The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
(Vol. 18 No. 37)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Last week I attended a joint meeting of the North Central and North East Regions with Extension directors, Experiment Station directors, Administrative Heads, and CARET (Council for Agriculture Research, Extension, and Teaching) representatives attending. I was reminded in one presentation of the importance of experiencing when it comes to learning. Specifically, it dealt with acceptance of persons who were different in culture and ethnicity when it comes to issues of immigration. A farmer told the story of how important the migrant workers were to his business, and how difficult and largely unfair were the immigration requirements in the US. He believed all his workers were legal with appropriate papers. His story however became passionate and meaningful when he relayed the difficulty his daughter was encountering with her husband and family. She had in fact married a migrant worker from Mexico. With this first hand experience, each of us could feel the emotion coming with every word spoken by that farmer on the injustices and disrespect experienced by his daughter and son-in-law both because of the immigration laws and the misunderstandings that people have for farm workers who are from Mexico.
In Extension, we often refer to "experiential learning" as the most powerful of transformational education. Anytime we can work experiences into a learning process, it's proven to be much more effective in truly affecting change. When you can hear, see, touch, and truly internalize the situation, you will affect a significant increase in the retention and potential use of that learning experience. Having a client relay real life experiences that align with your educational program remains as one of the best teaching methods we can use in Extension.
Fair time is underway, and what better venue for creating all kinds of experiential learning opportunities. Keep up the good work and stay cool! Have a great week. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
SUBMIT POSTER AND SESSION PROPOSALS FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE BY AUGUST 1
The 2012 K-State Research and
Extension Annual Conference is October 16-18, with “Land-Grant Universities:
Advancing the Legacy” as the theme.
The committee would like to create
tracks in various subject areas as part of the program. Do you have an interesting project,
program results, experiences, or educational materials to share with your
colleagues? Consider submitting a breakout session, poster presentation, or
both.
The submission form must be received by August 1.
The poster session will be 5 to 6:30
p.m. Tuesday, October 16. The 45-minute breakout sessions will be Wednesday,
October 17, after the awards luncheon (1:15 to 4:15).
The draft schedule, objectives, committee list, and information about keynote
speaker Waded Cruzado, President of Montana State University, are now available
on the website www.ksre.ksu.edu/annconf. –-J.D. McNutt, Conference Committee Chair, jdmcnutt@ksu.edu
FINNEY COUNTY HEALTH/WELL-BEING ASSESSMENT AND SOCIAL CAPITAL STUDY
This will be the first in a series of submissions designed to increase knowledge in the Extension system about under-served populations. The study was called, Community Assets Project, by the groups that “commissioned” it: Finnup Foundation, Finney County Extension, Western Kansas Community Foundation, Finney County United Way, Finney County Health Department, Southwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center, United Methodist Community Health Center (UMMAM), Center for Children and Families, Garden City Recreation Commission, and the Garden City Cultural Relations Board.
An objective, for those promoting the study, was to connect foundation, state, and federal funding with activities or services that addressed the true needs of people living in Finney County. I was looking for data that would offer insights on ways to address the needs of diverse audiences through Extension’s educational programs. Initially, an online survey was sent to directors of Finney County’s human service organizations/agencies and schools. Directors were asked what sorts of data were required to help them quantify the needs of their client/customer bases. It was from those responses that the committee designed the survey instrument. The objective of the resulting survey instrument was to gather data that would:
- Identify resources available in Finney County
- Identify services needed in the community
- Capture information regarding well-being of people in Finney County
- Feature
o General Demographic (gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, household income)
o Number of years residing in Finney County
o Primary and secondary languages spoken at home (the survey was conducted in four (4) languages)
o Educational needs
o Health questions (insurance, health conditions, mental health, medical care, etc.)
o Social and health needs; and
o Questions to measure community engagement and social involvement
- Target individuals and groups of varying ages, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, and religious affiliations
- Target survey respondents 18 years or older
- Keep survey respondents’ identities confidential since the study was approved by Kansas State University’s Institutional Review Board for Compliance in Research with Human Subjects.
Next week, I’ll talk about data collection methods and initial demographics. In upcoming weeks, I will talk about findings. --Debra J. Bolton dbolton@ksu.edu
ASK THE OEIE EVALUATOR: LOGIC MODELS AND PROGRAM EVALUATION
Logic
models and program evaluation are two frequent topics in Extension circles,
though often not at the same time. However, logic models and program evaluation
are closely related and can be synergistic when considered together. In this
installment, we examine the connections between logic models and program
evaluation.
Q:
How are logic models and program evaluation related?
While a logic model can involve various terms and various graphic
depictions, one aspect is central: a logic model describes a sequence of change
through logically-linked elements. For an educational program like those in
Extension, a logic model describes how the program moves from “what is” (the
current situation) to “what will be” (desired outcomes or impacts). Logic
models are useful in program planning, implementation, communication, as well
as evaluation. Though the terms may vary, logic models typically include:
- Broad intent of the program, the context, and the
situation and priorities the program seeks to address
- Inputs – Resources, contributions, investments
that go into the program, including staff and time
- Outputs – Activities, services, and products that
reach target audiences and create program engagement
- Outcomes – Change for individuals, groups,
communities, or systems as a result of the program, positive and negative
- External influences – Assumptions and
environmental factors that interact with the program
So, how does evaluation
fit in? While the logic model describes the program, evaluation helps you
determine how a program actually works. On the one hand, the logic model can
help you determine what to evaluate, appropriate questions for evaluation,
indicators or evidence to look for, when to collect data, and what methods to
use to collect data. A strong logic model can also help ensure a well-planned
and implemented program – a program you would then want to evaluate and demonstrate
its impacts! Evaluation - by determining what works, under what conditions, and
why - can inform the logic model to identify needed or desired
modifications, and thus, improve the program.
Evaluation can take place
at points throughout the logic model. If you are interested in process or
formative evaluation, you may focus your evaluation on the inputs and outputs of the
model and seek to answer such questions as “Were the staff and funds adequate
for the program?,” “Has the program successfully reached targeted audiences?,” or
“Has the program been implemented as planned?” If you are interested in
summative evaluation, including outcome and impact evaluation, you may look to
the outcomes of the logic model to
develop evaluation questions like “What knowledge did participants gain from
participating in the program?” and “Did participants change targeted behaviors
after participation in the program?”
After an evaluation, the
results you find can feed back into the logic model and improve the design and
implementation of your program. For example, if you learned from a process
evaluation that your program successfully reached children but not their
parents, another key targeted audience, you may revise your marketing
activities in the next version of the logic model. Or, if you learned from an
outcome evaluation that participants did not retain some important information
from the program, you may decide to revise your logic model to change the
format or time spent in educational activities related to this content.
Want to learn more about
logic models? The University of Wisconsin-Extension provides a number of
resources about logic models for cooperative extension employees on their website.
Questions about evaluation?
Visit the Extension Evaluation Resources website or contact Amy Hilgendorf (aehilgen@k-state.edu, 785-532-5538) or Mandi Peters (mpeters8@ksu.edu, 785-532-1651) at OEIE. --Amy Hilgendorf
JADEN'S STORY
I want to pass along more information regarding Jaden's accident in April, so I am sharing an article I wrote regarding Jaden's accident. If anyone would like the article sent to their local media outlets please let me know. Additionally, I am willing to provide public presentations at educational safety events. My contact information is: Rachael Boyle, Phillips-Rooks Extension District, 115 N. Walnut St., Stockton, KS 67669, 785-425-6851, rboyle@ksu.edu
Jaden’s Story
We’ve all heard the phrase, “My life flashed before my eyes.” Well that happened to me on the evening of April 9th. I had just finished washing dishes and was headed to the back porch so I could leave for the Rooks County 4-H Junior Leaders meeting. My husband, Chad, met me there in haste. In a panicked voice he said, “Hurry up let’s go, we’re taking Jaden to the hospital”. The hair on the back of my neck raised and my voice trembled as I tried to say something. I rushed out of the garage following Chad to find our 5 year-old son lying crumpled in a ball on the brick sidewalk. His Papa was standing there next to him, we exchanged worried glances, but nothing was said. As I rushed to get my purse from our other vehicle parked nearby I heard Jaden ask his daddy, “Am I going to die?” My heart was crushed, how could this have happened not five minutes earlier he came into the kitchen wanting something to eat and I sent him on his way with a box of crackers.
Those words, “Am I going to die?”; I never imagined I would be hearing them from my son. We were looking forward to so many things – preschool graduation, soccer games, fishing, tee ball in the summer……. This couldn’t be happening to us!
Jaden had been on a utility terrain vehicle and ran into a solid steel post that stopped the vehicle instantly. He was thrown forward into the steering wheel. He had a bruise developing along the jawline on his left cheek and 2 small red marks on his tummy. The doctor on call at the Phillips County Hospital ordered a scan of Jaden’s abdomen. The results revealed a darkened area and it wasn’t long until we were on our way in the first ambulance ride to the helicopter. As it turned out the majority of the trauma was internal and would require surgery to fix the life-threatening laceration to the stomach/intestinal junction. Jaden’s surgeon completed an exploratory surgery to his abdominal cavity and reported to us that there was damage to his liver, pancreas, stomach and intestines. The laceration was repaired as best he could and there were other areas of concern, but he hoped they would heal on their own. For the next two weeks, Omaha Children’s Hospital was our home.
If this sounds like a nightmare, it was for us. I wanted so bad for someone to pinch me or snap their fingers and everything would go back to normal. I just wanted to be home on the farm with my child watching him play in the dirt. We hear of others that are in accidents and think how terrible and hope that never happens to our loved ones. Well we’re hear to tell our miracle and spread the word that accidents happen. We want everyone to know of the risks involved and the proper safety precautions to follow.
Utility terrain vehicles (UTV) have been developed as a safer alternative to the all terrain vehicles (ATV), but the reality is accidents still happen. Due to the increased popularity of UTVs, reported cases of serious injury and death from unsafe operation of utility vehicles have risen, according to the National Safety Council Agricultural Division. Kubota Tractor Corporation stated, “All too often, these unfortunate utility vehicle accidents happen; and, sadly, are attributed to improper use by a driver or passenger.”
Here are some sobering and disturbing statistics relating to ATV accidents published in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. According to records kept at hospitals around the United States, there have been 4483 children hospitalized for ATV accidents in one year alone (2006). A review of the records from 1997 to the present time showed that the rate of ATV-related injuries has gone up. Not just a small increase in the number of accidents but a 240 percent increase.
Many of the ATV-related injuries are the result of high-energy trauma. The injuries reported aren't minor scrapes and bruises. Children and teens with those kinds of injuries and other minor trauma probably don't go to the hospital. So it's very likely the number of accidents is much higher than reported.
Of those who do get medical treatment, spinal cord injury, fractures, and other musculoskeletal injuries are the most common. In fact, that 240 percent increase in number of ATV accidents among children less than 18 years old is accompanied by another equally serious statistic. There has been a 476 percent increase in spinal injury during the same time period (from 1997 to present). There can be injuries to the internal organs as well. Punctured lungs from rib fractures, multiple organ injury, spinal cord injury, and head injuries resulted in 120 ATV-related deaths among children in 2005. Older children (16 years old and older) seem to have the most serious accidents. Girls have fewer accidents, but more serious injuries.
Along with the increased number and seriousness of ATV-related accidents in children and teens come greater medical costs. According to one study based on pediatric emergency records, half of all ATV injuries in this age group required surgery. Added hospital costs are estimated to be in the millions.
What can be done to prevent these life-changing and life-threatening injuries? Awareness of the problem is always the first step. Encourage ATV and UTV owners – and all equipment operators – to wear seatbelts if available, wear helmets, heed safety warnings, and help promote safe operating practices with family and friends.
I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share a happy ending to our story. Jaden has healed internally and impressed his doctor with the progress he has made. Our lives have forever been changed with the scars to show for it. --Rachael Boyle rboyle@ksu.edu
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