Wf Portfolio

7/31/2019 Wf Portfolio

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Will Foreman

English 491a Portfolio


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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

ROVER Site Content

Program Overview/Home 4

Surveys 5

Lab Studies 6

Experiment Details

Associated WVU Courses

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8-10

Current Dogs 11

FAQ 12

Dog Training 13Contact 14

Compiled Correspondence 15

Hearts of Gold Site Designs 16-17


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INTRODUCTION

I've come to view my internship as two somewhat separate individual experiences. The two

'halves' of my work have come to represent what I imagine are two substantially different worlds of

professional writing. In my internship I was tasked with writing web content for WVU's new ROVER

program as well as designing and coding a new Hearts of Gold web presence. I liken the disparity

between my tasks to what little I admittedly know of the professional world. I've come to imagine that a

position as a staffed editor would be not unlike my work relating to WVU and suspect it might feel

equally if not more stifling. In this sense, I think I have learned more about my future as a professional

writer than I have about my writing itself.

At first, I anticipated working on these tasks equally, but as I began working my excitement for

the ROVER project started to wane. With the Hearts of Gold web page I was given the freedom to

design any kind of site within functional reason and was left to my own devices and there was a great

deal of freedom in it. The ROVER content, however, required a lot of "checking in" with supervisingfigures and constant and rhythmic revisions.

To be blunt, my ROVER work felt like grunt work. The rigidity and formality of the WVU web

presence demanded a very specific and uniform kind of writing that had to adhere to the nature of their

site network. In a way, I wasn't employing any particular skills to complete the task. It was a simple

digestion and iteration of information that came to feel monotonous and stifling, whereas my work on

the Hearts of Gold site employed and exercised my graphic and interface design skills. Simply put, the

Hearts of Gold work was substantially more rewarding.

I think my frustration with my WVU is most effectively illustrated by my two primary Hearts of

Gold site designs. In the first example I was attempting to create a design that would blend in well with

the WVU network in the event that such a design would be preferred. The overall scheme of the first

design is spartan, utilitarian, and bland, and in a way I feel that my second design is an unintended

response to the first.

Perhaps the most surprising element of the ROVER content writing was how cautious I needed

to be about density and comprehension. Because I was serving essentially as a scientific document

translator for the public audience, I had to make certain I left nothing too high-context or obscure

remain in the text. I made this mistake countless times throughout my first few drafts.

I acknowledge that I have failed to produce the required twenty pages of polished writing calledfor in this portfolio. With brevity and succinctness being priorities in the production of web content, I

found it difficult to produce enough writing without expounding upon a slew of messy drafts and

carelessly inflating my work. Despite this, I feel confident that both my ROVER content and my Hearts

of Gold webpage are ready and prepared for publishing and that they represent the efficiency of the

PWE program.


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PROGRAM OVERVIEW/HOME

According to a new report from the Associated Press, a record 45% of the 1.6 million returning veterans

in 2012 are filing for disability. Additionally, about 30 percent of the men and women who have spent

time in war zones experience PTSD and an additional 20 to 25 percent have had partial PTSD at some

point in their lives. Unemployment among veterans is the highest of any social group, but there may be

ways to alleviate the stresses of PTSD among returning veterans.

ROVER (Returning Our Veterans to Employment and Reintegration) is a collaborative program between

West Virginia University (WVU) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

which seeks to investigate the therapeutic benefits ofservice dogs that are trained to provide physical

and psychological assistance to Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Currently, there is an unfortunate lack of empirical data to support the assertion that therapy and

service dogs provide significant aid to veterans suffering from the symptoms of PTSD. One of the

primary goals of the ROVER program is to respond to this lack of evidence with research conducted

through a variety of surveys, focus groups, and clinical case-studies. Research for the program will be

conducted by NIOSH scientists Oliver Wirth Ph.D., Lindsay Parenti BCBA, and Anne Foreman Ph.D. in

collaboration with Matt Wilson Ph.D., Jean Meade Ph.D. MD DVM, and Rick Gross Ph.D. from WVU.


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SURVEYS

One of the ways in which the ROVER program conducts its research is through the form of surveys

administered to veterans and service-dog providers. ROVER surveys seek to identify specific

psychological, physiological, and functional barriers that prevent veterans with psychiatric disorders

from returning to work.

VETERANS SURVEY

The ROVER program is conducting a survey directed toward current United States Veterans who both do

and do not have pets. The information gained from these surveys will not only lend to the overall

understanding of the difficulties Veterans face in returning home, but also help in the design ofprograms to assist those in need. The ROVER Veteran survey is a brief, 30-minute series of questions

regarding military and employment histories, general health, and experience with pets.

DOG PROVIDERS SURVEY

ROVER is also conducting a survey directed toward the providers of service and therapy dogs. Survey

responses from dog providers will help us better understand how assistance dog providers are working

to meet the needs of their clients, including Veterans. The survey will gather information from

assistance dog providers across the United States in three topic areas:

1. Assistance dog provider characteristics and services;

2. Services provided to Veterans and Veterans returning to work;

3. Strategies used with assistance dogs to address client issues related to work


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LAB STUDIES

There is an unfortunate lack of well-designed research illustrating the psychological effects of dogs on

human stress responses. In response to this unfortunate shortage of data, ROVER will be conducting a

variety of laboratory-based experiments that will analyze and investigate the variety of benefits

provided by service dogs.

Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress report many barriers to employment, including the stress and social

pressures within the workplace. The laboratory studies proposed by the ROVER team will help find out

whether dogs can serve a therapeutic function for Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress in a work setting.

If a therapeutic effect can be demonstrated with these studies, then these results will go towards

increasing the acceptability of service dogs for Veterans with PTSD and the use of these service dogs inthe workplace. Successful lab studies will not only open the way for new potential avenues of funding,

but it will also encourage further interrogation of the hypothesis and additional experimentation overall.

Experiments will likely be held in the NIOSH facilities in Morgantown, West Virginia. Dogs for the

experiments will be provided by Human Animal Bond Inc and Hearts of Gold.

ROVER is currently seeking veterans to participate in laboratory studies. If you are a veteran with

diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and wish to participate in ROVER lab studies, please visit the

'Contact' section of our web site for more information.


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EXPERIMENT DETAILS

Experiments performed during laboratory studies will test the effect of service dogs on stress responses

in individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Experiments will take place in a simulated office

environment complete with office noise and ambience.

Experiment participants will be given a computer and a desk and assigned a variety of computerized

tasks intended to induce a slight state of stress. Tasks range from simple timed typing tasks to simple

trivia. A participant's physiological state will be monitored and recorded during these tasks in an

attempt to detect and diagnose moments of induced stress and heightened excitement.

Following the first set of tasks, a dog will be brought into the room and introduced to the participant.

After the experiment participant and the dog become familiar with one another, the dog will remain in

the room while the participant is assigned another similar set of computer tasks to complete. Again, the

participants physiological state will be recorded and observed throughout the process.

Assuming all variables remain constant, the experiment should provide evidence that the presence of a

service animal helps alleviate general levels of stress in humans. Furthermore, successful

experimentation will add to the current pool of data concerning service dogs and their effects on stress,

encouraging further experimentation and investigation into the topic.


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ASSOSCIATED WVU COURSES

AVS 276: Service Dog Training

This beginner course is offered during all semesters of the year (Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters).

The course is open to all majors and has no prerequisites. Through classroom lectures and a hands-on

training laboratory, students will learn all aspects of the term Service Dog. During lectures, students

will learn the fundamentals of behavior analysis, canine ethology and development, and the etiology

and treatment of common behavioral problems in dogs. During the laboratory component, students will

work individually with a service dog in training. They will learn the entire process of trainingbehaviors,

from shaping new skills to the refinement of well-practiced skills.

AVS 276 Learning Objectives:

Explain the rules of public access and private access as outlined by the Americans

with Disabilities Act, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the

Department of Transportation.

Distinguish between dogs that are granted public access and dogs that are not.

Define and give examples of reinforcement and punishment and distinguish between

positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.

Shape behaviors by reinforcing successive approximations of the terminal behavior.

Explain the basics of dog sensation and how the strengths and limitations of sensation affect

training and treatment of behavior problems.

Conduct an ABC analysis of a problem behavior and develop an intervention based on

the hypothesized function of the behavior.


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AVS 293F: Animal Learning

AVS 293F focuses on the principles of learning and behaviorthat are common to all organisms, from

aplysia to humans. AVS 293 beginswith the simplest type of learning,habituation, and ends with more

complex patterns of behavior, such as observational learningand language.Additionally, AVS 293

explores the basics of research methods and design, so that by the end of the course, students can be

confident, skeptical consumers ofscientificliterature, whether it be primary source material inScience or

experimental findings reported in The New York Times.

AVS 276 Learning Objectives:

Explain the origins of the study of learning from Aristotle to Skinner. Design a simple experiment and identify and eliminate threats to internal

validity.

Distinguish between elicited and emitted behaviors.

Define and give examples of reinforcement and punishment and

distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.

Understand the functional nature of the definitions of reinforcers and

punishers.

Relate the behavior principles discussed in lecture to their own behavior

and the behavior of others.

Discuss how the principles of behavior can be applied to a variety of

populations, including farm animals and companion animals.

Read and understand articles from the primary literature on topics in

applied animal behavior.

Train a dog to perform chained behaviors.

Assess a behavior problem and develop hypotheses related to its function.


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AVS 493G:Animal Assisted Interventions

In AVS 493G, students will learn about Animal-Assisted Interventions

(AAIs), which are treatments that use animals to facilitate the recovery of individuals

in a variety of contexts, including nursing homes, rehabilitation hospitals, schools, and

other settings. AVS 493H will cover a variety of topics, including the

history of AAIs, the selection of animals for AAIs, and the types of AAIs that have been

implemented. Classes will also consider how progress is assessed and measured when AAIs

are conducted. During the field experience portion of AVS 493G, students will spend one

hour a week with patients in one of the inpatient psychiatric units at the Chestnut Ridge

Center. During this hour, students will teach patients to train the service dogs, and for one of the

sessions, students will be tasked with developing and implementing a teaching activity.

AVS 493H Learning Objectives:

Distinguish between Animal-Assisted Activities (AAAs) and Animal-

Assisted Interventions (AAIs).

Distinguish between different types of AAIs.

Understand the historical context for AAIs.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of AAIs.

List and describe the potential risks of conducting AAIs in healthcare

settings.

Describe the types of AAIs that are conducted with a variety of

populations.

Develop and implement a teaching activity for the training of mobility-

assistance service dogs.

Understand the role of AAIs in facilitating the treatment of adolescent boys

in an inpatient psychiatric treatment center.


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Current Dogs

CharlotteCharlotte is a four year-old pure bred Golden Retriever.

Cali (Images)

Cali is a 3 year-old pure bred Golden Retriever

Elkie

Elkie is a 3 year-old pure bred Golden Retriever

Clover (Images)

Clover is a 2 year-old pure bred Poodle.

Dalek (Images)

Dalek is a 1 year-old pure bred German Shepard.

Gretel (Images)

Gretel is a 1 year-old Labrador-Poodle mix.

Omega (images)

Omega is a

Lucy and PJ (images)

Lucy and PJ are litter mate Labrador Retriever and Collie

mix puppies currently in training.

Nana


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FAQ

How are dogs acquired?

Hearts of Gold dogs are most often acquired through generous donations from various dog breeders.

What dog breeds do you use?

Historically, Hearts of Gold has enrolled mostly Golden Retrievers, hence the name of the organization.

More recently, however, Hearts of Gold has accepted Poodles, German Shepherds, and Labrador/Collie

mixes into the program.

At what age do dogs begin training?

Hearts of Gold puppies usually join the program between 6 and 8 weeks old and begin training

immediately with short sessions intended to accommodate a puppy's often limited attention span.

Who trains the dogs?

Hearts of Gold service dogs are trained primarily by their fosters, however, during WVU class semesters

the dogs are also trained by students in the beginner and intermediate service dog training courses.

Students assist in teaching the dogs a wide variety of commands from a simple 'sit' to opening and

closing a refrigerator.

Where do the dogs live?

Each Hearts of Gold dog is assigned a foster. Hearts of Gold fosters are responsible for housing and

caring for their dogs as well as teaching the majority of commands.

What kind of training are the fosters responsible for?

Hearts of Gold fosters are responsible for teaching their dog the majority of its commands. It is

important that this training take place in-home so that when the dog is eventually placed with an

individual it is comfortable in its environment.

How does one become a service dog foster?

First, any potential foster must familiarize themselves with the Hearts of Gold training process as well as

general service dog laws and policy. Next, the potential foster's ability to communicate and care for a

dog must be evaluated by Hearts of Gold staff. Finally, the individual's home will be evaluated by a

Hearts of Gold instructor to ensure the dog will have comfortable living conditions.

Where can I find more information on Hearts of Gold dog training?

Please visit to the 'Dog Training' section of our web site for more information.


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Dog Training

Overall, service dog training takes about two years. During those two years dogs are trained

consistently by their fosters and five days a week by a different WVU undergraduate student whenever

classes are in session.

Students conduct their dog training at the Hearts of Gold training center located in WVU's simulated

Agriculture Science farm. The training center contains a variety of objects necessary to simulate

environments and situations that the dog will encounter following its placement.

Fosters are responsible for acclimating their dog to the public environment and making sure the dogs

maintain their composure and focus in large crowds and noisy situations. Service dogs in training will go

with their fosters to grocery stores, restaurants, and anywhere else the average person would need to

go on a daily basis. During class semesters students will travel as a group with their dogs to a public

place in order to illustrate and emphasize the difficulties posed by distraction on dog training.

Service dogs don't work all of the time, however. A service dog learns that when the service vest is

removed they are effectively 'off the clock' and can spend their time running and playing like any other

dog.

After two years of training a dog will be matched up with a client based on compatibility and the needs

and preferences of the client. Then, more specific training may be conducted to teach the dog skills

particular to that individuals situation. For example, a dog may be taught to respond to specific gestures

or physical cues if a client has difficulty speaking.


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Contact

Oliver Wirth Ph.D.

Lindsay Parenti BCBA

Anne Foreman Ph.D.

Jean Meade Ph.D. MD DVM

Rick Gross Ph.D.

Matt Wilson Ph.D.


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Compiled Correspondence

7/2/12Dear Mr. Welsh,

I'd first like to say hello and briefly introduce myself. My name is Will Foreman and I'll be interning on theROVER website project and potentially redesigning the Hearts of Gold web presence this summer. I'vealready begun fostering and training a service dog puppy for the program and she has been quite ahandful. Dr. Oliver Wirth suggested I get into contact with you regarding work on the ROVER WVUwebsite. The official time frame of my capstone course begins next week (7/9), but I am prepared to getstarted working at any time. Thank you very much for your help and the opportunity to gain some realwork experience. I can be reached either through this e-mail address or at (304)-280-6675 at any time.Thanks again!

Sincerely,Will Foreman

8/2/12

Dear Dr. Meade,

I'd like to thank you again for the chance to work on the ROVER and Hearts of Gold websites. I'vefinished concepts of two potential Hearts of Gold webpage designs which I have attached to this e-mail.Let me know which design you think would be best for Hearts of Gold along with any changes oradditions you would like me to make. Thanks again!


8/10/12

Dear Dr. Meade,Today is the last day of my capstone course, so I've been awake far too long compiling and preparing allof my work for my final portfolio. I believe Anne is sending along my evaluation form for the coursesometime this morning and I'd like to say again how much I appreciate the opportunity to work on theROVER and Hearts of Gold sites.

I've been in communication with David Welsh, the Davis College PR Director, about the ROVER site and Iexpect to hear from him soon regarding the overall status of the site.

Let me know when or if you would like to meet about the Hearts of Gold website. I am free any time nextweek.

Thank you again!



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Hearts of Gold Website Designs


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