Practice Summary: A Multiobjective Assignment Model for Optimal Socially Distanced Classrooms for the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University

In response to Oklahoma State University’s goal to provide safe face-to-face course options for as many students as possible in fall 2020, the Spears School of Business leadership developed a strategy based on data analytics and multiobjective optimization that allowed the implementation of a smooth transition plan for classes in fall 2020. OpenSolver was used (within Excel) to create an effective and efficient tool that successfully implemented classroom assignments that maximized face-to-face offerings while minimizing disruptions to the schedule, faculty, and registrar’s office.

PSXIII-27 Oklahoma State University constructing diversified learning for extension educators

The role of extension educators is to convey cutting-edge information to the varying sectors of the agricultural industry. In recent years, Oklahoma State University has initiated the process of creating online continuing education courses for Oklahoma-based extension educators. The objective is to develop online modules to enhance educator professional development through expansion of animal science knowledge. In the spring of 2021, Oklahoma extension educators will receive the opportunity to enroll in the introductory level course of this series, “Livestock Production Practices 101” (LPP 101). LPP 101 has been designed for extension educators that have little to no animal science background. The course will be comprised of eight lessons. The eight lessons include livestock species terminology, vision, hearing and handling, nutrient classification, digestive anatomy, reproductive anatomy, life cycles - from conception to consumption, breeds and genetic evaluation parameters, and comparative anatomy. Each lesson will convey species-specific information relative to cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. Lessons will include activities such as readings and interactive illustrations. At the conclusion of each lesson, knowledge checks will be given as review to prepare educators for a quiz. Knowledge checks and quiz questions will be a combination of fill-in the blank, multiple choice, matching, and species-specific sorting. Educators must obtain an eighty percent or higher on all lesson quizzes to receive a course certificate. Educators will complete approximately five hours of course work over a ten-week period. A survey will be offered at the conclusion of the course to assess whether the educator found the course to be both engaging and beneficial. The survey will also serve as a guide as to which topics provided in this course would be sought after if developed into courses of their own.

College Students’ Knowledge of Ticks in Oklahoma: Assessment and Insights

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.

What Matters? Exploring Drivers of Basic and Complex Adjustments to Tornadoes Among College Students

Scholars have produced several theories and models to explain why individuals adjust to hazards. While findings from these studies are informative, studies have not considered how threat and coping appraisals may have differential effects on varying types of hazard adjustments, or how these findings may generalize to vulnerable populations. This study expands on the Protection Motivation Theory to explore the factors that shape hazard adjustment intentions among college students, a population traditionally defined as vulnerable, in response to tornado risk. An online survey was administered to college students (n=377) at Oklahoma State University, situated in a region that experiences considerable tornado risk. While the correlations between threat appraisal and tornado hazard adjustment intentions are smaller than the correlations between coping appraisal and tornado hazard adjustment intentions, findings suggest that threat appraisals become more important for influencing college students’ adjustment intentions when adjustment activities are complex (e.g., tornado shelter, home insurance), rather than basic (e.g., flashlight, first aid kid). This suggests that while both threat appraisals and coping appraisals are important for complex hazard adjustment intentions, basic hazard adjustment intentions are almost exclusively determined by coping appraisals. These findings have several practical implications for emergency management and provide new avenues for future hazard adjustment studies.

High-altitude Inflatable Kites and Their Role in Atmospheric Boundary Layer Research

Kites have been used as weather sensing solutions for over 250 years. The fact that they are simpler to operate and train on than alternative aerial systems, their ability to keep station at a fixed point for a long term, simplified altitude control, and the ease of retrieving their payload attribute to their growing appeal in atmospheric research. NASA, Toyota, and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Oklahoma State University are active in developing and deploying high-altitude inflatable kite systems for atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) research—crucial to advancing the accuracy of weather forecasting. Improvements in kite design, as well as instrumentation and supporting infrastructure, are key to further accelerating the use of kites in atmospheric research. The work underway by these researchers is intended to be a deliberate step in the evolutionary development of these beneficial systems.

Reviewer Acknowledgements

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 9, Number 2 Fathia Lahwal, Elmergib University, LibyaHerman Fukada, University of HKBP Nommensen, IndonesiaHossein Chaharbashloo, Kharazmi University, IranIntakhab Khan, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi ArabiaJohn Cowan, Edinburgh Napier University, UKKeyla Ferrari Lopes, UNICAMP, BrazilMan-fung Lo, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong KongMaria Rachel Queiroz, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, BrazilMeral Seker, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, TurkeyMinh Duc Duong, Thai Nguyen University, VietnamRachel Geesa, Ball State University, USARima Meilita Sari, STKIP Al-Washliyah, IndonesiaSamah El-Sakka, Suez University, EgyptThada Jantakoon, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, ThailandTilanka Chandrasekera, Oklahoma State University, USA Robert SmithEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAE-mail 1: [email protected] 2: [email protected]: http://jets.redfame.com

67 Effects of Maternal Disposition and Calf Chute Behavior at Weaning on Calf Finishing Performance

Temperament has been reported to impact calf performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternity disposition and calf temperament at weaning to finishing performance. Maternal disposition at calving and calf chute behavior at weaning data were collected from the University of Arkansas between August 2017 and May 2018. Calves were finished at Oklahoma State University Willard Sparks Research Center between October 2018 and August 2019. Cow behavior was observed at calving and received a disposition score (CDS) that used a 5-point scale where a score of 1 was highly aggressive, and a 5 was apathetic. At weaning, calf weight (WW) and chute behavior (CS) was recorded. Chute behavior at weaning used a 5-point scale; a score of 1 was indicative of a calm exit, and a 5 was aggressive when exiting the chute. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05. Calves with CS of 2 at weaning had greater BW both on arrival to feed yard (P < 0.01) and at harvest (P = 0.01) than calves with a CS of 3. Calves from cows with CDS of 3 had greater feedlot arrival weights (P = 0.01) and ADG (P = 0.01) than calves from cows with CDS of 4. This study indicates that cattle with nervous chute behavior (CS = 3) had potentially detrimental effects on performance and can impact overall life-time productivity.