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An Examination of the West Virginia Tourism Escalation: Strategies for Transforming Kentucky
No full textAlmost heaven, West Virginia… From changing their website’s font to utilizing a popular song chorus, West Virginia has completely transformed their economy by intentionally branding the tourist destinations already available to them. West Virginia’s most attractive tourist destinations are widely based upon the state’s natural beauty and rich history. Perhaps the most effective branding technique West Virginia implemented was simply enhancing what they already had. West Virginia tourism is not trying to sell the state as something it is not, rather they are trying to market the area for what it truly is. Surrounding states including Kentucky could learn a few tips and techniques from West Virginia’s branding that could potentially transform their economy as well. Strategies such as intentionally marketing the unique Appalachian history, landscapes, outdoor recreation opportunities, and culture as well as utilizing the available tools such as social media are all viable options to completely reconstruct the way people view Kentucky as a tourist destination. This research examined the West Virginia tourism transformation and offers suggestions and applications for Kentucky
Everyday Life Factors that Affect Memory
No full textWorking memory is the ability to maintain information in the brain for a short period while also completing complex tasks such as reasoning, learning, and comprehension. It is essential for everyday life and decision-making. Low levels of working memory would result in humans not being able to store long-term memories or recall those memories. High levels of working memory would result in the brain not resting as it needs to since it is kept busy. This study looked at how many words the participant can recall and whether stress, drug use, and sleep quality affect their memory. One hypothesis was that stress would be positively associated with memory performance. A second hypothesis was drug use would be negatively associated with memory performance. A third hypothesis was that sleep disturbances would be positively associated with memory performance. Fifty-four undergraduate psychology students enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University were recruited through the SONA system. They were asked to complete different surveys, which asked them questions about their stress level, drug usage, and sleep disturbances. Participants also participated in a memory task. The results showed that participants with stress did have a higher chance of sleep disturbance. And that those who experienced higher sleep disturbances presented lower memory recall. It was concluded that sleep disturbances decrease memory recall. One limitation was that each participant had different studying techniques.
Keywords: Working memory, stress, drug use, sleep disturbances, recal
The influence of fashion trends on adolescents’ clothing decisions, self esteem, and body image
No full textAlthough there is research done on the impact of clothing on mental health and body image, there is still a gap found. There is no research about how fashion trends–the cycle of how media and society find new fashion and choose it to be “in style”--are influencing adolescents. This led me to my question “What influence do fashion trends have on adolescents\u27 body image and self esteem?”. Through this research, I administered a google form to secondary students asking questions regarding their clothing decisions, body image, and how they feel trends may impact their self esteem
The Association Between Fast Food Family Meals and Family Relationships
No full textThere is a lot of existing research with primary focuses on either the increasing popularity of fast food, the declining trend of family meals, or the declining trend of family “togetherness” and relationships. Nonetheless, there is a gap in research regarding the association between the three topics: fast food, family meals, and family relationships. This gap leads to the research question, “To what extent is there an association between the frequency of fast food family meals and family relationships?” This paper seeks to answer this question by distributing a structured survey to Kentucky high school students and quantifying the results to find an association
To what extent do school dress codes discriminate female-identifying students, and how can they be improved to minimize sexism
No full textThis research project explores the extent of sexism present in secondary school dress codes, and how this discrimination can be limited to improve learning environments for female-identifying students. School dress codes are founded in the male gaze, giving female-identifying students an inherent disadvantage and promoting the idea of feminine identity being sexual. This constant objectification of young girls creates internalized sexualization that damages how girls view femininity and the female body. School dress codes also create issues of authority, limiting student identity and giving them a reason to lash out. This research seeks to understand the extent of the sexism present and dress codes and find a solution to eliminate this problem. Through the use of a survey with contextual questions, as well as follow-up personal interviews, I hope to gain this understanding
Does linguistic background influence academic anxiety in Latino students?
No full textCollege students are likely to experience academic anxiety. There is an increasing number of Latinos/as attending universities in the United States, but few studies have focused on levels of academic anxiety in Latino populations. The purpose of this study is to determine whether linguistic background influences academic anxiety in Latino students. A survey was distributed to Latino students enrolled in universities across Kentucky. Results indicate that none of the predicted linguistic factors (i.e., English Proficiency, English History, and English Usage) impact academic anxiety in Latino students. It is surprising to find that variations in Latino students’ linguistic background do not influence academic anxiety at the university level.
Keywords: Academic Anxiety, English Proficiency, English Usage, English History, Latino Student
A Student-Faculty Partnership in Redesigning Renewable Assignments
Get PDFThis article explores the experiences of OTD students and one faculty who redesigned assignments as a method for students to co-create their own learning. Twenty-two students completed five newly designed renewable assignments in a clinical orthopedic course. Students then provided feedback individually and as a group at midterm and the end of the semester on the assignments including templates, grading rubrics, and assignment instructions. Redesigning course assignments can take more time before and during the semester. The gain is more student involvement and effective engagement with the course materials in the teaching-learning process
A Pilot Study to Compare Lecture and Active Learning
Get PDFActive learning strategies are being increasingly valued by instructors and implemented in higher education. However, mixed outcomes exist regarding learning, exam results, and student preferences for active learning compared to traditional lectures. A convenience sample of 26 first-year graduate students participated in a study that examined the impact of attending a traditional lecture versus an active learning session. Both sessions included a PowerPoint presentation and the active learning class also included embedded educational videos, instructor-led class discussions, a case study, and a think-pair-share activity. The instructor used a pre and post-test for each class and conducted a survey after each post-test. The study results showed statistical significance for both teaching methods, with the traditional lecture statistically higher by question. Most students’ perceptions of learning and preferred teaching methods favored active learning. Students felt activities helped them maintain their attention and allowed them to self-reflect on their understanding of content. The students also perceived that their learning was supplemented through peer and instructor questions and engagement. Furthermore, students felt the active lecture helped improve their self-efficacy, made them feel more included in the classroom, helped to meet their unique learning styles, and gave them the perception that they learned more. Conversely, some students felt the traditional lecture was more concise than the active lecture, focused on the “important” content, and was better organized and easier to follow. Because students’ learning, exam results, perceptions, and preferences vary, delivering a mixed method of instruction may benefit students while promoting self-efficacy and enjoyment of the instructor and classroom experience
Perceptions of Skill Development Among Occupational Therapy Students Who Participated in Virtual Fieldwork: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Get PDFOccupational therapy fieldwork helps students refine their professional and technical skills to achieve competency required of entry-level occupational therapists. While fieldwork is traditionally completed in an in-person setting, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some students completing fieldwork in a virtual format. Yet, minimal research has explored perceptions of skill development among students who complete virtual fieldwork placements. This qualitative descriptive study examined the perceptions of skill development among graduate-level occupational therapy students and graduates who participated in a virtual fieldwork placement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight participants from 3 different states completed semi-structured interviews of no longer than 60 minutes duration via Microsoft Teams. Verbatim interview transcriptions were analyzed by the researchers using a constant-comparative data analysis approach. Four key themes emerged: participants initially experienced uncertainty and had concerns regarding the development of their professional and technical skills; professional and technical skills improved during virtual fieldwork but skill development was perceived to be more difficult to accomplish; communication, peer support, online resources, and utilization of their fieldwork educator were primary strategies for facilitating skills development during virtual fieldwork; and virtual fieldwork provides valuable lessons that are applicable to future practice, but students did not recommend it for other occupational therapy students. The results of this study suggest that while virtual fieldwork placements may be valuable in some situations, educators must carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks before placing students in virtual fieldwork placements in the future and ensure that proper support is provided before and during the placement