Faculty Focus Groups: Experiences Teaching FlexSync and Online Synchronous during Fall 2020

In Fall 2020, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) recruited faculty and staff who were teaching FlexSync and online (synchronous and asynchronous) courses to participate in focus groups about their experiences. Recruitment emails were shared in the Provost Weekly Announcements twice and the CETL weekly announcements four times between October and November. A total of 19 faculty, staff, and graduate students indicated an interest in completing the focus groups, and 18 of those participated in focus groups that were scheduled in November and December. Five focus groups were conducted in total with the size of the groups ranging from two to four participants and took place via Zoom. Focus groups lasted between 75 and 90 minutes. Transcripts from the recorded sessions were analyzed for themes

Faculty Focus Groups: Experiences Teaching FlexSync and Online Synchronous during Fall 2020

In Fall 2020, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) recruited faculty and staff who were teaching FlexSync and online (synchronous and asynchronous) courses to participate in focus groups about their experiences. Recruitment emails were shared in the Provost Weekly Announcements twice and the CETL weekly announcements four times between October and November. A total of 19 faculty, staff, and graduate students indicated an interest in completing the focus groups, and 18 of those participated in focus groups that were scheduled in November and December. Five focus groups were conducted in total with the size of the groups ranging from two to four participants and took place via Zoom. Focus groups lasted between 75 and 90 minutes. Transcripts from the recorded sessions were analyzed for themes

Strategies to Maintain Student Engagement

This document outline 5 strategies to you help you enhance student-faculty engagement and support learning

Student Focus Groups: Experiences Learning in FlexSync and Online Synchronous Courses

In Fall 2020, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) recruited students who were enrolled in FlexSync and online (synchronous and asynchronous) courses to participate in focus groups about their experiences. Recruitment messages were shared via emails from departments and also on the MavLife app during October and November. A total of 26 students indicated interest and completed the focus groups. The focus groups were scheduled and conducted in November 2020. Six focus groups were conducted in total with the size of the groups ranging from two to four participants and took place via Zoom. Focus groups lasted between 30 and 40 minutes and were conducted by four students (2 undergraduate and 2 graduate; 2 female and 2 male; all identified as students of color) trained to assist with research projects in CETL. Transcripts from the recorded sessions were analyzed for themes by the CETL Director

Student Focus Groups: Experiences Learning in FlexSync and Online Synchronous Courses

In Fall 2020, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) recruited students who were enrolled in FlexSync and online (synchronous and asynchronous) courses to participate in focus groups about their experiences. Recruitment messages were shared via emails from departments and also on the MavLife app during October and November. A total of 26 students indicated interest and completed the focus groups. The focus groups were scheduled and conducted in November 2020. Six focus groups were conducted in total with the size of the groups ranging from two to four participants and took place via Zoom. Focus groups lasted between 30 and 40 minutes and were conducted by four students (2 undergraduate and 2 graduate; 2 female and 2 male; all identified as students of color) trained to assist with research projects in CETL. Transcripts from the recorded sessions were analyzed for themes by the CETL Director

The Role of Supervision in Youth Work: Perceptions of Students Preparing to be Youth Workers

Working with youth involves mentoring and guiding youth through development of their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social skills, as they become adults. One would assume a great responsibility of working with young people comes with extensive training in one particular field; however, this is not always the case (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions expressed by undergraduate students preparing for a career in youth work regarding their knowledge and competence of supervision in a park and recreation setting. It was found in the pre- and post- surveys that future youth workers believe they are confident in supervision. There was statistically significant difference in confidence levels and abilities to take a supervisory role. In addition, students indicated significant growth in their confidence and ability to properly follow risk management procedures. Furthermore, three themes emerged: first, future youth workers welcome the challenge and responsibility of supervision duties; second, risk management is important to future youth workers; and third, future youth workers want to engage in supervision responsibilities and practices. The findings of the study suggest future youth workers may not realize the gravity of their decisions to combat issues of victimization among youth participants or may not fully understand what it looks like to be negligent as it relates to supervision responsibilities

Orexin A-induced enhancement of attentional processing in rats: role of basal forebrain neurons

Orexins are neuropeptides released in multiple brain regions from neurons that originate within the lateral hypothalamus and contiguous perfornical area. The basal forebrain, a structure implicated in attentional processing, receives orexinergic inputs. Our previous work demonstrated that administration of an orexin-1 receptor antagonist, SB-334867, systemically or via infusion directly into the basal forebrain, can disrupt performance in a task that places explicit demands on attentional processing. Given that the orexin-1 receptor binds orexin A with high affinity, we tested whether orexin A could enhance attention in rats. Attentional performance was assessed using a task that required discrimination of variable duration visual signals from trials when no signal was presented. We also tested whether infusions of orexin A into the lateral ventricle could attenuate deficits following lesions of medial prefrontal cortical cholinergic projections that arise from the basal forebrain. Infusions of orexin A into the basal forebrain attenuated distracter-induced decreases in attentional performance. Orexin A attenuated deficits in lesioned animals when a visual distracter was presented. The present results support the view that orexin A can enhance attentional performance via actions in the basal forebrain and may be beneficial for some conditions characterized by attentional dysfunction due to disruption of cortical cholinergic inputs

Cellular and molecular remodeling of inguinal adipose tissue mitochondria by dietary methionine restriction

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. Dietary methionine restriction (MR) produces a coordinated series of biochemical and physiological responses that improve biomarkers of metabolic health, increase energy expenditure, limit fat accretion and improve overall insulin sensitivity. Inguinal white adipose tissue (IWAT) is a primary target and site of action where the diet initiates transcriptional programs linked to enhancing both synthesis and oxidation of lipid. Using a combination of ex vivo approaches to assess dietary effects on cell morphology and function, we report that dietary MR produced a fourfold increase in multilocular, UCP1-expressing cells within this depot in conjunction with significant increases in mitochondrial content, size and cristae density. Dietary MR increased expression of multiple enzymes within the citric acid cycle, as well as respiratory complexes I, II and III. The physiological significance of these responses, evaluated in isolated mitochondria by high-resolution respirometry, was a significant increase in respiratory capacity measured using multiple substrates. The morphological, transcriptional and biochemical remodeling of IWAT mitochondria enhances the synthetic and oxidative capacity of this tissue and collectively underlies its expanded role as a significant contributor to the overall increase in metabolic flexibility and uncoupled respiration produced by the diet

Is adolescents' food intake associated with exposure to the food intake of their mothers and best friends?

Contains fulltext : 217211.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Both mothers' and best friends' food intake are associated with adolescents' food intake, but they are rarely investigated simultaneously. In this study, we tested the associations of mothers' and best friends’ food intake with adolescents' intake of unhealthy and healthy food, obtained from home and from outside the home, and the moderating role of adolescents' exposure to their food intake. Participants included 667 adolescents (53% female, Mage = 12.9) and 396 of their mothers. Within this adolescent sample, 378 best friend dyads were identified. All participants completed food frequency questionnaires. Mothers separately reported on their food intake in the presence and absence of their child, and adolescents indicated how often they ate and drank together with their best friend during school breaks. Mothers', but not best friends', food intake was positively related to adolescents' intake of unhealthy and healthy food obtained from home and healthy food obtained from outside the home. Exposure to mothers' healthy food intake magnified mother-child similarities in healthy food intake. Exposure to best friends' intake of unhealthy food moderated adolescent-friend similarities in unhealthy food intake. Future work should assess the mechanisms that underlie these similarities, and should investigate these associations over time and in later developmental periods.15 p