Using Focus Groups to Listen, Learn, and Lead in Higher Education (PDF)

Mona J.E. Danner is Professor and Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Old Dominion University. Dr. Danner has also served as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Director of the MA in Applied Sociology and the PhD in Criminology & Criminal Justice programs, and has been active in service at all levels throughout the university including working with focus groups across campus. Social inequalities, crime control policies, and globalization comprise her teaching and research interests. She has published in those fields and presented research at conferences throughout the U.S., in Europe, Latin America, and Australia, and at the NGO Forum held in conjunction with the United Nations Conference on Women in 1995 in Beijing, China. Dr. Danner has also published op-eds and been featured in television and radio interviews and been quoted by the popular print media. J. Worth Pickering retired as Assistant Vice President for Assessment at Old Dominion University where he worked for more 30 years. He now works for ODU as a part-time consultant. Prior to his appointment as AVP, he held the position of Director of Assessment and has also worked in Student Services Research and served in the Counseling Center as a career counselor. Dr. Pickering co-led the development of the focus group process at ODU over the last 20 years and has led a variety of focus group projects in which we have conducted more than 100 focus groups during that time. Dr. Pickering has taught graduate courses in career development and student development as well as research and assessment at ODU. His primary research interests are in the areas of student success and student learning. In addition to his work at ODU, Dr. Pickering regularly consults with other institutions and conducts workshops at regional and national conferences. He has published articles and book chapters in the areas of student learning, student success, and assessment. Tisha M. Paredes is Assistant Vice