Walking the Talk: A Socioecological Justice Framework for Family Science Programs

Presented by: Sherria Taylor

This presentation highlights a Socioecological Justice framework that can be used to increase underrepresented undergraduate students' success and persistence in research-based courses and Family Science programs. Because a socioecological perspective in promoting social justice within academia is a unique and complex process, demystifying this processes would benefit educators, administrators, and community organizations who desire to support underrepresented students in their educational pursuits.

Building Intercultural Awareness Through Collaborative US-Iceland Online Post-secondary Courses on Parenting

Presented by: Susan Walker, Hrund Thorarins Ingudottir, Heather Cline

This submission presents a unique opportunity in which students and instructors from the US and from Iceland collaborated in post-secondary online courses on parent-child relationships and parent learning. Information is shared about the structure and content of both courses, process of inter-university collaboration that facilitated the collaboration, and teaching methods that encouraged learning, participation and intercultural learning by students. Analysis of materials from two courses and student interviews reveal areas of intercultural learning for Icelandic and US students, and course elements conducive to promoting intercultural skills.

Parents Enrolled in Graduate Programs and Their Experiences With Faculty

Presented by: Amber Kreischer, Tera Jordan

Faculty members' delay of parenthood and difficulties maintaining work-life balance have been researched (Shope, 2005; Trussell, 2014), but research on graduate students is scant. This study examines experiences of graduate students who are parents to dependent children (GPDC) and their interactions with faculty. Using lenses of role strain theory (Goode, 1960) and role enhancement theory (Moen, Robison, & Dempster-McClain, 1995), participants (n=40) will complete interviews designed to explore implicit and explicit messages GPDC receive from faculty related to their status as parents. The results of this phenomenological study may illuminate strategies and resources faculty can use to support GPDC.

Evaluation and Continuous Improvement of Undergraduate Family Science Programs

Presented by: Amanda Barnett, Julie Zaloudek

The study of family science can be advanced through the evaluation of family science curriculum. Using an inductive and deductive approach, faculty and staff of an undergraduate family science program revised program objectives, connected curriculum with the revised program objectives, and aligned program level assessments with the new program objectives. The results of this project include both well defined "products" (e.g. program objectives, program evaluation tools, etc.) and clear processes for the continuous updating and improvement of a family science program.

Collaborative Exams as Learning Tools: Student Perspectives

Presented by: Silvia Bartolic

Evidence of the positive effects of peer collaboration on student learning has been vast (e.g. Quarstein & Peterson, 2001). There is much less research on the effectiveness of collaborative exams as an effective learning tool. This project examines students' perspectives on collaborative exams. Preliminary results reveal students' perceptions of positive learning outcomes include the ability to gain instant feedback, increase clarity in reasoning, learn through teaching and improve confidence. Negative outcomes include difficulty influencing the group and insecurity. By understanding students' perspectives on this collaborative exercise, we can develop best practices in the administration and use of this learning tool.

Writing as Inquiry for Student Understanding in Human Development and Family Studies

Presented by: Kelly Munly, Gresilda A. Tilley-Lubbs

This paper presents the value of writing as inquiry for student self-understanding and integrity in human development and family studies, particularly in preparation for student engagement in human services. through writing, students are able to understand their own values and positions with regard to course concepts, and through establishing this self-awareness, they have a more grounded platform for exploring these concepts related to communities outside of their own experiential parameters. Such a stable platform based on self-knowledge can support more thorough exploration of coursework, a broader understanding for human services field study, and readiness to serve others.