The Possibilities of Uncertainty

Author(s):  
Joshua Daniel-Wariya ◽  
Lynn C. Lewis

This article describes the rationale, development, and implementation of a digital archival curriculum within the first-year composition program at Oklahoma State University. Such a curriculum helps students engage genuine inquiry to discover arguments rather than defend their existing beliefs. Analytic complexity and hidden information are offered as potential sources of uncertainty.

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 658
Author(s):  
Elise Knowlton ◽  
Justin L. Talley ◽  
Bruce H. Noden ◽  
William Wyatt Hoback

Ticks (Arachnida: Acari) are common in Oklahoma and may transmit tick-borne diseases (TBDs) to people. Due to the difficulty in reducing tick populations, awareness of tick bite prevention, proper tick removal, and knowledge of when to seek medical treatment are critical. However, outreach and extension programs are hampered by a lack of knowledge of what community members know about ticks. To address this limitation, we surveyed college students enrolled in three non-major Entomology courses at Oklahoma State University in 2018. Of the 483 students invited to take a survey, 224 (46.4%) students took both surveys. Pre-survey responses indicated lower levels of knowledge of tick biology compared to post-survey responses. For both pre- and post-survey respondents, “ticks can jump” and “ticks reside up in trees” received the fewest correct responses. A majority of survey respondents considered Lyme disease to be the predominant TBD in Oklahoma, although it is not established in Oklahoma. Supplemental education overcame these knowledge gaps, with the exception of knowledge of Lyme disease which was still considered to be the predominant TBD in the post-survey. Our results can be used to develop assessment tools to improve extension programs and enhance protection from TBDs.


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