Kansas State University
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Sapere Aude — Dare to Be Wise: Robert J. McDermott
Get PDFSapere Aude – Dare to Be Wise is a unique editorial conversational interview-type feature. It is an attempt to deep dive into an Academy members’ background, formative experience, and education – specifically, to extract factors that contributed to their development and evolution as a professional, as well as their success as a prominent researcher in the health behavior arena. Every Academy member selected has a different story to tell and numerous models for success will emerge from this exploration of the membership
Morse Memo: Paging Through the Past
Get PDFA historical look at early printed books and the oldest books at K-State Libraries
Safe spaces: Exploration of the transformative power of online graduate programs for adult learners
Get PDFThe purpose of this exploratory case study was to consider how instructors can facilitate a safe and inclusive environment for adult learners in an online graduate program and to explore the potential benefits of such a learning space. Through a thematic analysis of the case study materials, three prominent themes emerged. The three themes were: a) seeking to engage through sharing life experiences, b) mindfulness-based reflective practice, and c) facilitating safe and inclusive spaces as a path to transformation. This study adds to current literature by validating the importance of creating a safe and inclusive environment for adult learners in distance education programs. This study also provides guidance for adult educators who teach online, recommending meaningful ways to integrate adult learning theory into instructional practices in order to promote students’ sense of belonging, engagement, and persistence
An Autoethnography of a Doctoral Student’s Identity Development Through Exposure to Short-term Study Abroad.
Get PDFThis is a reflective autoethnographic study about my short-term study abroad (SSA) experiences as a doctoral student in a US-based adult education program
Effect of Defoliation at Different Stages on Grain Sorghum Yield and Yield Components
Get PDFLoss of leaf area usually results in yield loss in grain crops, but the amount of yield loss varies with extent and timing of defoliation. Grass crops, such as corn and grain sorghum, are particularly sensitive to leaf area loss near the time of seed set because there is little opportunity for the plant to compensate. An experiment to quantify yield reductions associated with various levels of defoliation imposed at different stages of grain sorghum development was conducted at Manhattan, KS, in 2023. Target defoliations of 0, 33, 66, and 100% were imposed at 5-leaf, flag leaf appearance, half bloom, and hard dough stages. Defoliation of 5-leaf sorghum resulted in minimal yield loss unless the defoliation rate was 100%, which delayed heading, increased heads per plant, and reduced head size. Leaf area losses approaching 100% at the hard dough stage caused minimal yield reductions in a year with high temperatures and minimal rainfall during grain fill. Yield reductions were greatest when leaf area was lost at flag leaf appearance or half bloom. Leaf area loss of 60% or greater caused yield losses of 40% to 70%. These yield losses were associated with different combinations of reductions in head size and seed size depending on timing of leaf loss
Cover Crop Biomass Removal Rates to Optimize Livestock Production and Soil Health in No-tillage Dryland Cropping Systems
Get PDFGrazing cover crops (CCs) could provide an economic benefit to offset potential lost revenue when grain crop yields are decreased after CCs in dry years. However, there is limited guidance on the optimum biomass removal rate that balances soil health and grazing goals. An on-farm study was established in fall 2022 on a 50-a producer field in Russell Co., KS, to investigate the effects of CC biomass removal rates with cattle grazing on soil health parameters and grain crop yields, and profitability in no-till (NT) dryland cropping systems. The study design was a randomized complete block with three treatments and four replications. The treatments included ungrazed CCs, “take-half-leave-half” (T-H-L-H, 50% biomass removal), and “graze-out” (G-O, 90% biomass removal). Results showed that T-H-L-H and G-O significantly reduced CC residue amount and height compared to ungrazed CCs but maintained residue cover on the soil surface similar to ungrazed CCs. Cover crop management had no significant effect on soil organic carbon, particulate organic matter, nitrate-N, or P concentrations. However, T-H-L-H somewhat increased soil bulk density compared to ungrazed CCs, though both were similar to G-O. Soil penetration resistance, wind-erodible fraction, mean weight diameter of water stable aggregates, time-to-runoff, and subsequent grain sorghum yield were unaffected by CC management. These results suggest that farmers and ranchers may be able to graze CCs at greater intensities than T-H-L-H to maximize livestock gains while maintaining soil health. This approach could increase adoption of CCs and benefit water quality protection and improvement efforts in reaching the goals of the approved 9 Element Watershed Plan through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Environmental Protection Agency. However, these observations were made in a 1-year study and under exceptional drought conditions, so further investigation will be necessary under conditions of average or above average precipitation when wet soils may be more susceptible to degradation by cattle hoof traffic
Parents’ learning in family literacy programming: Findings from a four-year, mixed-methods evaluation
Get PDFThis paper reports findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of five family literacy programs in Philadelphia, mainly serving immigrant mothers. The paper focuses on parents\u27 educational, personal, social, and parenting outcomes
Using Data to Make Evidence Informed Decisions in School Social Work
Get PDFEffectively supporting school social workers (SSW) in using data to make evidence informed decisions can be challenging for many reasons. This study examines how SSW utilize data across each step of the data engagement framework and, explores the confidence level of SSW in identifying data as well as specific types of data being utilized in the school setting. Data were collected though mixed-methods survey items with social workers in one district in central Florida asking about the different ways in which SSW were engaged with data usage. Results from the study indicate that SSW felt more comfortable in identifying interventions and their ability to intervene than having the right data, making meaning of data, or evaluating the impact of their interventions. These themes were further explored using the qualitative items which identified specific aspects of data engagement including identification of the right data, accessing data, interpreting results, deciding interventions, monitoring implementation and how SSW learn about interventions
Cotton’s Reactions to Irrigation Management Strategies Applied by Various Irrigation Technologies in Southwest Kansas
Get PDFInvestigating effective methods in agricultural water management could be a potential solution to address the water scarcity issue and its consequences in the economy of semi-arid regions. A study was conducted in 2023 to identify the benefits of different irrigation technologies and irrigation water management strategies for cotton production in western Kansas. Effects of two configurations of the new mobile drip irrigation (MDI) system (1 gal/h and 2 gal/h) on cotton yield and yield components were compared with a LEPA bubbler and a LESA sprayer to apply 7-day and 14-day irrigation interval strategies. This study so far has revealed the superiority of the combination of either a LESA sprayer or MDI-1 gal/h irrigation with 14-day irrigation intervals in achieving the highest cotton yield in the region