Developing an observation protocol for online STEM courses.

The use of online instruction for undergraduate STEM courses is growing rapidly. While researchers and practitioners have access to validated instruments for studying the practice of teaching in face-to-face classrooms, analogous tools do not yet exist for online instruction. These tools are needed for quality design and control purposes. To meet this need, this project developed an observational protocol that can be used to collect non-evaluative data for the description, study, and improvement of online, undergraduate STEM courses. The development of this instrument used a sequential exploratory mixed methods approach to the research, design, pilot-testing, refinement and implementation of the protocol. Pairs of researchers tested the final version of this instrument, observing completed online undergraduate STEM courses. Across 2,394 pairs of observations, the observers recorded the same indication (yes or no to the presence of some course element) 1,853 times for an agreement rate of 77.4%, falling above the 75% threshold for an acceptable level of agreement. There was a wide range in the inter-rater reliability rates among items and further revisions were made to the instrument. This foundational work-in-progress instrument should be further developed and used by practitioners who are interested in learning about and reflecting on their online teaching practice.

Loot box consumption by adolescents pre- and post- pandemic lockdown.

Loot boxes are virtual items that can be redeemed to receive randomly selected other virtual items, and have been criticized for being similar to gambling. The presence of loot boxes in video games has dramatically increased since 2010, with little evidence available for the current prevalence rate of loot box purchasing in the general population, particularly during and following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. This study uses data from representative samples of American youth to estimate prevalence rates for video game play and loot box consumption before the pandemic (2019) and after the pandemic lockdowns (2022) to examine whether the pandemic has affected loot box usage in the general population and among gamers. The results suggest that youth loot box consumption has increased, rising from 24.9% in 2019 to 31.6% in 2022 among 8th grade (age 13-14) youth. The increase over this time period was larger for girls, though boys are still more likely to purchase loot boxes overall.

A Scoping Review of the Influence of Evidence-Based Program Resources (EBPR) Websites for Behavioral Health.

Evidence-based program resources (EBPR) websites evaluate behavioral health programs, practices or policies (i.e., interventions) according to a predetermined set of research criteria and standards, usually resulting in a summary rating of the strength of an intervention's evidence base. This study is a mixed-methods analysis of the peer-reviewed academic literature relating to the influence of EBPRs on clinical practice and policy in the behavioral health field. Using an existing framework for a scoping review, we searched for research articles in PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and ProQuest that were published between January 2002 and March 2022, referenced an EBPR or multiple EBPRs, and presented data showing the influence of one or more EBPRs on behavioral health. A total of 210 articles met the inclusion criteria and were classified into five distinct categories of influence, the most important of which was showing the direct impact of one or more EBPRs on behavioral health (8.1% of articles), defined as documenting observable changes in interventions or organizations that are at least partly due to information obtained from EBPR(s). These included impacts at the state legislative and policy-making level, at the community intervention level, provider agency level, and individual practitioner level. The majority of influences identified in the study were indirect demonstrations of how EBPRs are used in various ways. However, more studies are needed to learn about the direct impact of information from EBPRs on the behavioral health field, including impact on clinician practice and treatment outcomes for consumers.

The influence of evidence-based program registry websites for dissemination of evidence-based interventions in behavioral healthcare.

PURPOSE: Evidence-based program registries (EBPRs) are web-based databases of evaluation studies that summarize the available evidence for the effectiveness of behavioral healthcare programs, including programs addressing substance misuse, mental health, child welfare, or offender rehabilitation. The study determined the extent to which visitors to selected EBPRs accomplished the objectives of their visits and how often those visits resulted in the adoption of new or improved evidence-based interventions (EBIs). METHOD: A follow-up telephone survey was conducted with 216 visitors to a convenience sample of six EBPRs an average of six months after the visitors' incident visit to the EBPR. RESULTS: The most frequent objective was to identify evidence-based programs/services, curricula or assessments, followed by finding resources to implement or improve the preceding and writing a grant proposal including to comply with funding requirements; 71% of such objectives were achieved across the full set of objectives. Implementation of an EBI was completely achieved for 31% of relevant objectives and some progress on EBI implementation occurred for 19% of relevant objectives. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to document the usage of EBPRs as a modality to increase the utilization of EBIs in the actual practice of behavioral healthcare. The results support the continued use of web-based EBPRs for disseminating information on evidence-based interventions for behavioral healthcare.

Development of a self-report instrument for measuring online teaching practices and discussion facilitation.

Online learning in higher education has been increasing for many years. This is happening across all of higher education and it is happening more specifically within STEM fields. The growth of online learning has significantly accelerated the past couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic as colleges and universities have sought ways to continue educating students while also keeping students, faculty and staff safe. As result, many college faculty and instructors across all fields of study including STEM fields have made and continue to make the transition to teaching online for the first time. Teaching in an online environment is different from traditional classroom teaching in many ways and presents a unique set of challenges to college instructors. This study documents the development of an instrument used for instructors to self-report their instructional techniques and practices. Data from 251 instructors is also used to examine how this instrument can be used to better understand particular practices, with a focus in this study on discussion facilitation. The results align with the Community of Inquiry framework, including indicating that teaching through discussion forums involves direct contribution and/or facilitation.

Visitors' Assessment and Utilization of Evidence-Based Program Resources (EBPR) Websites.

Background: Evidence-based program resources (EBPR) websites for behavioral health are a potentially useful tool to assist decision-makers and practitioners in deciding which behavioral health interventions to implement. EBPR websites apply rigorous research standards to assess the effectiveness of behavioral healthcare programs, models, and clinical practices. Method: Visitors to a convenience sample of six EBPR websites (N=369, excluding students) were recruited for telephone interviews primarily by means of a pop-up invitation on the sites. Results: The visitors view the EBPR sites as important sources of information to support the identification and adoption of evidence-based programs/practices (EBPs) in behavioral healthcare, which aligns with the primary mission of EBPRs. For repeat visitors, there was some indication that the information obtained helped effect certain changes in their agencies' programs and policies. However, increased or improved guidance on EBP implementation was also requested. Conclusion: EBPR websites should be better publicized to the behavioral healthcare field.

State Department and Provider Agency Utilization of Evidence-Based Program Registries in Behavioral Healthcare and Child Welfare.

Evidence-based program registries (EBPRs) are web-based compilations of behavioral healthcare programs/interventions that rely on research-based criteria to rate program efficacy or effectiveness for support of programmatic decision-making. The objective was to determine the extent to which behavioral health decision-makers access EBPRs and to understand whether and exactly how they use the information obtained from EPBRs. Single State Authorities (SSAs) and service provider agencies in the areas of behavioral health and child welfare were recruited nationally. Senior staff (n = 375) responsible for the selection and implementation of programs and/or policies were interviewed by telephone concerning their visits (if any) to 28 relevant EBPRs, the types of information they were seeking, whether they found it, and how they may have used that information to effect changes in their organizations. At least one EBPR was visited by 80% of the respondents, with a median of three different registers being visited. Most visitors (55%) found all the information they were seeking; those who did not desired more guidance or tools for individual program implementation or were unable to locate the program or practice that they were seeking. Most visitors (65%) related using the information obtained to make changes in their organizations, in particular to select, start or change a program, or to support the adoption or improvement of evidence-based clinical practices. EBPRs were shown to be important resources for dissemination of research-based program effectiveness data, leading to increased use of evidence-based practices in the field, but the study also identified needs for greater awareness of EBPRs generally and for more attention to implementation of specific recommended programs and practices.

Loot Boxes and Gambling: Similarities and Dissimilarities in Risk and Protective Factors.

Politicians, health officials, and scholars have argued that loot boxes (virtual items that can be redeemed to receive randomly selected other virtual items) in video games function as a type of gambling, and research has shown that loot box purchasing is correlated with gambling behaviors. Whether loot box purchasing shares other characteristics with gambling such as risk and protective factors, however, has not been explored empirically. This study uses data from large, random samples of American youth to regress both gambling and loot box purchasing (as well as purchasing other downloadable content) on previously established risk and protective factors of gambling. Results suggest that, aside from gender differences, loot boxes share little in common with traditional forms of gambling. The data also indicate that youth gamers are less likely to have purchased loot boxes in comparison to previously estimated adult gamer prevalence rates.

Parental influence on youth violent video game use.

Violent video games have been the subject of much news and analysis. One area of the debate, particularly in legal arenas, has been whether parents have or should have control over what games their children play. Despite such debates, only limited empirical research has examined whether parents actually do have influence over what games their children play or how much they play them. Using cross-sectional data from large-samples of American high-school and middle-school students, this study examines parental influences on violent video game play and the role of perceived parental opinion of violent video games. Results suggest that parental attachment and perceived parental opinion of video games play a significant role in the degree to which youth play violent games, even through later adolescence in high school.

Religion, Nonreligion, and Deviance: Comparing Faith's and Family's Relative Strength in Promoting Social Conformity.

The view that religion, as a source of moral guidance and social support, can function to prevent or protect individuals, especially children and adolescents, from a range of deviant and delinquent behaviors is largely (but not completely) born out in the literature. In nations with strong religious identities such as the USA, there is a normative expectation that adolescents who identify with religion are less likely to engage in deviant behavior than those who claim no religion. The present study explores this issue using data from over 10,000 American middle school and high school youth to examine the relationship between religion, nonreligion, and various forms of deviance. Results indicate that youth who identify with a religious (rather than nonreligious) label are not less likely to be involved in deviant acts after controlling for protective factors. The effects from some of these protective factors are significant and stronger than the effects from religion.

The Impact of Degree of Exposure to Violent Video Games, Family Background, and Other Factors on Youth Violence.

Despite decades of study, no scholarly consensus has emerged regarding whether violent video games contribute to youth violence. Some skeptics contend that small correlations between violent game play and violence-related outcomes may be due to other factors, which include a wide range of possible effects from gender, mental health, and social influences. The current study examines this issue with a large and diverse (49 % white, 21 % black, 18 % Hispanic, and 12 % other or mixed race/ethnicity; 51 % female) sample of youth in eighth (n = 5133) and eleventh grade (n = 3886). Models examining video game play and violence-related outcomes without any controls tended to return small, but statistically significant relationships between violent games and violence-related outcomes. However, once other predictors were included in the models and once propensity scores were used to control for an underlying propensity for choosing or being allowed to play violent video games, these relationships vanished, became inverse, or were reduced to trivial effect sizes. These results offer further support to the conclusion that video game violence is not a meaningful predictor of youth violence and, instead, support the conclusion that family and social variables are more influential factors.

Self-injury, suicide ideation, and sexual orientation: differences in causes and correlates among high school students.

BACKGROUND: Research has suggested that sexual minority youth are more likely to experience a number of behavioral and health-related risk factors due to their exposure to negative attitudes and beliefs about sexual minorities. Few studies, however, have examined the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among sexual minority youth. With self-cutting and suicidal ideation common in middle and high schools, understanding the antecedents and correlates of such behavior may help identify troubled students and initiate preventative measures. METHODS: Bivariate probit regression analyses are performed using data from 7,326 high school students collected via the Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey. RESULTS: Results indicate that bullying victimization, fighting, substance use, sexual behavior, depression, and unhealthy dieting behaviors were generally associated with NSSI and suicidal ideation. Some effects--including those from sexual activity, substance use, and unhealthy dieting behaviors--significantly differed based on gender and orientation. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for suicide and NSSI vary by gender and orientation. Both prevention/intervention specialists and researchers should consider the intersection of these risk factors with sexual orientation in their efforts.

Spirituality and desistance from substance use among reentering offenders.

Prior research has indicated an inverse relationship between religion and criminal behavior; however, few studies have specifically examined the effect of spirituality on the desistance process among a contemporary and diverse sample of reentering drug-involved offenders. A comprehensive understanding of how spirituality is related to desistance from substance use can lead to more effective and evidence-based preventive and rehabilitative interventions. Using data from a longitudinal study of 920 diverse offenders returning to the community after a period of incarceration, the current study examines three distinct forms of substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine) to gauge the effect that spirituality plays in the desistance process. The findings suggest a relatively high importance of spirituality in terms of preventing substance use during reentry, particularly concerning the use of both alcohol and cocaine.