Female forest landowners (FFLO) are increasing in numbers but have been marginalized in technical training programs in the past. We conducted chainsaw safety training programs geared towards FFLO and compared program evaluation results with results from male-dominated chainsaw training workshops. FFLO are limited in their technical knowledge at…

The three articles included in this dissertation are connected through theory and practice. Study one identifies the factors influencing Extension agents' participation in supplemental professional development opportunities using Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior. Study two was a systematic investigation of Extension personnel's…

To support the workforce gap of skilled cybersecurity professionals, gamified pedagogical approaches for teaching cybersecurity have exponentially grown over the last two decades. During this same period, e-sports developed into a multi-billion dollar industry and became a staple on college campuses. In this work, we explore the opportunity to…

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) (WHO, 2021) disrupted the global health systems and became an unprecedented situation for all industries, including food service when declared a global pandemic in March 2020 (WHO, 2021). Count On Me NC was a training program developed by Safe…

The welding workforce is facing a deficit of skilled welders, highlighting the need to develop more efficient and effective welding training methods. Virtual reality (VR) technologies have been adopted to create VR welding simulations for educational and training purposes. The purpose of this literature review was to collect and analyze…

State and territory child care and early education (CCEE) leaders typically support a range of professional development (PD) opportunities for CCEE providers. This highlight presents the "Professional Development Matrix for Quality Improvement" created by Douglass, Tout, and Doyle. The matrix provides a framework for organizing and…

School personnel regularly conduct systematic direct observation (SDO) as part of educational evaluation and intervention progress monitoring. Despite the regularity with which SDO is utilized, little research has been devoted to the identification of efficient and effective training procedures. Thirty-two undergraduate students in education…

Mentoring is a series of collaborative activities and conversations between young people and older or more experienced persons (i.e., mentors) who are acting in a helping capacity to provide support that benefits one or more areas of the young person's development. This resource offers those who develop and implement mentoring services meaningful…

Social exclusion has a myriad of negative effects on students' psychological and social well-being. One way to combat such negative effects is to raise awareness about social exclusion in schools. Here, we describe and evaluate a training program that was carried out across schools in The Netherlands. The program relies on basic experiential…

This research investigates the linkage between training evaluation, learning design and training transfer. A new training evaluation model, (i.e., learning-transfer evaluation model [LTEM]), was used to examine its ability to provide evaluative evidence through robust assessments in pre-, post- and delayed assessments. The model was used to…

Advances in the field of Early Childhood Education & Care (ECEC) are catalysing an important paradigm shift in the understanding of childhood trauma throughout the life course. While there is little dispute regarding the unique role of ECEC practitioners in providing critical support to children who experience trauma, international provisions…

Enterprise systems are complex information systems that are inevitable for companies' success. As enterprise systems are only successful when used continuously and efficiently by end-users, knowledge on how to use them has become an important skill for employees. Research and practice favor an early obtainment of these skills for employees. Thus,…

Purpose: Social skills difficulties among children on the autism spectrum can impede social, emotional, and academic development, especially with increasing age and social demands. This pilot study examined the efficacy of a 5-week skill-building program for children on the autism spectrum. Although effective social skills programs are available…

The impacts of science are felt across all socio-ecological levels, ranging from the individual to societal. In order to adapt or respond to scientific discoveries, novel technologies, or biomedical or environmental challenges, a fundamental understanding of science is necessary. However, antiscientific rhetoric, mistrust in science, and the…

Existing research on spatial ability recognizes the critical role played by spatial visualization and mental rotation. Recent evidence suggests that external visualization and manipulation can boost spatial thinking. The virtual environment provides an exciting opportunity so that many spatial ability training tasks based on reading printed…