Browsing by Author "Vaske, Jerry, committee member"

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Open Access
An examination of the value of community in natural resources education
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Archie, Tim, author; Newman, Peter, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Bruyere, Brett, committee member; Most, David, committee member
The Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR) at Colorado State University has purposefully implemented a range of programs which emphasize social factors, such as sense of community, and are designed to increase the likelihood of student success. Typical measures of student success in WCNR (and higher education in general) have included student outcomes such as: retention, engagement, learning, and enhancing the overall student experience. However, little is known to what extent social factors such as sense of community have value in influencing student outcomes such as retention, learning, and students' overall experience. Therefore, the overall purpose of this dissertation was to examine the value of community in influencing student outcomes. This dissertation studied the role of community in influencing student outcomes in two types of academic programs (learning communities & fieldwork courses) and examined how students' level of social engagement within the WCNR community was related to their overall experience within the college. Chapter one outlines theories of student retention, experiential learning, and student engagement. Chapters two and three examined academic programs that have been shown to promote a sense of community: a residential first year learning community (chapter two) and fieldwork course (chapter three). In chapter four, the investigation of community was expanded beyond single programs and explored the extent to which students' social experience and participation in the WCNR community is related to their satisfaction with their overall experience within the college. Chapter five provides summaries of these studies and implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research. The first study examined sense of community in residential learning communities. Learning communities have been shown to effectively retain students and promote a sense of community, but it is unclear to what extent learning communities' effectiveness in retaining students can be attributed to sense of community. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine the value of the sense of community created by learning communities in influencing student persistence. The results of this study indicated that learning communities were effective in promoting a sense of community and students were generally not planning to leave the institution because their sense of community needs were not met. The second study examined the value of experiential learning in a fieldwork course at Pingree Park. Prior work has shown that fieldwork courses are effective in producing knowledge and skills that are transferable beyond the course, and a sense of community, but it is unclear to what extent the effectiveness of fieldwork courses in producing these outcomes can be attributed to a sense of community. The findings of this study indicated that sense of community had value in influencing knowledge and subsequently confidence in knowledge and skills gained in a residentially based field course. Additionally, sense of community had a significantly weaker effect on these outcomes, likely due to the less immersive social interactions with peers and the quality of sense of community they experienced compared to residential field course participants. The third and final study explored social engagement in the WCNR and the value of social engagement in influences student satisfaction. Social engagement was reflective of students' perceptions and level of participation of social components of the WCNR community. The findings of this study indicated that the more socially engaged a student is, the more satisfied they were with their WCNR experience. Additionally, active and collaborative learning, which is incorporated in many WCNR programs, was shown to positively influence social engagement. These findings suggest that the programs designed which incorporate active and collaborative learning have value in influencing students' perceptions and level of participation in the WCNR community and subsequently their overall satisfaction with WCNR.
Open Access
An exploration of communication strategies influencing public responses to climate change
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Beard, Caroline, author; Thompson, Jessica, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Sprain, Leah, committee member
This thesis is an exploration of communication strategies and U.S. public responses to climate change. The exploration begins with an in-depth case study based in Southern Florida and proceeds with a focused analysis of U.S. National Park and U.S. National Wildlife Refuge visitors and their concern and responsibility for climate change, as well as their engagement with energy-conserving actions. Through the lens of place-based climate change communication, the third chapter of this thesis compares results from internal and external assessments of capacity to communicate about climate change at national parks and wildlife refuges in southern Florida. The internal survey sample included agency staff, stakeholders, community partners and concessionaires; the external survey sample included visitors to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks and Ten Thousand Islands and the National Key Deer Refuges. Results demonstrate a significant gap in visitors' versus staff and partners' awareness of climate change impacts in these areas. Communicating with the public about climate change is not currently a top priority for the region's protected areas and partners, but the opportunity to engage visitors in this issue through place-based education is supported with this study. The second component of this exploration examines the relationships between political affiliation, ascription of responsibility (AR), beliefs about climate change causes, salience, and reported pro-environmental behaviors to test the following hypotheses: [H1] climate change salience is higher for Democrats than Republicans; [H2] as AR increases, climate change becomes more salient; [H3] for respondents who believe human actions contribute to climate change, salience is higher; [H4] as salience increases, the number of respondents' reported energy-conserving behaviors increases; [H5] respondents who believe humans are causing climate change report engaging in more energy-conserving behaviors; [H6] AR increases as the number of visitors' reported pro-environmental behaviors increases. Using an on-site sampling method, we administered 4,181 surveys to national park and wildlife refuge visitors in 16 sites across the United States. Results of regression analyses confirmed H1 through H6, and additional significant relationships were found in the path model. These findings indicate that strategic communication could potentially enhance public engagement in climate change mitigation and energy-conserving actions.
Open Access
Assessing the perception of compressed earth block (CEB) among contractors in the Piedmont region of North Carolina
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Hughes, Evan G., author; Valdes-Vasquez, Rodolfo, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Elliott, Jonathan, committee member
The earliest earthen dwellings in the U.S were made by manually pressing a mixture of moist earth and straw into wooden molds to produce roughhewn blocks, which were left to dry in the sun before being stacked and mortared with earth slurry. This method, known as adobe, is free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), is less energy-intensive than concrete and steel, and allows for local block production if the soil meets certain criteria. However, adobe construction requires more time and manual labor than most conventional materials, and as a result has been largely ignored by U.S. contractors with the exception of those working in New Mexico. This is true of most earthen building techniques, including compressed earth block (CEB). CEB retains many of the environmental benefits of adobe, but unlike adobe CEB can be produced with automated soil mixers and hydraulic presses, allowing for rapid and consistent block production in large volumes. Despite these advantages, CEB remains relatively unknown, occupying only a niche market in certain regions of the country. With the advent of labor and time-saving technology, the practical barriers presented by traditional earth building methods have been greatly reduced, necessitating an exploration of the non-technical barriers to CEB acceptance and adoption in the U.S. Studies conducted in Africa and Southeast Asia have shown that home-buyers often associate earthen structures with poverty, transience, and poor performance. While research on earthen block construction is limited in the U.S., studies performed in Midwestern states have indicated similar results. The current study seeks to determine what, if any, perception barriers to CEB acceptance and adoption exist among contractors in the North Carolina Piedmont region, which lies between the Appalachian Mountains to the west and the Atlantic coastal plain to the east. The Piedmont was chosen because the soil of the region is rich in non-expansive clay that is well-suited to earthen construction in humid climates. Despite these favorable conditions, the North Carolina Piedmont has yet to develop a significant market for earthen architecture and virtually no research has been conducted to investigate this phenomenon. To address this gap in the research, a survey instrument was designed and piloted in New Mexico. Pilot data and feedback were used to refine the survey instrument, which was then distributed to general contractors in the Piedmont. A third survey was distributed to select contacts in the researcher’s professional network to compare the perceptions of building professionals with experience using CEB to those of general contractors in North Carolina with little to no CEB experience. These surveys, based on instruments developed in previous research, aimed to assess contractors’ awareness of CEB, their experience with CEB, and their perception of CEB’s practical merits and drawbacks. Two telephone interviews were also conducted, one with a North Carolina contractor who specializes in CEB construction and another with a Texas-based manufacturer of automated CEB block presses. Quantitative data gathered from survey distributions in the Piedmont and within the researcher’s network revealed disparate opinions of CEB’s cost-effectiveness, aesthetic value, and structural worth. Respondents with no CEB experience provided largely neutral opinions in these areas, indicating that they may have been unable or unwilling to provide definitive positive or negative opinions due to their lack of experience with the material. Responses from those who had used CEB were either neutral or positive. Qualitative data gathered from these two survey distributions indicated a similar divergence of opinion between respondents who had used the material and those who had not. When asked to provide the first three words they associate with CEB, respondents with no CEB experience associated the material with a wide variety of terms, such as “mud,” “costly,” “hippie,” and “future.” Respondents who had used the material associated it with positive terms and technical properties, such as “non-cementitious” “non-toxic,” and “fire-proof.” This suggests that A.) These respondents may have gained a better understanding of CEB’s technical properties after using it in professional practice, or B.) They have become accustomed to providing these technical properties to skeptical clients or their peers. Both phone interview subjects, despite their differences in profession and geographic location, recommended increased education and exposure to CEB to overcome skepticism and lack of knowledge among the construction industry and the general public. The results of this study assist building professionals and their clients in understanding how non-technical barriers (i.e. barriers not related to time, infrastructure, technology, or capital) may impede the acceptance and adoption of CEB and other non-conventional materials. Identifying and addressing these barriers is a necessary step for increased market penetration of CEB in the North Carolina Piedmont and elsewhere.
Open Access
Compressed earth block (CEB) construction: a viable building alternative for Olancho, Honduras
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Brown, Milt, author; Lopez Del Puerto, Carla, advisor; Nobe, Mary, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
The second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, a category 5 Cape Verde tropical wave storm with sustained winds of 180 mph, named Hurricane Mitch, swept through the small country of Honduras in October of 1998. Across the country, the storm destroyed 33,000 houses, damaged 50,000 others, and destroyed 70-80% of the road infrastructure. Many countries and organizations responded to the immediate housing crisis to rebuild these homes in the more populated and accessible regions of Honduras. Survivors in the mountain regions, however, were left to rebuild on their own with limited resources and technology. This study investigated 30 residents of the region of La Union de Capapan to explore their acceptance of compressed earth block as an alternative building material to more conventional building methods utilized. The researcher collected participant responses through a convenience-sample questionnaire to determine attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of earth building techniques. Through this qualitative study it was expected that a theory about material selection, preferred building methods and attitudes towards them would emerge. The results indicated the majority of the survey population was receptive to CEB as an alternative method to current building practices and further expressed interest in learning more about this technology. A valid point has been made that earth construction done properly would be a viable building method in any culture for any economic class (Zumi, 2010).
Open Access
Computational thinking: an investigation of the existing scholarship and research
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Weinberg, Andrea Elizabeth, author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Albright, Leonard, committee member; Kehle, Paul, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
Despite the prevalence of computing and technology in our everyday lives and in almost every discipline and profession, student interest and enrollment in computer science courses is declining. In response, computer science education in K-12 schools and universities is undergoing a transformation. Computational thinking has been proposed as a universal way of thinking with benefits for everyone, not just computer scientists. The focus on computational thinking moves beyond computer literacy, or the familiarity with software, to a way of thinking that benefits everyone. Many see computational thinking as a way to introduce students to computer science concepts and ways of thinking and to motivate student interest in computer science. The first part of this dissertation describes a study in which the researcher systematically examined the literature and scholarship on computational thinking since 2006. The aim was to explore nature and extent of the entire body of literature and to examine the theory and research evidence on computational thinking. Findings reveal that there has been a steady increase in the popularity of the concept of computational thinking, but it is not yet developed to the point where it can be studied in a meaningful way. An examination of the research evidence on computational thinking found inadequacies in the conceptual characteristics and the reporting of studies. Weaknesses were identified in the theoretical conceptualization of interventions, definitions of key concepts, intervention descriptions, research designs, and the presentation of findings. Recommendations for bolstering the research evidence around this burgeoning concept are presented, including collaboration between computer scientists and educational researchers to apply social science research methods to conduct robust studies of computational thinking interventions. The second part of this dissertation describes how computational thinking is currently incorporated into K-12 educational settings. The bulk of the literature on computational thinking describes ways in which programs promote this way of thinking in students. The K-12 programs that encourage computational thinking are classified, described, and discussed in a way that is intended to be meaningful for K-12 educators and educational researchers. Potential barriers and factors that might enable educators to use each category of interventions are discussed.
Open Access
Defining and assessing teaching effectiveness in higher education
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Marquitz, Michele S., author; Makela, Carole, advisor; Wallner, Barbara, committee member; Shelton, Paul, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
Teaching effectiveness in higher education is challenging. Given the number of stakeholders and the reasons for assessing teaching effectiveness creates additional challenges. Yet when tying teaching effectiveness to successful student learning outcomes and combining those interests to a case study project, the views of faculty, administrators, and students provided insights and contributed to the body of knowledge of faculty members' performance. Through three manuscripts, we explore defining and assessing a teaching effectiveness process in a case study, using Student Evaluations of Teaching instruments to provide feedback on teaching effectiveness, and the role students' written comments may play in course and instructor feedback. From analyzing student course surveys to creating qualitative and quantitative instruments with the input of faculty members, teaching effectiveness must ensure successful student learning outcomes. The journey to define and assess teaching effectiveness in higher education was an arduous one presented through three manuscripts. Each manuscript provides insights for new and established faculty members. The first abstract presents a case study at a Research I: Doctoral University. Through a research assistantship and partnering with a department challenged to define and assess teaching effectiveness for higher load faculty members, three instruments were developed to determine best practices of effective teachers. The second abstract used quantitative methods and research to assess students' feedback on faculty members' teaching. And the third abstract used qualitative methods to assess themes in written comments from students' evaluation of teaching surveys.
Open Access
Evaluating the role of citizen science in the context of human-wildlife conflict management
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Adams, Morgan, author; Teel, Tara, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Benson, Delwin, committee member
This thesis presents two manuscripts that explored the potential of citizen science programs to be utilized in urban centers that are experiencing heightened rates of human-wildlife conflict (HWC). In particular, we focused on human-coyote conflicts, which are an emerging problem in many cities throughout North America. Recent reports have shown that while coyotes typically pose a minimal threat to people, attacks on humans have recently escalated. Certain traditional methods such as lethal control for dealing with human-coyote conflict, and HWC more broadly, are increasingly considered unacceptable to the public, creating a need for management authorities to consider other alternatives. Citizen science, a method in which members of the public contribute to real-world research studies, is one tool that could be considered, as citizen science is thought to be a valuable mechanism for increasing citizens' knowledge of ecological systems and the scientific process, and engaging them in resource management. The overall purpose of this thesis was to determine the motivations and characteristics of citizen science participants and evaluate if involvement in these programs can in fact lead to desired changes in participant understanding and subsequent behavior, therefore offering a useful approach for assisting with HWC management. The purpose of the first paper was to evaluate the potential for a citizen science program called Coyote Watch to change participant understanding and subsequent behavior in the context of human-coyote conflict in the Denver Metro Area (DMA) of Colorado. Our first objective was to assess the effects of the program over time on participants' attitudes, beliefs, behavioral intentions, and knowledge regarding coyotes. Our second objective was to explore the broader impacts of the program, including the extent to which participants used their program education and observation experiences to take action in their communities to prevent and manage conflict with coyotes. Data were collected using a mixed methods approach, including on-site and online surveys and interviews that were administered to new and previously trained volunteers of Coyote Watch. Results indicated that participation in Coyote Watch is positively affecting volunteers in terms of how they relate to and think about coyotes and coyote-related issues in their communities. Qualitative data from open-ended survey questions and interviews corroborated quantitative findings and demonstrated that the program is not only providing participants with enhanced knowledge of coyotes and their ecology, but it is also empowering some of these individuals to take action to prevent and manage conflicts with coyotes. The second paper focused on understanding the characteristics of citizen science volunteers with the intent of being able to inform the development and marketing of future programs in an HWC context. We had three objectives for this case study investigation:1) assess volunteers' motivations for joining Coyote Watch and subsequently determine whether these motivations were similar to or different from those identified by previous research on volunteerism in environmental projects, 2) explore the extent to which volunteers represented the DMA resident population as a whole with respect to key demographic characteristics, and 3) compare Coyote Watch participants to respondents from a larger DMA resident survey in regards to their coyote-related attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intentions. Data collection was accomplished using on-site and online surveys administered to Coyote Watch volunteers and through mailed and online surveys for the larger DMA study. Results indicated that volunteers often had more than one motivation for joining the program, such as an enjoyment of wildlife, a desire to participate in research and to inform others people about coyotes and coyote issues, and that they did in fact share some of the demographic characteristics of DMA residents as a whole. However, we also noted certain demographic differences between volunteers and the resident population, particularly with respect to gender, age, and education. Furthermore, results determined that Coyote Watch volunteers differed in some respects from respondents to the larger DMA-wide resident survey in their attitudes, beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding coyotes, as the volunteers had more positive general attitudes regarding coyotes, they were more likely to agree with advantages of having coyotes in their areas, and they were more likely to perform certain actions around their homes in order to reduce conflict with coyotes. As a whole, these studies demonstrated that many individuals who participated in Coyote Watch expressed a better understanding of coyote behavior and an ability to use their education to take measures to prevent and manage conflict. Additionally, these individuals may be similar to other residents in the DMA, but they tend to feel more positively toward coyotes and they are willing to take more steps to decrease negative interactions with coyotes. Thus, our findings suggest that citizen science programs may offer an innovative alternative method to augment traditional forms of HWC mitigation in urban settings.
Open Access
Health-livelihoods-environment interactions: health and culture in livelihood decision-making and consequences for the environment in Indonesia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Clarke, Melinda M., author; Galvin, Kathleen, advisor; Boone, Randall, committee member; Ojima, Dennis, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
This research examines the role of perceived health status in the livelihood decision-making of rural households and associated impact on the environment. I drew on three social-ecological frameworks to conceptualize relationships between health, livelihoods, and environment. The primary hypothesis examined is that changes in health status result in livelihood strategies that depend on increased natural resource extraction. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in twelve villages of the Dumoga Valley, North Sulawesi, Indonesia from 2015 to 2016. These data were used to develop an agent-based model that acts as an experimental context to examine health-livelihood-environment over a longer timeframe than was captured through field data collection. Illegal, artisanal gold mining is the primary resource extraction activity included in livelihood strategies. A surprising effect identified in qualitative data analysis was that different ethnic groups in the study site display different responses to health status change and have distinct livelihood strategies. Quantitative data analysis demonstrates a relationship between landlessness and engagement in illegal gold mining, but no relationship between mining and health. Dynamics in the agent-based model suggest that health does affect both the number of miners and amount of land cleared. In addition, the model suggests that natural resources play an important role in short-term livelihood strategies developed in times of ill health.
Open Access
Home on the digital range: range-related Web outreach and ranchers' internet use
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Ghajar, Shayan, author; Fernández-Giménez, Maria E., advisor; Meiman, Paul, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
Access to the internet continues to improve in rural areas, ensuring ranchers will have increasing opportunities to use the Web to find information about management practices that may provide ecological and financial benefits to their ranches. While past studies have examined the role of the internet in informing daily decision-making by agricultural producers, no studies have focused specifically on describing and analyzing the use of the internet by ranchers in the Western United States. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to assess the extent and patterns of ranchers' internet use in Colorado and Wyoming, identify barriers to greater use, and establish a typology of Web use behavior by ranchers. We also assess a sample of current range-related websites by measuring the presence or absence of features and characteristics shown by past research to enhance potential impacts on site visitors. Our findings indicate that internet use is widespread, and that age, education, and risk tolerance can predict the extent to which a rancher will rely on the internet for day-to-day ranch management. A cluster analysis delineated four separate Web usage typologies among ranchers with which outreach personnel can determine the potential utility of digital outreach tools for their programming based on their target audience and topics of outreach. The website assessment found that educational sites in our sample could improve their potential perceived credibility and their potential impact on visitors' attitudes by using testimonials and quotations more frequently. Based on these findings, we recommend that rangeland outreach personnel determine the potential benefits of incorporating online outreach depending on which typology or typologies of Web-using ranchers they are targeting. Additionally, range-related websites should attempt to incorporate as many message characteristics and structural features as possible to maximize their potential perceived credibility by website visitors, and to increase their potential for altering their attitudes about a topic.
Open Access
Measuring an emotional connection to nature among children
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Silvas, Daniel Villalobos, author; Bruyere, Brett, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Teel, Tara, committee member; Banning, James, committee member
There is a growing concern from scientists and others that children today are losing their connection with nature. The degree of connectedness to nature (CN) has been hypothesized to influence a person's willingness to protect it. Unfortunately, tools used to measure CN are in their infancy and have mostly been developed for adult populations instead of children where most environmental education efforts are targeted. The purpose of this dissertation was to create a reliable and valid measure of a child's emotional connection with nature and study its influence on pro-environmental behaviors. This dissertation includes three studies presented as journal articles (chapters 2-4) and begins with presentation of the theory and frameworks used as the basis for the rest of the manuscript (chapter 1). Chapter two presents the development of a reliable and valid measure of an emotional connection to nature for children. Chapter three validates the structure of the emotional connection to nature scale (ECNS) and demonstrates its predictive potential on attitudes to protect nature (ATPN) and willingness to protect nature (WTPN). Chapter four presents findings from analyses of focus groups among children describing their connection to nature. Chapter five connects these studies by discussing the significance of this work, how this work can be applied and concludes with recommendations for future research.
Open Access
Predictors of behavioral intention to purchase risky consumer products
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Kim, Sejin, author; Hallahan, Kirk, advisor; Betsill, Michele, committee member; Long, Marilee, committee member; Rouner, Donna, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
Two online surveys dealing with the purchase of potentially risky consumer products, sunscreen containing nanoparticles (n=373) and genetically modified foods (n=379), examined behavioral intention within the framework of the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). In addition to attitude and social norms, which are subsumed under the theory, predictors examined included cognitive and affective risk perceptions, systematic versus heuristic processing, and two personality traits: need for cognition and need for affect (specifically, the avoidance and approach sub-dimensions identified by Maio & Esses, 2001). Four hypotheses were tested and supported. High cognitive and affective risk perceptions were negatively related to attitude, adherence to social norms and purchase intent. High need for cognition was positively related to systematic processing, while negatively related to heuristic processing. High need for affect avoidance was positively related to heuristic processing, while high need for affect approach was positively related to systematic processing. Finally, higher systematic processing was positively related to both cognitive risk perception and affective risk perception, while higher heuristic processing was not. Sex, awareness, and product use were included as explanatory variables that helped explain purchase intent. Females were more likely to purchase and more aware of both products. Level of prior product perceived knowledge (measured for GM foods only) was not significantly related to purchase intent. However, its higher level was correlated to systematic processing, while its lower level was associated with heuristic processing. Separate hierarchical regressions examined the combined effects of the focal and explanatory variables on purchase intent. The final regression model in the sunscreen study explained 39.0% of the variance and suggested purchase intent was related to sex (being female), low product awareness, low cognitive risk perception, and positive attitude and conformity to social norms. The final regression model in the GM foods study, which explained 29.2% of the variance, suggested that purchase intention was best explained by the need for affect avoidance, low affective risk perceptions, positive attitude, and conformity to social norms. This study proposed a framework in which personality traits based on psychological needs (need for cognition and need for affect) led to different styles of processing. Then, two forms of risk perception (cognitive and affective) together were shown to influence purchase intention of common technologically enhanced consumer goods. The study underscored the importance of looking into both affective and cognitive risk perceptions examining purchase intention for risky products. This study also illustrated the potential practical importance of the two sub-dimensions of need for affect identified in the literature, suggesting that each can possibly influence the processing of persuasive messages and risk perceptions and ultimately consumer actions.
Open Access
Social outcomes of community-based rangeland management in post-socialist Mongolia: influential factors and favorable institutional designs
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Ulambayar, Tungalag, author; Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria, advisor; Galvin, Kathleen, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Reid, Robin, committee member
Community-based rangeland management (CBRM) has been proposed as a promising option to reduce rural poverty and resource degradation in post-socialist Mongolia. To date, research on CBRM in Mongolia has been limited to small samples and case studies within one or two ecological zones. Results have been mixed, with some studies showing favorable outcomes and others no effect or negative impacts of CBRM. Few studies have directly compared the outcomes of formally organized CBRM with management by traditional herder neighborhood groupings, or attempted to identify the causal mechanisms that explain variations in CBRM outcomes. Using data from 142 pastoral groups and 706 member households across 36 counties (soum) in four ecological zones, I assessed social outcomes of CBRM organizations in comparison with non-CBRM groups, explored causal mechanisms underlying these social outcomes, and examined the effects of external facilitation on institutional design of formal CBRM organizations. I found that formal groups had more information sources, stronger leadership, greater knowledge exchange, cooperation and more rules. Members of formal groups were more proactive in addressing resource management issues and used more rangeland practices than traditional neighborhoods. However, the two types of groups did not differ on most livelihood measures and had a weak difference in social capital. Four factors, access to diverse information sources, leadership, knowledge exchange and resource management rules, significantly facilitated the effect of formal organization on pastoralists’ traditional and innovative rangeland practices, proactive behavior and social networks. Importantly, information diversity had a triggering effect on other three mediating variables creating a sequential chain of information diversity → leadership → knowledge exchange → rules. This ordered chain of four mediators explains the mechanisms through which formal organization leads to comparatively greater social outcomes. I also found that these mediated effects on members’ proactive behavior and social networking varied among ecological zones. Donor facilitation approach significantly influenced CBRM group attributes and external environments, but did not affect institutional arrangements. Small group size, homogeneous interests, and heterogeneity of well-being predicted higher levels of intermediate outcomes including information diversity, leadership, and income diversity. Institutional arrangements such as the presence of sanctions, group-devised rules, frequent meetings, and recording documents increased cooperation, rules and information diversity. Similarly, access to training and local government support provided a favorable external environment for achieving intermediate outcomes. Regarding ultimate social outcomes, group characteristics such as dependence on livestock, homogeneity of interests and leader legitimacy were critical for increasing social capital, livelihoods, rangeland practices, and proactive behavior. Frequent meetings of group leaders had the greatest influence on ultimate social outcomes. Local government support and ongoing donor support were associated with increased trust and norms of reciprocity, rangeland management practices, proactiveness, and per capita livestock holdings. Overall, group attributes and external environment had a greater influence on social outcomes of pastoral CBRMs in Mongolia than institutional arrangements. I found strong evidence that formal CBRM is leading to increased social outcomes across Mongolia. Many CBRM facilitation strategies were shown to be adequate for fostering social outcomes of the pastoral groups. Early achievements of individual household level variables such as rangeland practices and behavior appeared to be “fast” variables that respond quickly to new institutions. In contrast, building social capital and reaching livelihood improvement may be “slow” variables that require time and larger scale changes. Globally, the promising case of CBRM in Mongolia may encourage mobile pastoral communities elsewhere to cooperate on the sustainable management of their resources. However, as this study showed, careful facilitation is needed to achieve intermediate outcomes, and consideration of the distinct dynamics of local resource systems is a necessary prerequisite for achieving increased social outcomes.
Open Access
The development and initial validation of the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity and Restoration Profile
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Atler, Karen E., author; Cobb, R. Brian, advisor; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Makela, Carole, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
Occupational scientists and occupational therapists believe that people experience time and occupation differently, and that understanding these unique subjective experiences is essential to enhance the understanding of occupational participation, health and well-being. Yet the efforts toward the identification and development of ways of understanding people's unique subjective experiences are limited. In this dissertation, the researcher provides the theoretical underpinning of a newly developing instrument designed to capture the objective and subjective experiences of occupational engagement titled the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity and Restoration Profile (PPR Profile) (Atler, 2008) and reports the validity evidence of the PPR Profile as examined in two studies. Cognitive interviewing was used in the first study to examine validity evidence based on test content, response processes, and the consequences of completing the instrument. The study provides beginning validity evidence of the PPR Profile's use as an instrument designed to capture the subjective experiences of daily activities. In addition, the study illustrates the benefits of using cognitive interviewing as a means of engaging clients who may potentially use the instrument in the development process. In the second study, validity evidence related to consequential and convergent validity was examined using a mixed method design. Adults living with the consequences of stroke completed three health surveys and the PPR Profile for three days. Use of the PPR Profile increased awareness of daily activities and related experiences. Although there was limited convergent validity evidence gathered in the study, consequential validity evidence indicated that participants' completion of the PPR Profile led to reflection and examination. However awareness was not always seen by participants as beneficial. Potential reasons for the limited convergent validity found are discussed.
Open Access
U.S. Forest Service citizen science: improving monitoring capacity, ecological literacy and outreach
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Pitt, Aleksandra N., author; Schultz, Courtney, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria, committee member
The Forest Service is integrating citizen science projects and data into the management of national forests around the country. I selected three citizen science projects that involve the Forest Service collaborating with secondary school students in direct field collection of monitoring data to: understand the objectives and design of the programs, determine the impacts on participants; and identify the benefits, if any, for the agency. I conducted eight interviews with the project leads and teachers to understand their goals, design, and objectives for the program. To determine the impacts to the participants I interviewed and surveyed 25 current students before and after their participation in the project. I also interviewed five students who participated in the projects in previous years. My findings show that both students and the agency achieved their desired outcomes for beginning the citizen science projects. I found that the objectives and design of these programs have a significant influence on student outcomes and should be designed with objectives in mind. My findings suggest enhanced ecological literacy is a potential outcome of these youth based, citizen science monitoring programs. I found evidence of increased environmental stewardship, although I was unable to determine whether this persists. The projects experienced some minor challenges with the students' data reliability; however, project leads and students alike concluded that these projects, although they did produce valuable data, had greater value for the relationships built between students and the agency, their teachers, and the natural world.