Vocational Educators' Views of Activities Associated with Dissemination.

A study was conducted to investigate views of vocational educators who receive program improvement products regarding activities currently associated with dissemination. The construct of the Dissemination Analysis Group (DAG) four-level definition of dissemination--spread, exchange, choice, and implementation--provided the theoretical framework for the questionnaire used to gather data. Three questions were asked regarding the twenty-four dissemination activities (six for each of the four levels): (1) extent of experiencing, (2) level of perceived experience, and (3) judged effectiveness of the dissemination activities. Findings showed producers experienced all activities to a greater extent than linkers, and linkers experienced all activities to a greater extent than users. This indicated a gap between experiences of role group involved in the dissemination process. The highest ranked dissemination activities were theoretically defined either as spread or exchange activities, while choice and implementation activities appeared toward the lower end of the rankings. It was also found that respondents could discriminate among activities they perceived as providing assistance on spread and implementation levels of dissemination, but not among those they perceived as providing assistance on exchange and choice levels. (Appendixes include the DAG definition of dissemination, dissemination activity descriptions, and data tables and charts.) (YLB)