Education Commons^™

Buy Produce For Your Neighbor: Supporting Local Agriculture, Lacee Jimenez, Hiram Wigant, Casey Coombs, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

For Utahns experiencing food insecurity, eating adequate fruits and vegetables may be difficult due to limited access to fresh produce. Buy Produce for Your Neighbor is a healthy food drive that increases the amount of fresh produce in community food pantries and supports local agriculture.

Providing Pesticide License Holders Ceu Credits During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Michael Wierda, Cody Zesiger, Jacob Hadfield, Micheal Pace, Paige Wray

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

USU Extension and UDAF provide continuing education units (CEUs) for pesticide license renewal. However, in 2020, face-to-face meetings were canceled due to COVID-19. Workshop cancellation left CEU seekers with limited options. In response, programming was adapted and 2,992 CEU hours were provided via online sessions.

Usu’S Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (Heart) Initiative Completes Three Years Of Impactful Programming, Ashley C. Yaugher, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Verlina Adame, Gabriela Murza, Maren Wright Voss, Timothy Keady, Sadie Wilde

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

USU’s Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) Initiative addresses the opioid epidemic and other pressing public health issues in Utah. Data collected from HEART collaborations, acquired funding, and programming over the past three years demonstrates HEART’s collective impact on the state’s opioid epidemic.

Communicating Program Outcomes And Impact Using Data Visualization Dashboards, Amanda D. Ali, Paul A. Hill, Dominic C. Bria

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Governed by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, program performance benchmarks within the Cooperative Extension System relate to (a) relevance, (b) quality, and (c) accomplishments. This study discusses the development and implementation of data dashboards for the Rural Online Initiative, adhering to GRPA’s benchmarks of performance.

The Missing Course: An Introduction To College Teaching For Graduate Instructors, Jocelyn M. Cuthbert, Aubrey Rogowski, Michael N. Vakula, Juliana Aguilar, Kenna Kesler

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

A book review of David Gooblar’s book, The Missing Course: Everything they Never Taught You About College Teaching.

A Study Of Incarcerated Youth: The Effect Of Student Interest On Reading Comprehension And Engagement, Joanna C. Weaver, Grace E. Mutti

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Motivating adolescents to read can be a challenge, but motivating incarcerated adolescents to read may be even more of a challenge. Developing readers in residential facilities are often overlooked by traditional classroom teachers, but much can be learned from incarcerated youth and their motivation and engagement. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of research on effective instructional reading practices that motivate and engage incarcerated youth. The existing research primarily examines the impact of literacy on recidivism instead of strategies for motivating and engaging students who are incarcerated. Numerous studies exist that focus on motivation and engagement of reading in traditional classrooms, …

Designing And Implementing A Land-Grant Faculty-To-Student Mentoring Program: Addressing Shortcomings In Academic Mentoring, David D. Law, Don Busenbark, Kim K. Hales, James Y. Taylor, Jeff Spears, Andy Harris, Hannah M. Lewis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Mentoring programs at universities have become common because of the perceived benefit to student persistence and retention. Evaluation of the effectiveness of these programs has not kept pace, primarily due to the following three problematic issues: (1) lack of theoretical guidance, (2) lack of an operational definition of mentoring, and (3) lack of methodological rigor. This article describes the evolution of a regional Faculty-to-Student Mentoring program into a statewide program, and how it addressed each of these three problematic issues. Using logic modeling, the intimate connections between theory, operational definitions, and sound methodology are made explicit, thereby addressing many of …

Using Online Genres To Promote Students’ Audience Awareness, Elena Taylor

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Writing assignments that students complete in university courses are typically designed for evaluation and grading by the instructor, who, therefore, acts as the sole reader of student written work. However, most written genres students would--and do--encounter in the world beyond the classroom are composed for diverse audiences who influence writers’ text construction considerably. Because most students will be likely to write for multiple audiences as part of their career or future academic endeavors, it is crucial for them to develop a sense of audience awareness as an indispensable rhetorical concept that shapes composing processes. Writing online presents a great opportunity …

Small Changes For A Big Impact: A Review Of Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science In Online Classrooms By Flower Darby, Julia M. Gossard

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

A review of Flower Darby’s 2019 Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classrooms. This article provides a narrative review of Darby’s work and the “small teaching approach,” focusing on the practical skills that Darby provides for the online classroom. Comments are gleaned from the author and two learning circles (one sponsored by USU and another independent) on the book.

About This Issue Fall 2021, Jason Olsen

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The 10th issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence wastes little time pointing out that the world of teaching has changed. Rather, it shares relevant examples of strategies teachers and administrators have used to increase the effectiveness of their modern teaching environments.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 5, Issue 2, Fall 2021

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Fall 2021 issue (Volume 5, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Testing The Efficacy Of Leadership For Empowerment And Abuse Prevention (Leap), A Healthy Relationship Training Intervention For People With Intellectual Disability, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn, Elizabeth P. Cramer, Molly Dellinger-Wray, Caitlin Mayton, Allison D'Aguiliar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) is an abuse prevention intervention for people with intellectual disability. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the intervention’s efficacy. Findings indicated no significant differences in scenario identification questions depicting acceptable or concerning situations. However, statistically significant improvements were noted in participants’ depth of understanding, including their ability to correctly describe why a scenario was abusive or exploitative and what to do next when confronted with unhealthy situations. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed.

Testing A Wellness Indicators Measure For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Matthew Bogenschutz, Michael Broda, Sarah Lineberry, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background and Purpose: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have health and wellness issues that are not as good as people without disabilities. States are required to monitor health and wellness for people with IDD who use many disability services. However, there are few ways to monitor wellness between states or at different points in time. In this study, we share a new model that states may use to monitor wellness of people with IDD.

Methods: We used data from a survey called the National Core Indicators (NCI) to develop this model. First, we developed the model using …

Promoting Inclusion Of Adults With Disabilities In Local Fitness Programs: A Needs Assessment, Samantha M. Ross, Bridgette Schram, Kathleen Mccarty, Nicole Fiscella, Willie Chun Wai Leung, Kayla Lindland

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Fit-Pals* is a university-based, service-learning program with a mission to prepare adults with disabilities to engage in lifelong physical activity. We conducted a Needs Assessment to evaluate recent programmatic partnerships with community-based fitness organizations. We aimed to (1) evaluate organizational perceptions of Fit-Pals’ partnership efforts, and (2) identify perceived organizational needs to improve inclusion practices. Representatives from each of our seven partner organizations participated in an online-survey, follow-up interviews, and a stakeholder meeting. A thematic analysis of survey and interview responses highlighted areas for programmatic growth related to training in disability awareness and fitness accommodations, and improved communication across all …

College Students’ Knowledge Of And Openness To Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Louis W. Turchetta, Valerie Ryan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

College students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges due to limited understanding of this condition. This study investigates college students' awareness of and openness to peers with ASD using an educational intervention. Data were analyzed via a pre–post survey design with two groups.

Factorial analysis of variance showed no significant differences between groups. However, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significant differences in the treatment group’s ranks on the openness scale and knowledge scale between pre- and post-intervention surveys. Findings yielded small (openness) and large effect sizes (knowledge) as expected. Brief educational interventions in required courses can thus potentially enhance …

Community Conversations: Finding Solutions To Increase Employment For Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, James Sinclair, Kyle Reardon, Katherine W. Bromley, Christen Knowles, Dana Cohen Lissman, Megan Kunze

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This study describes the implementation and findings of a pilot community conversations event in the state of Oregon to identify innovative solutions to under- and unemployment experienced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The event was facilitated in partnership with the University of Oregon UCEDD, local Arc chapter, and other relevant community stakeholders. A total of 36 diverse individuals (e.g., school personnel, business owners, individuals with IDD, and caregivers of individuals with IDD) participated in a two-hour community conversations event about how to improve employment opportunities for those experiencing IDD. Participants engaged in discussions about solutions to employment …

Parents’ Beliefs Regarding Shared Reading With Infants And Toddlers, Emma Brezel Mbe, Libby Hallas-Muchow Ms, Alefyah Shipchandler, Jennifer Hall-Lande Phd, Lp, Karen Bonuck Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Parent beliefs about reading to young children- and factors related to such beliefs- affect a child’s reading skill. But, little is known about parent beliefs about reading to infants and toddlers. To fill this gap, three University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) studied 43 English and Spanish speaking parents of children aged 9-18 months. The three UCEDDs were working on a project to create a children’s book that had tips for parents about how their one year-old learns and grows. The UCEDD study survey asked about parent beliefs about reading to young children (4 questions) and factors related …

Daily Life Experiences Of Families Of People With Disabilities During Covid-19 Pandemic, Evan E. Dean, Karrie A. Shogren, Courtney Sanchez, Sean Swindler

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background. For people with IDD and their families, COVID-19 has introduced additional challenges including significant disruptions to daily life and increased risk in accessing services and supports. Understanding how families are adapting and navigating through the crisis is critical both to inform ongoing supports as the pandemic continues and beyond as there will likely be ongoing changes in service and support delivery both directly and indirectly related to COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to survey families in one Midwest state in the U.S. to document experiences during COVID-19 with a focus on understanding how families are navigating current …

Advance Care Planning Within Individualized Care Plans: A Component Of Emergency Preparedness, Heather L. Church, Christina Marsack-Topolewski, Jacqueline M. Mcginley, Victoria Knoke

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Federally-legislated Medicaid requirements for recipients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) to have a person-centered plan (PCP) do not specifically require that advanced care plans (ACP) be a component of the plan. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has provided a salient reminder of the importance of incorporating ACP within the PCP for people who have IDD. As demonstrated by situations arising from COVID-19, emergencies and crises can dramatically alter access to care for people with IDD. This paper synthesizes results from an environmental scan related to ACP for adults with IDD. Findings suggest that the use of ACP, particularly when …

Editorial: Increasing Accessibility In Academic Publishing And Upcoming Initiatives, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This editorial provides an overview of the current issue, and then several initiatives that DDNJ is working on to increase the accessibility of academic publishing. This editorial introduces our new podcast and our upcoming presentation at the Fall 2021 AUCD Conference.

The Origins Of University Centers On Developmental Disabilities: Second Generation Expectations And Growth, Bryce Fifield, Marvin G. Fifield

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Part two of a two part publications tracing the evolution of University Centers on Disabilities. Originally University Affiliated Facilities evolved into University Affiliated Programs on disabilities. Early expectations outlined by President Kennedy's Committee on Mental Retardation grew as funding for disability services and programs became available. Key legislation, program developments and organizational decisions are described for the time frame of 1970 through 2000.

4-H Portfolios: A Practical Model For Assessing Youth Impact In Utah Communities, Kelsey W. Romney

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

A statewide youth needs assessment ranked writing cover letters and résumés as top life skills needed by Utah’s youth. The Utah 4-H Portfolio program has taught over 1,600 youth in grades 3 to 12 to write cover letters and résumés since 2019. Working with adult leaders in their communities, youth are using 4-H Portfolios to solidify a clear pathway from their 4-H experience to a successful career.

E-Cigarette And Vape Prevention In Rural Southeast Utah: Outcomes Of Teacher Education, Christina Pay, Jenna Hawks, Jordyn Oman, Cris Meier, Ashley Yaugher

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

“Be Epic” is a multi-component health and wellness program on vape prevention in rural Southeast Utah that targets youth grades 5–12, teachers, and parents. The teacher component included a one-time education session that taught teachers the basics of the “CATCH my Breath” curriculum. Results of a short-term outcome evaluation showed an increase in teachers’ knowledge and confidence related to e-cigarette education.

Supporting The Economic Well-Being Of Utahns: Impact Of The Empowering Financial Wellness Program, Amanda Christensen, Melanie Jewkes, Andrea Schmutz, Lendel Narine

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Exacerbated by unpredictable global events, research shows rising consumer debt and generally low levels of financial literacy among adults. In response, USU Extension implemented the Empowering Financial Wellness (EFW) program to provide finance education to residents. EFW seeks to empower individuals and families to achieve economic stability.

Informational Signage Increases Awareness Of A Rattlesnake In A Canadian Urban Park System, Jonathan D. Choquette, Alexis V. Hand

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–snake conflict results in negative outcomes for people and snakes, and if left unmanaged, could undermine conservation efforts. One approach to managing conflict between people and snakes is to use signage to inform members of the public on the presence of venomous snakes and measures to prevent snakebites. To be an effective tool, however, signs must first be noticed, then read and understood by the target audience. As part of conservation efforts targeting eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) in southwestern Ontario, Canada, we tested the effectiveness of signage at increasing awareness of its presence, status and threats, and …

Farmers Feeding Utah: Increasing Healthy Food Access And Supporting Local Agriculture, Heidi Leblanc, Casey Coombs

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The need for food assistance increased by 300% among Utah families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers and ranchers were also adversely impacted by market losses and processing shortages. In response, Farmers Feeding Utah was developed to facilitate access to fresh agricultural produce for families in need.

The Rural Online Initiative: Short-Term Outcomes Of Usu Extension Master Remote Work Leader Course, Amanda D. Ali, Paul Hill

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Many people migrate out of rural communities in Utah in search of job opportunities. Meanwhile, businesses in urban areas struggle to find workers. The Master Remote Work Leader (MRWL) certificate course was developed to provide specialized training for Utah’s organizational leaders in managing hybrid-remote and fully distributed employees.

A Hybrid Peer Support Training Model For Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Maren Wright Voss, Amy Campbell, Amelia Van Komen

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University (USU) Extension created a hybrid educational program to address barriers to participation of the Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) trainings before and during COVID 19. This article provides an overview of the CPSS pilot program and discusses early program outcomes.

Usu Extension’S Focus On Stress And Mental Health In Rural Agriculture, Tasha Howard, Paige Wray, Jacob Hadfield, Joshua Dallin, Callahan K. Ward

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Many agriculture producers are seeking help to combat stress, mental illness, and suicide. Although some resources exist, there is a gap in resources specific to mental health in rural farm and ranch life. In response, Utah State University (USU) Extension developed a mental health education course to address stressors within agriculture.

A Substance Misuse Prevention Program To Youth In Rural Utah, Stacey Macarthur, Timothy Keady, Paige Wray, Christine Jensen, Mary Sorenson, Claire Warnick, Lendel Narine

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

A major issue in rural counties is substance misuse. USU Extension implemented a substance prevention program with youth in rural counties. The program included family- and school-based education activities to promote youth resilience and development. Evaluation results showed youth exhibited strong anti-drug attitudes after the program.