Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item A needs assessment of operational and production practices of Montana beef prodcuers(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2024) Paul, Makayla Rae; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Shannon ArnoldMontana State University Extension provides educational programming for beef producers across the state of Montana. To develop programming opportunities for beef producers in Montana, Extension agents must first identify their needs. To determine the needs of beef producers in Montana, needs assessments should be conducted periodically. The purpose of this study was to explore Montana beef producers' operational and production practices and preferences for educational programming. This study used a descriptive research design. The study utilized a web-based survey for data collection and was distributed to participants utilizing email to examine the characteristics of Montana beef producers. The survey was delivered to county Extension agents employed by Montana State University, agents forwarded the survey information to beef producers located in their counties. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The study identified barriers to attending programming were timing of programming and scheduled dates. The preference of program delivery was identified to be traditional 1-2-hour meetings with applicable research, reading materials, and tools to take home. The data indicated Montana beef producers want education focused on cattle marketing, range management, and virtual fencing. It was also identified that producers utilize pocket-sized books to collect herd level data and most often collecting data on pregnancy rate. Respondents indicated they do not collect herd level data on liver and blood, fecal, and not harvested feedstuffs. When adopting new operational practices, the data declared cost to be a major concern to producers and their biggest daily concern to be cow/calf management. It was recommended for Extension agents to focus programming efforts to provide tools for producers to use on their operations. These tools should include tools to assist with cattle marketing, range management and accounting software. It was recommended for MontGuides to be developed for herd health, reproduction, and sampling of distinct types of feedstuffs and bodily fluid.Item College choice and competency-based education learner motivations(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2018) Morrison, Cali Marie Koerner; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersRecently there has been a resurgence of interest in competency-based education, a learning modality which is mastery-based, self-paced and focused on demonstrations of knowledge and skill rather than where or how they were attained (C-BEN, 2016; Cuckler, 2016; Tate & Klein-Collins, 2015; U.S. Department of Education, 2002). The face of higher education is changing, according to NCES (2015), 75% of students enrolled in college have one or more nontraditional characteristics. Recent studies suggest that competency-based education enrollees may fall under the larger non-traditional student population; (Kelchen, 2015; Kelchen, 2016; Kelly & Columbus, 2016). The purpose of this study was to investigate the learners' characteristics, college choice process, and learners' satisfaction with their decision to enroll in competency-based education. This multi-institutional study employed descriptive statistics, correlational research design utilizing ordinary least squares regression analyses, and quantitative content analysis. This study found the typical competency-based education learner is a nearly 39-year-old, married (66.2%), white (84.4%), Non-Hispanic (89.6%) female (70.2%) who has been out of high school for just over 20 years. She lives in a different location than her current institution (68.5%) and has studied at a prior college (95.7%), including study in her current discipline (61%). She is slightly less likely to be a first-generation student (51.2%) than she is to be the first in her family to go to college. She is also more likely to be eligible for a Pell Grant (48.8%) than not. She is employed full time (71.4%), works an average of 38 hours a week and has worked for nearly 10 years (M=9.63, SD=9.28) in her field of study. 88.1% of these learners were very or extremely satisfied with their decision to enroll in competency-based education. The modality, learning goals, and social goals enrollment motivators significantly, positively influenced learners' satisfaction with their decision to enroll. Common themes emerged in the choice process including affordability, career advancement, learning goals, and learning modality. I conclude that each learners' path to CBE is their own and higher education institutions need to place greater emphasis on this learning pathway's knowledge building capabilities rather than solely it's perceived vocational focus.Item Reflective judgment and the adult learner's use of metacognitive learning strategies(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1993) Yabui, Alan EichiItem Learning strategies and the learning-disabled adult student(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1995) Hays, Patricia AnnItem Great teachers on teaching adults : comparison of philosophy and practice from antiquity to the present(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1997) Covington, Marsha ElaineItem Coming of age : an assessment of the status of adult education methodology in museums(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1996) Sachatello-Sawyer, BonnieItem Adult learning in various academic disciplines(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1997) Doney, Myrna MaxineItem Memory enhancement in adult learners(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1998) Alt, Arthur LeeItem The influences of personal and professional learning situations on real-life learning strategy utilization by school administrators in Wyoming(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1991) McKenna, Robert JohnItem Student outcomes : the relationship of teaching style to readiness for self-directed learning(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1991) Hudspeth, Jerald Henry