University Extension Commons^™

Time To Talk: Facilitating Health Care Cost Conversations Between Patients And Providers, Christopher Sneed, Karen L. Franck, Lisa Washburn, Ann A. Berry

Journal of Extension

Defined as discussions between patient and health care provider regarding costs patients face when obtaining care, cost of care conversations can help mediate financial challenges while improving health care decision-making. Few educational tools are available to help patients engage in cost conversations. This article chronicles the development of an Extension program, Time to Talk. Time to Talk provides community friendly tools that empower older adults and their providers to have cost of care conversations. Results demonstrate the program was successful. A summary of lessons learned are offered to assist others in their consideration and adoption of cost of care programming.

Understanding The Dynamics Of Formal Mentoring In Professional Identity Development Of Early Career Extension Professionals: A Phenomenological Approach, Anuradha Choudhary

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Formal mentoring plays a crucial role in shaping the professional identity of early-career extension professionals; however, limited research has explored how these dynamics affect professional identity development within formal mentorship structures. This study uses a transcendental phenomenological approach to understand how mentees and mentors perceive the impact of formal mentoring on professional identity development within the Nebraska Extension system. Using criteria-based random sampling and snowball sampling, the study engaged 10 mentees and 10 mentors, employing semi-structured interviews, focus groups utilizing ripple effect mapping, and document analysis of mentoring agreements, program guidelines, and mentoring checklists. Following Moustakas' (1994) transcendental phenomenology framework, …

Investigating The Impact Of Instructor Presence In Lecture Videos On Learning Experiences: A Comparative Study, Keone K. Fuqua

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

As online learning continues to grow, understanding how instructional design features influence student experience becomes increasingly important. One critical feature in video-based instruction in instructor presence - the degree to which the instructor is visually or vocally present in the lesson. The purpose of this study was to investigate how varying levels of instructor presence in asynchronous lector videos affect students' perceived relatedness, satisfaction, engagement, content retention, and cognitive effort.

A mixed methods experimental design was employed, with 93 undergraduate and graduate students from a public university randomly assigned to one of three video lesson conditions: Full Presence (instructor visible …

I Want To Make You Cry: An Emotional And Philosophical Inquiry In 'Parrallel Lines' Through Montage, Affect And Empathy., Frehley Silvester

Postgraduate

This project consists of two components, a creative artefact, and written exegesis. The creative artefact is a short film script called 'Parallel Lines' which explores a conversation between a mother and her daughter after the death of the mother.

In my creative practice, cinema is the most impactful medium of generating meaning. I would go as far to state that cinema is a necessary medium in order to explore human emotions. Representation is known to impact audiences and it is for this reason that I have chosen cinema to be the mechanism to examine in depth within the work.

Using …

Artificial Intelligence And Transformative Curricula Practices In Africa For Educational Development, Ibiwumi Abiodun Alade, P Mthetwa

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Industrial revolutions in the world have orchestrated numerous innovations, and the impact on educational landscape in different countries do not leave the society to remain static. However, with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the fourth era of industrial revolution, the structural shift and the effect it might significantly cause in transformative educational and curricula practices deserve attention. This paper therefore, explored “artificial intelligence and transformative curricula practices in Africa for educational development” In the paper, a review of the transformative era of the Four Industrial Revolutions (4IR) within which artificial intelligence emerges has been explored, Also, an …

Mentoring Under The Light Of Ignatian Spirituality, Llorenç Puig Puig Sj, Rosa Nomen, Luis A. Martínez

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

This article proposes Ignatian Mentoring as a framework for enriching academic mentoring with insights from Ignatian spirituality. While mentoring traditionally supports professional and personal development, especially for early-career faculty, the Jesuit tradition offers a deeper, holistic perspective inspired by spiritual accompaniment practices such as those found in the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and the Spiritual Exercises. The framework is based on the mentoring program launched in 2021 by the International Association of Jesuit Engineering and Sciences Schools (IAJES), which connects faculty across a global network of more than 60 Schools. Based on two years of practical experience involving …

Capability Building And Quality Management In Higher Education: An Empirical Investigation, Kanwal Nasim, Xiaowen Tian

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper proposes a resource-capability-based framework of quality management in Higher Education (HE) and empirically tests it against the experience of HE institutes in Pakistan. The paper posits that HE institutions face intensifying global education competition in a world of accelerated globalization, fast pace of technology development, and rapidly growing knowledge. To enhance quality and performance, they need to build higher-order dynamic capabilities of knowledge creation and transfer (KCT) undergirded by orchestrating three sets of resources they own or control: Staff, students, and facilities. The paper hypothesizes how HE institutions can orchestrate the resources to build up dynamic KCT capabilities …

Global Voices Of Research Fellows: Evaluating Learning Gains From International Research Presentations, Jennifer Butcher, Berenice Casas, Sandra Cleveland, Stacie Shelby

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

The underlying assumption of all study abroad programs is that they provide extraordinary benefits to students who participate in them with benefits that far exceed a course of study that is strictly domestically based. The concept of learning gains, briefly summarized as the improvement in knowledge, skills, work-readiness and personal development made by students during their time spent in higher education, has been hailed by some as an opportunity to measure “excellence” in teaching. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the learning gains acquired by research fellows through the process of developing and presenting projects internationally. The following …

Faculty Roles And Responsibilities Supporting Extension Health Initiatives: Suggestions To Maximize Campus-Field Partnerships, Christine A. Fruhauf, Maria Delgado, Sue Schneider

Journal of Extension

The past several decades of Extension scholarship have addressed topics related to creating pathways for stronger campus-field based connections. Several attempts have been made to support such efforts, including creating content-driven teams of research/teaching faculty and Extension professionals; state-wide tours where campus-based faculty and administrators visit with Extension staff in their county offices and in the field; and making new campus-based faculty and staff hires with a percentage of Extension appointments. Although these strategies have merit, addressing how these initiatives can support the goal of strengthening the work of campus- and field-based faculty to influence the mission of land-grant institutions …

Expanding Extension Involvement Through An Undergraduate Life Skills Course, Stacey F. Stearns, Aditi Rao

Journal of Extension

Extension traditionally involves undergraduate students through experiential learning and internships. We sought to develop a new model, and created an undergraduate life skills course for students in our college that featured Extension educators as guest lecturers in areas aligned with their specialty. Universities have a stable population of potential program participants, volunteers, and employees. It is imperative that we raise awareness about Extension while the students are enrolled in our institutions. Creating a for-credit undergraduate course that teaches life skills through Extension programs has tangible benefits for both the students and the Extension system.

Gardening Through The Pages: Making A State-Specific Catalog With Community Science Data, Stephen Stresow, Stephen Reiners, Ashley Miller Helmholdt

Journal of Extension

Taking a page from commercial seed catalogs, Cornell Garden-Based Learning created a state-specific catalog using top-rated vegetable varieties. Taste, yield, ease-to-grow, and overall ratings were collected over the past decade through community science garden programs. The catalog combines the reputable, research-backed information Extension information with the marketability of a seed catalog. This project streamlined information across multiple sites into a single document while presenting it in a novel way (for Extension). We note how we collected data, created it, feedback from gardeners, and offer suggestions for improvements.

Enhancing Extension Professionals’ Career Trajectory: Evaluating The Western Extension Leadership Development (Weld) Program, Andree Walker Bravo, Lendel K. Narine, Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Elizabeth Sparks, Wesley Alford

Journal of Extension

The Western Extension Leadership Development (WELD) program, implemented in 2001, is a longstanding professional development program targeting Western State Extension leaders, however, the impacts of the WELD program and experience on the participants had never been evaluated. A retrospective evaluation was completed in 2020 for the 243 participants in WELD between 2001 and 2018. The 2020 WELD evaluation suggests that WELD participants tended to agree that participation in WELD led to an increase in leadership abilities and partnerships. Future recommendations include aligning WELD program components to professional competencies identified.

Using A Process Evaluation In Extension Programming: Takeaways For Teams, Cristina Connolly, Jeantyl Norze, Stacey F. Stearns

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Health fields use process evaluations to measure how closely an intervention aligns with its intended delivery. Despite their potential for improving Cooperative Extension programming and impacts, process evaluations are not widely used outside the medical sciences. We adapted the process evaluation framework for Extension use. The components assess project components such as content, dose delivered, dose received, and reach, as well as moderating factors such as quality of delivery, participant responsiveness, complexity, facilitation strategy, recruitment, and context. The modified process evaluation framework was used to assess an Extension project in the Northeast region of the U.S. Extension teams in the …

Impact Of Parental Involvement On Elementary School Student Development In Pursuit Of Higher Education, Valeria Guapo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this senior capstone is to examine the relationship between parental involvement and elementary school students' academic trajectories, with a focus on their pursuit of higher education. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature and through the use of literature reviews, interviews, and surveys with college students, teachers, and parents, the results revealed that parental involvement is a big part of students' educational performance and mental well-being in many aspects. This research investigates how parental involvement in elementary education influences students' academic achievement, motivation, and aspirations for higher education. The findings highlight the significance of parental involvement in …

A Theoretical Model Of Participatory Team Science Training, Angela E. Jordan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

BACKGROUND: Teams have long been used to address major scientific and societal problems, and interdisciplinary teams are understood to be the best approach to complex systems-based problems like climate change. Engaged research collaborations incorporating community members as equal partners in research projects are recognized as both a means of advancing equity and justice in research, and also of improving the success of research translation by developing solutions with community use-value. The science of team science (TS) and community-engaged research (CEnR) have emerged as scholarly disciplines, with attempts to define competencies, skills, functioning, and success. A growing body of literature in …

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Newsletter, Issue #67 April 2025

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter: Newsletters

President's message, Deb VanOverbeke

Student awards: Outstanding Junior Lara Arnold, Outstanding Senior Emily Eilers, Graduate Award Caitlin Ross

Dues and membership information

Faculty awards: Research Award Samodha Fernando, Teaching Award Gary Sullivan, Extension Awards Jenny Nixon and Bijesh Maharjan, Award of Merit Mike Boehm

Gamma Sigma Delta committees 2025

Foundation fund information

New members inducted

In memoriam: Dorothy "Dotti" Mott Callahan (May 4, 1942-August 12, 2023); Frank Michael Zoz (November 5, 1936-December 9, 2023); Duane Calvin Acker (March 13, 1931-December 13, 2024); John C. Owens (1944-2024); Duane A. Olson (July 17, 1935-January 5, 2025); Roger W. Mandingo (April 21, 1939-January …

Agricultural Producers’ Perceptions Of A Regional Extension Agent System, Kimberly Kester-Post, John Rayfield, Dan B. Croom, Paula Burke, Zackary Williams, Brooklyne M. Wassel, Shanna Reynolds, Joshua G. Fuder, Robyn Stewart

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Cooperative Extension in the United States plays a pivotal role in disseminating research-based knowledge to the public. This study investigates the impact of a regional Extension agent system on agricultural producers’ perceived access to Extension resources in Georgia. This research combines quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Results reveal that Georgia agricultural producers strongly prefer locally stationed Extension agents for direct and personal communication. The study indicates that a regional agent system would limit perceived access to Extension resources, potentially leading producers to opt for private scouting services. Participants expressed concerns about restricted access under a regional system. The findings …

Findings From A National Assessment To Support Implementation Of Cooperative Extension’S 2021 National Framework For Health Equity And Well-Being, Diana Charbonneau, Kerry Gabbert, Latoya O'Neal, Dawn E. Burton, Maggie Jones, Kate Katzman, Roger Rennekamp

Journal of Extension

Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being provides a roadmap for improving the health of communities. Core concepts include installing health equity a systemwide value and catalyzing community-level changes that ensure all people have an opportunity to be as healthy as they can. This article presents findings from a national readiness assessment for implementing the Framework across Extension. Results from a literature scan, national survey, and regional listening sessions identified internal facilitators and barriers to adoption. The article provides ideas for how Extension practitioners can engage in this work and shares an action plan developed from assessment results.

Building Resilience To Public Safety Power Shutoffs Through Public Education, Vikram Koundinya, Cristina Chiarella, Susan Kocher, Faith Kearns, Sabrina Drill

Journal of Extension

Public Safety Power Shutoff events are being implemented in California to reduce wildfire impacts. We surveyed California residents to identify their information needs and understand the potential role of University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in power shutoff management. A majority of respondents need information on alternative power sources and community power systems. Most respondents indicated family, friends, and neighbors as the important group to manage power shutoff. UCCE was least used and preferred source for power shutoff information. Our findings reveal a need for Cooperative Extension to play an important role in power shutoff management and educating the public.

Support Needs For Registered Nurses To Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students In Kenyan Universities, Gladys Mbuthia, Gisela H. Van Rensburg, Sheila Shaibu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Higher percentages of the registered nurses (RN) workforce with a bachelor's degree have been associated with better patient outcomes. RN with a diploma in nursing who are upgrading their qualifications to a bachelor's degree in nursing enter universities in Kenya as mature and part-time students. Studies have shown that mature and part-time students in universities have a higher attrition than their full-time peers. They are less likely to access extra support and personal development opportunities available at university, have a history of campus isolation, and fewer opportunities to engage with campus peers. The purpose of the study was to explore …

Project-Based Flipped Classroom (Pjbfc) For Enhancing 4c Skills In Geography Learning, Ika Listiqowati, Budijanto Budijanto, Sumarmi Sumarmi, I Nyoman Ruja, Exsa Putra, Nor Asniza Ishak

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

This study aims to develop a Project-Based Flipped Classroom (PjBFC) learning model to enhance geography education students' 4C skills when submitting research projects related to geography and geography education. It also seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the PjBFC model in improving these skills during the submission of research proposals in the field. The development process follows the ADDIE framework, consisting of assessment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Two validators validated the PjBFC learning model, along with the learning materials and tools. The implementation phase, or field trial, involved observing the product in use, with 60 students from the Geography …

From Transactions To Transformation: Rethinking Business Management Education Through Service-Learning, Genejane M. Adarlo, Sabrina Kate Paner-Montiel, Ma Lourdes Oliveros, Eduardo Victor Valdez, Mark Anthony D. Abenir

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examined the effectiveness of service-learning as a pedagogical approach in a course offered to business management students. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the research compared student outcomes between an experimental group that incorporated service-learning and a control group that underwent traditional teaching methods. These student outcomes included knowledge application, personal and professional skills, civic orientation and engagement, and self-awareness. The results revealed that students participating in service-learning significantly gained self-reflection skills, self-efficacy, and a sense of social responsibility compared to their peers undergoing traditional teaching approaches. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in the other areas. These results …

From Heuristic Approach To Agile Mindset, Miloslava Cerna, Anna Borkovcová, Simon K.S. Cheung

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Agile learning applies agile principles to education and fits the creation of the learning content. This article discusses ways to incorporate agile learning in undergraduate programs. It investigates the adaptation of the didactic scenario that utilizes the principles of agile learning, based on a case study conducted in an undergraduate program on tourism management in a Czech university. Through the case study, a variety of ways in cognition is explored, from a heuristic approach to an agile mindset, and from a tried-and-true scheme to agile ways. Didactic scenarios of content creation scheme are designed, visualized, and compared. Promising results are …

Addressing Food Security In Cameroon, Stacy A. Adams, Ruth Abunaw Besong

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cameroon Africa has experience a period of nearly a decade of unrest as militants fight for independence for two Anglophone regions within a predominantly Francophone country. The English-speaking minority have felt aggrieved for continued erosion of rights by the central government. Protests have rapidly spread since 2016, causing closure of schools, businesses, and medical facilities. People have lost homes and been displaced, negatively affecting food production and crop availability. The United States Department of State leads an effort of diplomacy beyond emergency food relief through the Mandela Washington Fellowship that connects American professionals to innovative and impactful young African leaders. …

Fair Play? Gender Equity, Title Ix And Resource Allocation In College Athletics, Caleb Horsch

Honors Theses

Amid a period of rapid transformation in college athletics, gender equity and Title IX remain underemphasized in the discourse. This study investigates disparities in athletic expenditure by gender, finding that in 2022, Division I institutions spent approximately $1.30 on men’s teams for every $1.00 spent on women’s teams. While Title IX does not mandate equal spending, it does require that schools provide equitable experiences for male and female student-athletes. The persistence and magnitude of an expenditure gap call into question if schools are continuing to meet Title IX. This study identifies the characteristics of schools associated with less equal expenditure …

Transformation Of Accreditation Of Higher Education In Health In Indonesia: Qualitative Assessment, Yefta Moenadjat, Insan Sosiawan A. Tunru, Sutrisno Soemardjo

The New Ropanasuri Journal of Surgery

Accreditation of higher education in health in Indonesia shifts to the qualitative assessment driven to ensure quality improvement. The method replaces the former quantitative assessment method that has been applied since 2012; it will be effective in January 2025. The driving factors and rationale of transformation are outlined in this article. The rationale of the qualitative assessment that applies principle–based accreditation and the quantitative assessment that applies rule–based accreditation is reviewed here. Information on the accreditation procedure and the goal is presented, aiming for institutions to prepare for this new version of accreditation.

Reputation Management: Branding A Higher Education Graduate Program To Increase Visibility, Vanderbilt Artaxerxes Brabson Iv

Student Theses and Dissertations

This capstone project offers a comprehensive training tool for non-communication professionals working in higher education programs. Its main goals are to give users (1) a summary of valuable research on higher education reputation management, branding, and strategic communication, and (2) an online toolkit for non-communication professionals to boost the visibility and impact of their educational initiatives. By providing practical, actionable resources, these tools help higher education professionals effectively handle the challenges of strategic communication management. The toolkit is especially useful because it delivers evidence-based strategies and methods that can be directly applied to improve communication efforts in higher education. It …

Networked To Work?: An Analysis Of A Community College Workforce Development Program, Cynthia Finley, Kim E. Bullington, Mitchell Williams, David Ayers

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Barriers to education and training can have a generational impact on socioeconomic status and economic development. Post-traditional students have been shown to experience a variety of barriers to education and family sustaining employment. Social capital has been shown to help alleviate some of the barriers for students resulting in stronger economic outcomes, such job retention, and higher wages.

The purpose of this case study was to determine if the Network2Work model at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) can affect outcomes for students from low socio-economic backgrounds by comparing Network2Work outcomes to non-Network2Work noncredit industry training outcomes. The research compared outcome …

The Impact Of Student Engagement Activities On Future Climate Change Adaptation: The Case Of Student Simulation Models, Bassel Mostafa Elkalaf

Future Journal of Social Science

This paper explores the critical role of student engagement in addressing the growing challenges of climate change, with a focus on the Model United Nations (MUN) as a case study. As climate-related security threats increase globally, educational platforms that prepare youth for effective leadership in climate politics are more essential than ever. MUN, a widely practiced student activity simulating global policy-making, provides a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, peace, and security. By participating in MUN simulations, students engage in debates, develop innovative solutions, and practice diplomatic skills, all while exploring the …

Service-Learning As An Institutional Commitment To Its Mission And Identity, Genejane Adarlo, Urduja C. Amor, Agnes Garciano, Juliet Q. Dalagan

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Service-learning, a widely adopted teaching method in Catholic higher education, provides students with opportunities to address social justice issues. This is why many Catholic higher education institutions have implemented strategic reforms to incorporate service-learning into their mission and identity. However, further research is required to explore how institutionalizing service-learning can deepen institutional practices and goals. Hence, this case study examined the rationale and approach of a Catholic higher education institution in the Philippines in institutionalizing service-learning. Key administrators from this higher education institution participated in focus group discussions. The thematic analysis of the verbatim transcripts revealed that institutionalizing service-learning was …