Music interaction: understanding music and human-computer interaction

We introduce and review recent research in Music and Human Computer Interaction, also known as Music Interaction. After a general overview of the discipline, we analyse the themes and issues raised by the fifteen chapters of this book, each of which presents recent research in this field. The bulk of this chapter is organised as an FAQ. This enables some FAQs to focus on cross cutting issues that appear in multiple chapters, and some chapters to feature in multiple FAQs. Broad topics include: the scope of research in Music Interaction; the role of HCI in Music Interaction; and conversely, the role of Music Interaction in HCI. High-level themes include embodied cognition, spatial cognition, evolutionary interaction, gesture, formal language, affective interaction, and methodologies from social science. Musical activities of interest include performance, composition, analysis, collaborative music making, and human and machine improvisation. Specific issues include: whether Music Interaction should be easy; what can be learned from the experience of being “in the groove”, and what can be learned from the deep commitment of musical amateurs. Broader issues include: what Music Interaction can offer traditional instruments and traditional musical activities; what relevance it has for non-musical domains; and ways in which Music Interaction can enable entirely new musical activities possible

Mastery Motivation and Executive Functions as School Readiness Factors: Enhancement of School Readiness in Kenya

The overall goal of this study is to enhance school readiness assessment in Kenya by developing an easy-to-use tablet-based android app that can support teachers and learners during the assessment of Pre-academic skills, Mastery Motivation (MM) and Executive Functions (EF) in the Kenyan context. We operationalised MM and EF as components of Approaches to Learning (ATL): one of the poorly assessed domains of school readiness. This research was based on the theory of ATL and followed a non-experimental longitudinal research design. One study was a Scoping Review that identified the gap in the literature in the assessment of School Readiness domains using game-like apps. This study formed the basis for developing Finding Out Children's Unique Strengths (FOCUS) app for Kenya following Education Design Research Approach. Two studies tested and evaluated the psychometric properties of the FOCUS app in the Kenyan context. Another two empirical studies focused on adapting the Preschool Dimension of Mastery Questionnaire 18 (DMQ 18) and the Childhood Executive Functioning (CHEXI) to complement the assessment of MM and EF, respectively. In addition, one study addressed the role played by MM and EF on school academic performance. A total of 40 teachers, 497 preschool and 535 grade 1 children were involved in this study. Both parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses were used to analyse the generated data. The FOCUS app, CHEXI and DMQ 18 fit well with the data and exhibited strong psychometric properties, thus being suitable for the Kenyan context. Furthermore, both MM and EF were directly and indirectly, involved in grade one children's academic performance. FOCUS app tasks, pre-academic skills, and number and letter search tasks at preprimary II strongly predicted preschool and grade one academic performance. MM assessed using the FOCUS app as a better predictor of academic performance than the DMQ 18. Interventions to improve MM and EF promise to enhance School Readiness in the Kenyan context. The FOCUS app can greatly complement Kenya School Readiness Test to give teachers and parents a broader spectrum to make correct decisions concerning the child

Development and evaluation of a new scale to measure motivation

Merged with duplicate record (10026.1/835) on 03.01.2017 by CS (TIS)This is a digitised version of a thesis that was deposited in the University Library. If you are the author please contact PEARL Admin ([email protected]) to discuss options.This programme of research was undertaken with the aim of using psychometric techniques to develop and evaluate a new scale to measure motivation. An initial hypothesis was stated, proposing that five related factors could be used to describe individual differences in certain motivational determinants. These factors are Goal Coherence, Strength of Will, Planning, Perseverance, and Self Evaluation. A questionnaire was constructed, and versions administered to 813 subjects over 5 studies. The resultant data were subjected to maximum likelihood factoring, and the solutions rotated obliquely. Results from each study led to successive refinements of the questionnaire, and an eventual rejection of the initial hypothesis in favour of a single factor of future-oriented motivation labelled Goal Coherence, measured by a 15-item questionnaire.Three further studies were undertaken to test the Goal Coherence questionnaire for convergent and divergent construct validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability. These studies yielded generally encouraging results. Two final studies, set in the future-oriented context of contingent versus noncontingent path behaviour, were undertaken to test the validity of the scale against external behavioural criteria. It was predicted that there would be a significant positive relationship between Goal Coherence and problem solving in a contingent path condition. It was further predicted that no such relationship between Goal Coherence and performance would be observed in the noncontingent condition. In the second study, it was predicted that the ability to recognise a contingent path would increase as a function of Goal Coherence scores. Results from both studies appeared to give some support to the predictions. It is concluded that the Goal Coherence questionnaire possesses potential as a useful measure of future-oriented motivation, and as a platform for continuing research. Current and planned applied uses of the questionnaire are described, and directions for future research are suggested.Science and Engineering Research Counci

Adolescent perceptions of career concern and how these perceptions change from grades 7 through 12

ix, 154 leaves ; 29 cm. --A qualitative approach was used to research adolescents' perceptions of career concern and how these concerns change from Grades 7 through 12. Recently, there has been increased involvement of students in adolescent needs assessment research. This is a recognition that including students' perceptions may increase the accuracy of results, as adolescents may be the bast source for identifying their own needs. The students involved in the study attend schools throughout selected communities of Southern Alberta; 9,502 students in Grades 7 through 12 responded to the CCNS (Comprehensive Career Needs Survey) and comprised the total population of participants. Student responses to the research question, "What discourages you when you think about your career?" in the CCNS ware randomly extracted from this population. Communities ware separated into sample sizes with populations of under 1000, between 1000-10,000, and more than 10,000. Within each community category, twenty randomly selected responses were collected, analyzed and compared to generate broad themes from each grade level. Twenty-seven themes emerged from the participants' responses, which were then compared and reviewed as to their frequency relative to each theme. A grounded theory approach to data analysis was used and revealed that adolescents confront a system of core thematic issues that arise in response to their dealing with age-graded development tasks, social expectations, and personal projects. These core themes ware discovered to stem from extrinsic and intrinsic forms of concern that adolescents consider to be problematic along than career paths. Those concerns include distinct issues related to (1) learning, (2) security, (3) satisfaction, (4) failing, and (5) commitment. The implications for career professionals are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.Page 133 appears twice in the book

The Exercise of Personal Agency by Mobile Phone Use: A mixed methods study study among young people in Mumbai, India

The objective of this study is to explore if mobile phone users exercise a higher ability to accomplish goals in daily life than mobile phone non-users. The ability to accomplish goals in daily life is referred to as Personal Agency in this study. In a particular manner this study explores the exercise of Personal Agency in managing contingent situations and in maintaining regular relationships in the daily lives of individuals. This study also set out to explore the capabilities that mobile phone use promotes in individuals which assist them to exercise Personal Agency. This study addresses these objectives by using the Empirical model of Agency by Hitlin and Elder Jr.. This study was conducted using the Mixed Methods approach. In keeping with this approach, the Quantitative and Qualitative data was collected from young people between 16 and 19 years belonging to Middle Class families in Mumbai. The data was collected through a survey, semi-structured interviews and group discussions. The Quantitative results of this study indicated that Personal Agency and Frequency of mobile phone use co-vary in relation to each other. The exercise of Personal Agency increases with the increase in Frequency of mobile phone use. It also indicated that the exercise of Personal Agency was higher among mobile phone users than mobile phone non-users. The Qualitative data demonstrated that Personal Agency was enhanced by the tri-capabilities of ‘Contactability’, ‘Organizability’ and ‘De-restriction’ which are facilitated by mobile phone use

Personality and Ideational Correlates of Student Teachers' Classroom Behaviours.

Twenty-five second-year students following the Certificate of Education course in a constituent college of the Liverpool University School of Education were tested with personality and creativity measures. The predictive capacity of the personal data was analysed in terms of the several categories of an interaction analysis schedule applied during observations of the students' teaching. The analysis revealed a quantitatively consistent style of interaction when students were seen on different occasions although inportant changes of a qualitative nature may have occurred. Measures of Ideational Fluency, Flexibility and Originality correlated with the criteria in the same directions and to similar extents, suggesting substantial communality of variance; and there was a tendency for these variables to relate to higher incidences of teacher initiation. Other correlates included Affectothymia (warm, outgoing temperament), artlessness and higher superego strength with the teachers' giving praise; and there were indications that anxiety was linked with teachers' questioning behaviour. Intelligence, as measured by a sub-scale of the personality questionnaire, was not a significant correlate of any behavioural category. The concepts 'personality' and 'creativity', together with their measures, are discussed and related to previous research into teacher competence and behaviou

Personal productivity: the role of prospective memory in the management of commitments

Several studies (see for example, Francis-Smythe, 2006; Macan et al., 2010) showed the existence of a connection between prospective memory (PM) and personal productivity (or time management, TM): the strategies commonly used to support prospective memory (e.g., business planning, prioritizing tasks, notes, to-do list) are the same used for time management. However, there are still little empirical evidence and gaps in the study of the effectiveness of the typical methods and technologies of time management to support this memory functionality. The overall goal of this study was trying to provide a further contribute to the study of this connection through some empirical studies. The first part of this dissertation deals with the traditional approach to prospective memory study. This will include the main definitions, theories and models of PM and the main areas of investigation arisen from the analysis of literature. The second part deals with the most recent approaches focusing on the connection between prospective memory and time management. Based on the inputs identified in the literature, the third part deals with the empirical contributions to support this connection, identifying the most appropriate instruments to be used for the study of the phenomenon, evaluate their effectiveness, in some cases building ad hoc and propose new ones. Moreover, each study is introduced by the related theoretical contributions. Finally, the last part deals with the general conclusions of all studies and the future prospective of research

An exploratory case study using an expert learning process designed to promote number sense in a year 6 classroom

not availabl