Bringing the Field into the Classroom by Using Dynamic Digital Maps to Engage Undergraduate Students in Petrology Research

This article describes the use of Dynamic Digital Maps (DDMs) in undergraduate petrology courses. A DDM is a stand-alone computer program that presents interactive geologic maps, digital images, movies, animations, text and data. DDMs were developed for use in two undergraduate research projects, and impacts on student learning were evaluated by administering assessments on students before and after participation in one of the projects. Researchers found significant gains in both students' confidence in their ability to do research and to understand petrology, and noted that DDMs are versatile and can potentially be adapted effectively from 100-level introductory geology labs to research-oriented gradute level courses and in a variety of geologic subdisciplines. Educational levels: Graduate or professional, Graduate or professional

Income and expenses of Eighth District member banks - 1971

Federal Reserve District, 8th ; Bank profits ; Bank assets

Sexual Minority Women and Alcohol: Intersections between drinking, relational contexts, stress, and coping

Few studies explore sexual-minority women\u27s experiences and perceptions of alcohol. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six sexual-minority women who reported having sought help for alcohol problems in the past and six who did not. Themes emerged in two broad areas: (1) stressors that contributed to heavy or problem drinking and (2) factors that enhanced coping and reduced both stress and problem use. Alcohol use across groups was framed in terms of social context (e.g., bar patronage), stress management, and addiction. The findings of the study underscore the importance of considering the role of alcohol in managing stress as well as coping factors that may inform social service interventions

Animal-assisted therapy as an intervention for reducing depression among long-term care residents

2010 Fall.Includes bibliographical references (pages 60-66).The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of animal-assisted intervention on reducing depression and loneliness among older adults residing in a long-term care facility. Forty-eight residents from one long-term care facility in a northern Colorado city participated in the study. Subjects who met established criteria completed the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS - 30) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The subjects were randomly distributed into a control or an experimental group. Both groups received usual care; but the experimental group also received the animal assisted intervention for 15 minutes each week for a 12-week period. At the end of the twelve weeks, both groups were given the GDS-30 and the UCLA Loneliness Scales as post-tests. The results of the pre- and post-tests were analyzed using paired samples t-tests, which showed a statistically significant reduction in both depression and loneliness for the treatment and control groups. To determine if there were differences between groups, independent samples t-tests using gain scores were conducted. There were no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups on the depression and loneliness measures. The findings show that animal-assisted activity (AAA) intervention is associated with decreased levels of depression and loneliness among the elderly in long-term care facilities who choose to participate in AAA. Implications for social work practice and future research were identified