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Health Education through Arts-based Learning (HEAL): Facilitating learning and engagement by blending arts and sciences

Health Education through Arts-based Learning (HEAL): Facilitating learning and engagement by blending arts and sciences

Primary author: Robert Danielson
Co-author(s): Molly Kelton; Libby Grace; Jeb Owen; Alison White; AnaMaria Martinez; Pat Butterfield; Michaela Fallon

Primary college/unit: College of Education
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:
Common goals for STEM education typically include the integration of multiple disciplines to encourage interdisciplinary thinking, recognition, and application of STEM concepts to real-world contexts. Integrating art into STEM disciplines enhances this goal, encouraging students to interact with and create multiple models of complex ideas. In addition, art can promote enhanced engagement, learning about science, visualization of scientific concepts, scientific reasoning, and scientific communication. Our broader project, Health-Education through Arts-Based Learning (HEAL), funded by both a WSU Seed Grant and now the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leverages arts-based communication to focus on zoonotic diseases and ecosystem dynamics. A partnership among university researchers, community organizations, and experts in science and science communication, HEAL attempts to build the capacity of educators and biomedical institutions to engage rural, predominantly Latinx students in locally relevant science activities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how arts integration into a STEM intervention might support learning, reasoning, and thinking about socio-scientific issues. Art of Insects, an after-school program serving upper elementary students in rural-agricultural communities, utilizes an arts-based approach to developing systems-level understanding of zoonotic diseases and ecosystem dynamics. Participants included late elementary students from predominantly Latinx rural-agricultural communities that participated in Art of Insects (n=19) in Fall 2018. Preliminary findings reveal that student thinking around mosquitoes and disease systems expanded after completion of Art of Insects, particularly through greater attendance to multiple elements and their relatedness and recognizing multiple interacting causal forces.

The effects of music versus mindfulness on affective responses to self-paced treadmill walking

The effects of music versus mindfulness on affective responses to self-paced treadmill walking

Primary author: Anne Cox
Co-author(s): Sarah Ullrich-French; Amanda McMahon

Primary college/unit: College of Education
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Positive affective responses are positively associated with exercise behaviour. Thus, researchers have focused on identifying strategies that are most effective at optimizing positive affect during exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using dissociative (music) and associative (mindfulness) strategies during exercise on affect-related variables in women not currently meeting physical activity guidelines. Participants (N = 31, Mage = 28.6, SD = 9.9) completed three self-paced exercise sessions (control, music, mindfulness) on a treadmill in a randomized order. Affective responses and ratings of perceived exertion were measured at four points during the 20-minute exercise session and affective responses, enjoyment, mindfulness, remembered affect and forecasted affect were measured after the exercise session. Results showed that participants’ affective responses during exercise were similar across conditions. Significantly higher enjoyment, remembered and forecasted affect were reported for the music condition compared to the control. There were no differences between the music and mindfulness conditions. The only significant difference between the mindfulness and control conditions was higher forecasted affect in the mindfulness condition. Results suggest that the use of mindfulness as an associative attentional strategy during exercise may support positive affective responses that are similar in magnitude to music. The qualities of acceptance and nonjudgement characteristic of mindfulness distinguish it from other forms of associative attention.

Collaborative Conversations: Learning to Become Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Educators

Collaborative Conversations: Learning to Become Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Educators

Primary author: Kathleen Cowin
Co-author(s): Sarah Newcomer

Primary college/unit: College of Education
Campus: Tri-Cities

Abstract:

Our research reports on a study bringing teacher and school leader candidates together to deepen the candidates’ self-study about socially just, culturally sustaining pedagogy, with the purpose of allowing candidates to reflect on their teaching and leadership practices together. Our goal was to learn more about how to connect teacher and school leader preparation coursework, and to study the efficacy of this collaboration between teacher and school leader candidates.

Teacher and leader candidates were engaged in four collaborative dialogue sessions focused on six assigned research articles. Small groups were formed of both teacher and school leader candidates so the candidates could share their perspectives as teachers and school leaders with one another. After each session the candidates also met as a whole group for a review of the highlights of their small group discussions, especially focusing on their own study of their culturally sustaining and socially just teaching practices. Candidates also wrote written reflections based on their insights from the discussions. An electronic platform was used to capture the candidates’ reflections on the readings and the dialogues. These reflections were shared with the whole group and with the researchers.

We will report what we learned about the candidates’ communication from observing the dialogues. We will record the topics of the dialogues as well as the candidates’ report of how their self-study impacted their culturally sustaining and/or socially just teaching or leadership practices.

Consumer Motivations for Intramural Sport Participation

Consumer Motivations for Intramural Sport Participation

Primary author: Jordan Baxter
Co-author(s): Hailie Palafox
Faculty sponsor: Yong-chae Rhee

Primary college/unit: College of Education
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Intramural sports are one of the most popular ways for students to get involved on college campuses. However in recent years the participation rates have steadily decreased, especially among females (Baghurst, Tapps, & Judy, 2014). To better understand why students are playing less, we took a survey of Washington State University students for what motivates them to play intramural sports. The four motivations that were surveyed were physical fitness, socialization, competitiveness, and life balance. Out of those four, it was found that competitiveness was the main motivation for why college students play intramural sports. More interestingly, the study found that females were more motivated by competitiveness than their male counterparts, showing that although the female participation rates are dropping, the females that do play are playing to win, rather than using intramural sports as a social avenue. It was also found that life balance was a significant motivator for seniors. This could be that seniors play to relax and take a break from the stresses of college and the worry of life after college. This study will help recreation professionals better market to students and establish new ways to make intramural sports more attractive to the entire student body.