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Full-Text Articles in Education

Sustainability Science Graduate Students As Boundary Spanners, Soencer Meyer, Vanessa Levesque, Karen H. Bieluch, Michelle Johnson, Bridie Mcgreavy, Stacia J. Dreyer, Hollie Smith Jun 2016

Sustainability Science Graduate Students As Boundary Spanners, Soencer Meyer, Vanessa Levesque, Karen H. Bieluch, Michelle Johnson, Bridie Mcgreavy, Stacia J. Dreyer, Hollie Smith

Publications

Graduate training in sustainability science (SS) focuses on interdisciplinary research, stakeholder-researcher partnerships, and creating solutions from knowledge. But becoming a sustainability scientist also requires specialized training that addresses the complex boundaries implicit in sustainability science approaches to solving social-ecological system challenges. Using boundary spanning as a framework, we use a case study of the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at the University of Maine to explicate key elements for graduate education training in SS. We used a mixed-methods approach, including a quantitative survey and autoethnographic reflection, to analyze our experiences as SSI doctoral students. Through this research, we identified four essential …


Experimental Platforms For Behavioral Experiments On Social-Ecological Systems, Marco Janssen, Allen Lee, Timothy M. Waring Jan 2014

Experimental Platforms For Behavioral Experiments On Social-Ecological Systems, Marco Janssen, Allen Lee, Timothy M. Waring

Publications

Recently, there has been an increased interest in using behavioral experiments to study hypotheses on the governance of social-ecological systems. A diversity of software tools are used to implement such experiments. We evaluated various publicly available platforms that could be used in research and education on the governance of social-ecological systems. The aims of the various platforms are distinct, and this is noticeable in the differences in their user-friendliness and their adaptability to novel research questions. The more easily accessible platforms are useful for prototyping experiments and for educational purposes to illustrate theoretical concepts. To advance novel research aims, more …


Socialization To Interdisciplinary: Faculty And Student Perspectives, Susan K. Gardner, Jessica Spelke Jansujwicz, Karen Hutchins, Brittany Cline, Vanessa Levesque Jan 2012

Socialization To Interdisciplinary: Faculty And Student Perspectives, Susan K. Gardner, Jessica Spelke Jansujwicz, Karen Hutchins, Brittany Cline, Vanessa Levesque

Publications

Interdisciplinary research and education are a growing emphasis in United States institutions of higher education but relatively little is known about the doctoral students engaged in these atypical programs. The purpose of this study was to understand the socialization process of 18 students involved in a large-scale, federally funded, interdisciplinary research project focused on sustainability at one university. Using Weidman, Twale, and Stein’s framework of graduate student socialization, themes emerged related to (a) their distinctive characteristics and cultures, (b) the learning process, (c) balance, (d) uncertainty, and (d) support. Recommendations for policy and practice are included.