Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

EdD

College

College of Education and Human Services

Department

Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies

Committee Chair

David L. McCrory.

Abstract

This study investigated the social and cultural issues related to the implementation of biometric technology at the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The researcher verbally interviewed five instructors and five graduate students. The quantitative research methods employed two surveys. The research population involved 30 instructors and 189 graduate students. The researcher utilized independent-sample t-tests to compare different groups. The results obtained from this research support the following: (1) there is a real privacy concern among instructors and students regarding the implementation of biometric technology, (2) religious concerns were not an issue for the research participants and (3) health risk was not a concern for instructors and but it was for students. Health concerns, however, were stronger within the students' group compared with the instructors' group; t-tests confirmed this result. The independent-samples t-test did not find a significant difference between students' and instructors' groups in their responses to the privacy and religious issues, but it showed significant differences between the two groups in their responses to the health issues questions. This research suggests that a public awareness campaign precede consideration of biometric technology implementation. The adoption of hybrid information collection, using both biometric and traditional systems, is supported. When institutions choose to adopt biometric technology, it is essential to put in place very specific and clear policies.

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