University Outreach Research Articles

Popular Opinion Leaders' Perspectives on Preventing Gender-Based Violence and Problem Drinking Among Kenyan College Students: A Brief Report.

Gender-based violence (GBV) occurs at alarmingly high rates among college students in a number of countries, including Kenya. To comprehensively address GBV and co-occurring public health issues (e.g., problem drinking), the nonprofit organization Elim Trust has begun to develop a student-led university outreach program (i.e., Vunja Kalabash Campus Project [VKCP]) in Kenya. The purpose of the current study was to examine the perspectives of popular opinion leaders (POLs) on GBV and related public health issues, and on the perceived effectiveness of the VKCP. We conducted a focus group with 16 POLs who lead prevention efforts on their campuses (62.5% women). Content analyses of the focus group suggested that GBV is a serious problem among Kenyan college students; GBV intersects with other problematic health behaviors like problem drinking, and despite some challenges (e.g., resources, time), VKCP is perceived to be effective at preventing GBV and supporting survivors of GBV. These data suggest that peer-led programming holds promise in preventing and responding to GBV.

Changing lives: improving care leaver access to higher education

ABSTRACTAustralian and international research documents the limited access of young people transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC) to further and higher education. This paper examines the processes, outcomes, and key findings of the Raising Expectations project, a collaborative university and industry approach to promote higher education among care leavers at two Australian universities. That approach was informed by the co-authors' previous research, including interviews with enrolled care-leaver students. The paper highlights the relevance of that research in the design and implementation of Raising Expectations. Our findings reiterate the importance of policy and practice reforms informed by rigorous research, particularly involving the voices and agency of care leavers. We outline strategies adopted by the participating universities resulting in a fourfold increase in enrolments, growth in school outreach activities, and significantly improved retention rates. The paper also highlights barriers to higher education access and success, through care-leaver student interviews and policy analysis. These interviews revealed the need for better university outreach and information to prospective care-leaver students, improved support for enrolled care-leaver students, and better capturing of data by universities and governments. The paper also highlights policy barriers to the greater expansion of care-leavers at university, especially in the absence of extended state care.

Social cognitive drivers of farmer learning behaviour in the student-to-farmer university outreach in Uganda

Globally, universities are repositioning themselves for community outreach although with difficulty in responding to the unpredictable social features of host communities. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the role of social cognitive factors in farmer learning behaviour during university outreach. Structural equation modelling was conducted on the data obtained from a sample of 283 host participants of the student outreach programme of Gulu University, Uganda. The results indicate that social outcome expectations (β = 0.227, t = 1.978, P < 0.05), social influence (β = .372, t = 4.448, P < 0.01) and farmers’ formation of intentions (β = .214, t = 3.254, P < 0.01) significantly predict farmer learning behaviour. It is also established that social influence combine with formation of intentions to mediate social outcome expectations in predicting farmer learning behaviour. We highlight that tapping into the social setting of host farmers is critical for the success of university outreach in the sense that it generates the social reinforcements for effective farmer participation and learning. We recommend that the managers of university outreach programmes should devote efforts to prepare students to be sensitive to the concerns and needs of the community as a whole rather than just the host farmers.

Facilitating conditions for farmer learning behaviour in the student-to-farmer university outreach

ABSTRACTPurpose: This study elucidates on how faculty supervision support to students during farm placements and other facilitating conditions influence farmer learning in the student-centred university outreach.Methodology/Design/Approach: Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 283 farmers who had previously hosted students of Gulu University in the student-to-farmer university outreach. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse how faculty supervision support to students in combination with other facilitating conditions affect the formation of intentions for learning and actual farmer learning behaviour.Findings: Faculty supervision support in the student-to-farmer outreach was found to significantly influence formation of intentions for learning (β = 0.380; t = 5.263; P < .01) and actual farmer learning behaviour (β = 0.182; t = 2.081; P < .05).Practical implications: Faculty supervision support to students is critical to fostering lasting learning relationships in university outreach. Thus, it needs to be a part of the transformation agenda of the higher education sector for improved community linkages and innovation.Theoretical implications: Empirical data obtained from the context of student-centred university outreach is used to extend the model of facilitating conditions.Originality/Value: The study addresses how faculty supervision support together with farmers’ perception of student attitudes and the value of the learning content influence farmers’ learning behaviour during university outreach.

Beyond the University Borders through the Museum of Anatomy

Museums are cultural institutions that allow connections between scientific knowledge and society, creating an informal teaching space. With this idea the Museum of Anatomy of the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) was created in 2008, an annual and temporary exhibition. The goal is to share knowledge with the community and demystify the use of bodies for teaching anatomy The Museum became, in these years of existence, a tool to reach the external community and, thus, to promote university outreach. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate the impact by the museum of anatomy in the visiting public.In all of the event editions, the total audience was estimated through the book of signatures or attendance lists provided by visiting schools. In addition, satisfaction questionnaires were available for the public to evaluate their perceptions regarding the exposition, as well as the educational impacts promoted by the visit.The Museum of Anatomy of UFCSPA displays the anatomical specimens prepared by students during the Dissection Workshop using the bodies donated through the Body Donation Program. In 2018, a total audience of 9.264 visitors in were received during the 10 days of exhibition, of which 5.635 represent students from public schools. When compared with the first year of the event in 2008, which received 170 visits, a significant increase can be noted. Around eighty undergraduate students worked as volunteer guides to visitors. A total of 3210 visitors responded to the satisfaction survey, and of these 73% had between 10 and 20 years of age. Concerning what attracted the most attention, 33% of visitors reported that were the prosections and bodies, followed by 22% referring to videolaparoscopy simulator using corpse. Besides that, 75% felt encouraged to apply for the university; 93.3% said they had learned something new about health and 88% reported that they had knowledge that will help in the school. In addition, when it comes to the perception of visitors, among the respondents of the satisfaction survey, 96% classified the infrastructure as very good/good and 94% would recommend the Museum to someone.More than a university project, the Museum of Anatomy presents itself as a tool to promote a social impact. The constant evolution of the event allied with the positive results from satisfaction surveys suggest that improving quality and quantity of the exhibit can lead to increase the number of visitors from the community and stimulate their curiosity about human anatomy. Therefore, the Museum of Anatomy has the effect of demystify the use of the human body for teaching and sharing knowledge, especially with public school students. For undergraduate, the exhibition contributes to their academic training by enhancing their teaching skills and capacity for teamwork, as well as expanding their knowledge of anatomy.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Cooperative Extension and Practicing Anthropology: A Natural Fit

Abstract The Cooperative Extension System's mission to “put scientific knowledge into practice” is a natural fit for practicing anthropologists. Two extension anthropologists present their work with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs, Iowa Learning Farms and Water Rocks!, as a case study for how anthropological practice can be used to develop and implement successful extension programs. Added to the conversation is the element of advocacy in anthropological practice, with an examination of how using anthropological research and evaluation methods to understand targeted program audience perspectives better enables practitioners to advocate for environmental improvements and better meet the primary extension program objective of bringing practical, science-based solutions to real world problems.

The value of community outreach for a University: a synthesis of trends in higher education The case of the University of Limpopo (ELS 45).

The South African National Development Plan (SANDP) vision for 2030 highlights key recommendations for reducing the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 28% by 2030. These are mirrored by the World Heart Federation, although it focuses on reducing the NCD prevalence by 25% by 2025. The targeted diseases include, among others, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. The aim was to contribute to discussion on the social responsibility, public good and community development functions of a university in South Africa, as derived from the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997 (as amended). The researcher's ontology links with this notion of the existence of multiple realities that exist among universities in South Africa, and provides the basis for a social construction epistemology. Different realities exist for the University of Limpopo. The Dikgale Health and Demographic Surveillance System and the Ellisras Longitudinal Study, which both started in 1996 within the University of Limpopo, provide ample bush university outreach models on social responsibility, public good and community development. Community participation was central to the dissemination of research results. Social responsibility, public good and community development are core functions for a university, which should be treated as stand-alone roles, such as teaching, learning and research. The University of Limpopo has distinguished itself by being true to its vision of 'being a leading African university focused on the developmental needs of its communities and epitomising academic excellence and innovativeness'.

The Effectiveness of Simulations as an Outreach Tool: Using Simulations to Boost Interest in EU-Related Higher Education Study

The pedagogical effectiveness of active learning methods within university teaching, such as simulations, has been widely acknowledged. There is some evidence that simulations are effective tools at engaging students in the classroom. Yet, empirical evidence of actual impacts on learning are not as well-documented as they could be. Importantly however, little work has been done to see their contribution and impact as an outreach and recruitment tool to bring new students into the social sciences discipline. This article builds on the assumption that simulations can prove effective when used as university outreach tools to enhance interest in pursuing higher education study. We argue that EU-related simulations engaging students in secondary education stimulate their interest in studying European politics and, more generally, international relations at university level. The article relies on data collected through pre- and post-simulation questionnaires completed by the pupils who participated in simulations that took place in six secondary schools between 2016 and 2017. The empirical investigation reveals three key effects of those simulations. First, the simulations enhanced the participants’ interest in pursuing university degrees associated with European Union (EU) politics. Second, the simulations increased the participants’ self-assessed knowledge of EU politics. Third, the simulations consolidated the participants’ perceived importance of understanding how the EU works. Overall, these findings back our claim that EU-related simulations may be used as outreach tools to boost interest in pursuing EU-related subjects in higher education. In the context of the ongoing Brexit process, such a boost is desirable as the understanding of EU politics will continue to be relevant for the future generations of British students. &nbsp

HIGHER EDUCATION OUTREACH: EXAMINING KEY CHALLENGES FOR ACADEMICS

ABSTRACTHow should academic staff engage in outreach with communities outside of the university? The need of academics to answer this question has intensified in the UK given the changing priorities of academic job roles, shaped by increasing institutional concern for widening participation, graduate employability and research impact in an era of austerity and high tuition fees. While university outreach professionals, such as those in widening participation, have access to a range of networks, resources and support mechanisms for outreach activity, academics often face a series of profession-specific pressures that make engagement in outreach complex and contingent. This article draws upon the experience of 25 academics from 18 different subject areas and 18 institutions to examine and provide responses to key challenges faced by academics involved in outreach in the UK. We examine such issues as: the conceptualisation of outreach; funding; recognition and management of workload; nurturing relationships with internal and external partners; capacity-building; commercial interests, payment and responsibility; pedagogical style and content; integration of outreach into curricula, and evaluation of programmes. The examination offered is not all encompassing, but acts as a series of reference points to consider the challenges faced by UK academics in an evolving outreach sector.

Evaluating the effectiveness of university widening participation activities in rural Australia

This article explores the effect university widening participation activities have had in improving access to university of students from rural government-run schools in New South Wales, Australia. An effective effort to evaluate the success of widening participation programs in rural Australia, specifically New South Wales, has not been achieved to date. This article addresses this issue in three distinct ways. First, previous efforts to evaluate widening participation effectiveness are explored and their successes and failings are described. Second, a method to rigorously evaluate university-run outreach programs in Australia’s unique socio-cultural context is constructed and explained. Third, this method is employed using a sample of Australian rural schools to evaluate outreach effectiveness. A mixed-method design combining multilevel growth models and in-depth interviews of careers advisors revealed teacher support of university outreach presence in schools did not necessarily translate to an opinion of outreach effectivity in raising university access levels. This was supported by quantitative analyses showing widening participation efforts in rural New South Wales have had little to no effect on the progression of rural students to university between 2010 and 2016.

Disruptions and bridges in rural Australia: higher education aspiration to expectation of participation

ABSTRACTWidening higher education participation can deliver benefits to individuals, societies and economies but rural populations experience factors which inhibit their aspiration for and participation in higher education. When designing outreach programs, universities need to consider this landscape of factors, many of which are socio-cultural. This article reports evaluation results from a project that trialled three university outreach programs designed to align with rural contexts with the aim of identifying aspects which were effective in addressing factors of rurality, revealing obscured future options and showing higher education pathways as attainable. Universities can work effectively with rural communities to inform people’s higher education aspirations through ‘disruptions’, interventions that inform educational aspiration, and ‘bridges’ which support higher education participation through facilitating access to information, physical, financial, academic and social resources. A model including both ‘disruptions’ and ‘bridges’, jointly resourced and drawing on social capital resources of communities and higher education institutions is presented.

Embedding tertiary education in rural communities: building ‘warm connections’

ABSTRACTPathways to higher education can appear opaque and unattainable to rural adults, despite the affordances provided by modern broadband and increasing provision of university online learning options. This paper describes an innovative partnership model that connects rural adults to university and technical and further education pathways through ‘warm connections’ developed between staff in rural libraries and ‘neighbourhood houses’, and people working in university outreach and preparation programmes. Through the Warm Connections project, local staff were provided with training and on campus experiences that equipped them to have conversations with rural people about what university is ‘like’ and what it takes to get a place in a university course. Rural community staff reported being confident in providing customised front-line information and advice to rural residents and were able to direct enquiries to appropriate people in tertiary institutions. Some staff themselves enrolled in and successfully completed university short courses, providing role models for their communities. The project reduced the socio-economic distance between rural adults and tertiary education. It successfully built social capital networks of ‘warm connections’ between tertiary institutions and rural communities, although the longevity of those networks will depend on continuing effort by tertiary institutions to maintain and refresh connections.

A blended learning course for playfully teaching programming concepts to school teachers

In this paper we report our experiences from a University outreach program with primary and secondary education teachers of various specialties. Our goal was to improve the coding abilities of teachers through Scratch activities. The participants can in turn teach their students, multiplying that way the benefitted population. To increase the participation and the completion percentage, the activities are designed as a course in Moodle realized in discrete runs with manageable groups, in a blended learning approach. The educational material was a combination of learning objects with specific objectives, video material and try-out activities. The course has been completed by 559 teachers from various Greek districts, mainly of regional areas, with a high completion rate of 65%. The participants found the experience highly satisfying, interesting and agreed that they had been supported effectively throughout the process. In the paper we describe the rational of our approach, the design and implementation phases of the project, the outcomes and the main findings of the evaluation of the user opinions.

Construcción de alternativas alimentarias en cuatro provincias de Argentina

En este trabajo reflexionamos sobre distintos procesos que buscan generar alternativas al sistema alimentario actual en nuestro país: las ferias de intercambio de semillas en Misiones; la experiencia de formación en agroecología desde la Unión de Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra (UST) en Mendoza; la primera feria agroecológica de la ciudad de Córdoba; y la construcción de alternativas productivas, económicas y de generación de conocimientos en Entre Ríos. Para esto previamente enmarcamos el contexto agroalimentario argentino y luego compartimos ciertas particularidades productivas e históricas de las distintas provincias seleccionadas para la investigación. Las experiencias son diversas, pero tienen algo en común: las cuatro buscan innovar y crear nuevas relaciones entre mujeres y hombres, y entre ellos y la naturaleza a partir de la producción, el consumo, el intercambio y la formación. Sus devenires serán inciertos, pero tienen una certeza: las relaciones actuales condujeron a una crisis civilizatoria.La metodología utilizada se basa en revisiones bibliográficas, entrevistas y observación participante enmarcadas en distintos proyectos de investigación y militancia. Por un lado, los apartados realizados en torno a las provincias de Córdoba y Entre Ríos forman parte de avances de tesis doctorales desarrolladas con el apoyo del sistema de becas del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Conicet): “Sistemas alimentarios alternativos en el marco de la conflictividad agraria provincial: el caso de la Feria Agroecológica de Córdoba” y “Experiencias de productores familiares en la construcción de alternativas de producción en Entre Ríos”. Por otro lado, la sección relativa a la provincia de Misiones recupera resultados de una tesis de licenciatura en antropología social sobre el Movimiento por la Semilla Campesina de Misiones y el apartado en torno a Mendoza se enmarca en un proyecto de extensión universitaria junto a la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo que realiza actividades en conjunto con la UST.

Further Mathematics, student choice and transition to university: part 1 - Mathematics degrees

Abstract The transition from studying mathematics at school to university is known to be challenging for students. Given the desire to increase participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects at degree level, it is important to ensure that the school mathematics curriculum is providing suitable preparation for the challenges ahead, and yet remains both accessible and popular. This two-part study investigates student choices of studying the post-16 A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics qualifications in the UK and their impact on the transition from school to university mathematics. Student opinions were accessed via a survey of undergraduate students and also individual interviews. This first part of the study considers the responses of mathematics undergraduate students and finds that both those who studied Further Mathematics and those who did not perceive studying Further Mathematics as advantageous for their degree courses. However, the advantages identified mostly relate to the familiarity with topics, while students still feel unprepared for studying more abstract and proof-based mathematics. The study found that some factors which may be beneficial for transition currently lie outside the mainstream school mathematics syllabus and include studying through blended learning provided by the Further Mathematics Support Programme, practicing more advanced extension exam papers and attending university outreach events. The choice of Further Mathematics is found to be influenced by the attitudes of the students, their teachers and their parents, to both mathematics as a subject and to Further Mathematics as a qualification as well as student perceptions of Further Mathematics and their plans in terms of degree and university choice.

Ampliação da jornada escolar e dever de casa: denúncias cruzadas

Muitos programas de ampliação da jornada escolar no ensino fundamental têm sido desenvolvidos, no Brasil, no formato conhecido como turno e contraturno. Nesse cenário, diversas polêmicas surgiram a respeito dos deveres de casa. Tais polêmicas expressam desafios mais amplos relativos à implementação dos programas e à própria realização desses deveres na tradição escolar. Assim, as questões relativas ao dever de casa “denunciam” desafios inerentes ao modo como a escola de tempo integral tem sido implementada; e a implantação dos programas de tempo integral acaba por “denunciar” desafios relativos ao dever de casa, que antecedem as políticas de ampliação da jornada. O objetivo do artigo é analisar essas “denúncias cruzadas”, utilizando dados recolhidos em atividades de extensão universitária e de pesquisa desenvolvidas na Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte.

AVALIANDO O PROGRAMA MUTIRÃO PELA INCLUSÃO DIGITAL EM BUSCA DE ALTERNATIVAS METODOLÓGICAS PARA PROJETOS DE EXTENSÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA

This research is linked to the Outreach Program “Joint Effort for Digital Inclusion” from the University of Passo Fundo (UPF). It aims to understand the potentialities and limitations of the methodology used in Informatics and Citizenship Workshops offered under the theoretical perspective of Pedagogical Architectures proposed by Carvalho, Nevado and Menezes (2007). The evaluation method used in the research is characterized as qualitative-exploratory and the primary data collection was done through the triangulation of instruments. The research participants included thirty-one preschoolers, two schoolteachers and four monitors of the aforementioned workshops. The main results suggest that the methodology adopted in the study is in accordance with the concept of Pedagogical Architectures, which is a powerful alternative for social transformation through university outreach activities carried out in the community.

Science Teacher Motivations for Repeat Attendance at University Outreach Center Professional Development Programs

This multiple case study analysis investigated the perceptions of four science teachers who were repeat at¬tendees at professional development programs coordinated by a university center. Adult learning theory provided a lens to view the motivated participants of the study and each of the five assumptions were present. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method to allow themes to emerge. Findings revealed three themes: 1) these science teachers perceive dual identities as both an educator and a scientist; 2) relationships built during an immersive content program allow the development of trust between these science teachers and university program coordinators which facilitates continued participation; and 3) as professionals dedicated to their craft, these science teachers pursue content-rich professional development opportunities for their personal and professional enrichment despite contextual constraints. These three themes illustrate that repeat attendance at professional development programs coordinated by the same university cen¬ter supports teacher professional learning and personal development and growth. The findings from this study were used to modify an existing post-program survey to capture the range of experiences of additional program participants.

Small Fish, Big Questions: Inquiry Kits for Teaching Evolution

Evolution education poses unique challenges because students can have preconceptions that bias their learning. Hands-on, inquiry approaches can help overcome preset beliefs held by students, but few such programs exist and teachers typically lack access to these resources. Experiential learning in the form of self-guided kits can allow evolution education programs to maximize their reach while still maintaining a high-quality resource. We created an inquiry-based kit that uses live Trinidadian guppies to teach evolution by natural selection using the VIST (Variation, Inheritance, Selection, Time) framework. Our collaborative team included evolutionary biologists and education specialists, and we were able to combine expertise in evolution research and inquiry-based kit design in the development of this program. By constructing the kits with grant funds slated for broader impacts and maintaining them at our university's Education and Outreach Center, we made these kits freely available to local schools over the long term. Students and teachers have praised how clearly the kits teach evolution by natural selection, and we are excited to share this resource with readers of The American Biology Teacher.

AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES

If universities are supported by the communities in which they are embedded, then solving their communities’ problems must be a critical university ethical goal. The essay’s first part examines philosophy’s roles in directing university research in such disciplines as the natural and social sciences, history, art and mathematics. Of particular interest are the roles that information and communication technology (ICT) might play in the dissemination of research results in universities’ supporting communities. The Pan-African thinker W.E.B. Du Bois believed that virtually all humans are capable of profiting from a university education. ICT must be critical to African universities’ discharge of their ethical responsibilities to their communities. The first part’s conclusion suggests three ways whereby African universities may advance toward Du Bois’s goal. The essay’s second part proposes a curriculum for Fort Hare University in Alice and East London in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. As both an urban and rural university, Fort Hare presents a unique opportunity for examining university-community relationships. The essay’s conclusion argues that African universities must play a critical role in constructing African self-knowledge. Critical to university and alumni contributions to re-thinking African identity, will be the inclusion of curricular material specific to the cultures of communities selected for university outreach.