scholarly journals The SFA Arboretum: The First Ten Years

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 594G-595
Author(s):  
David L. Creech
Keyword(s):  
Community Involvement ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
External Funding ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Landscape Plant ◽  
Public Garden ◽  
Back Door ◽  
The University

The SFA Arboretum is evidence that small horticulture programs can capitalize on what's right outside the back door of the building. Initiated in 1985 as a lab project in a landscape plant materials course on the south side of the Agriculture building, the collection has grown to over 3000 taxa displayed in a ten-acre public garden setting. The Arboretum's mission is to 1) promote the conservation and use of native plants, 2) evaluate “new” landscape plant materials, and 3) serve as a living laboratory for students in Horticulture, Agriculture, Biology and Forestry. Funding improvements in the last two years and the creation of a Board of Advisors and a Volunteer Corps organization has addressed problems in routine landscape maintenance and getting “new” garden developments off the ground. A “Plants with Promise” program acquires, tests, propagates, distributes and promotes superior “new” woody plants. Outstanding performers include Bignonia capreolata 'atrosangainea', Campsis grandiflora, Cinnamomum chekingensis, Euschapis japonica, Scuttelaria suffretescens 'pink', Sinojackia rehderiana, Taxodium mucronatum, Viburnum propinquum, various Styrax species and varieties, several Michelia species, Illicium henryi, three Mexico oaks, and many others. AutoCAD maps and a plant inventory database tracks plant location and acquisition data. A just-completed GIS-based analysis of the university forest paves the way for a campus-as-arboretum effort. The premise of this paper is that high-visibility, easy-access display/evaluation gardens offer Horticulture Departments the opportunity for enhanced student recruitment, community involvement, external funding, environmental education, and the potential for significant contributions to the nursery industry.

scholarly journals Native and Adapted Plant Introduction for Low-water Landscaping

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-435
Author(s):  
Larry A. Rupp ◽  
Richard M. Anderson ◽  
James Klett ◽  
Stephen L. Love ◽  
Jerry Goodspeed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Plants ◽  
Plant Introduction ◽  
State University ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Land Grant Universities ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Colorado State University ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
Herbaceous Perennials ◽  
The University

In response to a perceived need for the development and introduction of superior plant accessions for use in sustainable, low-water landscaping, land-grant universities in Colorado, Idaho, and Utah, have supported plant development programs. Each of these programs has unique characteristics and protocols for releasing plant materials and obtaining royalties to further support research and development. Colorado State University (CSU) is part of the Plant Select program, which evaluates and promotes native and non-native plants for use in low-water landscapes. Selected plants are released to commercial members who pay a membership fee and royalties for access to the selected plants. The University of Idaho focuses on selecting and evaluating native herbaceous perennials, which are then released through a contract and royalty program with a local nursery. Utah State University uses the Sego Supreme program to select, propagate, and evaluate native plants. Selected plants are released to interested growers who pay a royalty for production rights.

Accessibility of Internet Based Electronic Resources: A Content Analysis of Public and Private University Library Websites in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Shamima Yesmin .
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Private University ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
University Library ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
The University

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the websites of university libraries to ascertain that libraries are effectively utilizing their respective websites to provide easy access to all electronic resources available in the library. The objective was also to a represent a comparative analysis between public and private university library websites regarding the presence of electronic resources with their easy access via the internet. For the purpose of this study, a research instrument in the form of comprehensive checklist of eighteen e-resources was developed to evaluate their accessibility in the websites of public and private university libraries. Twenty university library websites, comprised of ten top-ranked public and ten top-ranked private universities in Bangladesh, were studied for data collection using content analysis method. The findings demonstrate that the presence of e-resources on selected university library websites is still in its early stage, but it has been growing rapidly. The private university library websites are ahead of public university libraries in terms of the integration of web-resources. It is hoped that the findings of this paper will serve to assist the University librarians and other similar institutions in choosing, selecting and acquiring the most appropriate format of information resources, and making these available to their websites, which will both satisfy the needs of their library users and fit within their library budget.

scholarly journals A Mobile Medical Knowledge Dissemination Platform (HeadToToe): Mixed Methods Study

10.2196/17729 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e17729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ido Zamberg ◽  
Olivier Windisch ◽  
Thomas Agoritsas ◽  
Mathieu Nendaz ◽  
Georges Savoldelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
Third Party ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
The University

Background Finding readily accessible, high-quality medical references can be a challenging task. HeadToToe is a mobile platform designed to allow easy and quick access to sound, up-to-date, and validated medical knowledge and guidance. It provides easy access to essential clinical medical content in the form of documents, videos, clinical scores, and other formats for the day-to-day access and use by medical students and physicians during their pre- and postgraduate education. Objective The aim of this paper is to describe the architecture, user interface, and potential strengths and limitations of an innovative knowledge dissemination platform developed at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. We also report preliminary results from a user-experience survey and usage statistics over a selected period. Methods The dissemination platform consists of a smartphone app. Through an administration interface, content is managed by senior university and hospital staff. The app includes the following sections: (1) main section of medical guidance, organized by clinical field; (2) checklists for history-taking and clinical examination, organized by body systems; (3) laboratory section with frequently used lab values; and (4) favorites section. Each content item is programmed to be available for a given duration as defined by the content’s author. Automatic notifications signal the author when the content is about to expire, hence, promoting its timely updating and reducing the risk of using obsolete content. In the background, a third-party statistical collecting tool records anonymous utilization statistics. Results We launched the final version of the platform in March 2019, both at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva and at the University Hospital of Geneva in Switzerland. A total of 622 students at the university and 613 health professionals at the hospital downloaded the app. Two-thirds of users at both institutions had an iOS device. During the practical examination period (ie, May 2019) there was a significant increase in the number of active users (P=.003), user activity (P<.001), and daily usage time (P<.001) among medical students. In addition, there were 1086 clinical skills video views during this period compared to a total of 484 in the preceding months (ie, a 108% increase). On a 10-point Likert scale, students and physicians rated the app with mean scores of 8.2 (SD 1.9) for user experience, 8.1 (SD 2.0) for usefulness, and 8.5 (SD 1.8) for relevance of content. In parallel, postgraduate trainees viewed more than 6000 documents during the first 3 months after the implementation in the Division of Neurology at our institution. Conclusions HeadToToe is an educator-driven, mobile dissemination platform, which provides rapid and user-friendly access to up-to-date medical content and guidance. The platform was given high ratings for user experience, usefulness, and content quality and was used more often during the exam period. This suggests that the platform could be used as tool for exam preparation.

scholarly journals Learners’ Attitudes toward Foreign Language Practice on Social Network Sites

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Jhonny Villafuerte ◽  
Asier Romero
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Social Network Sites ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
The University

This work aims to study learners’ attitudes towards practicing English Language on Social Networks Sites (SNS). The sample involved 110 students from the University Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabi in Ecuador, and the University of the Basque Country in Spain. The instrument applied was a Likert scale questionnaire designed Ad hoc by the researchers, to assess the dimensions: (i) Integration of SNS into learners’ academic everyday activities, and (ii) Learners’ attitudes towards English Language practices on SNS. All the data was analyzed using SPSS V24.00 of IBM. The findings showed corelationships between learners’ attitudes and the factors: learners’ sex, age, and country. The results also confirmed that both Spanish and Ecuadorian university students prefer YouTube, and Google+ for their easy access, and flexibility to strengthen listening, reading and comprehension skills in English. In addition, Facebook, and Whats App can be used to motivate reading, writing, and speaking practices in English.

scholarly journals Enhancement of prosthetics and orthotics learning and teaching through e-Learning technology and methodology

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. Wong ◽  
E. D. Lemaire ◽  
A. K. L. Leung ◽  
M. F. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Training ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Interactive Approach ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
E Learning ◽  
On Line ◽  
Demonstration Video ◽  
The University

A Write-Once Publish-Everywhere model was used to create and deliver on-line clinical training and education for undergraduate prosthetics and orthotics students. This project consisted of three phases: developing multimedia learning and teaching tools, integrating these tools into the curriculum (combination of e-Leaming and live practical sessions), and evaluating the outcomes. Video-based multimedia contents were captured and integrated with graphic, audio and text into a PowerPoint presentation software format. The web-based content was integrated into the WebCT platform for course management. Questionnaires were used to obtain student feedback on this e-Learning approach. Results were compared within the prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) programme, with other Health Sciences programmes, and overall with the University. P&O student responses were significantly higher than other groups for career relevance and problem solving. Qualitative feedback indicated that students appreciated the easy access, integrated and interactive approach of the text materials, concise PowerPoint presentation, demonstration video and the online case discussion via the WebCT platform. Educators appreciated the ability easily to maintain contents and publish the modules across multiple media without recreating the contents.

scholarly journals Endowment Strategies for the University of Delaware Botanic Garden through Case Study Analysis

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Stephens ◽  
Aaron Steil ◽  
Melody Gray ◽  
Abby Hird ◽  
Sonya Lepper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Of Delaware ◽  
Botanic Garden ◽  
Public Horticulture ◽  
Public Gardens ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Future Success ◽  
Public Garden ◽  
The University ◽  
Volunteer Group

The University of Delaware Botanic Garden (UDBG), located in Newark, is in transition, moving from its initial founding as a public garden by dedicated faculty and a volunteer group to an organized and efficient entity with widely recognized achievements and reputation. To make this leap, UDBG is faced with the particular need for an endowment to fund its operations, staff, and collections to continue future success. An endowment will provide a steady source of monetary support to operate and maintain UDBG. This study was conducted to discover the best endowment strategies based on the experience of four other public gardens associated with universities. These interviews were compiled and compared. The resulting recommendations for UDBG are based on the following five areas: organizational structure, planning, current strategies, the endowment, and the donor. The insights into how all five of these areas affect endowments may also be beneficial to other university public horticulture entities seeking to build an endowment.

scholarly journals Survey of Master Gardener Use of Native Plants in the Southeastern United States

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 462-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Brzuszek ◽  
Richard L. Harkess ◽  
Lelia Kelly
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Master Gardener ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Interest Level ◽  
Cooperative Extension Services

The Master Gardener program is a volunteer horticultural training and an educational outreach program developed and managed by state cooperative extension services. Previous research in the southeastern United States revealed that landscape architects and contractors are increasingly using native plant materials in their projects and this often exceeds regional plant availability. A survey of green industry in the region showed supply is driven by consumer demand and education. To determine if native plant demand is encountered by plant purchasers other than landscape architects, this study evaluates the interest level and market use of native plants by Master Gardeners of six southeastern states. A web-based survey was developed, and Master Gardeners were invited to participate by their state Master Gardener coordinators. The survey included questions on how Master Gardeners use native plants in their home landscape, how they best learn about them, the species they have purchased, and their interest level. A total of 979 Master Gardeners completed the survey. Results revealed that this particular consumer group is enthusiastic about native plants and supports the landscape professionals' claims that marketing for native plants could improve if plants were available at more retail outlets, by having more types (herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees) and species for sale, and by offering greater quantities of plants.

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