Digital Commons Network^™

Chapter 8- Creating Adaptable Courses: A Course Design Approach That Accommodates Flexible Delivery, Kosta Popovic, Eric M. Reyes, Jennifer B. O'Connor, Kay C. Dee, Ella Ingram

Resilient Pedagogy

In early 2020, educators and students around the world endured lapses in quality of educational experiences due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. In return for these lapses, students continued their programs of study within previously established timelines, and educators balanced helping students achieve learning objectives while keeping a manageable workload. Moving forward, students will expect educators and their institutions to deliver high-quality education when disruptions occur, like natural disasters, facilities emergencies, or supply chain disturbances. This expectation will extend to all modes of delivery. We assert that training educators to build adaptable courses that provide them and their students …

Chapter 6- Resilient And Flexible Teaching (Raft): Integrating A Whole-Person Experience Into Online Teaching, Christina Fabrey, Heather Keith

Resilient Pedagogy

When venturing into wild or unknown territory such as a swiftly moving and ever-changing mountain river, a raft may be a necessary tool for basic survival. But what if during the careful navigation of rapid currents around rocks and other obstacles, you discover that your buoyant and flexible tool helps you to float through the fast and turbulent waters in a way that is meaningful, awe-inspiring, and exciting? As COVID-19 first hit our campuses, many of us switched to emergency remote education as a survival raft, just trying to stay afloat long enough to get to the other side of …

Chapter 11- Team-Based Learning Brings Academic Rigor, Collaboration, And Community To Online Learning, Elizabeth Winter, Michele C. Clark, Christopher Burns

Resilient Pedagogy

In early 2020, instructors were faced with a critical and immediate need to move education online in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to discontinue face-to-face classes as a protection from the COVID-19 virus presented several questions and challenges, including the need to quickly develop online classes without adequate time to consider the effectiveness of different strategies. While online learning provides accessible and safe educational opportunities for students sheltering in place as a protection against the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty may question if online education provides the academic rigor, needed competencies, and student learning outcomes they hoped for in …

Chapter 9- A New Normal In Inclusive, Usable Online Learning Experiences, Christopher Phillips, Jared S. Colton

Resilient Pedagogy

The most obvious consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education has been more students accessing their classes remotely without having the technology and other resources readily available on their local campuses. Students from underrepresented groups have been disproportionately affected as a result of COVID-19, particularly students of color (Alvarez, 2020) and students with disabilities (Hill, 2020; National Center, 2020). This neglect of underrepresented groups in higher education is not unique to the pandemic, of course, and sadly is nothing new to higher education, but COVID-19 has made this problem more apparent.

Chapter 14- Designing Curriculum Collaboratively: A Practice For Learning Alongside Undergraduate Teaching Assistants During Uncertain Times, Jessica Rivera-Mueller, Kresten Erickson

Resilient Pedagogy

The transition to remote learning during the Spring 2020 semester was abrupt for faculty and students, and it did not allow much time for reflection or purposeful planning, especially as individuals were faced with managing multiple aspects of their lives. Educators had to consider quickly what learning experiences and teaching practices could be preserved or revised, as well as what learning activities could or should be removed. These choices were not easy to make. During this challenging moment, however, we discovered how collaborative partnerships between faculty and undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) can contribute to the development of a flexible and …

Chapter 10- Building Online Toolkits To Support The Development Of Academic Skills And Digital Literacies, Jenae Cohn

Resilient Pedagogy

Personal, environmental, and academic factors contribute to student persistence and retention in college environments in varying and, importantly, intersecting ways. As educators determine what supporting student success in a post-COVID-19 world looks like, it is important to consider how these factors become all the more complicated by the new challenges raised with ubiquitous remote or hybridized learning. The global shift to online learning has opened tremendous gaps in experiences that students might have in learning, working, living, and socializing online. Some students may lack access to laptop computers for learning, while others may not have sufficient broadband access to connect …

Chapter 13- Asynchronous Discussions For First-Year Writers And Beyond: Thinking Outside The Ppr (Prompt, Post, Reply) Box, Miriam Moore

Resilient Pedagogy

Asynchronous discussions can challenge even experienced online learners and teachers: forums can become perfunctory hoops for students to jump through, particularly in the common PPR (prompt, post, reply) format, in which students answer a prompt and then reply to one or more other students. As a peer reviewer for online courses, I have seen rich and insightful discussions that engage students and promote learning, as well as forums that scarcely resemble discussions at all. Research on cultivating dialogue in online discussions has targeted primarily upper-division or graduate courses (see Andreson, 2009; Delahunty, 2018; Delahunty et al., 2014; Garrison et al., …

A Practical Guide To Selecting Models For Exploration, Inference, And Prediction In Ecology, Andrew T. Trednnick, Giles Hooker, Stephen P. Ellner, Peter B. Adler

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Selecting among competing statistical models is a core challenge in science. However, the many possible approaches and techniques for model selection, and the conflicting recommendations for their use, can be confusing. We contend that much confusion surrounding statistical model selection results from failing to first clearly specify the purpose of the analysis. We argue that there are three distinct goals for statistical modeling in ecology: data exploration, inference, and prediction. Once the modeling goal is clearly articulated, an appropriate model selection procedure is easier to identify. We review model selection approaches and highlight their strengths and weaknesses relative to each …

Drivers Of Fatal Bird Collisions In An Urban Center, Benjamin M. Van Doren, David E. Willard, Mary Hennen, Kyle G. Horton, Erica F. Stuber, Daniel Sheldon, Ashwin H. Sivakumar, Julia Wang, Andrew Farnsworth, Benjamin M. Winger

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Millions of nocturnally migrating birds die each year from collisions with built structures, especially brightly illuminated buildings and communication towers. Reducing this source of mortality requires knowledge of important behavioral, meteorological, and anthropogenic factors, yet we lack an understanding of the interacting roles of migration, artificial lighting, and weather conditions in causing fatal bird collisions. Using two decades of collision surveys and concurrent weather and migration measures, we model numbers of collisions occurring at a large urban building in Chicago. We find that the magnitude of nocturnal bird migration, building light output, and wind conditions are the most important predictors …

Proceedings Of The 8th International Junior Researcher And Engineer Workshop On Hydraulic Structures, International Association For Hydro-Environmental Engineering And Research

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

Full proceedings for the 8th International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Utah Women And Work: Childcare And Homeschooling, Chris Hartwell, Jared Hansen, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021 has impacted workers across the globe. Women have been disproportionately impacted during this time. At one point during the pandemic, a publication from the National Women’s Law Center reported that women dropped out of the workforce at a rate four times that of men. Utah has seen similar negative impacts on working women. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah reported that from 2019 to 2020, jobs held by women declined at a rate more than double that of men, and unemployment rose more for females than males. One major reason …

Effects Of Feeding A Novel Alfalfa Leaf Pellet Product (Proleaf Max) And Alfalfa Stems (Profiber Plus) On Performance In The Feedlot And Carcass Quality Of Beef Steers, Laura A. Motsinger, Allen Young, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Tevan J. Brady, Reganne K. Briggs, Brett R. Bowman, Chris Pratt, Kara J. Thornton

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Alfalfa is often included in the diets of beef animals; however, the nutrient content of alfalfa is variable depending on the region in which it is grown, climate, soil, and many other factors. The leaf portion of alfalfa has a less variable nutrient composition than the stem portion of the plant. The variability that is present in the alfalfa plant can make the development of total mixed rations of consistent nutrient content difficult. As such, the purpose of this study was to determine how the inclusion of fractionated alfalfa leaves and alfalfa stems impacts performance and carcass quality of finishing …

Professional Development Of Efl Teachers In Tanzania: Ubinafsi Or Ujamaa?, Ann E. Roemer

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

This small descriptive study examined the professional development activities of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers at a university in Tanzania, in particular their awareness of professional organizations such as the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language and TESOL International Association. Basing her inquiry on English language teaching as a community of practice, the researcher used a questionnaire, interviews, and personal observations. University lecturers were asked about their personal professional development practices, which represented the value of individualism (ubinafsi in Swahili), as well as their interest in becoming involved in professional organizations for EFL teachers, …

Examining The Influence Of Instructor Interventions On Group Collaboration, Luettamae Lawrence, Taylor Tucker, Emma Mercier

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Collaborative problem solving is often used in STEM higher education courses to support conceptual knowledge and teamwork. However, course teaching assistants (TAs) often lack the collaborative pedagogical knowledge necessary to orchestrate this form of learning. In this paper, we examine TAs’ orchestration strategies and technology used to understand how these factors influence groups’ collaboration. Contributions from this paper describe the interplay among technology, strategies, and groups’ collaboration toward understanding how to support collaboration in these courses.

Rapid Muscle Activation Changes Across A Competitive Collegiate Female Soccer Season, Kazuma Akehi, Eric C. Conchola, Ty B. Palmer, Brennan J. Thompson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a competitive soccer season on rapid activation properties of the knee extensors and flexors in Division II female soccer players. Methods: Eighteen collegiate female soccer players participated in the present study, however, due to injuries during the season a final sample of 16 players were included for study analysis. Participants performed two maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) of the knee extensors and flexors before, during, and at the end of a competitive college soccer season. Electromyography root mean square (EMG RMS; μV), rate of EMG rise (RER; %Peak …

Towards Bringing Human-Centered Design To K-12 And Post-Secondary Education, Saadeddine Shehab, Mike Tissenbaum, Luettamae Lawrence, Daniel Rees Lewis, Matthew Easterday, Spencer Carlson, Adam Royalty, Helen Chen, Sheppard Sheri, Shelley Goldman, Annie Camey Kuo, Kimiko Lange, Melissa Mesinas, Rose K. Pozos, Dhvani Toprani, Mona Alqahtani, Yu Xia, Marcela Borge, Keith Sawyer

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a growing field that has the potential to positively impact students’ learning. A general consensus on the terms, practices, scaffolds, and assessments of HCD can foster its effective implementation in K-12 and post-secondary education. This session brings together researchers whose work is focused on implementing HCD across K-16 classrooms. It aims to develop a coherent definition of HCD, its methods, practices, and assessments, to help frame the field and reduce ambiguity at a critical time in its broader adoption.

Special Topic: Island Invaders, S. Nicole Frey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the call for papers for the special issue on island invaders.

The Downfall Of Transmar Cocoa, Ryan Fuez, Joseph Montoya

Applied Economics Student Research

As a large cocoa bean trader, Transmar group ltd. bought millions of dollars’ worth of beans relying on financing from a syndicate of banks. To monitor amounts of eligible collateral, the banks required Transmar prepare periodic borrowing base (BB) reports. At some point, Transmar developed a discrepancy in collateral recorded on the BB report versus the amount of funds borrowed. The case discusses how this discrepancy grew larger as many questionable and fraudulent entries were included on subsequent BB reports. The case is written from the perspective of Peter B. Johnson, head of Transmar’s European affiliate and son of CEO …

Water Quality Degradation In The Lower Mekong Basin, Ratha Sor, Peng Bun Ngor, Savoeurn Soum, Sudeep Chandra, Zeb S. Hogan, Sarah E. Null

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

The Mekong River is one of the world’s largest rivers, unparalleled in terms of its biodiversity and ecosystem services. As in other regions, sufficient water quality is required to support diverse organisms, habitats, and ecosystems, but in the Mekong region, water quality has not been well studied. Based on biological and physical-chemical data collected over the last two decades, we evaluated spatial-temporal water quality of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) using biotic and abiotic assessment metrics. We found that during the 2000s, water quality in the LMB was unpolluted, with “very good” metrics for tributary rivers and “good” status for …

Recreation Effects On Wildlife: A Review Of Potential Quantitative Thresholds, Jeremy S. Dertien, Courtney L. Larson, Sarah E. Reed

All Publications

Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognised for its deleterious effects on wildlife individuals and populations. However, planners and natural resource managers lack robust scientific recommendations for the design of recreation infrastructure and management of recreation activities. We reviewed 38 years of research on the effect of non-consumptive recreation on wildlife to attempt to identify effect thresholds or the point at which recreation begins to exhibit behavioural or physiological change to wildlife. We found that 53 of 330 articles identified a quantitative threshold. The majority of threshold articles focused on bird or mammal species and measured the distance to people or to …

Opportunities For Robotic Systems And Automation In Cotton Production, Edward Barnes, Gaylon Morgan, Kater Hake, Jon Devine, Ryan Kurtz, Gregory Ibendahl, Ajay Sharda, Glen Rains, John Snider, Joe Mari Maja, J. Alex Thomasson, Yuzhen Lu, Hussein Gharakhani, James Griffin, Emi Kimura, Robert Hardin, Tyson Raper, Sierra N. Young, Kadeghe Fue, Mathew Pelletier, Greg Wanjura, Holt

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Automation continues to play a greater role in agricultural production with commercial systems now available for machine vision identification of weeds and other pests, autonomous weed control, and robotic harvesters for fruits and vegetables. The growing availability of autonomous machines in agriculture indicates that there are opportunities to increase automation in cotton production. This article considers how current and future advances in automation has, could, or will impact cotton production practices. The results are organized to follow the cotton production process from land preparation to planting to within season management through harvesting and ginning. For each step, current and potential …

Reu Site: Stem For Plant Health, David W. Britt

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Case Studies In The Classroom: Assessing A Pilot Information Literacy Curriculum For English Composition, Rachel Wishkoski, Katie Strand, Alex J. Sundt, Deanna Allred, Diana J. Meter

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Purpose

This mixed-methods study assesses a pilot library curriculum in a general education English composition course. Case-based learning (CBL), a form of problem-based learning (PBL), was used to scaffold information literacy skills and concepts across sessions. This article explores the approach's impact on student learning and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were enrolled in four sections of an undergraduate composition course. Two sections were taught with the CBL library curriculum, and two with the standard library curriculum as a control. Pretest/posttest surveys included quantitative and qualitative measures to assess students in several areas of information literacy. Weekly reflections from a subsample of …

Range-Wide Declines Of Northern Spotted Owl Populations In The Pacific Northwest: A Meta-Analysis, Alan B. Franklin, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin Bown, Mary M. Conner, Et Al.

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) inhabits older coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest and has been at the center of forest management issues in this region. The immediate threats to this federally listed species include habitat loss and competition with barred owls (Strix varia), which invaded from eastern North America. We conducted a prospective meta-analysis to assess population trends and factors affecting those trends in northern spotted owls using 26 years of survey and capture-recapture data from 11 study areas across the owls' geographic range to analyze demographic traits, rates of population change, and …

Digital Appendix Of Masters Thesis "Constraining Deformation Mechanisms Of Damage Zones: A Case Study Of The Shallow San Andreas Fault At Elizabeth Lake, Southern California, James P. Evans, Caroline Studnicky

Browse all Datasets

We performed macroscopic, optical petrographic, scanning electron microscopy, and geochemical analyses on rock core acquired across the San Andreas Fault at Elizabeth Lake, California, in order to understand the distribution and accommodation of fault-related slip and energy within the shallow damage zone of this continental scale strike-slip fault. We characterized the deformation structures, alteration textures, and elemental variabilities to constrain the properties of the uppermost ~2 km fault-related damage zone at this site. We identified evidence for coseismic slip in the form of pulverized rocks, injection veins, clay-clast aggregates, and pseudotachylyte, and aseismic slip through calcite twins, dilatant vein fills, …

Marc-Y Marc And The Coding Bunch, Anna-Maria Arnljots, Paul Daybell, Kurt Meyer, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

MARC records were identified, isolated from the other search results, then analyzed and individually coded. Coding identified where search terms appeared in a record, determined whether search terms were present in full or in part within those fields, and ascertained what prominent categories of fields were missing from records. Analysis of results ultimately showed that including notes and summaries into catalog records is important for content retrieval, while subject headings were not as impactful for access, but may be valuable to a subset of users who take the additional step of viewing the complete records.

But Were We Successful? Using Online Asynchronous Focus Groups To Evaluate Library Services, Rebekah Cummings, Lindsay E. Ozburn, Andrea Payant, Michael Shelton, Ryan Bushman

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

USU launched a program in 2016 to connect researchers seeking federal funding with librarians to assist them with data management. This program assisted over 100 researchers, but was it successful? Our presentation will discuss how we evaluated the success of this program using online asynchronous focus groups (OAFG) in conjunction with a traditional survey. Our cross-institutional research team will share our findings as well as the challenges and successes of using OAFGs to assess library services.

Homeward Bound: How To Move An Entire Cataloging Unit To Remote Work, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Utah State University Libraries Cataloging and Metadata Services (CMS) unit, including student workers, transitioned to remote cataloging in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation will outline the process undertaken by supervisors to evaluate and modify services and workflows to continue cataloging service during the time when the library was shut down.

‘Theses’ Going To Be Good!: A How To Guide On Dealing With Large Complex Cataloging Projects, Paul Daybell, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott, Melanie Shaw, Seth Westernburg

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Utah State University Libraries undertook a complete barcoding and cataloging of their Theses and Dissertations. Due to irregular cataloging policies, only 1/3 of the collection had been cataloged. Using a workflow-driven approach, the cataloging team of student technicians and catalogers used a combination of automations, batch processing, and a relational database to pull existing record information and build new, improved records. Presenters will discuss the process developed, the tools that were used, and the outcomes of the project.

Movement At The Piano: Enhancing Engagement During Piano Lessons Through Movement And Storytelling, Erika Andrus

Music Student Research

Too often piano lessons consist of students sitting still at the piano. This leads to students either zoning out or getting wiggly and disruptive. This is a book of Dalcroze-inspired activities to help elementary age students internalize musical concepts, express themselves better musically, and be more engaged during piano lessons. In this resource, each unit will have a game, a listening activity, a story to act out, exercises to bring the concept to the piano, and a final piece to tie it all together.