DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/ZV6Q-DW11

Defense Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Robin Hurst,

Second Advisor

Dr. Jesse Senechal

Third Advisor

Dr. LaRon Scott

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Manoj Thomas

Abstract

INTERNET-BASED BEHAVIOR OF IT PROFESSIONALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ONLINE ERGONOMIC EDUCATION TO PREVENT WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

By Priyadarshini Pattath, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Director: Dr. Robin Hurst, Assistant Professor of Adult Learning, Teaching and Learning,

School of Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the preferences of medium of ergonomic education and views about self-directed online training modules to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in computer professionals and understand their perspectives and experiences about online health information seeking using a self-directed learning framework. To accomplish this, a qualitative research design was used to analyze data from interviews and observation. An exploratory case study research design was employed to examine the experiences of fifteen information technology professionals. The findings revealed that the preference for the mode of delivery of ergonomic education depends on the individual attitude and on the perceived attributes of the particular mode of delivery. The findings highlighted the role of the Internet in making significant lifestyle and contextual modifications. Finally, the findings highlighted the barriers that were faced when seeking health information on the Internet. The findings of this study were limited by the nature of the research and sample size. Additional research is needed to support the findings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

6-23-2017

Download

Share

COinS