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Morris Baskett, H. K., Marsick, V. J. & Cervero, R. M. (1992). Putting theory to practice and practice to theory. In H. K. Morris Baskett & V. 1. Marsick (Eds.), New Directions/or
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Education, (117), 47-57. doi:10.1002/ace.285 New demands and new opportunities for professional continuing education: A mission in flux.
(2006). ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(2), 1-15. doi: 10.1 002/aehe.3202. Professional continuing education as a means of regulating professional practice. (2006). ASHE
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58 Professional continuing education, knowledge management, and the workplace : A growing industry. (2006). ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(2), 17-25. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.uwstout.edu:2048/Iogin?url=http://search.ebscohost.comllogin.aspx?dir ect=true&db=a9h&AN=24208095&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live. Reduce student anxiety and helplessness; increase motivation. (1996). Journal ofAdolescent &
Adult Literacy, 40(3), 229. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct =true&db=aph&AN=9706093480&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live. Regehr, G., & Mylopoulos, M. (2008). Maintaining competence in the field: Learning about practice, through practice, in practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health
Professions, 28, 19-23. doi:l0.l0020chp.203. Robillard, W., Wilson, D., & Brown, (2006). Evidence and procedures for boundCtly location (5111 ed.). New York, NY: JOM Wiley & Sons, Inc. U.S. Department of the Interior. (2009). Manual of surveying instructions: For the survey of the
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Appendix A: Consent to Participate Form Coase-nt to participate in U\\' Stout apprond research Tbio; I't'search has been apprond by the UW-Stout IRB as requil't'd by the- Code of Federal rt'gulation..~ Ttt1e .j5 Part 46 Title: Continuing Edu{'ation for \Visconsin L:md Sur..-eyors Inw-stl.gatOI': Devon Vanden Heuvel,P.O. Box. 518, Rb.illeJander, ,\VI54501; Phone: 715-365-4521 Email: dvandenh:'iinicoletcollege.edn
Research Spousor/Ad,'isor: Stanley Goetz, University of Wi s.consin Stout Phone: 715-232-1102 Email: goetzs:a::l.lwstont.edu Desniption of SUlTey: The ol!i ective of this research 1; to identify tbI! specific lll!eds of continuing edlll:ation fur land sun~}\}{s registered in Wisconsin including potenti3l top-ics of instroction and de]n'l!ry m.ediods. Along with idmtifying top-ics and deli",'elY furmat the resemc.b.l!r 'llwishes to Identify potenti3l beJJi!fits to Iml.d surreyon and to the public
Risks and Benefits: The subj I!ct und!!rst:m.ds the basil: namre of abe study and agrees fua.t any poteIIt:ial risks are exceedingly small and are -outweighed by the po~lltia.l bl!il.efits. The subj I!Ct is &\\we that the infurmalion is being 50Ugbt in such a DJ.alllIel" th3t: no idemifil!l5 are needed and that confidentiality is guaranteed 'Ibe benefit of this r~!lIch will 'be in the a5S1;tmce of the researrl!P..I in the oo'eloplllHlt of cODtinuing education opportunjties for Iml.d SllPie)'Ors in Wisconsin.
Time and Compensation: The sunrey should lllke a;ppro:timatel)' five (5) minute:; to complete and no con:Ipelli31:i.on will be gi....en to any respondPJIts.
Confid entiality: This !illP."'e)' is completel)' \ro]untary :md all 8ll5"\1o'ers v.i1l remain confidential.. The 5lIbjl!Cts IllI.IIle ·will DOt be :rttacbed or in:::Juded in :my docmnents. 'Ibe researrher does no( belie...·e the 5llbject can be idi!:n.ti..fied by any inform.ation pro...idA!d in the
survey.
Right to re-fuse Ol' llithdl'aw: The completion oftbe sunrey is completel)' voluntary and the, rubject has the right to refu!;e to p-articip3~ without any adverse -consequences, coercions or prejl1dice. HOWE"'".'1!i if after completing the SlIll,'E!)' the subject wi:hes to wilhdraw form the S1ll'."'e)' there is no way to identify )'our anonymous document af'rl!i it ba:; been completed
IRB ApproyaJ: This study has been rI!'I'lewed and appro,...ed by the Uni-.."'eI5ity ofWisc.ofuin-Stout ' s Insti.tntional Rl!,.iew Board (IRE). Tbe IRB has detennined that this stW.y meets the ethical obligations reqnired by fedi!rallaw :md Unn'ersity polities. If you have qtlI!S lions ore 0llC I!fllS regarding this study please coma ct the In-..-estigaror or the A.ch
