Technology in Social Work Field Education According to the Standards: A Field Instructor Perspective on the Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Student Learning

This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach to gather the insight and perceptions of social work field instructors about the role and effect of technology on the student field practicum experience. Through convenience and purposeful sampling techniques, social work field instructors from the seven accredited social work programs in West Virginia were chosen to participate in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 field instructors to gather their perspective on the integration of technology into the supervision of field students. Thematic analysis was utilized to organize and interpret the information gathered from these interviews. It was found that technologies such as videoconferencing programs, written communication methods, and agency specific technology and documentation programs were commonly utilized in placement experiences. Trainings, various supervisory techniques, ethical standards, and agency policies were all incorporated to train, monitor, and evaluate student usage of technology. The efficiency, conveniences, and potential for improved engagement provided by the addition of technology was seen by field instructors to improve student field experiences, yet service delivery issues, internet instability, lack of accessibility, ethical concerns, distractions, and trouble building rapport were found to be challenges. Findings suggest field instructors believe students are still getting quality field experiences when technology is incorporated and overall support the use of technology in field, especially when combined with in-person face-to-face experiences or as a hybrid model

Dating and Sexual Satisfaction: The Roles of Demographics, Self-perceptions and Sexual Attitudes

The purpose of this study was to explore how levels of satisfaction with dating relationship and levels of satisfaction with sexual experiences vary based on demographic variables including age, religiosity, and political beliefs. This study also examined how dating and sexual satisfaction relate to sexual attitudes, self perceptions, and relationship anxiety and avoidance. There were 230 participants; 115 heterosexual couples who completed self-report questionnaires and in person interviews with research assistants. The average age of participants was 21.6 and 80% of participants were college students. Results indicated that age was positively correlated with dating satisfaction. Religiosity was negatively correlated with sexual satisfaction and political affiliation had no relation to dating or sexual satisfaction. With regards to sexual attitudes, sexual satisfaction was positively correlated with positive attitudes towards birth control, attitudes connecting intimacy and sexual intercourse, and sexual permissive attitudes. Regarding self perceptions, dating satisfaction was positively correlated with synthesis of one’s sexual identity. Also, for women, self-ratings of physical attractiveness were positively correlated with sexual satisfaction. Dating satisfaction for both genders was negatively correlated with anxiety and avoidance in relationships. Also, for women, sexual satisfaction was negatively correlated with relationship avoidance. Lastly, results indicated that dating satisfaction was positively correlated with sexual satisfaction. These results suggest that a positive self view is important in sexual satisfaction. When females view themselves as more physically attractive and are less avoidant in their relationships, they tend to be more sexually satisfied. Politics played no role in sexual satisfaction, however, religion did, suggesting that the more religious a person is the less sexually satisfied they are. In our study, the older the participant, the more satisfied they were with their dating relationships. This could mean that as people age we find what we want and stick with it. And lastly our study shows that relationship anxiety and avoidance are not conducive for dating satisfaction

Comparison of Deer Repellents Applied to Azaleas and Pansies

The effectiveness of commercially-available repellents in reducing browse by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was assessed on two varieties of azaleas (Rhododendron spp.)and one variety of pansies (Viola tricolor var. hortensis). Repellents examined included Plantskydd™ (liquid, granular), Deer Stopper™, Milorganite™, and Repels-All™. Evergreen azaleas in 15-gallon containers were observed during 3 trial seasons in October –May, 2012 –2015. During each trial, individual plants were treated with the maximum recommended level of each repellent, or no repellent, or no repellent with a wire cage to serve as a positive control. At the end of each trial, leaves were stripped from azaleas, dried and weighed to determine level of browsing. While differences (P \u3c .05) in leaf weight were evident across seasons, no differences (P \u3e.05) could be attributed to any repellent. Repellents (except Milorganite™) were tested on pansies from November –December 2018. Percentage of browsing of plants was determined by visual observation every 7 to 10 days. The control and some treated plants were browsed initially. Virtually all plants, treated or not treated, were extensively damaged by deer browsing within 40 days. Thus, no repellent was found to be100% effective at reducing deer browsing damage in this study

Re-tweeting Your Way to Re-Election: Analyzing Generation Z Voter Impact, Social Media Influence, and National Implication for U.S. Senate Campaigns

Many Generation Z voters (born between 1997-2012) will come of age just in time for the 2020 election, and they are a population unlike any previous generation. The chiefly-digital manner in which they communicate and the varying issues they care about will be crucial for political candidates to understand, especially if they are seeking re-election in contested races in which the youth vote may be critical. As communication becomes increasingly digital with social media sites, these outlets are becoming major channels for political information. These sites, particularly Twitter and Instagram, are also dominated by younger Americans, making them prime avenues for politicians to connect with potential first-time voters (that is, if candidates succeed in mastering the social norms of each platform and young voters succeed in overcoming historically low voter turnout rates). The 2020 election marks the peak convergence of this new demographic of voters and the new landscape of online communication that they inhabit. This study aims to analyze the interaction among Generation Z voters, political candidates seeking elected office, and social media. In order to understand this complex relationship, I will utilize Colorado Senator Cory Gardner’s 2020 re-election bid in a battleground state as a case study, examining his campaigns’ use of social media, juxtaposing his online presence with other politicians, and analyzing his overall communication efficacy with young voters. Drawing upon social media analysis of Gardner and, his likely opponent, John Hickenlooper, as well as other prominent politicians on social media, as well as interviews with Generation Z voters and social media experts, this study will analyze how this generation views politics through the lens of social media and what that entails for politicians and the future of politics as a whole in the United States

The Neutral Hydrogen Bridge between M31 and M33

The Green Bank Telescope has been used to search for 21cm HI emission over a large area between the galaxies M31 and M33 in an attempt to confirm at 9.1 arcmin angular resolution the detection by Braun and Thilker (2004) of a very extensive neutral gas "bridge" between the two systems at the level NHI approximately 10^{17} cm^{-2}. We detect HI emission at several locations up to 120 kpc in projected distance from M31, at least half the distance to M33, with velocities similar to that of the galaxies, confirming the essence of the Braun and Thilker discovery. The HI does not appear to be associated with the extraplanar high-velocity clouds of either galaxy. In two places we measure NHI > 3 x 10^{18} cm^{-2}, indicative of concentrations of HI with ~10^5 solar masses on scales <2 kpc, but over most of the field we have only 5sigma upper limits of NHI <= 1.4 x 10^{18} cm^{-2}. In very deep measurements in two directions HI lines were detected at a few 10^{17} cm^{-2}. The absence of emission at another location to a 5sigma limit NHI <= 1.5 x 10^{17} cm^{-2} suggests that the HI bridge is either patchy or confined to within ~125 kpc of M31. The measurements also cover two of M31's dwarf galaxies, And II and And XV, but in neither case is there evidence for associated HI at the 5sigma level of 1.4 x 10^4 solar masses of HI for And II, and 9.3 x 10^3 solar masses for And XV.Comment: Submitted to the Astronomical Journa