Missoula Middle School Climates As Perceived by Respect Club Members

Purpose: School-based violence and perceived discrimination have been linked to poorer health outcomes for youth (Bontempo & D’Augelli, 2002; Saewyc et al., 2006). Current research has documented the positive impacts of high school clubs that focus on inclusion and school safety, such as high school gay-straight-alliances (Heck, Flentje, & Cochran, 2011). The current study sought to examine heterosexual and gay, lesbian, or bisexual (LGB) students’ perspectives of safety and acceptance at the middle school level within a local network of Respect Clubs in Missoula, that promote inclusion and acceptance. Methods: Participants were recruited through normally designated Respect Club meetings. Participants were current or recent members of Respect Club, had provided parental consent, and were between 11 and 18 years old. Volunteers were asked to take an anonymous paper and pencil survey. The survey consisted of 26-items, including: demographic information, and questions targeting individual perceptions of belonging, acceptance, and safety at school. Approval for this study was expedited from the IRB before beginning. Descriptive analyses were run in SPSS to provide percentile breakdowns for each of these categories. Originality: Although a growing body of research has examined the impacts of high school clubs that focus on inclusion and acceptance, significantly less research exists documenting the impacts of middle school clubs with similar goals. Additionally, very little research has addressed school climate for LGB middle school students more generally. Significance: Findings from this project provide insight into the effectiveness of middle school based clubs that promote tolerance and acceptance. Highlighting the positive impacts of middle school based clubs may influence other schools to expand the presence of tolerance-based clubs outside of high schools. This project also allows middle school students who participated a chance to voice their opinions and experiences in Respect Club to a responsive audience through a safe, anonymous medium

A case study of community college adult learners online

This case study investigated whether there was sufficient instruction andresources to provide a meaningful learning experience for adult learners online at a Philadelphia-suburban community college. This study addressed the factors that are changing the landscape of higher education: Web-based education competition, the increase of online course offerings, and the escalation of adult students in higher education. The research study was designed as a mixed methods case study. This mixed methods design included qualitative student interviews, qualitative analysis of course and institutional materials and artifacts, and quantitative analysis of Web course evaluation questionnaires. The results of the study were that students ranked technology dimensions above both course/program management and instruction/instructor dimensions. In addition, the following themes emerged at this college: (1) the Web courses were flexible and convenient for most learners, (2) for most students, the instructor employed learning strategies that facilitated understanding the material, provided sufficient interaction between the instructor and the students, and provided sufficient interaction between the instructor and the students, (3) most participants believed it was necessary to be self-motivated, and self-directed, (4) and in most instances, students had a high level of administrative support, access to essential instructional resources and reliable technology that sufficiently facilitated their learning activities. However, evidence indicated a need for course learning strategies that include multiple perspectives and case-based learning that closely resemble real-life events (Campbell, 1999). As a result, it appears the instructors and students would benefit from increased support in developing these types of learning activities. Within the context of this study, the conclusions were that: in most instances, adult students had meaningful learning experiences in the Web environment; a robust technology platform supported learning and was a critical factor in whether students learn well; and the course design and instructor significantly contributed to student achievement and satisfaction within a Web learning environment. As institutions of higher education continue to expand their Web-based educational offerings, they should continue to seek feedback from their students. Recommendations for further research conclude the report.Ph.D., Education -- Drexel University, 200

Identifying Barriers in USDA Programs and Services; Advancing Racial Justice and Equity and Support for Underserved Communities at USDA

On July 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a notice in the Federal Register seeking input from the public on how USDA can advance racial justice and equity for underserved communities as part of its implementation of Executive Order 13985. This letter responds to the agency’s request. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a number of programs that could improve access to clean drinking water for Tribes. While these programs have improved conditions for some tribes, several barriers exist which prevent Tribes from fully realizing the benefits of these programs. Our comments recommend: (1) removing the underwriting requirement for tribal applicants for 306(c) grants; (2) implementing a scoring factor to assign points for projects that serve Native American homes lacking drinking water or sanitation; (3) increasing per-project award limitations; and (4) improving the technical assistance and training programs available to Tribes

Generative Pedagogies: Activating Learners through Student-centered Practices

This collective dissertation contains the efforts of a group of curious, committed, and creative educators on the hunt for high-impact instructional approaches that empower and emancipate learners. Although each study within the dissertation is anchored in its own setting--and those settings represent a diverse collection of learning sites--a single thread connects them all: Each study inquires into the impact of a generative pedagogy. By “generative,” we mean to highlight methods that focus on helping learners of all kinds develop creativity and take ownership over their learning, approaches that will help them build agency and grow skills simultaneously. Here, we explore the complex relationships between attitudes and outcomes in several different ways. These studies investigate the efficacy of workshop model instruction, divergent thinking protocols, and explicit growth mindset instruction for students with disabilities in English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms, the impact of choice- and studio-based approaches in Art classrooms, and the overall impact of growth mindset characteristics on teachers’ attitudes and career paths. Generally speaking, these variables were found to have a significant, positive impact on both attitudes and outcomes. Additionally, some of these methods emerged as equity-building practices, working well overall but even better for students in demographic groups that often lag behind. Taken together, these approaches represent a perspective that honors learners as co-constructors of their own knowledge and makes salient a set of skills and habits that can contribute powerfully toward each individual learner’s success

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Using Thiel Soft-Embalmed Donors to Teach the Female Pelvic Exam to Medical Students

At the Quillen College of Medicine, first year medical students are taught how to perform the female pelvic exam as part of the “Introduction to Physical Exam” course. Our previous research has found that students feel more confident and report a higher level of perceived transferability to live patients when learning the pelvic exam on soft-embalmed donors in comparison to low-fidelity mannequins. Our goal in this project was to incorporate soft-embalmed donors into the curriculum of first year medical students, making this teaching method available to all students, and objectively assess their skills as well as their retention. During the “Introduction to Physical Exam” course, high fidelity soft embalmed donors were available for students to practice the female pelvic exam with instruction from attending physicians. After learning exam techniques, all 67 students were given a survey to assess their confidence, perceived transferability, and preference for either soft embalmed donors or mannequins. They were also invited back the following week to assess their short term retention and ability to accurately perform the pelvic exam, with the option of using communication skills learned elsewhere in the ETSU curriculum. Thirteen students returned for this follow-up session and completed surveys to reassess their experience. We plan to follow this cohort of students throughout their medical school career to assess long term retention. All return participants felt they retained the pelvic exam knowledge learned the week prior, with 61.54% agreeing, and 38.46% strongly agreeing. Most felt prepared to now do a pelvic exam on a live patient (53.85% agreed, 38.46% strongly agreed). Students also reported that feedback on their communication and procedural skills was beneficial to the learning process. The use of high fidelity soft embalmed donors in medical education provides students with a realistic model to learn and become confident in performing pelvic exams. We have seen that this education model helps them retain their knowledge on pelvic exam technique. We look forward to following this cohort of students to see if this retention of knowledge persists into their third year of medical school

Evaluating the Skeletal Chemistry of Mytilus Californianus as a Temperature Proxy: Effects of Microenvironment and Ontogeny

Molluscan shell chemistry may provide an important archive of mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual range in temperature (MART), but such direct temperature interpretations may be confounded by biologic, metabolic, or kinetic factors. To explore this potential archive, we outplanted variously sized specimens of the common mussel Mytilus californianus at relatively low and high intertidal positions in San Diego, California, for 382 days with in situ recording of ambient temperature and periodic sampling of water chemistry. The prismatic calcite layer of eight variously sized specimens from each intertidal position were then serially microsampled and geochemically analyzed. Average intraspecimen delta(18)O values significantly covaried only with temperature, whereas Mg/Ca values showed a strong and significant positive correlation with growth rate. To assess intra-annual variations in shell chemistry as proxy for MART, each specimen\u27s delta(18)O record was ordinated in the time domain and compared to the predicted isotopic equilibrium [delta]18O values from environmental data. Observed specimen values were significantly correlated with predicted equilibrium values, but show 18O enrichments of 0.2 to 0.5 parts per thousand. In contrast, Mg/Ca values were poorly correlated with temperature due to significant positive relationships with growth rate and intertidal position. Within the extrapallial fluid, pH, carbonate solution chemistry, Rayleigh fractionation and/or an undetermined source of disequilibrium may cause [delta]18O values to deviate from predicted equilibrium precipitation for ambient seawater. Despite this consistent 18O enrichment, intraskeletal variations in [delta]18O values readily characterize the instrumental MAT and 5-95% MART values, making M. californianus a valuable source of information for paleoceanographic reconstructions

Interprofessional Education Checklist

The IPE Checklist is a tool for appraising the quality of interprofessional health professions education resources. This IPE checklist was designed to assist educators as they develop and assess the value, relevance and utility of interprofessional resources and educational materials.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/ipe_tools/1000/thumbnail.jp

The Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy on Gait in Adults with Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Analysis

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, neurological disorder caused by the destruction of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. To treat motor symptoms of PD, individuals may choose alternative modes of exercise, such as equine-assisted therapy (EAT), to improve physiological health. PURPOSE: To determine changes in gait following 8 weeks of Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) in older men with PD. METHODS: Six older adults (age = 68.0 ± 8.6 yrs; height = 178.6 ± 8.3 cm; weight = 93.4 ± 16.3 kg; Hoehn and Yahr classification = 2.8 ± 0.4; time since diagnosis = 7.3 ± 5.0 yrs) performed two, 60-minute riding sessions weekly for 8 weeks. Before, midway, immediately after, and at two points following the EAT program (at 8 weeks and 16 weeks), spatiotemporal parameters of gait were measured using motion capture with infrared markers strategically placed on lower-body anatomical landmarks. Participants walked at a self-selected speed without the use of an assistive device in the capture space for 15 consecutive strides, turned around, and walked back across the space. Gait velocity, step length, time spent in stance phase, time spent in swing phase, toe clearance were collected. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis-of-variance and a Bonferroni correction with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: Gait velocity (101.8 ± 29.1 vs. 109.2 ± 34.9 vs. 116.3 ± 32.8 vs. 105.7 ± 26.2 vs. 108.0 ± 25.4 cm/s for pre-EAT, midway through EAT, immediately post-EAT, 8 weeks after EAT concluded, and 16 weeks after EAT concluded, respectively) was significant across all time points (p = 0.03). All other variables were statistically similar (p \u3e 0.05) across all time points. CONCLUSION: There is an observable trend towards significance in each gait variable immediately after 8 weeks of EAT. The study is ongoing and will further explore these differences

Factors associated with alcohol reduction in harmful and hazardous drinkers following alcohol brief intervention in Scotland: a qualitative enquiry

Background: Alcohol Brief Intervention (ABI) uses a motivational counselling approach to support individuals to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. There is growing evidence on ABI’s use within various health care settings, although how they work and which components enhance success is largely unknown. This paper reports on the qualitative part of a mixed methods study. It explores enablers and barriers associated with alcohol reduction following an ABI. It focuses on alcohol’s place within participants’ lives and their personal perspectives on reducing consumption. There are a number of randomised controlled trials in this field though few ABI studies have addressed the experiences of hazardous/harmful drinkers. This study examines factors associated with alcohol reduction in harmful/hazardous drinkers following ABI. Methods: This qualitative study was underpinned by a realist evaluation approach and involved semistructured interviews with ten harmful or hazardous alcohol drinkers. Participants (n = 10) were from the intervention arm of a randomised controlled trial (n = 124). All had received ABI, a 20 min motivational counselling interview, six months previously, and had reduced their alcohol consumption. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results: Participants described their views on alcohol, its’ place in their lives, their personal perspectives on reducing their consumption and future aspirations. Conclusions: The findings provide an insight into participants’ views on alcohol, ABI, and the barriers and enablers to change. Participants described a cost benefit analysis, with some conscious consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of reducing intake or abstaining from alcohol. Findings suggest that, whilst hospital admission can act as a catalyst, encouraging individuals to reflect on their alcohol consumption through ABI may consolidate this, turning this reflective moment into action. Sustainability may be enhanced by the presence of a ‘significant other’ who encourages and experiences benefit. In addition having a purpose or structure with activities linked to employment and/or social and leisure pursuits offers the potential to enhance and sustain reduced alcohol consumption. Trial registration: Trial registration number TRN NCT00982306 September 22nd 200