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Live video web-streaming via an electronic field trip (EFT) format can connect youth with scientists working in a variety of settings. Previous research indicated interactions with scientists can change children's perceptions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) careers. We conducted an arts-based study to examine an EFT's impact on elementary students' pre-/post- drawings of forest ecosystems, conservation practices, and related STEM role models. Through three rounds of visual coding and averaging codes, we found imagery shown in the EFT influenced participants' post-drawings. Results showed youth's visual conceptualizations of a forest shifted to include pine trees, prescribed burning, snakes, scientists, and science communicators.

Despite the increased attention given to MOOCs over the last four years, learners' voices have been noticeably absent. This virtual ethnographic study was designed to examine the experiences of 12 adult learners with bachelors' and masters' degrees, enrolled in a four-week MOOC on the topic of human trafficking. Through the lenses of self-directed learning and self-determination theories, we were interested in investigating learners' motivations for enrolling in the MOOC, their perceptions of success and completion, and barriers encountered while trying to complete the MOOC. Reasons for enrollment varied from personal enjoyment to professional development, and differing definitions emerged regarding completion or success in a MOOC. Implications of this study include a proposed conceptual framework of adult learner MOOC motivations and goals, which may inform the intentional instructional design of MOOCs to better meet adults' self-directed learning needs. Results also pointed to the potential for social science MOOCs to promote activism and attitudinal and social change.

Water conservation in residential landscapes remains essential to mitigate projected global water shortages. Social media has seldom been used to drive engagement in conservation and may be an important channel for environmental change agents to communicate to clientele and promote behavior changes. We tested messages framed with real conservation facts and narrative quotes using the split testing technique. Data were collected in real-time on Facebook and Instagram on users' engagement with water conservation messages/ads and visits to a website to learn more. We found users are more likely to engage with relatable messages containing impressive numbers and perceived measurable benefits.

This study examines a MOOC instructor's use of social presence, teaching presence, and dissonance for attitudinal change in a MOOC on Human Trafficking, designed to promote attitudinal change. Researchers explored the MOOC instructor's use of social presence and teaching presence, using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework as a lens, and examined the facilitation of attitudinal dissonance within the discussion forum, announcements and blog postings in the course. The instructor entered the MOOC with the idea of serving as a co-participant and a facilitation choice was made to address the issue of multiple perspectives and experiences. The instructional design focused on establishing a collaborative community of learners and this was demonstrated through a high number of social presence indicators but with significant use of all three areas in evidence. Findings present a detailed examination of instructor strategies in a MOOC designed to focus on the establishment of a collaborative learning community and can inform future instructional design and instruction of MOOCs in general and MOOCs for attitudinal change specifically.

This study examined instructor and learner experiences in a Journalism for Social Change (JSC) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to introduce learners around the world to constructive, solutions-based journalism techniques, as well as engage learners in developing news stories promoting positive change about critical child welfare (CW) issues. Mixed-methods were used to identify five themes across instructor and learner experiences. Results suggest MOOCs have the potential to increase learners' journalism content knowledge and to mobilize citizen journalists around social justice topics impacting communities. This study adds to an ongoing body of work investigating MOOC design for changing attitudes.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are often examined and evaluated in terms of institutional cost, instructor prestige, number of students enrolled, and completion rates. MOOCs, which are connecting thousands of adult learners from diverse backgrounds, have yet to be viewed from a learning culture perspective. This research used virtual ethnographic methods to investigate the adult learner experience in a MOOC learning culture. Specifically, authors observed and interviewed twelve adult learners from countries around the world to gain a richer understanding of their online experiences and interactions within a MOOC focused on the social justice topic of human trafficking. Results showed that while a MOOC learning culture has some similarities to traditional distance education environments, it is indeed complex due to the large global scale. Based on the six themes that emerged from the data, the authors present the concept of MOOCocracy--a social learning democracy, as a description of the MOOC learning culture. Implications for MOOC instructional design are also discussed.

This exploratory case study describes the design and facilitation of a massive open online course (MOOC) for attitudinal change regarding human trafficking. It examines the course from the learners', instructor's, and instructional designer's perspectives. Two interviews with the instructor and instructional designer were conducted, and data from a sample of learners via an end-of-course survey (n = 54) and follow-up questionnaire (n = 319) were gathered. Learners' discussion posts and sample assignments were also reviewed. Findings show that the instructor and instructional designer perceived the design and facilitation of the MOOC as highly complex and challenging. Learner feedback was contradictory, possibly due to different expectations and needs within the MOOC. Six instructional design considerations for MOOCs in general and for attitudinal change are discussed, including: (a) MOOCs as a unique platform for attitudinal change, (b) the support needed from platform providers and universities, (c) personal and flexible learning paths, (d) instructional activities for attitudinal dissonance, (e) creating a collaborative community, and (f) MOOC instructor preparation.

Earth Sciences (ES) are relevant to society and its relationship to the Earth system. However, ES education, in K-12 environments in the United States, face several challenges including limited exposure to ES, lack of awareness of ES careers, and low ES literacy. International associations have recognized these challenges and recommended that Earth scientists improve the public's perception of the relevance of ES. In recent years, informal science communication/outreach platforms such as the "Streaming Science" model of electronic field trips (EFT), which connect K-12 classrooms with STEM professionals, have gained popularity as an educational technology tool. EFTs are inexpensive, have spatiotemporal benefits, and have proven an effective informal science education pathway for introducing STEM content into formal classrooms to increase positive attitudes and interest in STEM careers. Nevertheless, EFTs in ES for K-12 environments have not been widely disseminated, and their impact in ES education has yet to be studied. This study presents the creation and implementation of an EFT in geology called "Rocks Really Rock: An Electronic Field Trip across Geological Time." The program was implemented in seven schools in Spring 2022. The EFT was built in web Google Earth and had six stops that featured pre-recorded videos recorded in different locations in Idaho-U.S. The lead presenter/author used multimedia and science-communication strategies such as storytelling to develop and teach concepts related to geologic time, rock formation, and landscape-forming geological process. The content aligned with four specific topics listed in the National Science Foundation's Earth Sciences Literacy Principles and intersected with the Next Generation Science Standards for middle school classrooms. Participating students (n = 120) completed a post-assessment after the program implementation to evaluate its impact. Results showed the EFT positively impacted students' attitudes toward geology, geology careers, and their perceptions of geology literacy. We identified the three main factors that determined positive attitude change of K-12 students toward ES were: 1) the use of videos and Web Google Earth platform for creating outreach materials for K-12 students, 2) the use of storytelling to craft the content of the EFT, and 3) the asynchronous interactions between teacher-student-scientist. The results indicated a statistically significant positive change in attitudes toward geology, suggesting that participating in the EFT increased students' positive attitudes toward ES. These findings demonstrate the potential of expanding EFT to other ES fields and reaching middle/high school students. We suggest that EFTs are effective outreach tools that can address the challenges in ES education and can be extended to other ES areas and distributed to students in middle/high schools and homeschools, to support science educators in ES education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduate students at land-grant institutions across the country are often unaware of the depth and breadth of Extension services and careers. Agricultural communication students collaborated with an Extension programmatic team in a blended and project-based course at Purdue University to develop online videos about small farm agricultural topics. Student journaling and post-interviews showed working within a real-world context increased their awareness of Extension, the roles and potential careers in Extension, and video production skill development. The authors present details of the course design, student perceptions, and the implementation benefits and challenges of blended project-based learning within an Extension context.

Participant perceptions of program effectiveness and impact are undoubtedly a popular focus of Extension program evaluations. However, the effects of participants' characteristics and contextual variables on program perceptions and how the resulting data can be used for program improvement are less explored in evaluation studies. Using data from the evaluation of an electronic fieldtrip as an exemplar case, this article describes a study that employed the method of linear regression to examine the influences of demographic variables and program contextual factors on participants' perceptions of program effectiveness. The implications for Extension evaluation and programming are also discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

One school offers zipTrips as an alternative to actual field trips taken outside of school. ZipTrips are web- and broadcast-delivered electronic field trips that include online videos, lesson plans, and a live, 45-minute interactive program consisting of four core components: an in-studio audience, live interaction with scientists, prerecorded segments, and integrated activities for in-studio, web, and broadcast audiences. (Contains 7 figures and 1 online resource.)

Little research has been done on the production and use of podcasts in the fields of food, agriculture, natural resource, or human sciences (FANRHS). Currently, there is limited information for best practices on creating an effective FANRHS podcast to reach a target public audience. The purpose of this study was to examine existing practices and experiences of FANRHS podcast producers. The findings of this study will be of interest to organizations, institutions, and individuals who currently produce or are interested in producing an educational or science-based podcast. This study provided foundational information on podcast creation and maintenance. Future research should explore optimal podcast formats and content design to influence listeners' perception and knowledge level on FANRHS science topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted many aspects of education, as well as the lives of those involved in preparing and carrying out teaching and learning amidst the ongoing pandemic. At the collegiate level, while both students and faculty alike have navigated virtual learning spaces, one specific population has experienced stress of being both a student and educator – Graduate students. This study used internet-based photo-elicitation and interview methods to investigate the experiences of graduate students serving as teaching/research assistants during the abrupt transition to virtual teaching and learning at the onset of COVID-19. Study results weave together participant provided images with personal interviews. Data showed graduate students had minimal resources, mental health effects, and that humorous memes served as coping tools. Recommendations include increased resources, flexibility, and understanding of graduate student experiences must be centralized in higher education to benefit graduate students’ wellness through and beyond the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduate students hold several roles and responsibilities (i.e., learner, employee, teaching assistant, researcher, caregiver, etc.). Due to COVID-19, and the abrupt transition to virtual workplaces and learning environments during the spring 2020 semester, many graduate students encountered complex experiences and the blending of roles and responsibilities. This qualitative study included interviews with 22 graduate students about their experiences during the COVID-19 online transition at a land grant university. The four emergent themes included: (a) graduate students' complexity of roles and experiences, (b) challenges and barriers experienced, (c) support structures available to graduate students, and (d) lessons learned and implications for the future. Recommendations for practice included creating opportunities for peer-connections and collaboration within virtual learning and work environments and professional development for course instructors in emergency remote teaching (ERT) and virtual settings. Recommendations for research included an investigation of best practices of online written interview methods, longitudinal study of graduate students as they move beyond graduate school to determine how ERT has affected their new roles, and further examination of graduate students' needs and preparedness for delivering and receiving ERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined instructor and learner experiences in a Journalism for Social Change (JSC) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to introduce learners around the world to constructive, solutions-based journalism techniques, as well as engage learners in developing news stories promoting positive change about critical child welfare (CW) issues. Mixed-methods were used to identify five themes across instructor and learner experiences. Results suggest MOOCs have the potential to increase learners’ journalism content knowledge and to mobilize citizen journalists around social justice topics impacting communities. This study adds to an ongoing body of work investigating MOOC design for changing attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]