High-impact Experiences Research Articles

337 Awardee Talk: What’s the focus of your teaching lens?

Abstract Throughout a career, the intersection of research and teaching unveils a profound realization - greatest contributions emerge when the teaching lenses are student-focused. A passion for teaching, rooted in early experiences with agriscience courses, evolved into aspirations to pursue a Master Teacher capacity. Embodied in a metaphor of evolving software, teaching continually updates to ‘version 9.0,’ emphasizing adaptability and a commitment to student-centered learning and their ‘becoming’. As an active co-participant in learning processes, I have honed teaching to my personality, aligning with a lens for the diverse needs of students and their growth. Most impactful teaching arises from attentive listening and a lens of deep understanding of students. One key to success lies in creating compelling, coherent learning environments and involving students in collaborative discussions about their educational goals - educating to elevate and empower mindsets. My courses initiate with a “Begin with the End in Mind” session, engaging students in dialogue about the value they seek from the term, collaboratively planning the path to their educational objectives while creating a ‘safe holding environment.’ Over time, a teaching philosophy emerged, centered around constructing courses with achievable high expectations, involving students in logistical decisions, and clarifying benchmarks to keep learning outcomes on track. Pedagogical goals are to be an “Orchestrator of Discovery,” fostering self-directed learning. Science courses are challenging, yet balanced with fairness, sincerity, and a lens of student-centeredness - pursuing student feedback. Continually seeking innovative teaching enhancements combat stagnation by testing alternative teaching approaches, striving for perfection while acknowledging that improvement becomes a constant journey. Experiments include various activities catering to diverse learning styles, integrating digital tools or high-impact experiences. Instilling intellectual passion by expressing excitement for the material fosters an atmosphere where students recognize the lens of relevance of the subject matter and self-learning. Success is witnessing students express excitement and genuine interest. A ‘teaching transcends the classroom’ lens is about making a lasting impact on students’ lives. A graduate expressing gratitude for something learned is an ultimate reward for pedagogical rectitude. Advancing long-term goals of becoming a better teacher occurs by participating in campus teaching programs, subscribing to teaching-publications, and engaging in scholarship of teaching and learning. Regular assessments and feedback mechanisms inform the practice, ensuring that we stay attuned to students’ needs by delivering impactful instruction. Another lens is to actively seek funding for the teaching program, collaborating to adopt innovative practices. In conclusion, teaching lenses are rooted in reflection, adaptability, student-centeredness, a heavy leadership development/growth thread and a commitment to foster a love of learning in others. As we navigate the dynamic landscape of education, may we be driven by a lens of belief that teaching is not just a profession - it is a calling.

409 Awardee Talk: Philosophy and Examples from a Career in Animal Science Education

Abstract Training competent and successful students for career readiness is an ever-changing puzzle. These puzzle pieces include an understanding of the student demographics, consideration of the vision and mission of the department, engagement with alumni, and awareness of opportunities for employment and industry needs. These pieces require the development of a curriculum model that can evolve and respond to these components in a timely way. My career at two universities in roles including Undergraduate Coordinator and Director of Undergraduate Advising has given me the privilege to teach and work with nearly 5,000 students while addressing these puzzle pieces. Students enter with a limited understanding of career opportunities within Animal Sciences but are eager to learn more and are seeking opportunities to do so. As faculty, we can provide meaningful high impact experiences for our students, both inside and outside of the classroom, that also directly align with our appointments and expertise in research, teaching, and Extension. Success requires creating a departmental culture that fosters creativity and a willingness to experiment with new ideas and practices. These high impact experiences provide our students with greater awareness and appreciation for career possibilities that they had not considered before. As the Undergraduate Coordinator, I lead strategic conversations and planning with our faculty to discuss how our departmental core courses and supporting coursework prepare our students professionally. This includes discussion of our annual program assessment, identifying areas of strengths, where our resources may be limited, and how we are teaching to inspire, challenge, and meet the needs of our students. As we all strive to continually improve academic excellence within each of our programs, we must remain nimble and arrange the puzzle pieces to best serve our students.

394 Transformative Animal Science Fellows Program for a Sustainable, Efficient, Profitable Beef Production Future

Abstract Food production globally must double to meet demand by 2050. Demand for animal protein, coupled with reductions in grazing lands, intensifies a need for greater efficiency in beef production. Beef production relies on farms and ranches raising calves for later sale. Our goal is preparation of fellows which are cross-trained to gain inter- and intra-disciplinary knowledge and experiences, capable of bringing creative solutions to critical challenges, within the industry. Applicants were solicited via advertisements, list-serve networks, and recruitment webinars. Selection was guided by a rubric which included interviews and essays above a basic application. Through coaching/mentorship and leadership training, fellows were charged with creation of Individualized Development/Experience Plans (IDP) involving learning community dynamics, common experiences, shared/collaborative research, professional leadership & empowerment, stakeholder engagement, scholarly immersion, translational communication skills and classroom teaching. Fellows increased competencies in critical-thinking fundamentals of environmental/production sustainability emphasizing forages, beef systems, economics and more. Immersion experiences with stakeholders utilized a “design thinking” framework promoting complex creative problem-solving. Fellows were immersed in an ‘Experiential Learning Cycle’ via comprehensive planning and execution of a high-impact experience in a regional outreach stockman and stewardship event. The ANSC-NNF program creates a pipeline to industry and extension careers with graduates who understand modern challenges within production agriculture and specifically beef production. Assessments indicate the program permeated the entire graduate program within the department of animal sciences and in addition to thesis research, Fellows gained knowledge through leadership, process management, systems & sustainability and obtained skills and abilities including professional certifications. The department has initiated recruitment of a second cohort of six master’s-level Fellows for 2023-2025.

Categorical Analysis of Variance on Knowledge, Compliance and Impact of Hand Hygiene among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19 Outbreak in South-East, Nigeria

This paper examined the knowledge, compliance and impact of hand hygiene among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 outbreak in South-East, Nigeria. The data used in this study were collected from twenty (20) hospitals in South-East, Nigeria using questionnaire with closed-type question forms. A total number of 600 questionnaires were used in this study. Two-way CATANOVA was used to examine the gender and health profession that have well knowledge, compliance and impact experience of hand hygiene during COVID-19 outbreak. The result showed no statistically significant difference in the knowledge, compliance and impact experience of hand hygiene among four major health professions (medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists) and also between the genders at a 5% significance level. The findings showed that the changing of healthcare professional from one health profession to another does not affect the knowledge, compliance and impact experience of hand hygiene. It was noticed that 599(99.8%) healthcare professionals have good knowledge of hand hygiene, 395(65.8%) practice hand hygiene every time, and 507(84.5%) have high impact experience of hand hygiene. There is enhancement in the knowledge, compliance and impact experience of hand hygiene of healthcare professionals as their years of service increase.

Studying Abroad in Shanghai: Exploring How a Living-Learning Community Impacts Students’ Sociocultural Understandings of China

This is a qualitative case study that explored how a study abroad program based in Shanghai impacted five undergraduates’ sociocultural understandings of China. The purpose of this study was to analyze how the different elements of a living-learning community (LLC) influenced students’ preconceptions about their host country. One university’s international program seamlessly blended coursework, discussion, and travel experiences in order to encourage students to make deep connections between them. Results found that the immersive nature of the LLC led to a transformative and high-impact experience, in which students were able to develop and document their cognitive and behavioral growth over time and change their previously held biases about their host country.

Undergraduate Research Embedded Across Course Levels and Types Through Scaffolded Projects

This article explores how to embed an undergraduate research project within a course and summarizes the student experience in courses including undergraduate research. The authors specifically focus on how to modify and alter materials to fit with different course foci and different course levels. We have been leading an interdisciplinary, multi-year research project for the past four years. During that time, we have scaffolded a research project from year to year. Each piece of the project has been embedded within a course. However, the specific course level and content focus has changed from year to year. By embedding a research project within a class, faculty members have a unique opportunity to give their students a high-impact experience and further their own research simultaneously. We have successfully mentored and supervised students in the following formats: a freshman interdisciplinary honors course, two different undergraduate criminal justice courses made up of 5-10 students that were focused around criminological theory testing, individual directed study projects with graduate students, a 30-40 person upper level criminology research methods course, and a freshman individual directed study research project. Throughout all of these modalities, we have kept a core type of course design and course requirements but modified the components and grading criteria as needed for the type and level of course. We will summarize and discuss student assessment data both on their experience in the course as well as their achievement of student learning outcomes.

BUILDING LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH HIGH-IMPACT EXPERIENCES

The Organizational Leadership class is a staple in most undergraduate and graduate management curricula. Faculty teaching leadership courses recognize the need for experiential learning, but often struggle to find meaningful and manageable learning opportunities. Based on the high-impact practices of service and community-based learning, we offer three high-impact experiences designed to complement an organizational leadership course. These experiences utilize experiential learning to reinforce the critical leadership skills of demonstrate empathy, professional networking, and lifelong self-development. These experiences, coupled with self-reflection, enable students to grow their leadership capability while building demonstrable professional skills.

Opening Up to Hard History: Activating Anti-Racism in an Immersive Ed.D. Cohort Experience at Heritage Sites in Montgomery, Alabama

The Ed.D. program in Heritage Leadership for Sustainability, Social Justice, and Participatory Culture at the University of Missouri—St. Louis helps students cultivate the mindsets and skill sets required to sustain, pluralize, and enliven heritage in the public sphere. Although the program primarily meets synchronously online, the January 2020 “Wintercession” field trip to heritage sites in Montgomery, Alabama, provided an opportunity for face-to-face interactions, deep conversation, and reflection. Curricular, conversational, and collaborative inquiry deepened awareness and activated activism toward issues of racial justice. The use of high-impact practices (Kuh, 2008) allowed the cohort and faculty mentors to delve further into heritage leadership themes, including: confronting difficult emotions, recognizing sanctified space, facilitating group bonding and trust building, identifying models for activism, and moving forward in activism. We argue that the emergence of these themes demonstrates the value of immersing students and faculty in a shared, high-impact experience that focused on awareness, remembering, and wondering—the process of imagining the not yet (Keenan-Lechel et al., 2019)—as a means to “activate activism” in a cohort-based Ed.D. program.

Experiences of trauma, discrimination, microaggressions, and minority stress among trauma-exposed LGBT veterans: Unexpected findings and unresolved service gaps.

LGBT veterans experience high rates of trauma, discrimination, and minority stress. However, guidelines for case conceptualization and treatment remain limited. The aim of the current study was to examine the experiences of trauma and other high impact experiences among LGBT veterans to inform case conceptualization and treatment. We recruited 47 LGBT veterans with a history of exposure to LGBT-related Criterion A trauma and performed semistructured interviews about their experiences in trauma treatment, barriers to engagement, and treatment needs and preferences. We used thematic analysis of qualitative codes guided by inductive and deductive approaches to characterize the variety of trauma and high impact experiences reported. LGBT veterans disclosed a range of clinically relevant stressors, including Criterion A traumatic events, minority stress, and microaggression experiences, including interpersonal and institutional discrimination perpetrated by fellow service members/veterans, citizens, therapy group members, and health care providers. These data provide a unique account of LGBT veteran's identity-related trauma and concomitant interpersonal and institutional discrimination, microaggression experiences, minority stress, and traumatic stress symptoms. Findings highlight existing service gaps regarding evidence-based treatments for the sequalae of trauma, discrimination, microaggressions, and minority stress. In addition, we noted past and present issues in military and health care settings that may lead to or exacerbate trauma-related distress and discourage treatment seeking among LGBT veterans. We provide suggestions for clinical work with LGBT veterans and encourage ongoing research and development to eliminate remaining service gaps. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the impact of social network change: Experiences of older adults ageing in place

Social networks are sources of support and contribute to the well‐being of older adults who are ageing in place. As social networks change, especially when accompanied by health decline, older adults’ sources of support change and their well‐being is challenged. Previous studies predominantly used quantitative measures to examine how older adults’ social networks change. Alternatively, this study explores the impact of changing social networks on older adults’ lives by examining their personal experiences. We held four focus groups, two with a total of 14 older adults who are ageing in place and receiving home care and two with a total of 20 home‐care nurses from different regions and organisations in the Netherlands. Subsequently, an expert team of home‐care professionals and managers discussed and verified the results. Procedures for grounded theory building were used for analysis. We revealed four themes of high‐impact experiences: (a) struggling with illness/death of the spouse; (b) working out a changing relationship with (grand)children; (c) regretting the loss of people they have known for so long and (d) feeling dependent and stressed when helpers enter the network. Also, network dynamics were found to follow three consecutive stages: (a) awareness of social network change; (b) surprise when social network change actually occurs and (c) acceptance and adjusting to new circumstances. Together, the four themes of experiences and three stages of network change form an integrative model of the role of social network dynamics for older adults’ lives when ageing in place.

Detecting feigned high impact experiences: A symptom over-report questionnaire outperforms the emotional Stroop task

Background and objectivesThe Modified Stroop Task (MST) effect refers to a prolonged reaction time (RT) in color-naming words related to an individual's disorder. Some authors argue that its absence in people who claim symptoms might be an indication of feigning. MethodWe tested whether the MST effect is robust against feigning attempts and compared its absence as an index of feigning with over-reporting tendencies on a symptom questionnaire (i.e., the Self-Reported Symptom Inventory (SRSI)). We included participants (n = 22) who i) reported current high impact of aversive experiences (High scorers), ii) reported current low impact (Low scorers) of aversive experiences (n = 24), and iii) actors (n = 18) with low impact, but instructed to feign current high psychological impact of aversive life events (Simulators). We administered the MST, including impact-related, neutral, and feigning-related words, and the SRSI. ResultsWe found no MST effect for impact-related words in the high scorers group, or for feigning-related words in the simulators. Relative to high scorers and low scorers, simulators exhibited significantly longer RTs on all types of words and they also endorsed significantly more bogus symptoms on the SRSI. Thus, the SRSI was a more sensitive measure of feigning than the absence of an MST effect. LimitationSome limitations are related to our reliance on a sub-clinical student sample, whereas others reflect the unresolved issues surrounding the MST. Thus, the generalizability of our results is uncertain. ConclusionOur findings add to the doubts on the idea that the MST can be used to differentiate between genuine and feigned complaints.

High-Impact Experiences through Commissioned Works and Composer Residencies

Music students, their teachers, composers, and school communities experience deep, long-lasting growth in music-making and artistic perspective when provided with opportunities to engage in the commissioning of new musical works in conjunction with composer residencies. Through consideration of relevant literature and case-study examination, the article defines and articulates possible formats for commissioned works projects with composer residencies. A discussion of the beneficial outcomes of such projects for student musicians, music educators, composers, and constituent communities addresses reasons for coordinating projects of this nature. The article concludes with a step-by-step guide that lays out how educators can organize a commissioned work and composer residency project for their students that is appropriate for their specific educational context.

How College Makes Citizens: Higher Education Experiences and Political Engagement

One function of undergraduate education is supporting successful citizenship later in life. Educational achievement is positively, if variably, related to political engagement. However, questions remain about the role of selection into college education as well as the specific college experiences that facilitate postcollege good citizenship. The aim of this study is to test the independent effect of higher education completion on three forms of postgraduation political engagement, using national longitudinal data and controlling for selection into college completion using control-function models. The authors also test the effects of several specific experiences encountered during college—course topic areas and high-impact educational experiences—on these outcomes. College completion has an independent effect (beyond selection) on citizenship behaviors. Social sciences and humanities coursework and two high-impact experiences (being mentored and engaging in a community-based project) were associated with political engagement. Higher education is a training ground for citizenship; particular course and extracurricular experiences help fulfill that mission.

A Systematic Framework of Experiential Learning: Challenging Educators to Make College more than an Aggregation of Credits

This article examines experiential learning within the context of leader development in a hospitality and tourism management program. First, we present findings about high impact experiences from student blogs (n = 60) and discuss key themes within the context of Kolb’s four phases of experiential learning. This is followed by a discussion about how these findings influence the systematic redesign of our core leadership curriculum. Findings suggest strong consideration be given to providing contexts for authentic practice, encouraging exploration and personalization, mentoring both ways, and the value of integrated and well-timed facilitation. A four-year framework is presented detailing specific high impact experiences and outcomes aligned with a progression of leader development for undergraduates.

The Communication Conundrum Exercise: Pedagogy for Project-Based Learning

Many professionals spend a significant amount of their time managing and supporting project teams. To help students learn how to work in this environment, we present the Communication Conundrum Exercise (CCE). The CCE challenges students to solve a symbol-identification problem with tension from hierarchical controls and narrowly defined rules for communication. Students assume roles that correspond to the major roles found on real-life hybrid project teams, and work with the triple constraint triangle common in project management. We provide the rationale for the CCE and the method and results of our analyses from 126 management students in 26 groups, and provide the details of exercise setup, execution, and debrief. The CCE delivers a high-energy, high-impact experience for students on the nature of hybrid project teams and their communication challenges.

Long-Term Mental Health Among Low-Income, Minority Women Following Exposure to Multiple Natural Disasters in Early and Late Adolescence Compared to Adulthood

High impact experiences following a natural disaster have been shown to influence later psychopathology. Individual-level factors such as age may also contribute to a disaster's impact on mental health, though it is unclear whether young age confers a protective effect or represents a period of increased risk as compared to adulthood. The present study evaluated the influence of adolescent age and hurricane experiences on mental health in the years following multiple hurricanes in the New Orleans region. 794 women, currently aged 18-45, participating in a cohort study of lifetime adversity and reproductive health completed a survey about hurricane experience and current mental health. Joint associations between disaster experience and age at the time of disaster on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were evaluated. Compared to women who were adults at the time of the disaster, being in early adolescence resulted in reduced depression and PTSD up to 9-years post-disaster, controlling for hurricane experiences, time since disaster, and income. A similar effect was not observed among older adolescents. Increased endorsement of feeling one's life was in danger and experiencing illness or injury resulted in increased odds of depression, while danger was associated with increased odds of PTSD. Younger age at the time of a natural disaster may confer a protective effect on mental health outcomes post-disaster, even when disaster experiences are considered, potentially representing the importance of parental support and cognitive development on disaster effects.

Connecting to Experience: High-Impact Practices for Leadership Development.

Leadership educators can leverage high-impact experiences to enhance student leadership development. This chapter describes three key practices--sociocultural conversations with peers, mentoring, and membership in off-campus organizations--as levers of leadership learning. Illustrations of the practice in context and reflections from practitioners and students are also included. The chapter concludes with considerations of context, developmental readiness, and best practices of experiential education.

Youth Empowerment and Contemporary Art: Where Are We Now?

In the 1990s, a handful of arts institutions made an unprecedented effort to engage young people through intensive programming geared directly at adolescent audiences—teen councils and apprenticeships sprouted up across the country and sought to welcome and empower teens within the museum. The Whitney Museum of American Art is currently leading a three-year research project to investigate the long-term impact of these teen programs, in collaboration with the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston. This article traces the development and evolution of these intensive contemporary art museum teen programs, and the defining characteristics and best practices that make these lasting, high-impact experiences for their participants.

Youth Empowerment and Contemporary Art: Where Are We Now?

AbstractIn the 1990s, a handful of arts institutions made an unprecedented effort to engage young people through intensive programming geared directly at adolescent audiences—teen councils and apprenticeships sprouted up across the country and sought to welcome and empower teens within the museum. The Whitney Museum of American Art is currently leading a three-year research project to investigate the long-term impact of these teen programs, in collaboration with the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston. This article traces the development and evolution of these intensive contemporary art museum teen programs, and the defining characteristics and best practices that make these lasting, high-impact experiences for their participants.

Real-Time Longitudinal Control System for the Kadet Senior Radio-Controlled Airplane: A Low-Cost Educational Testbed

In research and education, experimental platforms and testbeds make experimentation process easier and safer. In this paper, the design and development of a testbed for controlling the altitude and speed of a radio-controlled airplane is presented. This hardware-in-the-loop, low-cost platform lets students to test different control systems in a motivating, high-impact experience. This paper shows the design, development and test process, and includes information about the airplane mathematical model, sensors and communications system design, PID controller tests, and application in classes with educational purposes.