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Engineering Design Challenges In High School Stem Courses A Compilation Of Invited Position Papers, Daniel L. Householder

Publications

Since its initial funding by the National Science Foundation in 2004, the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) has worked to understand the infusion of engineering design experiences into the high school setting. Over the years, an increasing number of educators and professional groups have participated in the expanding initiative seeking to acquaint all students with engineering design. While there is strong support for providing students with engineering design experiences in their high school STEM courses, the lack of consensus on purposes and strategies has become increasingly apparent as the work continues. Among the unsettled issues are the …

Learning Mathematics With Technology: The Influence Of Virtual Manipulatives On Different Achievement Groups, Patricia S. Moyer-Packenham, J. M. Suh

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

This study examined the influence of virtual manipulatives on different achievement groups during a teaching experiment in four fifth-grade classrooms. During a two-week unit focusing on two rational number concepts (fraction equivalence and fraction addition with unlike denominators) one low achieving, two average achieving, and one high achieving group participated in two instructional treatments (three groups used virtual manipulatives and one group used physical manipulatives). Data sources included pre- and post-tests of students’ mathematical content knowledge and videotapes of classroom sessions. Results of paired samples t-tests examining the three groups using virtual manipulatives indicated a statistically significant overall gain following …

Language And Literacies In The Borderlands: Children Acting Upon Theworld Through Testimonios., Cinthya M. Saavedra

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Membership 2011-2012, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

List of past membership for Faculty Senate including members, substitutes, and presidentially appointed members; names, emails, the year for end of term, college, UMC, and phone number are recorded.

The Politics And Culture Of Climate Change: Us Actors And Global Implications, Charles Waugh

English Faculty Publications

Despite the scientific consensus on global warming, many people in the USA,—both ordinary citizens and elected leaders alike—remain skeptical of the need to act, and in fact remain skeptical of the idea that humans are contributing to global warming at all. Thus, environmental justice arguments based on United States carbon emissions and the disproportionate impact of rising temperatures and rising sea levels on tropical developing nations such as Vietnam frequently fall on deaf ears. This chapter explores the political and cultural construction of this deafness, seeking a better understanding of how and why so many Americans refuse to act to …

Public Perceptions Of Bears And Management Interventions In Japan, Ryo Sakurai, Susan K. Jacobson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Conservation of bears is a challenge globally. In Japan, Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) are considered a nuisance because of agricultural and property damage and personal human danger due to occasional human casualties. Reduction of human–bear conflicts in Japan would improve long-term conservation of bears and reduce risks to human health and safety. To understand Japanese perceptions of and experience with bears, we analyzed results of 5 public surveys and reviewed 29 articles from the research and gray literature in Japan. We compared recommendations for interventions to reduce human–bear conflicts with …

Outdoor Recreation Participation Of Pennsylvanians With Disabilities, Elizabeth H. Weybright, Alan R. Graefe, Andrew J. Mowen, Nate E. Trauntvein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Approximately 16% of United States residents report having some sort of physical disability that limits their recreation participation. Many of these individuals may have an abundance of free time due to unemployment, part-time work status, or retirement, and therefore recreation and leisure have the potential to provide great meaning in their lives. Qualitative and quantitative data from a State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan was used to better understand the outdoor recreation habits and perceptions of Pennsylvania residents with disabilities. Using descriptive, chi square, and ANOVA statistics, results indicate that these individuals perceive fewer benefits from outdoor activities, experience different types …

Cattle Ranchers And Conservation Easements, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Model Of Resurgence Based On Behavioral Momentum Theory, Timothy A. Shahan, Mary M. Sweeney

Psychology Faculty Publications

Resurgence is the reappearance of an extinguished behavior when an alternative behavior reinforced during extinction is subsequently placed on extinction. Resurgence is of particular interest because it may be a source of relapse to problem behavior following treatments involving alternative reinforcement. In this article we develop a quantitative model of resurgence based on the augmented model of extinction provided by behavioral momentum theory. The model suggests that alternative reinforcement during extinction of a target response acts as both an additional source of disruption during extinction and as a source of reinforcement in the context that increases the future strength of …

Behavioral Momentum Theory: Equations And Applications, John A. Nevin, Timothy A. Shahan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Behavioral momentum theory provides a quantitative account of how reinforcers experienced within a discriminative stimulus context govern the persistence of behavior that occurs in that context. The theory suggests that all reinforcers obtained in the presence of a discriminative stimulus increase resistance to change, regardless of whether those reinforcers are contingent on the target behavior, are noncontingent, or are even contingent on an alternative behavior. In this paper, we describe the equations that constitute the theory and address their application to issues of particular importance in applied settings. The theory provides a framework within which to consider the effects of …

Commentary Wildlife Habituation: Advances In Understanding And Management Application, Valerius Geist

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Implementation Of Electric Fencing For Establishing Effective Livestock-Protection Dogs, Thomas M. Gehring, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Anna C. Cellar

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To be effective, livestock protection dogs (LPDs) must be carefully integrated with the livestock they will be protecting. Others have developed guidelines to assist producers in this training and assimilation process. In many areas fencing is necessary; however, guidelines for containing LPDs and their livestock behind electric fencing are lacking. We present results from larger projects involving LPDs where we encountered issues with fencing and preventing LPDs from roaming from their owner’s property. We found that ranging and escaping from pastures was exhibited by LPDs that were not properly introduced and trained to electric fencing at an early age. LPDs …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes, December 13, 2010, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Council on Teacher Education Report - Francine Johnson
• Scholarship Advisory Board Report - Chelise Elwood
• EPC Items - Larry Smith
• PRPC Items - Bob Parson
• ASUSU Common Hour - Vince Wickwar
• Code Compliance Committee Renewal - Vince Wickwar
• Tenure-Review Timetable - Ed Heath

The Utah Statesman, December 10, 2010, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, December 9, 2010, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University (USU) requests approval to offer, in partnership with Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, effective Summer Semester, 2012.

The Utah Statesman, December 3, 2010, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Evaluating Student Perceptions Of Value And Preferences For Online Programs In Skill-Based Learning: An Applied Exercise, Darcy Lynn Stewart

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In an age where training and knowledge are easily accessible online, textbooks, lecture slides and other class materials have migrated to online programs. Online programs are becoming easier to maintain for professors and administrators and offer some convenience and efficiency that traditional classroom lectures do not. It is widely assumed that students who have grown up with cell phones, email accounts, social media, iPods, Google and laptops easily identify with internet based applications. This research studies a group of over 30 university students seeking to develop skill-­‐sets to prepare them for entering the workforce through participation in an online and …

The Noble Savage And Ecological Indian: Cultural Dissonance And Representations Of Native Americans In Literature, Brooke D. Mcnaughton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This thesis provides a unique approach to understanding the historical origins and contemporary social ramifications of the use of the concepts of the Noble Savage and the Ecological Indian within literature. I first examine the history of the Noble Savage concept in literature by examining relevant social movements, and then its eventual transition into its modern counterpart, the Ecological Indian. Authors who employ the use of these concepts typically portray Natives in a way which provides an idealized alternative for white cultural woes. Consequently, this idealization creates problems with modern Native identity. In the second half of this project I …

The Effect Of Father Involvement On Marital Satisfaction, Tasha Dawn Falslev

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The effect of father involvement in childrearing on parental stress and marital satisfaction of wives in newlywed couples was assessed in a sample of couples married five years. Results showed that marital satisfaction is positively correlated with the wife's perception of husband's involvement in activities of childcare and negatively correlated with the wife's stress. The association between husband 's perception of involvement and wife's marital satisfaction was less strong.

The implications for these findings on family life education for couples in the early years of marriage are discussed. Suggestions for interventions to promote father involvement are presented.

A Social Norms Approach To College Alcohol Use: Drinking In A Low-Use Environment, Jared M. Cox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social norms interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing problematic alcohol use on college campuses. However, not all interventions have been successful, and the campus environment may be responsible for the variable reactions that students have to these interventions. The following three articles investigate the nature and utility of social norms interventions in an environment where alcohol use is relatively low. The first article details an online social norms intervention implemented on a low-use campus. Results suggest that if adapted to the campus culture, a social norms approach to reducing alcohol use could be successful in this unique …

Spatial Epidemiology Of Birth Defects In The United States And The State Of Utah Using Geographic Information Systems And Spatial Statistics, Samson Y. Gebreab

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Oral clefts are the most common form of birth defects in the United States (US) and the State of Utah has among the highest prevalence of oral clefts in the nation. The overall objective of this dissertation was to examine the spatial distribution of oral clefts and their linkage with a broad range of demographic, behavioral, social, economic, and environmental risk factors through the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics. Using innovative linked micromaps plots, we investigated the geographic patterns of oral clefts occurrence from 1998 to 2002 and their relationships with maternal smoking rates and proportion …

Transportation Network Resiliency: A Fuzzy Systems Approach, Nayel Urena Serulle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Every day the dependence on transportation grows as local, regional, national, and international independence increases. Resilient transportation systems are needed to secure the highest possible level of service during disruptive events, including natural and man-made disasters. Because of limited resources, decision makers need guidance on how, when, and where to invest to improve resiliency of their networks. The research objective is to develop a method to assess and quantify resiliency, at pre-event conditions, using a fuzzy inference approach. This research expands previous work, refining key variable definitions, adjusting model interactions, and increasing transparency between metrics. This thesis presents the method …

Correspondence Of Job-Preference And Job-Matching Assessment With Job Performance And Satisfaction Among Youth With Developmental Disabilities, Julie Hall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effects of job preference and job match on job performance among four 19-to 20-year-old young adults with developmental disabilities placed in community-based job conditions. Prior studies have examined the effects of job preference on community-based job performance without the job-matching component. The researcher identified high-preference, high-match and low-preference, low-match job conditions and tasks using a video web-based assessment program. Each participant was subsequently placed in a randomized sequence of 30-min sessions on one high-preference, high-match job condition performing a preferred task and one low-preference, low-match job performing a non preferred task. Job coaches instructed and prompted …

Integrating Digital Technologies In The German Language Classroom: A Critical Study Of The Technology-Integration Experiences Of Three Secondary German Teachers, Stephen Van Orden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

German language teachers are gaining increased access to smart classrooms and digital technologies that offer teachers and students greater access to authentic cultural and language materials and enable more student target language communication. Teaching with technology changes the teaching and learning environment in many ways. Little is known about how integrating technology into the daily German-language-teaching curriculum changes the implicit power structures embedded in all classroom interactions. Because of the central, decision-making role of the teacher, this study uses a critical theory of technology lens to examine the daily technology integration experiences of three secondary German language teachers. This study …

Young's Schema Theory: Exploring The Direct And Indirect Links Between Negative Childhood Experiences And Temperament To Negative Affectivity In Adulthood, Mark S. Jesinoski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young's schema theory offers a theoretical approach that relates negative childhood experiences, temperament, and early maladaptive schema, to the experience of negative affect and/or depression in adulthood. However, despite the widespread use of schema therapy in clinical practice, little research has explored the pathways theorized by Young. This study explored the pathways posited by Young and colleagues looking at the direct and indirect relationships among negative childhood experience, temperament, early maladaptive schema, and the experience of negative affect in adulthood. Self-report data were collected from 365 undergraduate students. Results demonstrated consistent and robust direct relationships between temperament and negative affect, …

The Rhetoric Of Space In The Design Of Academic Writing Locations, Amanda Nicole Metz Bemer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation explores the rhetoric of space as it relates to academic computer writing locations--specifically, computer labs, computer classrooms, and writing centers. Using observation, surveys, interviews, and textual analysis, the author discusses seven rhetorical principles of design for these spaces, including designing for specific audiences, attention, clarity, enthymematic flexibility, identification, pathos, and shared ethos. Ultimately, applying a rhetorical gaze to these areas can help us to design more effective computer spaces in academia.

Bosom Buddies: Factors Associated With Experiences Of Passionate Friendship Among Men And Women, Katherine A. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Scholars historically have separated friendships and romantic relationships into two qualitatively distinct relationship categories. Contemporary research examining passionate friendships, however, has identified qualities within platonic relationships that appear to mimic characteristics typically associated with romantic relationships. Primary critiques of the existing passionate friendship literature include exclusively examining females, including samples that predominately identified as lesbian, bisexual or questioning, and research utilizing solely qualitative designs.

The current study used a quantitative design to investigate 375 emerging adults' (18-26 years of age; 149 males, 226 females) friendship experiences. Specifically, four quasi-independent variables (i.e., biological sex, sexual orientation, gender-role orientation, and cross vs. …

The Essential Structure Of Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Letty Workman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While many jokes and sales of specialty merchandise have been made that make light of consumers who frequently shop and buy (e.g., "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping," or "I am a shopaholic"), for 18 million Americans suffering from compulsive buying, the process of shopping and buying has caused their lives to literally go out of control. The outcomes of this disease for individuals, families, and business are all negative. In a marketing era of social responsibility, if marketers either knowingly or unknowingly encourage increased consumption among compulsive buyers, potential negative outcomes stand to impact others well …

Attitudes Toward Immediate Annuities, Devon K. Robb

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Retirement security for Americans is one of the most critical public policy and personal financial issues and will be for decades in the future. Individuals that retire today can live an additional 30 or even 40 years with less secure income as corporations shift to defined contribution plans to fund retirement. Based on the life cycle savings hypothesis, immediate annuities should be appealing to retirees because they insure against the risks of outliving retirement assets by converting funds into a lifelong stream of income. However, research has found that retirees are reluctant to annuitize their wealth. This study examined the …

Finances In Strong African American Marriages, Bonnie Lichfield Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on how African American couples in happy marriages talked about finances in their couple relationships. Qualitative methodology was used for this study, and the data came from transcribed interviews with participants. Thirty-seven couples who identified their marriages as being strong, happy, or highly satisfying, volunteered to be interviewed for this study. All individual participants (74 total) talked about finances in their marriages, and all interviews were used for the purpose of this study. Their descriptions were coded and analyzed to explore the way that they talked about money issues in their marriages. The research questions focused on …