Prior research on volunteer training suggests that in-person options are the best way to support volunteer skill development and motivation. Until fairly recently, face-to-face training was the only choice for volunteer training beyond individual self-study through books and manuals. Due to lack of resources and an increased accessibility of technology-mediated options, volunteer organizations have begun to adopt fully online and blended approaches borrowed from the field of education with little attention paid to the motivational differences between adult volunteers and students. Little was known about how different training formats and varying levels of synchronicity including face-to-face, self-paced online modules, and blended approaches that include technology and in-person experiences affect volunteer motivation. This study used observations and reflections of volunteers in face-to-face, fully online, and blended environments to explore if and how computer-mediated communication and synchronicity influenced a volunteers' sense of connection, confidence to act, and perceived sense of behavioral control. Volunteers in three conditions participated in training experiences focused on cultural awareness and increasing their skills around issues of sensitivity and inclusion. Face-to-face and synchromodal conditions which used interaction with peers and a facilitator showed volunteers experienced richer levels of both relatedness and competence. The opportunity to brainstorm with peers and explore complex scenarios where cultural awareness content was applied influenced volunteers' engagement in the training and had some effect on a volunteer changing his or her behavior relative to the training.
Read
