Accesible co-creation tools for people with intellectual disabilities: working for and with end-users

[EN] In a world defined by rapid change, the search for solutions to societal challenges has become more complex calling for new paradigms of innovation focused on collaborations with the community and users. Cocreation approaches in the design and production of a service or product can bring low-cost innovation and unique and personalized customer experiences leading to user acceptance of a product or service. Under a co-creation perspective, the participatory approach developed in the MINDInclusion project aims to improve the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities into public places and society by using a co-created online tool based on personal experiences of people with disabilities. Paying special attention to the Design thinking method, the main goal of this experience was to co-create cognitive accessible design tools that guide the collection of users and other stakeholders experiences in the process of defining problems and solutions. To this end, 14 researchers and educators worked defining together a set of guiding exercises and design thinking methods for the 4 co-design cycles. As a result two tools were developed to gather information to recreate as a final output “personas scenarios”, an “empathy map” and expected “use scenarios”. The former was an adapted game board about public places based on the traditional monopoly game and the latter a diary with a set of activities that will facilitate the collection of contextual information. Previous experiences have shown that co-design process can promote greater social cohesion, acceptance and empowerment. Working with people with intellectual disability presents several challenges since the co-creation process needs to be cognitive accessible. However, the tools created under this experience can be extrapolated to other contextsAlmeida, R.; Losada Durán, R.; Cid Bartolomé, T.; Giaretta, A.; Segalina, A.; Bessegato, A.; Visentin, S.... (2020). Accesible co-creation tools for people with intellectual disabilities: working for and with end-users. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 53-61. https://doi.org/10.4995/INN2019.2019.10086OCS536

Working Paper 62 - Policies for Regional Integration in Africa

The paper agues that experience and empirical evidence have shown that Africa’straditional trade-focused model of regional integration has failed not only in promotingintra-regional and African trade but also economic growth. However, regional integrationremains a basic ingredient towards the attainment of high and sustainable economic growthin the continent. To realize this potential, there is therefore, the need to search for newmodalities of regionalism that lean more towards co-operation, less rigidity and morepragmatism. The paper suggests that the principles of variable geometry and subsidiaritycould be usefully applied in this more pragmatic modality for defining the functions andpowers of the various layers of the new regional co-operation institutions. The principle ofvariable geometry permits integration to proceed on the basis of progressive steps, allowingsmaller sub-groups to move faster than the whole group while providing that many decisionsbe made by the majority rather than by consensus. On the other hand, the subsidiarityprinciple provides a clearer basis for distributing powers and responsibilities across severallayers (from national to regional) of the organizational structure of a regional integrationscheme according to the comparative advantage of each in respect of the different functions.These new co-operation arrangements have important contributions to make in helping todevelop African infrastructure and thus in reducing the region’s unusually high transactionscosts, which inhibit trade, investment, and economic growth. They could also play a majorrole by assisting African countries to establish a stable macroeconomic policy environmentthrough regional co-ordination and harmonization of macroeconomic and sectoral policies,trade, and growth- and investment-enhancing institutions. In addition, in an era ofglobalization, the multilateral approach to the fuller integration of African countries into theglobal economy is a sine qua non. To derive the most benefit from this approach, Africancountries must not only participate more actively and effectively in the World TradeOrganization (WTO) process, they also need to accept and implement appropriate tariffbindingobligations.

What is it like for you?: a phenomenological study: teaching adult literacy in a further education college under the auspices of the Adult Literacy Core Curriculum

This study is about the experience of teaching adult literacy in a further education college under the auspices of the Adult Literacy Core Curriculum (ALCC) between the years 2002 to 2005. A universal description was derived from the perspectives of five college lecturers, called co-researchers, who volunteered a vivid description of their individual experience of teaching adult literacy in this context. These descriptions were reduced, in terms of volume, and the resulting data created a single universal description of the teaching experience. The modified phenomenological reduction and analysis process used was based on an approach created by Moustakas (1994) to answer the fundamental research question: 'What -was it like for you?' In answering this question, this study presents the crux of what constitutes the qualities or nature of the professional experience, and brings to the fore, the meaning contained within it. This study identified that the qualities within teaching in further education are very much under researched and that rarer still is research from a phenomenological perspective about teaching under the auspices of the ALCC. This study sought to fill this gap where it found that the introduction of the ALCC brought with it a complexity in its defining of adult literacy as a set of functional skills within a socio-economic context, and that its use galvanized the humanism of co-researchers and their sense of moral obligation. It further found that the ALCC became what unified the co-researchers professionally and instigated a teaching culture in which some consideration was given to the social implications of what they taught. Teaching under the auspices of the ALCC thus became the platform of possibility from which institutions and central government can nurture the culture's need for support, and from which teachers themselves can question their role

Perceptions Of Maternal Satisfaction Over the Course of a Child’s Developmental Stages

Every motherhood experience comes with its own set of difficulties and experiences that might impact the level of life happiness for the women who inhabit it. Life satisfaction falls under the general heading of subjective well-being as it draws on comparison processes in which people assess how their present circumstances measure up to social norms and cultural ideals. This study aims to understand the changes in maternal satisfaction throughout the children\u27s developmental years to understand potential avenues for improvement in the maternal experience, as well as provide clinical providers with the knowledge they need to help women experiencing either extreme highs or extreme lows in their motherhood satisfaction. Using a qualitative heuristic phenomenological design, this study used semi-structured open-ended interviewing to understand the experiences of the co-researchers. NVivo will be used to create thematic narrative data, and the findings illustrate the common perspectives that provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of the defining attributes of satisfaction. The co-researchers elucidated the factors that contributed to their satisfaction across the developmental stages of their children. The co-researchers also discussed the challenges associated with motherhood. They discussed how their identities were formed and solidified through motherhood, and how their identities were changing since their children had become adults. The co-researchers expressed gratitude and pride when speaking about their children becoming productive citizens. Understanding the benefits and challenges of motherhood and understanding how mothers’ identities change over time could be useful for mental health practitioners counseling mothers during inevitable changes in their lives

Co-designing a chatbot for and with refugees and migrants

An information portal, HandbookGermany.de, is developed to support the integration of refugees and migrants into society in Germany. However, the information-seeking process is exhausting, cumbersome, and even confusing if refugees and migrants are not proficient at using web services. In light of this, a chatbot-based conversational service is considered as an alternative to enhance the information-seeking experience. For the purpose of designing products and services for refugees and migrants, a great deal of research proposes employing co-design methods as an effective means. The overall aim of this thesis is to explore, understand, and define possibilities of improving refugees and migrants’ experiences of social integration by proposing an engaging and efficient chatbot solution. Furthermore, this thesis aims to explore the necessity of co-design approach as a critical methodology to develop solutions. Therefore, the main research question in this thesis is how can a co-design approach contribute to designing a chatbot supporting social integration within the context of refugees and migrants. User experience, problems, and needs are unveiled in depth by listening to migrants and refugees’ problems, behaviors, and expectations (i.e., document studies, questionnaires, cultural probes, and expert interviews), and observing how migrants interact with the chatbot (i.e., participant observations and empathy probes). The research findings are then transformed into design questions. The designer, developers, and migrants jointly generate concepts leveraging generative toolkits in co-design workshops. By using surveys, the Method for the Assessment of eXperience (MAX), and property checklists, the resulting concepts are later validated with refugees and migrants. As research through design, this thesis draws three conclusions. Firstly, the co-design approach benefits defining problems in the complex context of refugees and migrants by supporting them in expressing ideas and thoughts. The defined problems can then be converted into design questions that promote the proceeding of the design process. Secondly, the co-design approach helps to develop mature concepts, which lays a foundation for the final design. Thirdly, the utilization of co-design tools plays an essential role in validating and refining the solution efficiently, as they make ideas concrete and visible so that refugees and migrants can easily reflect on them throughout the whole design process

Criteria for assessment of welfare impacts within regional planning of transport

Regional transport system plans present the wide framework for local transport planning, and are the means of applying the national high-level objectives regionally. Transport system plans are usually created interactively with the regional land use planning. Prediction and appraisal of the potential impacts of the alternatives under discussion form an important part of the planning process. This paper presents Finnish experience in defining criteria for assessing the potential welfare impacts of a transport plan or policy. These criteria are to be used co-operatively by the planners and decision-makers. An important issue is the link between the formation of the objectives and the actual evaluation of impacts, as well as the underlying values and views that influence the selection of planning methods and practises. The criteria were drafted based on a literature review and preliminary discussions with national transport authorities. The preliminary criteria were selected and put into order by using the multi-criteria method MACBETH. The process involved active co-operation with the national transport authorities, as well as with other interest groups. The draft criteria were prioritised based on the opinions of selected representatives of national and regional authorities and transport planners. In this paper we focus on the priorisation process of the criteria, as well as discuss the validity and usability of the criteria created. Furthermore, the suitability of multi-criteria analysis in the context of regional transport planning is discussed, in addition to the consistency requirements between the criteria and the multi-criteria model. The criteria have been created in an ongoing Finnish study that aims at supporting regional transport planning, concerning the impacts that changes in the transport system may have on the welfare of the communities and individuals. Furthermore, the suitability of certain Multi-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) methods in creating consensus in the planning process is tested.

Evolution of supermassive black holes

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are nowadays believed to reside in most local galaxies, and the available data show an empirical correlation between bulge luminosity - or stellar velocity dispersion - and black hole mass, suggesting a single mechanism for assembling black holes and forming spheroids in galaxy halos. The evidence is therefore in favour of a co-evolution between galaxies, black holes and quasars. In cold dark matter cosmogonies, small-mass subgalactic systems form first to merge later into larger and larger structures. In this paradigm galaxy halos experience multiple mergers during their lifetime. If every galaxy with a bulge hosts a SMBH in its center, and a local galaxy has been made up by multiple mergers, then a black hole binary is a natural evolutionary stage. The evolution of the supermassive black hole population clearly has to be investigated taking into account both the cosmological framework and the dynamical evolution of SMBHs and their hosts. The seeds of SMBHs have to be looked for in the early Universe, as very luminous quasars are detected up to redshift higher than z=6. These black holes evolve then in a hierarchical fashion, following the merger hierarchy of their host halos. Accretion of gas, traced by quasar activity, plays a fundamental role in determining the two parameters defining a black hole: mass and spin. A particularly intriguing epoch is the initial phase of SMBH growth. It is very challenging to meet the observational constraints at z=6 if BHs are not fed at very high rates in their infancy.Comment: Extended version of the invited paper to appear in the Proceedings of the Conference "Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology - Einstein's Legacy

How might the co-creation of a situated working woodland begin to address some of the major pedagogical challenges of our time?

This thesis was written alongside the practical realisation of a new working woodland provision for young adults with special educational needs (SEN) in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom. The thesis traces the journey of the ‘responsable’ through the three-year design and implementation process in the hope that his experiences may offer insight into whether and how the co-creation of and co-operation of a working woodland may be of pedagogical value in these times. The essay sets out by defining just what is meant by ‘these/our times’, examining the current educational context, and considering current patterns and consequences of human orientation and activity on the planet, looking at depth into our relationship with nature and craft. Next, the author offers an auto-ethnographical account of his journey ‘here’, describing his experience through the modern education system, and his journey ‘into the woods’. Finally, the thesis outlines the nature of a ‘working woodland’, and examines the extent to which such a venture may begin to tackle the challenges described earlier in the report

Active involved community partnerships: co-creating implementation infrastructure for getting to and sustaining social impact

Active involved community partnerships (AICPs) are essential to co-create implementation infrastructure and translate evidence into real-world practice. Across varied forms, AICPs cultivate community and tribal members as agents of change, blending research and organizational knowledge with relationships, context, culture, and local wisdom. Unlike selective engagement, AICPs enable active involvement of partners in the ongoing process of implementation and sustainability. This includes defining the problem, developing solutions, detecting practice changes, aligning organizational supports, and nurturing shared responsibility, accountability, and ownership for implementation. This paper builds on previously established active implementation and scaling functions by outlining key AICP functions to close the research-practice gap. Part of a federal initiative, California Partners for Permanency (CAPP) integrated AICP functions for implementation and system change to reduce disproportionality and disparities in long-term foster care. This paper outlines their experience defining and embedding five AICP functions: (1) relationship-building; (2) addressing system barriers; (3) establishing culturally relevant supports and services; (4) meaningful involvement in implementation; and (5) ongoing communication and feedback for continuous improvement. Planning for social impact requires the integration of AICP with other active implementation and scaling functions. Through concrete examples, authors bring multilevel AICP roles to life and discuss implications for implementation research and practice

Towards a heart and soul for co-creative research practice: A systemic approach

© Policy Press 2019 The language of co-creation has become popular with policy makers, researchers and consultants wanting to support evidence-based change. However, there is little agreement about what features a research or consultancy project must have for peers to recognise the project as co-creative, and therefore for it to contribute to the growing body of practice and theory under that heading. This means that scholars and practitioners do not have a shared basis for critical reflection, improving practice and debating ethics, legitimacy and quality. While seeking to avoid any premature defining of orthodoxy, this article offers a framework to support researchers and practitioners in discussing the boundaries and the features that are beginning to characterise a particular discourse, such as the one that is unfolding around the concept of co-creation. The paper is the outcome of an online and face-to-face dialogue among an international group of scholars. The dialogue draws on Critical Systems Heuristics’ (Ulrich, 1994) questions concerning motivation (revealing assumptions about its purpose and value), power (interrogating assumptions about who has control and is therefore able to define success), knowledge (surfacing assumptions about experience and expertise) and legitimacy (disclosing moral assumptions). The paper ends by suggesting important areas for further exploration to contribute to the emerging discourse of co-creation in ways that support critical reflection, improved practice, and provide a basis for debating ethics and quality