Diffusion of Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovations in Career Centers: Perceptions of Acceptability, Appropriateness, and Expected Feasibility of Implementation
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Authors
Culbertson, Phenix Joseph
Issue Date
2025-05-20
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Artificial intelligence , Artificial intelligence--Educational applications , Career development , Career education , College placement services , Diffusion of innovations , Dissertations, Academic--United States , Education, Higher--Administration , Educational innovations , Educational technology--Evaluation , Employment interviewing--Study and teaching , Human-computer interaction , Job hunting , Public administration , Technological innovations , Virtual reality in education , Vocational guidance
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Abstract
This dissertation explores career center leaders' perceptions of integrating virtual reality(VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for job and internship interview training. Grounded in Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory, the study examines how higher education institutions can adopt these innovations to address challenges of providing scalable, “high-touch” experiences in career services. The study uses quantitative and qualitative analyses to investigate the acceptability, appropriateness, and expected feasibility of VR and AI implementation in career centers. The research team collected data from nine career center leaders representing diverse higher education institutions. The analysis examines the influence of institutional characteristics, such as public versus private institutions and centralized versus decentralized career center models, on perceptions of technology adoption through univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Although the small sample size limits statistical significance, the findings provide valuable qualitative insights into the nuanced perceptions of career center leaders. The results show that career center leaders generally perceive VR and AI as acceptable and appropriate for enhancing interview skills through immersive training simulations. However, participants expressed concerns about feasibility, including resource constraints and staff training needs, which present barriers to adoption. The study identifies strategies such as public-private partnerships and pilot programs as potential solutions. These findings, aligned with trends in public administration emphasizing innovation in service delivery, highlight the importance of transferability over generalizability. The implications extend beyond higher education, suggesting that VR and AI could enhance workforce development programs and contribute to economic development by preparing students for modern job market demands.
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.