A decision analysis model for adult education program planning at the vocational level.

Abstract

The answers to Questions One and Two were established through the use of a three iteration Delphi Technique. A select committee of adult vocational education decision makers within the state of Oklahoma were chosen to serve as the Delphi panelists to insure the credibility of the framework that was used to construct the multiple objective decision model. The outcome of this process resulted in a set of prioritized objectives for adult vocational education within the state of Oklahoma.

Question Three was resolved by adapting the identified goals, constraints, and parameters to a Goal Programming model. The model was demonstrated to be suitable for the application to which it was applied.

The purpose of this study was directed toward the development and testing of a comprehensive model that could be used to guide the decision making process for adult vocational education at the state-level of planning. Three research questions were posed to insure the comprehensive nature of the model: (1) what goals, constraints, and parameters enter into the decision making process for full-time adult vocational education at the state-level of planning, (2) what priority assignment would state-level decision makers assign to the identified goals, and (3) how may these data be applied in a multiple objective decision model to yield an optimum decision solution.

The results of the Delphi Technique produced six distinct goals that were considered at a high level of importance for adult vocational education. The highest priority goal related to maximizing training that would best support state and local economic development. For constructing and testing the Goal Programming model, it became necessary to add constraints to the model to bound the decision solution to within realistic limits. These constraints were related to maximum enrollment levels and overall budgetary limitations. The resulting solution was given in the form of the number of adult students that should be enrolled in each of 48 different vocational education programs throughout the state to insure an optimum attainment of the identified objectives.