Digital Commons Network^™

6. Oer As Assessment; Assessment As Oer: Collaborative Oer Creation And Assessment In Language And Culture Courses, Michael Tadeusz Dabrowski, Angela George

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

This chapter describes the transformative integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) utilized as assessments in language courses at two distinguished Western Canadian universities. It explores how OER, underpinned by a commitment to collaborative learning and evaluation, reshape educational practices. Through collaborative maps, peer editing, and renewable assignments, educators and students collectively contribute to the creation of a repository of knowledge, embracing a pedagogical paradigm that values student engagement and deepens their understanding of OER. This process demonstrates the ability of OER to redefine academic assessment and collaboration, showcasing how OER can transform the educational experience into a more engaging, enriching, …

4. Raising The Bar: An Administrator's Perspective On Documenting Teaching Excellence To Support Instructor And Student Development, Vijay R. Kannan

Documenting Teaching Excellence

Administrators at the department, college, or institutional level are well positioned to support instructor development. Department heads, who typically have responsibility for routine performance reviews, play a role in tenure and promotion decision making processes, and have a line of sight on data related to instructional performance, can and should play a particularly impactful role. Serving as a department head, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and on a university level tenure and promotion committee gave me diverse perspectives on what effective teaching documentation looks like. Moreover, it shaped how I mentored, offered counsel, or approached conversations about teaching effectiveness, whether …

12. Teaching Excellence Plus: The Teaching Philosophy Statement As Creative Platform For Strategic Self-Promotion, Miranda Yaggi Rodak, Gabrielle Stecher Woodward

Documenting Teaching Excellence

Theoretically, the teaching philosophy statement (TPS) is a self-reflective document that articulates your core beliefs as an instructor about teaching and learning and explains your values, goals, and strategies for fostering student success. But let’s face it: the TPS can feel like the most awkward and performative of professional documents—an uncomfortable hurdle to jump with every application, annual review, and promotion, which makes many instructors, regardless of rank, dread writing (and rewriting) it. At its best, the TPS captures your authentic voice and professional identity, and it paints a clear picture of how you approach the classroom. Yet, in practice, …

The Status Of Women Leaders In Government – Utah Cities And Towns: A 2024 Update, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen, Kolene Anderson

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Research shows that communities and organizations increasingly thrive when men and women work together in leadership roles.¹ Gender inclusivity benefits not only businesses, churches, schools, and state legislatures, but also state and local governments. American democracy is grounded in the idea of representation.² “Representative bureaucracy” is the term for government entities employing a workforce that shares the demographic characteristics of the communities they serve,³ and the combined experiences and perspectives of that workforce represent and benefit all residents within its purview.⁴ This includes the thousands of government professionals who run the daily functions of municipalities in …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda December 05, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00pm

Education Policy Committee Agenda December 05, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00pm

Reframing The Landscape: Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, Amy Reid

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis project recognizes Robert Smithson’s contribution to the fields of art and landscape architecture with a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Spiral Jetty. The nomination was completed with support from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, Dia Art Foundation, and Holt/Smithson Foundation.

Spiral Jetty is considered a highly influential work of the Land art genre. At Rozel Point Smithson constructed a 1,500-foot-long and 15-foot-wide earthwork of site-sourced basalt rock and soil. It extends from the shore approximately 600 feet before collapsing twice in a counterclockwise spiral. Smithson carefully selected the site where the earthwork would …

Is That Controversial Or Is It Just Me?, Joseph D. Cochran

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purposes of this study were to explore the decision-making process behind delineating issues as controversial or not, identify the risks considered by administrators when faced with potentially controversial issues, and provide recommendations for educators to consider in their own deliberations. I interviewed seven charter school principals and used thematic analysis to explore the influence of contained risk-taking on administrator decision-making concerning controversial issues. The findings of this study suggest that administrators generally consider the same risks their teacher counterparts do but often prioritize larger-scale solutions that ensure equity for the entire school. The products of this process emphasize a …

Engineered Microalgae Cultivations Systems: Conversion Of Wastewater Nutrients Into Biofuels And Bioplastics, Jacob Watkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dissolved Nitrogen and Phosphorus in wastewater can contribute to harmful algae blooms if released into the environment. One technology that can be used to recover dissolved nutrients from wastewater is the Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactor (RABR), which supports microalgae growth in an easily-harvested biofilm and produces nitrogenand phosphorus-rich biomass that can be used to produce slow-release fertilizers, biofuels, and compostable bioplastics. This thesis (1) examines the effects of several environmental factors on the biomass production rate and nutrient removal efficiency of RABRs treating municipal wastewater, (2) quantifies the composition and biofuel yields of microalgae biomass cultivated using a RABR at …

Are Universities Adequately Preparing Undergraduate Students For Careers As Professional Wildlife Biologists?, Trevon D. Strange

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The demands for diversely skilled wildlife biologists and scientific researchers in the wildlife profession are projected to increase. Increasing urbanization has affected wildlife management, and the recruitment of future wildlife professionals. Thus, state and federal supervisors in agencies that hire wildlife professionals are concerned that recent graduates of university wildlife programs lack the necessary skill-sets to address these complex contemporary wildlife management issues. My research sought to identify where the educational performance gaps may exist between university wildlife programs, wildlife agencies, and student expectations. To conduct my research, I evaluated undergraduate wildlife curricula offered by 42 accredited universities listed on …

Viking And Native North American Interactions: The Spread Of Disease In The Norse Discovery Of North America, Sarah N. Haughawout

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper evaluates the potential for spread of disease in the Norse and Native North American interactions around 1000 CE. At this time, the Vikings were expanding their territory in search of land and natural resources following the Viking Raids in mainland Europe. They traveled to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally the eastern coast of northern Canada. Norse explorers faced numerous obstacles on their journeys, but they still prospered in North America for a time. The Vikings hunted the land and sea mammals, used the land, and found ways to thrive while having hostile relations and contact with the Native …

Practitioners' Needs For Addressing The Challenges Of Sea-Level Rise—A Qualitative Assessment, D. Hirschfeld, K. M. Archie, E. Mateo, J. C. Arnott, J. A. Vano

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Practitioners at the local and regional scale are under increased pressure to reduce risks to people and property posed by the threats of sea‐level rise (SLR) and associated impacts. To achieve this, a dialog between practitioners and scientists is imperative. Current research documents impacts of SLR, evaluates local SLR adaptation activities, identifies barriers to action, and works to assess local adaptive capacity. Despite this work, there has been little qualitative assessment of practitioners' needs when it comes to translating SLR science into local changes. To fill this gap, we used a combination of semi‐structured interviews and surveys. The interviews revealed …

The Utah Statesman, November 4, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Tremblings November 2024, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

Aspen Stewardship With PBR

Paul C. Rogers, Director, Western Aspen Alliance, Adjunct Professor (Environment & Society), Associate (Ecology Center), Utah State University

How do we effectively piece together aspen science for better management? This question has been the nexus of the Western Aspen Alliance's (WAA) mission since our 2008 inception. If you participated in one of more than 40 WAA field-based workshops you can attest that evolving research findings from numerous interlacing disciplines makes for a challenging science-management landscape. However, this clear departure from historical and linear 'command and control' approaches, though demanding, incorporates vital multi-dimensionality (e.g., social, cultural, institutional …

The Primacy Of Density-Mediated Indirect Effects In A Community Of Wolves, Elk, And Aspen, Elaine M. Brice, Eric J. Larsen, Daniel R. Stahler, Daniel R. Macnulty

Aspen Bibliography

The removal or addition of a predator in an ecosystem can trigger a trophic cascade, whereby the predator indirectly influences plants and/or abiotic processes via direct effects on its herbivore prey. A trophic cascade can operate through a density-mediated indirect effect (DMIE), where the predator reduces herbivore density via predation, and/or through a trait-mediated indirect effect (TMIE), where the predator induces an herbivore trait response that modifies the herbivore's effect on plants. Manipulative experiments suggest that TMIEs are an equivalent or more important driver of trophic cascades than are DMIEs. Whether this applies generally in nature is uncertain because few …

The Utah Statesman, October 21, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Understanding The Dynamics Of Board-Executive Director Relationships In Nonprofits: A Qualitative Study Of Youth-Serving Nonprofits In Utah, Jaxon Didericksen, Jayme E. Walters, Dorothy Wallis

Social Work Faculty Publications

A functional positive relationship between the executive director (ED) and the board of directors (BOD) is crucial to nonprofits meeting their missions. The present qualitative study sought to identify factors—including traits, behaviors, processes, and experiences—associated with positive relationships between BODs and EDs in youth-serving nonprofits in Utah. Surveys were utilized to identify pairs (N = 6) of board chairs and EDs who had high relationship satisfaction. Individual semi-structured interviews were employed with each participant. Transcripts were analyzed using two-cycle coding, descriptive and pattern coding in which three themes emerged: (1) Background; (2) Roles; and (3) Leadership. The findings illustrated …

Aridity Drives The Response Of Soil Total And Particulate Organic Carbon To Drought In Temperate Grasslands And Shrublands, Baoku Shi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Alan K. Knapp, Melinda D. Smith, Sasha Reed, Brooke Osborne, Yolima Carrillo, Fernando T. Maestre, Yu Zhu, Anping Chen, Kate Wilkins, Martin C. Holdrege, Andrew Kulmatiski, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Christiane Roscher, Sally Power, Kerry M. Byrne, Amber C. Churchill, Anke Jentsch, Hugh A. L. Henry, Karen H. Beard, Max A. Schuchardt, Nico Eisenhauer, Rafael Otfinowski, Yann Hautier, Huitao Shen, Yonghui Wang, Zhongwu Wang, Chengliang Wang, Daniela Francis Cusack, Alessandro Petraglia, Michele Carbognani, T’Ai G.W. Forte, S. Luke Flory, Pengli Hou, Tao Zhang, Weifeng Gao, Wei Sun

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The increasing prevalence of drought events in grasslands and shrublands worldwide potentially has impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC). We leveraged the International Drought Experiment to study how SOC, including particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) concentrations, responds to extreme drought treatments (1-in-100-year) for 1 to 5 years at 19 sites worldwide. In more mesic areas (aridity index > 0.65), SOC and POC concentrations decreased by 7.9% (±3.9) and 15.9% (±6.2) with drought, respectively, but there were no impacts on MAOC concentrations. However, drought had no impact on SOC, POC, or MAOC concentrations in drylands (aridity index < 0.65). The response of SOC to drought varied along an aridity gradient, concomitant with interannual precipitation variability and standing SOC concentration gradients. These findings highlight the differing response magnitudes of POC and MAOC concentrations to drought and the key regulating role of aridity.

The Intersection Of Place And Game Design: The Case Of Two Classic African Board Games, Rebecca Y. Bayeck, Joseph M. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The concept of game design is often associated with a computational creative task or a creation with technology. Automatically linking game design to computational activity or technology may have contributed to the scarce research on the interaction between place and game design. The focus on technology may have excluded indigenous games from game design conversation in the game design literature. This article explores design in the context of two classic African board games. We examine the influence of place on the design of these games. Building on game design and place literature, the article shows the situatedness of game design …

Projected Near-Future Flooding And Warming Increase Graminoid Biomass In A High-Latitude Coastal Wetland, Matteo Petit Bon, A. Joshua Leffler, Katharine C. Kelsey, Tyler J. Williams, Karen H. Beard

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. With rapid climate warming, some coastal high-latitude ecosystems are experiencing more frequent tidal floods. Yet little is known about tundra plant-community responses to flooding, and whether Arctic warming may modulate such responses.

2. In a 2-year, full-factorial field experiment in coastal tundra wetlands of the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta (western Alaska), we simulated periodic tidal flood events at two severities under both ambient and warmed summer conditions and measured above-ground plant-community responses. Low-severity flooding represented overbank flooding 1 day per month, which is consistent with projections in the next 5 years. High-severity flooding represented a more impactful flooding regime (three consecutive days …

The Utah Statesman, September 23, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Utah Statesman, September 16, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Technology Skill Building For Adults With Intellectual And/Or Developmental Disabilities, Heather J. Williamson, Hailee E. Riddle, Cynthia Sloan, Cameron Dogan, Byran Dai, Jon Meyers

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Compared to their peers without disabilities, adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are less likely to be employed. Adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities also face a digital divide, with less access to and use of technology in their daily lives. This lack of technology use also limits the types of employment available to adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of an individualized technology skill-building program for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in Arizona. The community-engaged project was overseen by a Community Advisory Board who provided insights on program …

Ephemera As A Versatile Primary Resource: A Case Study Of The Nancy Tucker Postcard Collection, Dylan J. Mcdonald, Jennifer Olguin, Monika Glowacka-Musial

Journal of Western Archives

Ephemera are rich primary sources too often overlooked within archival materials and at collecting institutions. This case study argues that archivists and librarians should recognize ephemera, specifically postcards, as powerful historical documents worthy of scholarly investigation. By analyzing a sample set of digitized postcards held at the New Mexico State University Library, we show how scholars can use postcards to develop evidence-based arguments. Through the images, printed texts, and hand-written inscriptions found on these early 20th century postcards, we demonstrate how researchers can examine the pro-development messages found in southern New Mexico postcards.

Forest Defoliation By And Invasive Outbreak Insect: Catastrophic Consequences For A Charismatic Mega Moth, Richard L. Lindroth, Mark R. Zierden, Clay J. Morrow, Patricia C. Fernandez

Aspen Bibliography

Earth is now experiencing declines in insect abundance and diversity unparalleled in human history. The drivers underlying those declines are many, complex, and incompletely known. Here, using a natural experiment, we report the first test of the hypothesis that forest defoliation by an invasive outbreak insect compromises the fitness of a native insect via damage-induced increases in toxicity of the forest canopy. We demonstrate that defoliation by the invasive spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) elicits an average 8.4-fold increase in foliar defense expression among aspen (Populus tremuloides) genotypes. In turn, elevated defense dramatically reduces survivorship, feeding, and …

Arcticsat: A Cubesat For Canada’S North, With Canada’S North, Andrew Bowman, David Kattegatsiak, Spencer Ryznar, Layne Ransom, Shakiba Mir Ahmadi, Aref Asgari, Riley Sweeney, Ricky Gill, Vishnu Nadan, Bashar Esmail, Fatiah Balogun, Dustin Isleifson, Kiledar Singh Tomar, John Yackel, Philip Ferguson

Small Satellite Conference

Canada’s northern Inuit and Indigenous communities are experiencing climate change four times faster than the rest of the planet, impacting their traditional means of travel, hunting, and fishing. As temperatures rise, the sea ice forms later and melts earlier, allowing less time to perform these activities safely. While current satellite radiometry data can provide insight into the safety of the ice, Inuit communities require more timely and open access to this data. ArcticSat is a 3U CubeSat being co-developed with the Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, Canada, made to accomplish these goals. Community co-development ensures that community members lead the …

Tales In The Teeth: Using Isotopic Analysis To Understand The Paleoecology And Social Behavior Of Brontotheres Of The Intermountain Basins During The Middle Eocene, John Michael Michalski

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Isotopic analysis has been a common practice used in paleontology to study ancient ecosystems, and the lives of animals therein. Oxygen isotopic analysis is of particular importance not only because of its use in studying paleoecology, diet, and migration, but also its use in studying mountain elevation, and its impact on ancient ecosystems. I use stable oxygen isotopic analysis to study the habits and ecology of brontotheres from intermountain basins surrounding the Uinta Mountains of Utah and Wyoming, USA. I studied the oxygen isotopes from 16 fossil specimens of teeth, most of which belonged to brontotheres, including the genera Palaeosyops …

Working Together For Working Lands: Knowledge Braiding And Adaptive Capacity At The Confluence Of Rangelands, Climate Adaptation, And Watershed Stewardship, William Wesley Munger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Working lands are a mosaic that hold critical opportunities for biodiversity, rural community wellbeing, and climate change adaptation. This landscape mosaic is made up of public lands, tribal lands, and private ranches, farms, and forests. The current era of ecological restoration and climate adaptation requires engaging in working lands conservation because the most promising strategies require working across multiple ownership boundaries. This dissertation argues that supporting working lands conservation, climate adaptation, and ecological restoration is a joint venture. Building adaptive capacity for climate change involves both social and ecological components. Adaptive capacity consists of building social collaborative capacity and ecological …

Cislunar Optimal Robust Trajectory Design With Corrective Maneuvers, Scott J. Kelly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

One common method for determining how to get from point A to point B is by finding the most fuel-efficient path. This is a common method for spacecraft trajectory designers also. Without any random or unexpected occurrences this path is called the deterministic optimal trajectory. Sometimes unexpected events happen that result in deviating from the most fuel-efficient path; while driving, you may encounter a detour. Naturally, we tend to return to the original fuel-efficient path and continue the journey. Similar deviations happen in space. The rocket delivering a spacecraft to orbit likely will not deliver exactly to the intended starting …

A Comprehensive And Interactive Visualization Tool To Support Equitable Adoption Of Electrified Transportation, Aashay Maheshwarkar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As urban areas continue to grow, the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure becomes crucial for sustainable development. This study is focused on the development of a data visualization tool that integrates diverse datasets, including traffic patterns, Points of Interest (POI), pollution levels, and socioeconomic indicators, to analyze the current state and potential expansion of EV charging stations. Our visualization tool highlights the significant impact of EV infrastructure on reducing urban pollution and improving socioeconomic outcomes. Areas with a higher density of charging stations show significantly lower levels of unemployment and pollution, emphasizing the dual benefits of EV adoption. …