The motivation of America\u27s best professional competition rock climber: a qualitative case study

This study investigated the motivations of America\u27s best professional competition rock climber, Vadim Vinokur. [This is an excerpt from the abstract. For the complete abstract, please see the document.

Inner disturbance: towards understanding the design of vertigo games through a novel balancing game

The design space of vertigo games is under-explored, despite vertigo underlying many unique body based game experiences, such as rock climbing and dancing. In this paper we articulate the design and evaluation of a novel vertigo experience, Inner Disturbance, which uses Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to affect the player’s balance. Following study observations and a thematic analysis of Inner Disturbance (N=10), we present four themes and associated design sensitivities that can be used to aid designers of future digital vertigo games. With this work we aim to encourage others to experiment within this exciting new design space for digital games

The Effects of an Indoor Rock Climbing Program on High School Aged Students with Developmental Disabilities

Finding and keeping employment is an area that is particularly difficult for people with disabilities (Erickson, von Schrader & Lee, 2017). Buttimer & Tierney (2005) found that participation in leisure and recreation activities predicts quality of life and promotes inclusion in the community for youth with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. Serious leisure engagement among people with disabilities has been found to develop increased levels of confidence, skills and self-esteem (Patterson & Pegg, 2009). Serious leisure activities can include indoor rock climbing. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of participating in an indoor rock climbing program on high school aged students diagnosed with developmental disabilities who were simultaneously enrolled in a career skills program. The program outcomes were retrospectively analyzed in a sample of eight high school students engaged in an indoor rock climbing program for a six-week period at an Ivy League university in the Northeast region of the United States. The outcome measures consisted of qualitative and quantitative data collected in the form of semi-structured interviews, global quality of life scale, and a Likert-scale style questionnaire that were administered to the eight students. Students reported that the indoor rock climbing program had positive effects on them. The overarching positive themes found in the data were related to vocational benefits and social emotional benefits. There were some minor unfavorable effects identified which included that the program caused stress and there was dislike for the rock climbing experience. These are novel themes when compared to the findings in the literature. Though the sample size was very small, the outcomes from this program were quite positive and as such, it can serve as an exemplar for indoor rock climbing gyms and occupational therapy programs that may want to use similar methods to promote confidence, new learning, goal achievement, socialization, trust, enjoyment, and improved mental well-being

Adolescent Adventures in Geology: Impacts of Geoscience-focused STEM Education Combined with Recreation Activities on Adolescents’ Perceived Self-Efficacy

Quality, informal learning techniques combined with outdoor adventure recreation, or adventure STEM programming, is a potentially powerful complement to and extension of formal education (Fu et al., 2015). To address this underexplored field, West Virginia University (WVU) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) partnered to create a geology STEM, outdoor adventure recreation camp. This thesis research project employed qualitative directed content analysis to examine the potential impacts of this adventure STEM program on participants’ perceptions of their outdoor recreation (OR) self-efficacy (Bandura, 1994; Mittelstaedt et al., 2009). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 adolescent participants with an average age of 15 years. The camp program involved adventure activities combined with outdoor and in-class geology-focused informal learning. The curriculum employed was designed using a theoretical framework involving Experiential Education Theory (Kolb, 1984) and Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura). Participants completed an eight-day adventure STEM program which involved recreation activities such as hiking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, zip lining, environmental education, biking, fossil hunting, and geocaching. Lessons focused on geologic mapping, basic geologic concepts, historical geology of the Appalachian Mountains, and hydrology and environmental geology. Qualitative, directed content analysis of interviews show results indicating that there was a change in outdoor recreation self-efficacy beliefs due to experiences which took place at the camp program and that campers each had unique experiences related to the main sources and processes of self-efficacy, especially in the context of OR activities and experiences. These described experiences aligned with Bandura’s (1977) main sources of self-efficacy and the physiological processes reported fit with his described processes through which self-efficacy beliefs are formed. Notably, the following factors most often impacted all interviewed participants’ perceptions and beliefs about their OR-related self-efficacy: confidence levels, the perceived challenge of activities, self-described strong motivation levels to participate in OR activities, coping abilities related to difficult or risky OR activities, previous experiences, and a high interest in OR activities prior to attending the camp

Taking an Extended Embodied Perspective of Touch: Connection-Disconnection in iVR

Bringing touch into VR experiences through haptics is considered increasingly important for user engagement and fostering feelings of presence and immersion, yet few qualitative studies have explored users' iVR touch experiences. This paper takes an embodied approach–bringing attention to the tactile-kinaesthetic body–to explore users' wholistic experiences of touch in iVR, moving beyond the cutaneous and tactile elements of “feeling” to elaborate upon themes of movement and kinetics. Our findings show how both touch connections and disconnections emerged though material forms of tactility (the controller, body positioning, tactile expectations) and through “felt proximities” and the tactile-kinaesthetic experience thus shaping the sense of presence. The analysis shows three key factors that influence connection and disconnection, and how connection is re-navigated or sought at moments of experienced disconnection: a sense of control or agency; identity; and bridging between the material and virtual. This extended notion of touch deepens our understanding of its role in feelings of presence by providing insight into a range of factors related to notions of touch – both physical and virtual–that come into play in creating a sense of connection or presence (e.g., histories, expectations), and highlights the potential for iVR interaction to attend to the body beyond the hands in terms of touch

Longitudinal Participant Outcomes Associated with Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School: A Means-End Investigation

Means-end theory was used to analyze differences in outcomes from original and follow-up interviews occurring over the three subsequent years after Outward Bound (OB) and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course participation. In 2006, a semi-structured, in-person interview was conducted after participants (N=510) completed their course. In 2007, 2008, and 2009, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of original participants. Results of this study show how OB and NOLS programs continue to increase participant self-respect, self-esteem, and self-confidence, provide a sense of accomplishment, and impart transferable lessons and skills three years after course participation. Understanding such participant outcomes allows program managers to effectively market programs, comprehend relationships between program attributes and participant outcomes, and design programs for specific outcomes

Interaction in motion: designing truly mobile interaction

The use of technology while being mobile now takes place in many areas of people’s lives in a wide range of scenarios, for example users cycle, climb, run and even swim while interacting with devices. Conflict between locomotion and system use can reduce interaction performance and also the ability to safely move. We discuss the risks of such “interaction in motion”, which we argue make it desirable to design with locomotion in mind. To aid such design we present a taxonomy and framework based on two key dimensions: relation of interaction task to locomotion task, and the amount that a locomotion activity inhibits use of input and output interfaces. We accompany this with four strategies for interaction in motion. With this work, we ultimately aim to enhance our understanding of what being “mobile” actually means for interaction, and help practitioners design truly mobile interactions

Interaction in motion: designing truly mobile interaction

The use of technology while being mobile now takes place in many areas of people’s lives in a wide range of scenarios, for example users cycle, climb, run and even swim while interacting with devices. Conflict between locomotion and system use can reduce interaction performance and also the ability to safely move. We discuss the risks of such “interaction in motion”, which we argue make it desirable to design with locomotion in mind. To aid such design we present a taxonomy and framework based on two key dimensions: relation of interaction task to locomotion task, and the amount that a locomotion activity inhibits use of input and output interfaces. We accompany this with four strategies for interaction in motion. With this work, we ultimately aim to enhance our understanding of what being “mobile” actually means for interaction, and help practitioners design truly mobile interactions