Facultative Altitudinal Movements by Mountain White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Leucophrys Oriantha) in the Sierra Nevada

Mountain White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) winter in Mexico and often arrive in the vicinity of their breeding grounds in the Sierra Nevada well before nesting is possible. Arrival at Tioga Pass, California (elevation 3,030 m), usually occurs in early May, but residual winter snow and adverse weather can delay nesting for weeks. We used radiotelemetry to determine whether prebreeding Mountain White-crowned Sparrows engaged in weather-related altitudinal movements during the waiting period between the end of spring migration and onset of breeding during 1995-2001, with a range of residual winter snowpacks. Interannual variation in arrival date and onset of egg laying was 18 and 41 days, respectively. We tracked females for two years and males for all seven years. During spring snowstorms (which occurred in four years), radiomarked individuals moved to lower elevation sites, where they often remained for several days. Departing birds left Tioga Pass by early afternoon and returned early in the morning after storms. More frequent storms during tracking increased the likelihood of facultative altitudinal movements, but heavier residual winter snowpack did not. Warm days increased the likelihood of birds returning to Tioga Pass from low elevation. This study demonstrates that facultative altitudinal movement behavior can be a common feature of spring arrival biology in montane-breeding birds. Received 1 November 2002, accepted 30 June 2004.Integrative Biolog

The Relationship between Enrollment in Service Learning Courses and Deep Approaches to Learning: A Campus Study

Utilizing 2012 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data for both freshmen and senior students on a college campus, this study isolates the influence of participation in service learning courses on freshmen and senior students’ application of deep approaches to learning. Deep learning, as compared to surface learning, describes the extent to which a student engages in the learning process. Students who use deep learning strategies make more robust connections to course material by emphasizing learning activities such as integration, synthesis, and reflection. By making deeper connections, students focus on both the substance and the underlying meaning of their studies. Students learn to apply the knowledge gained to real life situations and successfully integrate this with prior learning. Multiple linear regression results for both freshmen and senior students suggest that students’ use of deep approaches to learning increased as their participation in service learning courses increased, adjusting for student characteristics and participation in other high impact practices. These findings provide a rationale for institutions to support faculty who engage with their community partners to develop service learning courses. For faculty who teach service learning courses, these findings support the value, from an institutional perspective, of the work that they do

The Relationship between Service Learning and Deep Learning

This research investigated the relationship between college students’ participation in service learning courses and their reported use of deep learning skills. An analysis of 2012 National Survey of Student Engagement data for freshmen and seniors at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis found that reported deep learning skills of higher order learning, integrative learning, and reflective learning were all higher for both freshmen and seniors who participated in service learning courses, with integrative learning skills having the greatest gain. These results contribute evidence that service learning should be valued to the extent that it contributes to student learning at the course level as well as at the institutional level and provide a rationale for institutions to support faculty who engage with the community partners to develop service learning courses

What is the optimal frequency for dental checkups for children and adults?

Q: What is the optimal frequency for dental checkups for children and adults? A: It is unclear, but studies suggest that it should be based largely on individual risk. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a 6-month interval for preventive dental visits (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, expert opinion), but a 24-month interval does not result in an increased incidence of dental caries in healthy children and young adults or increased incidence of gingivitis in healthy adults (SOR: B, a single randomized controlled trial [RCT]). In adults with risk factors (eg, smoking or diabetes), visits at 6-month intervals are associated with a lower incidence of tooth loss (SOR: C, a retrospective cohort study). Children with risk factors (eg, caries) may benefit from a first dental visit by age 3 years (SOR: C, a retrospective cohort study).Authors: Thomas W. Hahn, MD; Connie Kraus, PharmD University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison Christopher Hooper-Lane, MA University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Ebling Library

Evaluating Digital Stories as Authentic Evidence of Civic-Mindedness

Using the Civic-Minded Graduate and the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubric, digital stories created by recipients of co-curricular service-based scholarship programs were analyzed to document authentic evidence of civic-mindedness. The findings indicate that: * Digital stories are an effective tool to capture evidence of civic learning. * Students showed high levels of civic identity on both rubrics. * The research increased understanding of the similarities and differences in terms of how the two rubrics measure civic learning and capture variance in civic-mindedness

Spring 2021 Community Engagement Associates (CEA) Program Questionnaire Report

The CEA program is an employment program in which community engaged faculty and staff apply for and receive funding to employ students to provide support for courses, programs, or projects that advance the community engagement mission of IUPUI. This report details both a direct assessment of CEAs by their faculty/staff mentors and an indirect assessment of CEAs-a confidential survey of CEAs was administered in spring2021 to gather their perceptions of the program, their learning, and provide opportunities to expand on their responses. A total of 65of 72students responded for a response rate of 90%

Assessing the Profiles through Written Reflections of Engaged Learning Experiences Using the AAC&U Written Communication, Integrative Learning, and Civic Engagement VALUE Rubrics

This report describes an assessment activity within the IUPUI Institute for Engaged Learning (IEL)for students participating in IEL programs and the Life Health Sciences Internship (LHSI) Program during AY 2021-2022.The IEL Assessment Workgroup assessed written reflection artifacts of 100students from 10co-curricular programs. Using selected rows from the Written Communication, Integrative Learning, and Civic Engagement VALUE Rubrics, the raters assessed the Communicator, Problem Solver, and Community Contributor Profiles of Undergraduate Learning

IEL Student Demographics and Retention Report AY 2021-2022

The Institute for Engaged Learning (IEL) is home to multiple engaged learning opportunities in undergraduate research and civic engagement (see Appendix for descriptions of the programs). This report details demographics, school of enrollment, GPA, retention figures, and Record designation for students who participated in IEL programs in AY 2021-2022.Below are key highlights followed by detailed tables broken out by program

Free-Living Male Mountain White-Crowned Sparrows Exhibit Territorial Aggression Without Modulating Total or Free Plasma Testosterone

In some species, expression of territorial aggression is accompanied by a rise in testosterone secretion, but in others aggressive behavior is expressed while testosterone levels remain unchanged. Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) binds both corticosterone and testosterone in avian plasma. Thus, increasing corticosterone may result in fluctuations in unbound ( free ) testosterone; this could result in greater biological activity of testosterone without an increase in testosterone secretion. We investigated whether such plasma interactions of testosterone, corticosterone, and CBG might result in alterations of free testosterone in male Mountain White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha). We conducted simulated territorial intrusions during incubation and compared total and free testosterone of males captured immediately following a simulated territorial intrusion with that of males captured passively. All experimental males showed aggressive behavior, but apparently did not modulate total or free testosterone relative to controls

What is the value of short? Exploring the benefits of episodic volunteer experiences for college students

This exploratory study is designed to understand the civic outcomes (e.g., civic-mindedness, intentions to volunteer in the future, and intentions to donate money in the future) for college students who participate in a “Day of Service”. Understanding civic outcomes for college student episodic volunteers helps to justify the investment of staff time devoted to planning and implementing short-term volunteer events by both campus and community-based organizations