The HBEP New Volunteer Orientation website presented information to acquaint potential volunteers with the responsibilities and situations they will likely encounter. A constructivist learning design allowed participants to make sense of the information and become drivers of their learning experience. To evaluate the impact of the website, an action research study was conducted using 10 participants. After consuming text and visual content, participants responded to actual volunteer scenarios via brief video recordings of themselves using Flipgrid. Participants completed pre- and post-tutorial surveys that measured prior knowledge of the volunteer position and content retention. Overall, survey results and feedback show that participants had a better understanding of volunteer expectations and felt confident about volunteering after completing the orientation. This study examined the challenges many volunteer organizations face during the recruitment and training process. Additionally, it supports the effectiveness of e-learning in improving the efficiency of preparing potential volunteers.
Website URL: https://mamizuka728.wixsite.com/hbepnewvolunteers
Morgan Mamizuka is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Hawaii Sea Grant Hanauma Bay Education Program (HBEP) in Honolulu, Hawaii and a graduate student in the Learning Design and Technology program at UH Manoa (LTEC). After receiving her B.S. in Agricultural Business from UH Hilo she began an internship with the HBEP. Working alongside HBEP staff and volunteers to educate visitors on the marine life and stewardship of Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, she developed a passion for marine conservation and serving others. Since then she has led the HBEP’s Volunteer Program for 12 years. Her role as a Volunteer Coordinator is to recruit, train, and manage more than 100 volunteer docents who engage with the 800,000 park patrons each year. Morgan is excited to utilize the knowledge and skills gained through the LTEC program to enhance and elevate programs, activities, and educational resources offered by the HBEP.A recording of this presentation is available.
Click the button to the right to access the session archive.