A Mixed-Method Study Exploring Cyber Ranges and Educator Motivation

A growing number of academic institutions have invested resources to integrate cyber ranges for applying and developing cybersecurity-related knowledge and skills. Cyber range developers and administrators provided much of what is known about cyber range resources and possible educational applications; however, the educator provides valuable understanding of the cyber range resources they use, how they use them, what they value, and what they do not value. This study provides the cyber range user perspective of cyber ranges in cybersecurity education by describing how K-12 educators are motivated using cyber ranges. Using mixed methods, this study explored educator motivation associated with cyber range usage through the lens of Eccles’ Situated Expectancy Value Theory. This research contributes to understanding how educators are motivated using academic cyber ranges for cybersecurity education. Overall, educators were motivated but professional development and preparation resources that do not assume any prior cybersecurity knowledge would contribute positively to their usage. Cybersecurity education stakeholders should continue to support cyber range integration to strengthen cybersecurity education programs and support educators\u27 ability to become better cybersecurity educators

Falling through the cracks: A look at factors contributing to non-participation in independent living program services

The purpose of this study was to identify the youth who do not participate in Independent Living Program (ILP) services and, if possible, to ascertain if any characteristics or factors appear to affect participation in ILP services. The study utilized a quantitative research method to assess ILP participation by extracting data from existing case records via a data extraction form created in conjunction with the San Bernardino County Legislation, Research and Quality Support Services Unit

Rx for Health Referral Toolkit to Promote Extension Programs

The Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health and Wellness calls for the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) to partner with healthcare professionals to support their patients in preventing illness and promoting health through community education. Strategies to connect the healthcare system with coordinated referrals to community-based health programs can help patients improve health outcomes. The Rx for Health Referral Toolkit pilot project was developed as part of a strategy to align CES’s strengths with the medical community to promote quality healthcare experiences for patients. The toolkit educates healthcare providers about the many health programs offered by CES in Michigan. It helps ease the burden on healthcare providers by providing a ready-to-use, simple referral tool. Extension staff were recruited to serve as the point of contact for healthcare provider referrals and conduct outreach with primary care practices utilizing the Rx for Health Referral Toolkit. As a result of the pilot project, CES educators had 56 new participant referrals directly from healthcare providers. Prior to this pilot, referrals from healthcare providers were rare. Feedback showed that patients also needed to know what CES is and what it has to offer. Partnerships between healthcare providers and CES can improve the health of patients nationwide

Using Speed Meetings to Connect Extension Experts with University Health Researchers

Speed meetings are an innovative approach to creating partnerships among Extension experts and university health researchers. Extension educators play a pivotal role in providing community-based education, building partnerships across the state, and disseminating local research on a community level. The Extension Health Research team at Michigan State University has organized and held four speed meetings to educate researchers and faculty on Extension\u27s history, infrastructure, and existing health programs. Participants at the speed meetings gained familiarity with Extension, and subsequent connections made with educators have strengthened research and funding opportunities in mutually beneficial ways

Preparing Extension Educators for Community-Based Research and Grant Partnerships

Two trainings to prepare Extension educators for research and grant partnerships were designed, implemented, and evaluated. These trainings further national goals to address health disparities, gain partnerships in the health care sector, and support health extension. The workshop Are You Research Ready? prepares Extension educators to participate in community-based human health research. Evaluations indicated that attendees gained a self-assessment of research readiness and felt more confident to position themselves for grants. Program evaluations also showed that educators needed additional training on how to create partnerships. A second workshop, Are You Partnership Ready?, addresses this need, increasing participants\u27 confidence and skills for engaging in research projects and building partnerships

Anger Management Program Participants Gain Behavioral Changes in Interpersonal Relationships

RELAX: Alternatives to Anger is an educational anger management program that helps adults understand and manage anger, develop communication skills, manage stress, and make positive behavioral changes in their interpersonal relationships. A sample of 1,168 evaluation surveys were collected from RELAX: Alternatives to Anger participants over 3 program years (2013–2015). A dependent t-test on the mean composite scores for the group and calculation of individual preprogram-to-postprogram change scores showed that the program was effective overall. The RELAX: Alternatives to Anger curriculum is appropriate for workplace wellness programs, Extension programming for audiences such as farm families and 4-H volunteers, and Extension staff professional development

Outcome Expectations and Environmental Factors Associated with Engineering College-Going: A Case Study

Family, school, and community contexts each link to secondary school enrollment, yet these factors have been comparatively examined only in limited ways. A holistic examination of contextual factors will be particularly important for engineering where college enrollment patterns vary by demographics. To begin explaining patterns of engineering college-going at different high schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia, we answered the following research questions: Within a single school system and from a socializer’s perspective, what outcome expectations and environmental factors influence students’ engineering-related postsecondary educational plans? How are these factors the same and different between high schools within a school district? Using a single-case-study approach and in-depth interviews with socializers (teachers, administrators, and counselors), we examined similarities and differences in outcome expectations and environmental factors at three high schools within a single school district. By integrating the results regarding outcome expectations and environmental factors, three important findings emerged: (1) relationships between outcome expectations and environmental factors vary across schools within the same system, (2) proximity to a postsecondary institution is not just about physical distance, and (3) messaging regarding career pathways matters. Each of these has practical implications but can also set the foundation for future research

Lessons from Two States with Extension Programs for Managing Stress

Recognizing the need for education that addresses social emotional and mental health issues faced by adults, Extension developed two different types of programs. Michigan State University (MSU) Extension developed the RELAX: Alternatives to Anger program (RELAX) to address anger management, and West Virginia University (WVU) Extension created Stress Less with Mindfulness (SLM) to build stress management skills among adults. At a national conference, the two states independently shared their programs’ objectives and delivery implementation and then later cross-trained each other’s Extension team. The research reported here shares the designs of both stress-reduction health programs and the results of a combined two-state SLM evaluation with 1,304 participants. The benefits of SLM included skill learning and practice. Recommendations for practice include state Extension services sharing curricula resources, training teams from each other’s states, and jointly implementing evaluation protocols. Extension professionals looking for established programs that help people gain skills to promote emotional health and stress-reduction may consider implementing one of these community-based programs in their states

What Do You Meme? Meme Humor Comprehension in Adolescents with Language Disorder or Hearing Loss

Easy access to the internet allows adolescents to share humor, such as memes, via social media. This quasi-experimental study investigated whether there was a difference in the number of memes comprehended on an assessment test among adolescents who were typically developing, adolescents who were deaf or hard of hearing, and adolescents with language disorders. It also sought to determine if the meme’s picture, whether related to the text or unrelated, contributed to adolescents’ comprehension. Participants were given a short reading screening and a multiple-choice test of meme comprehension. Adolescents who were typically developing out-performed adolescents who were deaf or hard of hearing or who had language disorders. Supporting pictures did not appear to aid in meme comprehension. Findings from this study suggest the need for professionals to include direct instruction of humor when working with adolescents who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have language disorders