Developing Soft Skills through Multi-Disciplinary Cooperative and Situated Learning

Authors propose a teaching method to enhance student acquisition of soft skills through a more social application of their specific discipline knowledge. Objectives of this study were to increase (1) student application of current discipline knowledge in the assigned activities, (2) student gains in advanced knowledge through practical performance, and (3) student development of soft skills through the cooperative and collaborative process

Improving Polk County Service Integration Team\u27s Resource Sharing

Background: Polk County Service Integration (SI) collaborates with community partners to provide resources/information for individuals and families within the community. This collaboration includes a monthly newsletter to promote community resources, services, and events. Aim: The aim was to create a standardized submission tool for newsletter contributors to use to improve communication and promote resource utilization by community members. Methodology: This process improvement was structured using the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) model. The PDSA model allowed for reassessment of project needs, and multiple cycles were done to develop a comprehensive evaluation and recommendation for the SI newsletter process. One assessment completed was a survey of SI partners.Results: The focus of survey data was surrounding the partner\u27s participation in submitting information to the SI newsletter. It revealed an overarching theme that partners do not feel they have relevant information to contribute. This thought represented the majority of respondents with a percentage of 68.3%. Discussion: Based on the results, we recommend implementation of the standardized submission tool. Through evaluation of results, it was found that users had difficulty with the submission process as a whole. With addition of the submission tool, these problems will be mitigated via guided questioning that will spark contribution ideas from the partners. To evaluate the continued effectiveness of the submission tool, participation of partners will be monitored. Implications: Implementation of the submission tool will begin January 2021. The implications of this are to ease the submission process for the SI coordinator and improve utilization of resources

Developing Soft Skills through Multi-Disciplinary Cooperative and Situated Learning

Authors propose a teaching method to enhance student acquisition of soft skills through a more social application of their specific discipline knowledge. Objectives of this study were to increase (1) student application of current discipline knowledge in the assigned activities, (2) student gains in advanced knowledge through practical performance, and (3) student development of soft skills through the cooperative and collaborative process.</p

Burkhardt Review, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Spring 2018

Full issu

A response framework for addressing the risks of climate change for homeless populations

People experiencing homeless have greater vulnerabilities in relation to climate change that require a range of policy and systems approaches. There are two interrelated areas that policymakers can consider in relation to climate change and homelessness: migration and exposure. This synthesis of the available data and expert opinion provides practical information to policymakers, with specific strategies alongside case examples. The data captured here is through systematic reviews, and expert opinion is generated through input from a year-long series of five virtual think tanks. Throughout this synthesis paper, an emphasis is placed on explicitly addressing homeless populations in the policies and plans designed to address climate change-related impacts. Prevention-oriented plans are shown to be more effective in terms of outcomes and cost-effectiveness compared to the more commonly deployed crisis response models. Another key issue considered is the availability of relevant data with which to target policy responses and evaluate outcomes. Data-driven responses tend to be more successful, though relevant data are, to date, lacking for homeless and other marginalized populations. Moreover, effective policy design in this area needs to be intersectional and inclusive, tailored to the needs of local communities and developed in consultation with lived experience stakeholders, including service providers. Policies that ignore local input tend to fail. Prevention-oriented, culturally-situated, and trauma-informed systems and services hold the greatest promise in responding to the severe health risks and inequities that homeless populations face in the climate crisis. Key policy insights Prevention-oriented measures are key, with most focussing on the availability of affordable housing and upgrading housing and living conditions of vulnerable populations. There is a need to include lived experience and input from local communities, especially when designing measures that will impact livelihoods, such as planned migration. Disaster, crisis response, and aftercare plans need to outline explicit measures for homeless populations. There is a need for cross-sectoral alignment of policy and intervention responses. Successful approaches tend to be culturally-situated and trauma-informed

A response framework for addressing the risks of climate change for homeless populations

People experiencing homeless have greater vulnerabilities in relation to climate change that require a range of policy and systems approaches. There are two interrelated areas that policymakers can consider in relation to climate change and homelessness: migration and exposure. This synthesis of the available data and expert opinion provides practical information to policymakers, with specific strategies alongside case examples. The data captured here is through systematic reviews, and expert opinion is generated through input from a year-long series of five virtual think tanks. Throughout this synthesis paper, an emphasis is placed on explicitly addressing homeless populations in the policies and plans designed to address climate change-related impacts. Prevention-oriented plans are shown to be more effective in terms of outcomes and cost-effectiveness compared to the more commonly deployed crisis response models. Another key issue considered is the availability of relevant data with which to target policy responses and evaluate outcomes. Data-driven responses tend to be more successful, though relevant data are, to date, lacking for homeless and other marginalized populations. Moreover, effective policy design in this area needs to be intersectional and inclusive, tailored to the needs of local communities and developed in consultation with lived experience stakeholders, including service providers. Policies that ignore local input tend to fail. Prevention-oriented, culturally-situated, and trauma-informed systems and services hold the greatest promise in responding to the severe health risks and inequities that homeless populations face in the climate crisis. Key policy insightsPrevention-oriented measures are key, with most focussing on the availability of affordable housing and upgrading housing and living conditions of vulnerable populations.There is a need to include lived experience and input from local communities, especially when designing measures that will impact livelihoods, such as planned migration.Disaster, crisis response, and aftercare plans need to outline explicit measures for homeless populations.There is a need for cross-sectoral alignment of policy and intervention responses.Successful approaches tend to be culturally-situated and trauma-informed. Prevention-oriented measures are key, with most focussing on the availability of affordable housing and upgrading housing and living conditions of vulnerable populations. There is a need to include lived experience and input from local communities, especially when designing measures that will impact livelihoods, such as planned migration. Disaster, crisis response, and aftercare plans need to outline explicit measures for homeless populations. There is a need for cross-sectoral alignment of policy and intervention responses. Successful approaches tend to be culturally-situated and trauma-informed.</p