Browsing by Subject "universities"
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Item A National Assessment of the Intrastructure for Urban Wildlife Management(2014-08-01) Murphy, Michaela ReneNorth America is currently the most urbanized geographical area in the world, with over 82% of the population living in urban areas. Urbanization has led to a profound change in many ecosystems and associated wildlife across the nation and has altered the human perspective of the environment. Urban wildlife management is an emerging field of ecology that addresses the human dimension in urban wildlife ecosystems, taking into account human perspectives as well as wildlife needs in urban ecosystems. Universities and state wildlife agencies are the main driving forces for research and management, and it is crucial that these institutions provide support for managing wildlife in urban environments. Universities (n = 73) and state wildlife agencies (n = 50) in each state across the nation were surveyed to: 1) to assess whether a structure for urban wildlife management at state DNRs and universities across the U.S. existed; 2) compare current infrastructure for urban wildlife management to the infrastructure present prior to 2000; and 3) determine how current infrastructure for urban wildlife management might be related to other national trends including level of urbanization, economic loss due to urban wildlife, and participation in wildlife-related activities. The majority of these respondents agreed there was a public demand for urban wildlife management in their state and that their institution was involved in urban wildlife management concerns. However, respondents reported a total of only 126 full time urban wildlife biologists (compared to 8,451 traditional biologists) in state wildlife agencies and universities across the nation. Though there are still few urban wildlife biologists within state agencies or universities, the average number of urban wildlife biologists per institution has doubled since 1999. Indicators of infrastructure for urban wildlife management within state agencies and universities were unrelated to other national trends that were considered for the scope of this study. Despite limitations including lack of funding, competing wildlife issues, and poor communication, organizations should be more involved with addressing urban wildlife management concerns. State wildlife agencies and universities need to establish clear support and communication for urban wildlife needs. Though expansion in this area has occurred in the last two decades, there are growing urban wildlife concerns that should be addressed with focused attention by leading wildlife institutions.Item The effects of a computerized-algebra program on mathematics achievement of college and university freshmen enrolled in a developmental mathematics course(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Taylor, Judy M.We face a world in which a college degree increasingly dictates the likelihood of life success. At the same time, there has been an ever-increasing population of students who have not been prepared adequately through their high school education to meet the rigors of college/university-level content. This problem can be seen in the number of students needing Intermediate Algebra. Students who complete remedial courses with a grade of C or better are more likely to pass their first college-level mathematics course and continue their education until they have completed all coursework needed for a degree. Students entering colleges and universities underprepared for collegiate mathematics, reading, and writing have reached epidemic proportions, with 30% of the students needing remediation in one of these areas. A portion of this problem has been identified as mathematics anxiety. Because students have habituated mathematics failure, they are aware of their deficiencies, but still desire a college education. They bring with them years of negative emotions from repeated mathematics failures. These years of negative feelings about mathematics precipitated by repeated failures are often manifested as mathematics anxiety that must be addressed in order to improve students?????? content knowledge. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a web-based technology centric course, Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), on the remediation of college freshmen enrolled in an Intermediate Algebra class as compared to college freshmen enrolled in an Intermediate Algebra class taught using a traditional lecture method. Mathematics anxiety and attitude toward mathematics will also be investigated to determine if ALEKS can lower the anxiety associated with mathematics, as well as improve attitudes. An algebra test, mathematics anxiety rating scale, and mathematics attitude test was given to both groups of students at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. The overall findings of this research suggested that ALEKS Intermediate Algebra students performed as well as the Control group taking a class in Intermediate Algebra taught by lecture. The anxiety of the Experimental group decreased more than the Control group, and the Experimental group??????s attitude toward mathematics increased at a greater rate than did the Control group.