Summary
How can we encourage students to enroll in family science programs? How can we ensure that students are prepared for further education and or employment in family science fields? This presentation seeks to examine and provide insight into the questions presented above by reviewing findings from a student and alumni survey. The latter surveys address program gaps, employment pathways, and the development and relevance of various competencies. This project further analyzes an employer survey (N= 63) and personal interviews about the skills, experience, and knowledge sought-after by employers working in family science-related fields.

Objectives

• Examine student and alumni perspectives of their undergraduate program in family studies
• Examine the competencies and skills sought after by employers in family-related fields to increase the employability of recent graduates
• Develop strategies for program enhancement and curriculum renewal.

Subject Codes: evidence-based practice, education, employment
Population Codes: undergraduate students, educators, Family Scientists
Method and Approach Codes: community participation/action research, curriculum development, evaluation

Summary
Typically, Youth Relationship Education (YRE) in high-schools involve models that utilize experienced community educators or teachers as facilitators. A new program model involves training undergraduate students as "near-peer" facilitators. Limited research on this model exists. Within this study, nine undergraduates in diverse majors participated in a HDFS service-learning course where they were trained to teach YRE. Data were collected from in-course reflections and student/instructor observations. Relational-Cultural Theory is utilized to explain how relationships built throughout the course are intertwined with elements of change to support students’ teaching efficacy. Five themes emerged: the process of preparation/instruction, influence of peers/instructors, teaching skills reflected on, reflective processes about feedback and the course, and suggestions for the course from students and instructors. The results demonstrate that integrating teaching experiences can provide students confidence and skills in YRE, link students’ academic knowledge with applied experiences, and develop individual identity through active learning.

Objectives

• Understand the effectiveness of a training model for undergraduate experiences in a community-based youth relationship education program.
• Interpret the elements of change within a service-learning experience focused on youth relationship education.
• Translate findings into suggestions for applied academic experiences in undergraduate family science courses.

Subject Codes: education, identity, relationships
Population Codes: undergraduate students, emerging/young adulthood,
Method and Approach Codes: community participation/action research, qualitative methodology, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)

Summary
The sudden pivot to remote instruction at a large Western Canadian university forced many instructors to alter their delivery of feedback. Although instructors were limited to digital feedback practices and virtual interactions with students, this study sought to explore what feedback methods were considered to be effective for the changing landscape of course instruction. This study utilized survey methods to collect instructor and student perspectives of feedback across disciplines and faculties. This data was then examined alongside existing data collected in a pilot study examining family studies (and other) courses using a learning analytics (LA) tool to deliver feedback in order to better understand how the challenges of delivering feedback through digital methods can be ameliorated by using LA. This larger study contributes to gaps in the current literature about feedback and LA by identifying specific qualities of digital feedback that contribute to improved teaching and learning.

Objectives

• To explore faculty and student perceptions of effective feedback practices in remote instruction.
• To examine the impact of a learning analytics tool as a method in feedback delivery.
• To investigate how the use of learning analytics can improve digital feedback practices.

Subject Codes: andragogy, education, technology
Population Codes: undergraduate students, Family Scientists,
Method and Approach Codes: evaluation, pedagogy, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)

Summary
Legends and guilds and quests…oh my! Using strategic aspects of game theory in a college course does not have to reek of childishness or oversimplification. Deconstructing the trend of course gamification to isolate key elements of game theory can payoff with increased student engagement and content mastery. While early adopters of gamification often transformed courses to include extended storylines, legends, guild formation, and quests, subsequent interest has expanded the conversation to include more nuanced examples of game theory inclusion woven throughout course design and function. Through a guided exploration of basic game theory, participants will leave this session with a better knowledge about the essential principles as well as specific strategies that can be implemented into any traditional or virtual college course without seeming like a child’s game.

Objectives

• Distinguish three educational theories that intersect to create game theory.
• Discuss five specific strategies of game theory for adult learners.
• Differentiate four types of game elements as appropriate for multiple educational contexts.

Subject Codes: andragogy, education,
Population Codes: educators, undergraduate students, undergraduate students
Method and Approach Codes: curriculum development, educational, pedagogy