Digital Commons Network^™

National Forage Week, B. Stefancik, K. Mullenix

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Social media can be a powerful tool for producers, researchers, and grassland professionals. Social media enables us to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, industry partners, and even the non-agriculture related community. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will focus on the impact of National Forage Week. National Forage Week is national campaign initiated by the American Forage and Grassland Council to promote forages and their contributions to society.

Role Of Social Media And Digital Resources In Extension, L. L. Baxter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Social media and digital resources can be powerful tools for Extension personnel as they can enable forage-livestock researchers and Extension specialists to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, and industry partners. Online platforms that provide a space for Extension personnel to deliver timely information and digital resources have been critical for continuing producer education in today’s environment. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will focus on the role social media and digital resources play in Extension. There are a host of …

Choosing The Best Online Platform, L. L. Baxter, A. Best

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Social media is a powerful tool that enables forage-livestock researchers and Extension specialists to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, and industry partners. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will provide an overview of popular social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube) and discuss how to transform impactful research and Extension programming into effective social content before leading into the panel discussion.

Role Of Social Media And Digital Resources In Forage Education, L. L. Baxter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Social media and digital resources are powerful tools that enable forage-livestock researchers and Extension specialists to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, and industry partners. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will focus on the role digital resources play in forage education.

A Framework For Promoting Diverse Perennial Circular Forage Systems For More Resilient Agricultural Landscapes: Developing Extension And Educational Tools For Resilience And Sustainability, Cassida K. A., W. Lamp, S. Gruss

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The Resilience CAP Team seeks to use diverse, perennial, circular forage systems (DPCFS) to enhance biodiversity, improve soil and plant health, support ecosystem service, all towards achieving greater resilience to global change and improving the farm economy and quality of life. Our project will design a transdisciplinary framework that combines agronomic, ecological, economic, and sociological factors to achieve greater resilience and stability in agricultural systems through use of DPCFS. In this paper, we describe two of the project’s six objectives. Objective 5 is our extension/outreach arm where we will develop extension media, activities, and actionable decision tools to communicate concepts …

Introducing High School Biology Students To Biochemistry With A Short, Content-Oriented Module, Archer Harrold, Allison Cruikshank, Bryan Penas, Rebecca Roston

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Many STEM disciplines are underrepresented to High School students. This is problematic as many students' decisions for college are shaped by their experiences and achievements in high school. Short content-oriented modules have been shown to encourage science identity and otherwise benefit the students' learning. Following the ASBMB's outreach protocol, we developed a short content-oriented module aimed at a high school biology classroom. Students interacted with 3D models of DNA and transcription factors while exploring structure–function relationships and introductory biochemistry topics. The high school teacher was impressed with the students' response to the module, specifically the ease with which students learned, …

Using Bloom's Taxonomy For Math Outreach Within And Outside The Classroom, Manmohan Kaur

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Not everyone is a great artist, but we don’t often hear, “I dislike art.” Most people are able to appreciate visual arts, music and sports, without necessarily excelling in it themselves. On the other hand, the phrase “I dislike math” is widely prevalent. This is especially ironic in our current society, where mathematics affects our day-to-day activities in essential ways such as e-commerce and e-mail. This paper describes the opportunity to popularize mathematics by focusing on its fun and creative aspects, and illustrates this opportunity through a brief discussion of interdisciplinary topics that expose the beauty, elegance and value of …

Magpies: Math & Girls + Inspiration = Success: Creating And Implementing A Virtual Math Circle For Girls, Lauren L. Rose, Amanda Landi, Jazmin Zamora Flores, Cathy Zhang, Shea Roccaforte, Julia Crager

Journal of Math Circles

During the academic year 2020-2021, we ran a virtual math outreach program for upper elementary and middle school girls, MAGPIES: Math & Girls + Inspiration = Success. Monthly sessions were held over Zoom, beginning with a short introduction by a guest presenter, followed by breakout rooms led by undergraduates paired with more experienced facilitators (upper division and graduated math majors and volunteer math educators). The online community was created purposefully to be an inclusive and collaborative environment for the attending girls, and the lessons were designed to provide a learning experience for all levels of participants. Examples of sessions include …

A High-Tech, Low-Cost, Internet Of Things Surfboard Fin For Coastal Citizen Science, Outreach, And Education, Philip J. Bresnahan, Tyler Cyronak, Robert J. W. Brewin, Andreas J. Andersson, Taylor Wirth, Todd R. Martz, Travis Courtney, Nathan Hui, Ryan Kastner, Andrew Stern, Todd Mcgrain, Danica Reinicke, Jon Richard, Katherine Hammond, Shannon Waters

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coastal populations and hazards are escalating simultaneously, leading to an increased importance of coastal ocean observations. Many well-established observational techniques are expensive, require complex technical training, and offer little to no public engagement. Smartfin, an oceanographic sensor–equipped surfboard fin and citizen science program, was designed to alleviate these issues. Smartfins are typically used by surfers and paddlers in surf zone and nearshore regions where they can help fill gaps between other observational assets. Smartfin user groups can provide data-rich time-series in confined regions. Smartfin comprises temperature, motion, and wet/dry sensing, GPS location, and cellular data transmission capabilities for the near-real-time …

National Chemistry Week: From Irl To The Web, Ilayda Kelley, Daniela Mesa Sanchez

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

National Chemistry Week, an outreach program initiated by the American Chemical Society (ACS), encourages scientists to bring their love of chemistry to their community. Celebrated nationwide, ACS invites businesses, schools, and individuals to organize and participate in community events to promote the value of chemistry in everyday life. The Purdue graduate student chapter of Iota Sigma Pi, a national honor society for women in chemistry, annually organizes one such celebration. On a normal year, this event is a large logistical undertaking in which 100+ volunteers go directly to over 70 local elementary school classrooms and perform a series of activities …

The Mystery Of The Dancing Men, Manmohan Kaur

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this paper I describe an activity based on a 1903 Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, in which a substitution cipher is used to encrypt secret messages. The story provides a fun and interesting way to talk about frequency analysis, and can be used as a segue into mathematical constructs such as modular arithmetic and computation. The activity is accessible to ages twelve and above, and has been successfully used in mathematics outreach and popularization efforts as well as in general education and mathematics courses.

Fish Disease Outreach Messages: Testing Of Gain And Loss Frames, Erin L. Pavloski, Heather A. Triezenberg

The Journal of Extension

Gain and loss framing has been used as a technique in risk communication to shape individuals’ behaviors in many fields. Our community-engaged research, conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), experimentally tested five message frames to determine efficacy for outreach programs. We found: a) to increase risk perceptions of fish disease use a loss frame in a management context, b) to decrease risk perceptions of fish disease management use a gain frame in a disease context, and c) to motivate behavioral intentions for prevention and risk reduction use a gain frame in a disease context.

The International Conference On Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication: Online Event (Cmsc'20) And Cmsc'21, Frances Rosamond

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

You are warmly invited to register now for the 5th International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication (CMSC’21) which will be held at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, 2–6 July, 2021.

The International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication (CMSC) is a unique gathering of computer scientists and mathematicians, teachers, musicians, dancers, dramatists, game designers, educators and communicators of all sorts.

Due to the pandemic, the in-person event scheduled for 2020 has been post- poned and a short CMSC Online Event was organized as a “teaser” or trailer in order to feel the spirit of the full 5th CMSC …

Using On-Farm Demonstrations To Evaluate Newly Developed Cool-Season Forages In The Southeastern Usa, Tim Wilson, Mark Warren, Ann R. Blount, Cheryl L. Mackowiak, Jose C. B. Dubeux, James Devalerio, Barton Wilder, Derek Barber, Sydney Hayter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Multiple demonstration sites throughout Florida were designed to evaluate and provide hands-on producer and county faculty access to newly developed cool-season winter forage crops that can be grown in the southeastern United States. Research funding for these projects was provided by the Dairy Research and Education Project, supported through the Georgia/Florida Dairy Industry check-off dollars. Early adopter producers interested in evaluating forages were identified for this cooperation. Long-term goals are to have the early adopter producer aid in the trialing and dissemination of information about improved varieties.

Cool-season forages for use on southeastern US livestock operations benefit the producer in …

A Collaborative Online Micro: Bit K-12 Teacher Pd Workshop, Roisin Faherty, Karen Nolan, Keith Quille

Conference Papers

This poster describes the use of online technology to deliver K12 teacher professional development (PD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. Traditionally these sessions are delivered in person, with a focus on hand-on activities, but the sudden changes faced by the closures in Ireland required an alternative approach for delivering these sessions. The PD session presented in this poster was a more technically challenging micro:bit workshop, which was delivered online using the micro:bit classroom. This is typically used as an in-class, one to many instructor tool, and trialing this as a PD collaborative tool, was a novel approach. This poster …

Printing 3d Models For Chemistry: A Step-By-Step Open-Source Guide For Hobbyists, Corporate Professionals, And Educators And Students In K-12 And Higher Education, Elisabeth Grace Billman-Benveniste, Jacob Franz, Loredana Valenzano-Slough

Open Access Books

3D-printing is a relatively inexpensive additive manufacturing method used to create tangible objects. As a relatively new technology, the true capability of 3D-printing has not yet been fully exploited, especially in academic and research/teaching settings. Through this work, 3D-printing in a classroom and research environment is employed as a tool for creation of fully customizable, three-dimensional molecular models and for the visualization of theoretical abstract concepts.

Reach - A Community Service Application, Samuel Noel Magana

Computer Engineering

Communities are familiar threads that unite people through several shared attributes and interests. These commonalities are the core elements that link and bond us together. Many of us are part of multiple communities, moving in and out of them depending on our needs. These common threads allow us to support and advocate for each other when facing a common threat or difficult situation. Healthy and vibrant communities are fundamental to the operation of our society. These interactions within our communities define the way we as individuals interact with each other, and society at large. Being part of a community helps …

Outreach In Archaeology With Agent-Based Modeling: Part 3 Of 3, Stefani Crabtree, Kathryn Harris, Benjamin Davies, Iza Romanowska

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

A major challenge facing archaeologists is communicating our research to the public. Thankfully, new computational tools have enabled the testing and visualization of complex ideas in an easily packageable format. In this article we illustrate not only how agent-based modeling provides a platform for communicating complex ideas, but also how these game-like computer models can be explored and manipulated by members of the public therefore increasing their engagement in archaeological explanations. We suggest that these new digital tools serve as an excellent aid for education on the importance of archaeological sites and artifacts. To illustrate the above we walk the …

Worcester Chamber Of Commerce: Recruiting Minority Business Owners, Ryan Dimaria, Alexander Hull, Xikun Lu, Haopeng Wang, Jiacheng Hou, Danning Zhao

School of Professional Studies

Our capstone project was to help the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce identify how to re-frame their marketing so it would be appealing to immigrant and minority owned businesses. Based on interviews and external research, our group was able to create a tangible and resourceful data set that provided justified recommendations and ideas on how the Chamber could make adjustments to their marketing plan to attract more businesses of this particular demographic in the city of Worcester. By implementing these recommendations, we believe the Chamber has the opportunity to create a more diverse group of Chamber members, add value to …

Comparative Optimism: Relative Risk Perception And Behavioral Response To Lead Exposure, Bernabas Wolde, Pankaj Lal, Melissa Harclerode, Alessandra Rossi

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Despite their true exposure, individuals with Comparative Optimism consider themselves less prone to the adverse health effects of pollution. Since individuals’ response to a given environmental risk is affected by their appraisal of the risk, those with Comparative Optimism may be less likely to engage in prescribed behaviors or to do so at the urgency required of the given risk. Such limited or delayed response can amplify the risk instead of reducing it. Thus, there is a need to understand if Comparative Optimism applies to pollutants with irreversible adverse health effects as it would impose a higher burden. There is …

Now I See: Photovisualization To Support Agricultural Climate Adaptation, Rachel E. Schattman, Stephanie Hurley, Martha Caswell

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. To remain viable, agricultural producers will need to adapt to changing climatic conditions in coming decades. Agricultural advisers play an important role in helping producers decide to adopt appropriate adaptation practices. Photovisualizations have the potential to complement currently utilized outreach and education strategies. This research uses a focus group approach to explore (1) whether photovisualizations can aid in decision-making about climate change adaptation, and (2) what characteristics of photovisualizations are most effective at conveying spatial aspects of adaptation practices. We found that photovisualizations generate rich discussions about ecological and economic effects …

A Pilot Qualitative Case Study Of Agricultural And Natural Resources Scientists’ Twitter Usage For Engaging Public Audiences, Jaime Loizzo, Catherine Jones, Abby Steffen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Scientists are frequently asked to broadly share their expertise and research with a variety of audiences, beyond typical academic circles in their home disciplines. That could include developing community engagement programs, school outreach, leveraging online social networks, and other activities. The purpose of this study was to examine U.S. agricultural and natural resources (ANR) scientists’ typical science communication channels, their experiences utilizing Twitter for sharing their knowledge, research, and engaging in online public science discussion. Diffusion of Innovations theory and the model of science in-reach versus outreach guided this study. Researchers used a qualitative case study design. Data collection included …

Csinc: An Inclusive K-12 Outreach Model, Karen Nolan, Roisin Faherty, Keith Quille, Brett Becker, Susan Bergin

Conference Papers

This poster describes the early development of a K-12 outreach model, named CSinc, to promote CS in Ireland. It has already been piloted with over 4500 K-12 students in its first year. At the heart of the model is a two-hour camp that incorporates an on-site school delivery. Schools from all over Ireland self-selected to participate, including male only, female only and mixed schools. The no-cost nature of the model meant a range of schools participated from officially designated "disadvantaged" to private fee-paying. During the initial deployment over 2500 pre- and post- surveys have been collected. This data will allow …

Exposing Students To Stem Careers Through Hands-On Activities With Drones And Robots, Vukica M. Jovanović, George Mcleod, Thomas E. Alberts, Cynthia Tomovic, Otilia Popescu, Tysha Batts, Ms. Mary Louise Sandy

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Autonomous robots have been used in a variety of ways from collecting specimen in hazardous environments to space exploration. These robots can be found in various manufacturing systems as Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to transport parts and assemblies throughout the manufacturing system. They have also been used as a vehicle to convey design thinking and other STEM-related concepts in mechanical engineering/mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering/electrical engineering technology, computer science, and computer engineering. Various outreach events have included robotics based activities that engage students in building and programming autonomous robots for the purpose of achieving a specific task. These events are …

Computational Thinking Bins: Outreach And More, Briana B. Morrison, Brian Dorn, Michelle Friend

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Computational Thinking Bins are stand alone, individual boxes, each containing an activity for groups of students that teaches a computing concept. We have a devised a system that has allowed us to create an initial set, test the set, continually improve and add to our set. We currently use these bins in outreach events for middle and high school students. As we have shared this resource with K-12 teachers, many have expressed an interest in acquiring their own set. In this paper we will share our experience throughout the process, introduce the bins, and explain how you can create your …

Applying Design Thinking To Student Outreach Projects: Experiences From An Information Systems School, Swapna Gottipati, Venky Shankararaman, Alan Megargel

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As countries turn into Smart Nations, Infocom Technology plays a key role in enhancing their competitiveness through high skilled workforces. Reaching to younger generations and attracting them to computing programs such as Information Systems (IS) and Computer Science (CS) is a key challenge faced by universities. Many high quality students from junior colleges either don’t choose IS programs or choose IS programs as their last option during the application process. A School of Information Systems (SIS) from a large metropolitan university decided to implement an innovative outreach program to attract high quality high school aka Junior College (JC) students. JC …

Odu Resilience Collaborative: Presentation To The Hampton Roads Chapter Of Aspa, Wie Yusuf

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

Presentation to the Hampton Roads Chapter of ASPA on the work and projects of the ODU Resilience Collaborative.

Frontiers For Young Minds: Call For Contributions, Jeremy L. Martin

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Frontiers for Young Minds, available at https://kids.frontiersin.org/, is a free, open-access scientific journal with articles written by scientists with an audience of children and young teens (ages 8-15). A distinctive feature of the journal is that submitted articles are reviewed not by the author's peers, but by kids themselves, working under the guidance of experts. The mathematics community is invited to submit articles, both on original research and on classic topics.

Municipal Drinking Water Quality: Environmental Health And Safety Perceptions In Phoenix, Arizona, Chelsey Weaver

Capstone Experience

The goals of the Service Learning/Capstone Experience (SL/CE) project included identifying current perceptions regarding lead in municipal drinking water and related environmental health and safety concerns in the Sunnyslope community of Phoenix, Arizona; evaluating and improving the current outreach program in order to effectively target drinking water perceptions; and identifying strengths and weaknesses in the City of Phoenix Water Services Department (WSD) and Environmental Services Division (ESD) that contribute to negative public perceptions of municipally supplied drinking water. Objectives used to meet the stated goals included developing and distributing a survey to measure perceptions of the above issues through a …

Experiential Education And Outreach Based On Nearshore Monitoring Of The Elwha River Restoration Project, Andrea S. Ogston, Ian M. Miller, Chloe Dawson, Emily F. Eidam, Nancy Elder, Hannah E. Glover, Steve P. Rubin, Melissa Williams

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Nearshore monitoring of benthic habitats and the coastal environment following the Elwha River Restoration project has engaged students and citizens with coastal science and management issues. In the post-dam-removal period, the lessons learned will continue to be disseminated via a UW undergraduate course and an interactive digital map, both designed to engage students and communities in restoration science. The research-focused course developed at the UW Friday Harbor Labs has allowed us to engage diverse undergraduate students (and graduate teaching assistants) in the research process. The course integrates interdisciplinary lectures and workshops on data analysis and laboratory methods, with the research …