Digital Commons Network^™

Programming Process, Patterns And Behaviors: Insights From Keystroke Analysis Of Cs1 Students, Raj Shrestha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With all the experiences and knowledge, I take programming as granted. But learning to program is still difficult for a lot of introductory programming students. This is also one of the major reasons for a high attrition rate in CS1 courses. If instructors were able to identify struggling students then effective interventions can be taken to help them. This thesis is a research done on programming process data that can be collected non-intrusively from CS1 students when they are programming. The data and their findings can be leveraged in understanding students’ thought process, detecting patterns and identifying behaviors that could …

Developing Cultural Competence Among Sixth-Grade Students Through Indigenous Knowledge And Place-Based Education, Tyus Roanhorse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is a need to develop cultural competence in educational settings. While there is a focus on training K-12 educators to be culturally competent, there is little focus on developing and examining the impact of student cultural competence training. Integrating Indigenous knowledge in an education setting is a unique way to start developing cultural competency by recognizing cross-cultural worldviews and perspectives. This can be done while using place-based education, which links the classroom to the cultural environment that has significant meaning to Indigenous peoples while enriching the learning experience for all students. The current study examines and measures the development …

Cultural, Contextual, And Individual Determinants Of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Latinx Emerging Adults, Kenia Carrera Diaz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite being at an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems, Latinx emerging adults underutilize professional psychological services compared to other ethnic/racial groups. It is important for researchers to understand this mental health disparity to improve Latinx emerging adults’ use of quality mental health services (MHS). The current project investigated factors that might influence Latinx emerging adult’s use of MHS through two separate studies. In the first study, I systematically reviewed research published in the past decade that examined predictors of MHS use among Latinx emerging adults. A total of 9 studies were found and included in this review. This …

An Exploration Of System Level Dimensions Of Nutrition In Relation To Health: Interprofessional Teams And Food Insecurity, Mckenna Christy Voorhees

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many factors influence health; two such factors that warrant additional research include interdisciplinary healthcare teams and food insecurity. These factors may be particularly important among vulnerable populations such as individuals with special healthcare needs, lower income populations, and individuals with disabilities.

Interdisciplinary teamwork promotes improved, and more efficient patient care through the collaboration of healthcare providers in various professional disciplines. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are experts in the science and application of nutrition, which plays an important role in various disease states. Despite the established need for RDNs on interdisciplinary teams, there is limited research in the interdisciplinary scholarship targeting …

Conservation Genetics Of A Declining Bumble Bee In Western North America; The Influence Of Geography, Dispersal Limitation, And Anthopogenic Activity, Ashley T. Rohde

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Conservation biology addresses the problem of species loss by identifying species in need of protection. Conservation biology has subfields to address different aspects of biodiversity loss, including genetics and sociology. I used genetic approaches to assess the conservation status of western bumble bees, a bumble bee species of conservation concern.

The western bumble bee is a bumble bee species that ranges from Alaska to New Mexico and as far east as Wyoming and Colorado. This species is disappearing in some places. It may soon be listed as endangered in the United States and is already listed as endangered in parts …

Medicaid Expansion: Changes In Individual Health Outcomes, Julie Norman

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Affordable Care Act is one of the biggest changes in the American healthcare system in the 21st century. One element of the ACA is medicaid expansion, which opened up federal funding for states to cover any individual earning below 138% of the federal poverty line. 21 states expanded medicaid in 2014 while 12 haven’t expanded. This paper utilizes the disparity for a natural experiment to determine the efficacy of the program. Outcome variables of interest include measurements of individual health, health access and utilization, and premature death rates. The results indicate positive, but small improvements due to the policy, …

The Status Of Women Leaders In Utah Public Education (K–12): A 2022 Update, Hannah Payne, Kim Buesser, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) released a research and policy brief titled “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Education,”¹ and an updated version was published in 2017.² The reports focused on the status of women’s leadership in all Utah education sectors. In 2021, UWLP updated the postsecondary education portion of the brief,³ and this report provides an update of the K–12 portion. The purpose of this brief is to determine what, if any, progress has been made in women’s leadership within Utah’s K–12 education sector, including public and charter schools. This brief …

Managing Stress For Agricultural Producers: Learning To "Unhook", Jacob Gossner, Beth Fauth, Tasha Howard

All Current Publications

All of us experience stress, and with it, unpleasant, uncomfortable, or distressing thoughts. Agriculture can be an especially stressful profession. Much of the time, people are able to manage the stress—we refocus on our lives and move on. At other times, however, stressful thoughts impact moods negatively. These thoughts seem to consume all attention, pulling people away from others and things they care about in a process called “getting hooked” (Harris, 2019). Unhelpful thoughts may make people act in ways they don’t feel good about. The good news is that people can learn skills to “unhook” from unhelpful thoughts and …

Does Internalized Stigma Change The Way That Religiousness Relates To Depression For People With Minoritized Sexualities?, G. Tyler Lefevor, Chana Etengoff, Samuel J. Skidmore

Psychology Faculty Publications

Drawing on minority stress and intersectionality theories, we examine whether the relationship between religiousness and depression among people with marginalized sexualities changes as a function of their experience of internalized stigma. Analyses of a sample of 260 people with marginalized sexualities suggested that the relationship between religiousness and depression was moderated by internalized homonegativity. Simple slopes analyses revealed that when people with marginalized sexualities reported higher degrees of internalized homonegativity, the relationship between religiousness and depression was positive. Conversely, when people with marginalized sexualities reported lower degrees of internalized homonegativity, religiousness was negatively related to depression. Dismantling analyses using subscales …

Leveraging Personal Values In An Endocrine Therapy Adherence-Promoting Trial For Breast Cancer Survivors: A Mixed-Methods Investigation, Joanna J. Arch, Elizabeth Slivjak, Emma E. Bright, Catherine M. Crespi, Michael E. Levin, Sarah R. Genung, Madeline Nealis, Karen Albright, Jill L. Mitchell, Ami D. Sheth, Jessica F. Magidson, Annette L. Stanton

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Improving medication adherence represents one of the greatest behavioral challenges in medicine. Personal values are an under-examined source of motivation for adhering to medication. This secondary analysis leverages a mixed-method approach to understanding a novel, online, values-based intervention (‘REACH’) for promoting endocrine therapy (ET) adherence among breast cancer survivors, using data from a randomized trial.

Methods: Breast cancer survivors with challenges taking ET (n=88) were randomized 1:1 to ET Education + Values (REACH) or Education-only online interventions. This report focuses on the three values strategies used in REACH to promote ET adherence: affirming health-related values, using values-based …

The Utah Statesman, July 5, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Developing And Piloting A Design Guide For Outdoor Classrooms In Utah, Derek Jenson, Jake Powell, David T. Anderson, Rose Judd-Murray

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The outdoor classroom design guide can help applicants successfully apply for the Utah Outdoor Classroom Grant introduced by the Office of Outdoor Recreation (OOR) in 2021. The design guide includes case studies, design resources, and critical information for community involvement from statewide locations and will serve as a free public resource.

Trauma Exposure And Trauma Symptoms As Predictors Of Police Perceptions In Latinx Youths, Amanda Venta, Germán Cadenas, Alfonso Mercado, Luz M. Garcini, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: The Latinx immigrant youth population composes nearly a quarter of all children in the U.S. and are a high-risk group for police encounters. Based on perceptions of Latinxs as criminals, increased enforcement actions against Latinxs in the U.S., and failures of policing and police brutality in immigrants’ home countries, we expected that immigrants who reported increased trauma exposure and symptoms would have more negative perceptions of police. Method: This study utilized data from 107 recently immigrated Latinx youth to examine how trauma exposure (Child Trauma Screen) and symptoms (Child PTSD Symptoms Scale) related to perceptions of police (Criminal Sentiments …

Sexual Complexity: A Comparison Between Men And Women In A Sexual Minority Sample Of Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, William S. Bradshaw, John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher

Psychology Faculty Publications

We report here some of the results from an online survey of 1612 LGBTQ members and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS, Mormon). The data permitted an exploration of diversity—individual similarities and differences within and between the sexes. Men and women were compared with respect to sexual identity self-labeling and behavior (i.e., identity development, disclosure, activity), orientation change efforts, marital relationships, and psychosocial health—these variables in the context of their religious lives. More women than men self-identified in the bisexual range of the sexual attraction continuum. Both men and women had engaged in extensive …

Intermediate Help With Using Digital Devices And Online Accounts: Understanding The Needs, Expectations, And Vulnerabilities Of Young Adults, Hanieh Atashpanjeh, Arezou Behfar, Cassity Haverkamp, Maryellen Mcclain Verdoes, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the revolution in digital technologies, users face challenges to learn, understand, and use modern devices and online services. Thus, they seek intermediate help, i.e., assistance from others to avail the benefits of technological advancement. The prior studies showed that people with special needs, including the users with visual impairments, and older adults ask for help from their caregivers as they encounter problems with technology use. However, there is a gap in existing literature to systematically investigate the expectations, and challenges of users in availing help from others with using digital devices (e.g., computers, mobile phones) and online accounts. We …

An Inventory And Assessment Of Sample Sources For Survey Research With Agricultural Producers In The U.S., Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Shuang Li, J. G. Arbuckle, Edem Avemegah, Kathryn J. Brasier, Morey Burnham, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Weston M. Eaton, Wei Gu, Tonya Haigh, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Alexander L. Metcalf, Amit Pradhananga, Linda S. Prokopy, Matthew Sanderson, Emma Wade, Adam Wilke

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Researchers need probability samples to collect representative survey data about the behaviors and attitudes of agricultural producers they study in relation to the natural resources that they manage, yet obtaining accurate and complete sampling frames is challenging. We extract data from a publication database to identify the most commonly used sampling frame sources in survey research of agricultural producers in the U.S., finding that government program participant lists are used most often, while private vendor samples are increasingly being purchased. Based on our research experience, we find that for many projects, private vendors can provide the most rigorous samples. Given …

The Utah Statesman, June 6, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Co-Designing Ai-Based Orchestration Tools To Support Dynamic Transitions: Design Narratives Through Conjecture Mapping, Luettamae Lawrence, Boyuan Guo, Kexin Yang, Vanessa Echeverria, Zimmy Kang, Vikrant Bathala, Christina Li

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Dynamically transitioning between individual and collaborative learning has been hypothesized to have positive effects, such as providing the optimal learning mode based on students’ needs. There are, however, challenges in orchestrating these transitions in real-time while managing a classroom of students. AI-based orchestration tools have the potential to alleviate some of the orchestration load for teachers. In this study, we describe a sequence of three design sessions with teachers where we refine prototypes of an orchestration tool to support dynamic transitions. We leverage design narratives and conjecture mapping for the design of our novel orchestration tool. Our contributions include the …

Pandemics & People: Designing A Virtual Epidemic Event For Immersive, Connected, And Playful Participation In An Infectious Disease Outbreak, Deborah Fields, Amanda Strawhacker, Michael Giang, Yasmin Kafai, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Tyler Hansen, Jen Sun, Mark Dinan

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Researchers and educators have identified an urgent need for more rigorous teaching and learning about epidemiology topics and practices, such as engaging in behaviors that prevent the spread of viral disease such as COVID-19. Responding to this need, we designed a virtual epidemic as a special event hosted in a virtual world. In this paper we share the strategic, tactical, and detailed design of the SPIKEY-20 virtual epidemic and data that reflects back on the design in terms of player participation. Reflecting on the design, we ask: What kinds of players participated in the SPIKEY-20 virtual epidemic? How did players …

Impact Of Difficult Dialogues On Social Justice Attitudes During A Multicultural Psychology Course, Elizabeth Tish Hicks, María De La Caridad Alvarez, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background Previous research shows that Multicultural Psychology courses can produce significant improvements in students’ cultural competence-related atttitudes in in-person and online courses. Objective We evaluated the impact of adding a skills-focused group assignment (i.e., Difficult Dialogues) to an online asynchronous Multicultural Psychology course. Method Undergraduate students filled out a battery of self-report measures at the beginning and end of the course. Of the 192 total students, 107 were in course sections which completed a Difficult Dialogue (DD) group project, and 85 were in the teaching as usual (TAU) section. Results Students in DD groups had significantly greater pre-to post-increases on …

Mapping The Complexities And Benefits Of Research-Design Partnerships, Emma Mercier, Luettamae Lawrence, June Ahn, Christopher Wegemer, Maya Benichou, Yael Kali, Yotam Hod, Marcela Borge, Kimberley Gomez, Ung-Sang Lee, Susan Mckenney, Cindy Poortman, Paula Arce-Trigatti, Britte Haugan Cheng

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Increasingly our field is recognizing the necessity of close, collaborative relationships with educators, policy makers, students and other potential stakeholders if our design and research work is to have a lasting and more equitable impact on education. However, this work is not easy or quick, and we lack both detailed examples of how it is done and training for new (and current) scholars in how to do it. This symposium brings together a group of scholars who actively engage in RPPs and DBIR in order to highlight the lessons that have been learned and extend our discourse into the realities …

The Antidepressant And Anxiolytic Effects Of Cannabinoids In Chronic Unpredictable Stress: A Preclinical Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Noa Reuveni, Cole A. Carlson, Sarah Schwartz, Diana Meter, Tyson S. Barrett, Sara M. Freeman

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Neuroscience research presents contradictory evidence in support of both the protective and destructive effects of cannabinoids in depression. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing preclinical literature on the effects of cannabinoid administration in the chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in order to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids and identify gaps in the literature. After protocol registration (PROSPERO #CRD42020219986), we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, APA PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global from the earliest record of the databases, February 1964, to November 2020 for articles that met inclusion …

"He Just Wanted Me To Do What Was Best For Me": Latter-Day Saint Clergy's Counsel To Sexual And Gender Minorities And Its Impact, G. Tyler Lefevor, Adlyn M. Perez-Figueroa, Samuel J. Skidmore, Kirsten A. Gonzalez

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to understand counsel given to sexual and gender minority individuals by clergy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS), the impact of that counsel, and individuals’ perceptions of meetings with clergy. Twenty-five current and former members of the CJCLDS who identify as sexual and gender minorities (SGM) participated in 30–60 min semi-structured interviews focused on their interactions with clergy in the CJCLDS. Participants reported receiving various forms of counsel, including encouragement to adhere to church doctrine, counsel focused on self-acceptance, messages that clergy would support congregants’ agency and self-determination, counsel focused …

Improving How We Lead And Manage In Business Marketing During And After A Market Crisis: The Importance Of Perceived Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness And Fairness, Jared M. Hansen, Joseph W. Hansen, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Purpose The purpose of this research is to outline and investigate a set of five experience elements from neuroscience research labeled SCARF that could impact the quality of perception, evaluation and engagement of executives, managers and employees in business-to-business (B2B) companies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed experience elements are perceived status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness. The authors demonstrate that all five elements are influential factors in B2B employees’ workplace environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors outline several specific managerial implications and describe how companies can make better decisions related to several important market crisis decisions …

Random Regression For Modeling Semen Fertility In Hf Purebred And Crossbred Bulls Using A Bayesian Framework, Vrinda Ambike, R. Venkataramanan, S. M. K. Karthickeyan, K. G. Tirumurugaan, Kaustubh Bhave, M. Swaminathan

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Data on insemination records of Holstein Friesian (HF) purebred (n=45,497) and crossbred (n=58,497) collected from the BAIF Research Foundation were utilized. The conception rate was modeled as a binary trait, using linear repeatability models. Random regression models (RRM) were used to obtain the trajectory of variance components across age of the bulls. Legendre Polynomials up to order of fit of 4 were used for the random effects of additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. 200,000 Gibbs samples were generated with a burn-in of 20,000 and thinning interval of 50 using the THRGIBBS1F90 program. Heritability estimates were very low (0.1) in …

Transforming Curriculum: A Process For Implementing Problem-Based Learning In A College-Level Course, Morgan Robertson, Marla K. Robertson

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Transforming curriculum by implementing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in the college-level classroom helps students internalize the concepts of a course, improve their critical and reflective thinking skills, learn to problem-solve using questioning, and ultimately construct a better understanding of course concepts in a personally relevant way. This article introduces a process for implementing PBL in a college-level course. Each of the four main ideas in PBL, motivation, collaboration, reflection, and facilitation, are addressed with a particular focus on the role of the educator in designing and implementing PBL in the classroom. An …

Checking In: Learner Perceptions Of The Value Of Language Study In College, Julian Ledford, Tijá Odoms

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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An understanding of the products that Generation Z students value the most from their college-level language study is essential for instructors who must effectively unpack second language theories within the context of their classroom instruction. This preliminary study examines the value system regarding language study as revealed in the language-learning perceptions of a group of current language learners (n = 53) and recent college graduates (n = 49) at a small, private, liberal arts college in the southeast. Through qualitative analysis of student responses, the following emerged as language-learning …

Draw A Picture Of Yourself Learning Math: What Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Portraits Illustrate About Their Complex Relationships With Mathematics, Samantha Sommers, Michelle Unigarro, Danielle Vantassel, Claudia M. Bertolone-Smith, Alison Puliatte

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may influence pre-service teachers’ relationships with mathematics. Elementary pre-service teachers who were enrolled in a mathematics methods course (n = 52) wrote a letter to math and drew a picture of themselves learning math. The self-portraits were analyzed by a team of undergraduate student researchers and teacher educators to identify themes related to the types of emotions, experiences, and situations displayed. The results of the self-portrait analysis indicated a higher percentage of negative emotions as compared to positive and neutral …

Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Themselves As Learners Of Mathematics And Science, Diana L. Moss, Rachel Wilson, Danielle Divis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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This study investigated how prospective elementary teachers view themselves as learners of mathematics and science during their last year in a teacher preparation program at an American university. Using drawing and reflections as the method for collecting data, prospective teachers were prompted to draw themselves and reflect on learning mathematics and draw themselves and reflect on learning science prior to and after their mathematics and science methods courses. Drawings (n = 147) were coded according to the presence or absence of several themes including physical objects, teachers, students, and environment. …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 6, Issue 1, Spring 2022

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length 2022 Special Issue (Volume 5, Issue 3) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Spring 2022 issue begins with research that explores the perceptions of pre-service teachers relative to learning mathematics and science, with suggestions for how findings can impact curriculum and further research. The focus on pre-service teachers continues with research into their sense of self-efficacy with instructional technologies and whether specific techniques increase comfort level with technologies. Next, researchers explore the products that Generation Z students value most in their learning of a second language, …