This study explores how different team configurations based on members’ experiential learning styles impacted group level variables including team learning behavior, stages of team development, potency, psychological safety, and satisfaction in an undergraduate class. Groups with homogeneous learning styles experienced higher levels of friendship and lower levels of conflict, which were associated with greater satisfaction and more rapid progress through the stages of group development. Most significantly, satisfaction was more strongly correlated to team learning behavior than psychological safety, suggesting that student groups in higher education settings may rely on other factors to progress through the stages of group development.
Scientists often aim to inspire others who may not be as knowledgeable about specific scientific concepts to increase science interest and knowledge, mobilize communities for social and political change, and encourage the pursuit of STEM careers. Ideally, scientists would interact with public audiences face-to-face for rich dialogue and engagement at community venues such as libraries, churches, schools, and grocery stores. However, research shows the majority of Americans spend their time searching for scientific information on the web. As an alternative, some scientists have taken to participating in produced online video. Some online video platforms allow for synchronous dialogic engagement, such as Skype, for video-sharing. Skype in the Classroom is offered for school interactions with content experts through virtual field trips. The following study provides a practical overview of a specific program called "Scientist Online: The Science of Mosquitoes," its application of Skype in the Classroom two-way video technology for fostering STEM dialogue, and a qualitative analysis of scientists' experiences and scientist-student interactions. The authors analyzed interviews with the participating scientists and call transcriptions of the scientist-student conversations with five schools and more than 100 students from Florida, Pennsylvania, Canada, and Pakistan. Skype in the Classroom served as an effective platform for scientists to engage with various school audiences, improving their confidence in science communication. The online synchronous format of Skype in the Classroom prompted scientists to prepare content and conduct background research of participants' locations in advance. Scientists recognized the importance of their roles as science communicators to dialogue about science in digestible terms, and Skype in the Classroom allowed them to balance their roles as researchers and contributors to public outreach. Recommendations are also discussed.
This study examined the impact of a live, interactive electronic field trip (EFT), called Scientist Online: The Science of Mosquitoes via the Streaming Science platform and Skype in the Classroom network for connecting university entomologists with middle and high school youth around the world. More than 150 students viewed the program, and 60 answered post-quantitative and qualitative questions regarding their perceptions of the EFT and knowledge related to mosquitoes. Students reported an increased knowledge about mosquitoes, mosquito-borne illness, mosquito-borne illness prevention and protection, entomology and related careers, and the mosquito life-cycle. Future research should determine how interactive, synchronous video programs with scientists can impact participants’ behavior intentions, specifically for making lifestyle choices based in science, as well as decision-making for improving their health and the planet.
This mixed methods study aimed to explore the perceptions of employees’ belongingness, uniqueness, and inclusivity within the [Blinded University]. A survey with quantitative and qualitative questions was used for data collection from February to April 2021. Respondents were [Blinded University] employees, faculty, students, and Extension professionals (n = 430). White (non-Hispanic) Extension professional respondents reported significantly greater levels of organizational belongingness than Extension respondents classified as Other ethnicities. No other significant differences were found for the three constructs among Extension, main campus, or student respondents. The qualitative survey data converged with the quantitative survey data and provided a more complete understanding of respondents' perceptions of organizational diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI). Respondents indicated improvements are needed for diversity and inclusivity initiatives, resources, and training. Key recommendations were that [Blinded University] continue DEI initiatives while better tailoring efforts toward meeting the needs of Extension professionals and Hispanic students. Building on the foundational understanding garnered from the present study, future research should explore inclusivity beyond ethnicity and also consider gender, sexual orientation, and income levels.
Keywords: belongingness, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Extension; uniqueness; land-grant university;
This was a qualitative, exploratory study examining the use of a word cloud activity with Extension agents to promote dialogue around the sensitive topic of farmer/rural stress to understand their community needs. With an increasing amount of health-related issues in rural America and abroad, particularly mental health and rural stress, the use of a word cloud activity helped identify individual regional needs through a visual thematic qualitative analysis. Through a constant comparative analysis, regional and state-wide themes were deduced to begin creating programming opportunities to address community needs in Georgia, the U.S., and the world. The identified themes indicated a need for support, resources and education in rural areas regarding farmer and rural stress.
Keywords: rural stress; farmer stress; mental health; Extension; qualitative
This new 5-page publication aims to synthesize emerging takeaways from reporting and literature on the challenges experienced by US farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting examples from Florida, when possible. Written by Colby Silvert, Whitney A. Stone, John M. Diaz, and LaToya J. O’Neal, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc402
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.