Musical Contour Regulation Facilitation (MCRF) to Support Emotion Regulation Development in Preschoolers: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on July 7, 2015Dissertation advisor: William EverettVitaIncludes bibliographic references (pages 216-236)Thesis (Ph.D.)--Conservatory of Music and Dance and School of Education. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2015Emotion regulation (ER) is the ability for a person to maintain a comfortable state of arousal by controlling and shifting his or her emotional experiences and expressions. The emergence of maladaptive ER occurs in childhood and is one characteristic often shared by several disorders. Maladaptive ER can significantly affect multiple areas in child development, such as the ability to learn in school, form and maintain healthy relationships with peers and adults, and manage and inhibit behavioral responses. Interventions for children at-risk for developing maladaptive ER skills are limited and need further exploration. Based on limitations noted in existing treatment options, this study provided a preliminary examination of the utility of using a music-based approach. An embedded convergent mixed methods research design was used to explore the feasibility of a Musical Contour Regulation Facilitation (MCRF) intervention. The MCRF intervention was developed to improve ER abilities in children by providing opportunities to practice real-time management of high and low arousal experiences. Typically developing preschool-aged children (n = 8) participated in 11 MCRF sessions over four weeks. Data to assess ER skills and related behaviors was collected pre- and post-MCRF treatment; current regulatory levels were assessed and self-reported at the beginning and end of each MCRF session. In addition, parent and teacher interviews and questionnaires were conducted post-treatment. Grounded theory-based qualitative analysis results suggest that most parents and both teachers noted emotional changes in the children following MCRF treatment. Perhaps more importantly, all interviewees believed in the importance and helpfulness of music on developmental outcomes even if they did not note changes in the children or they recognized that other factors may have contributed to perceived changes. Quantitative data analysis results indicated clinically significant improvements in ER skills in the children following MCRF treatment. Convergent mixed methods analyses results further support the efficacy and acceptability of the MCRF intervention. Together, these findings endorse future normative and clinical study of the MCRF intervention as way to facilitate ER development, especially as this medium is highly desired by parents and teachers and can be easily integrated in a preschool setting.Introduction -- Emotion regulation and musical contour regulation facilitation in theory and practice: an integrated literature review -- The effectiveness of MCRF in facilitating emotion regulation: methodology for a feasibility study -- The effectiveness of MCRF in facilitating emotion regulation: mixed methods results -- The feasibility of MCRF in facilitating emotion regulation development in preschoolers: discussion, implications, and recommendations -- Appendix A. Musical contour regulation facilitation (MCRF) intervention manual -- Appendix B. MCRF intervention pilot assessment -- Appendix C. Recruitment materials -- Appendix D. Informed consent and child assent -- Appendix E. Study measure

Tangible user interfaces : past, present and future directions

In the last two decades, Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have emerged as a new interface type that interlinks the digital and physical worlds. Drawing upon users' knowledge and skills of interaction with the real non-digital world, TUIs show a potential to enhance the way in which people interact with and leverage digital information. However, TUI research is still in its infancy and extensive research is required in or- der to fully understand the implications of tangible user interfaces, to develop technologies that further bridge the digital and the physical, and to guide TUI design with empirical knowledge. This paper examines the existing body of work on Tangible User In- terfaces. We start by sketching the history of tangible user interfaces, examining the intellectual origins of this field. We then present TUIs in a broader context, survey application domains, and review frame- works and taxonomies. We also discuss conceptual foundations of TUIs including perspectives from cognitive sciences, phycology, and philoso- phy. Methods and technologies for designing, building, and evaluating TUIs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limita- tions of TUIs and chart directions for future research

Finding resilience through music for neurodivergent children

This research paper presents a collaborative effort to design a music-making tool that seamlessly blends enjoyment with accessibility, specifically tailored to meet the needs of children with diverse abilities including those who are neurodiverse and have varying musical abilities. The study's primary objective is to provide support to children who encounter challenges in learning traditional musical instruments or who have sensory processing issues and learn their experience of using this tool. Additionally, the research explores the potential role of music therapy in this context, with a focus on how the designed tool can serve as an ideal platform for fostering creativity and self-regulation among children. Qualitative research methods, namely participatory design and cooperative inquiry, were employed to develop and refine different aspects of the music-making tool iteratively. Active involvement and feedback from the primary participants, comprising children with diverse abilities and a music therapist, played a central role throughout the tool's development process. The findings indicate that children responded positively to the technology, revealing diverse applications in music education, therapy, and play. Furthermore, this study identified valuable opportunities for immediate improvements in the robot's design to enhance its overall usability and effectiveness in catering to the needs of its users. The collaborative design approach and the integration of music therapy perspectives demonstrate significant potential for advancing inclusive music education, play and therapeutic interventions for children with diverse abilities

Rehabilitation Engineering

Population ageing has major consequences and implications in all areas of our daily life as well as other important aspects, such as economic growth, savings, investment and consumption, labour markets, pensions, property and care from one generation to another. Additionally, health and related care, family composition and life-style, housing and migration are also affected. Given the rapid increase in the aging of the population and the further increase that is expected in the coming years, an important problem that has to be faced is the corresponding increase in chronic illness, disabilities, and loss of functional independence endemic to the elderly (WHO 2008). For this reason, novel methods of rehabilitation and care management are urgently needed. This book covers many rehabilitation support systems and robots developed for upper limbs, lower limbs as well as visually impaired condition. Other than upper limbs, the lower limb research works are also discussed like motorized foot rest for electric powered wheelchair and standing assistance device

Afterschool Matters Spring 2019

Welcome from the Managing Editor of Afterschool Matters, Spring 2019 By Georgia Hall About eight years ago, I took my then six-year-old daughter to a local children’s theater performance of The Wizard of Oz. During intermission, she made it clear to me that, next time, she wanted to be on stage. So began an incredible journey into the dramatic arts that was topped off last January with her final youth theater performance. Process Over Product: How Creative Youth Development Can Lead to Peace Adam Jacobs “The person who fell off the person who fell off.” This was the response of four-year-old Aaron to the question, “What do you want to do a play about?” in the Kids Creative Summer Camp. Aaron meant to say “the person who fell off” only once. In most settings, such an accidental double phrasing would be corrected and forgotten. However, in Kids Creative, the rule is “All ideas are good.” Other campers built on Aaron’s slip-up to create a play called “The Journey to Find The Person Who Fell Off The Person Who Fell Off.” This group of 20 children, ages 4 to 12, who came from various New York City schools, engaged in a brainstorming session in which they shared ideas and asked questions. Everyone in the group, including the teaching artists, added their own ideas using the phrase, “Yes, and….” A storyline took shape: The vice president of Chocolateville was standing on the shoulders of the president of Chocolateville at their inauguration when they both slipped into the Chocolate River. Now a group of heroes has to make a treacherous journey to find them. Each child created his or her character, and the group found ways to weave the story together. Thanks to the Kids Creative processoriented environment, one idea from a four-year-old child developed into a five-part musical play, which was performed for friends and family at the close of the camp session. Beyond the Webinar: Dynamic Online STEM Professional Development By Alexandria Brasili and Sue Allen A group of six afterschool educators come together for a monthly professional development course in which they are learning to facilitate STEM programs effectively. Today’s meeting focuses on how to model science practices. To begin the meeting, the facilitator sets up an icebreaker to allow the other five educators to get to know one another better. The facilitator asks, “What upcoming STEM program are you most excited about?” Sofia, an afterschool educator at a 4-H program, talks about the summer coding club that she is starting; the other participants join in. Supporting Latinx Youth Participation in Out-of-School Time Programs By Nancy Erbstein and James O. Fabionar Scholars in many fields have documented that the sharp population increase among Latinx people in the U.S. has been accompanied by myriad social challenges (Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2009). Both established populations and new arrivals struggle to obtain quality education, adequate healthcare, and employment that pays a living wage; they also deal with various forms of discrimination. Analyses repeatedly indicate that these and other issues often shape the daily lives and developmental trajectories of Latinx youth. These social issues also undermine Latinx participation in out-of-school time (OST) programs, which hold potential to promote youth well-being (Guzman-Rocha, McLeod, & Bohnert, 2017). Increasingly, leaders of youth-serving organizations voice concern about low Latinx participation (Borden et al., 2006), often recognizing that poor participation reflects a need to develop new capacities and inclusive practices (Perkins et al., 2007). The Unique Challenges of Afterschool Research Lizzie Murchison, Katie Brohawn, Cheri Fancsali, Andrea D. Beesley, and Erin Stafford Funders and policymakers are increasingly recognizing the afterschool field for its vital role in supporting the social and emotional growth and academic achievement of school-age youth. Although this recognition is welcome, it often comes with increased expectations for high-quality research demonstrating the value of programming. To satisfy these demands and make the most of funding opportunities, practitioners must develop strong partnerships with external evaluators. However, developing afterschool evaluation partnerships that work well for all parties is often far more difficult than program directors or evaluators anticipate. Being and Becoming Scientists: Design-Based STEM Programming for Girls Jasmine M. Nation, Danielle Harlow, Diana J. Arya, and Maya Longtin “I am a scientist. I’m not like a scientist.” We were excited to hear this response from one of the girls who participated in our afterschool program focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The STEMinist Program was a research-practice collaboration between university researchers and an afterschool program for female students in grades 4 to 6. This article describes how the program’s ongoing design transformations increased girls’ understanding of and interest in STEM. Design-based framing (Barab & Squire, 2009) enabled ongoing adjustments to the program while also identifying best practices for afterschool STEM learning. To understand the program’s progression and outcomes, we examined the features of the learning environment and the relationships among design components by analyzing qualitative data collected before, during, and after program implementation. Participants’ perceptions of science and scientists helped us understand the impact of the program and ways to improve it. Relationships: The Key to Student Success in Afterschool Programs By Ginger Shea Student success and achievement in afterschool programs depend on caring adults who go above and beyond to make children feel that they are special and can achieve anything (Akhavan, Emery, Shea, & Taha-Resnick, 2017). In the Oxnard (California) School District, where I am the afterschool grant manager, many of the 200 staff in the Oxnard Scholars afterschool program are working in their first job. This is the first time they have been in charge of young people and the first time they have been called “teacher.” These firsts can be drawbacks, but they also can create powerful opportunities to build staff members’ capacity to engage students and enrich their lives.https://repository.wellesley.edu/afterschoolmatters/1038/thumbnail.jp

Proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET 2013)

"This book contains the proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET) 2013 which was held on 16.-17.September 2013 in Paphos (Cyprus) in conjunction with the EC-TEL conference. The workshop and hence the proceedings are divided in two parts: on Day 1 the EuroPLOT project and its results are introduced, with papers about the specific case studies and their evaluation. On Day 2, peer-reviewed papers are presented which address specific topics and issues going beyond the EuroPLOT scope. This workshop is one of the deliverables (D 2.6) of the EuroPLOT project, which has been funded from November 2010 – October 2013 by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLL) by grant #511633. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate Persuasive Learning Objects and Technologies (PLOTS), based on ideas of BJ Fogg. The purpose of this workshop is to summarize the findings obtained during this project and disseminate them to an interested audience. Furthermore, it shall foster discussions about the future of persuasive technology and design in the context of learning, education and teaching. The international community working in this area of research is relatively small. Nevertheless, we have received a number of high-quality submissions which went through a peer-review process before being selected for presentation and publication. We hope that the information found in this book is useful to the reader and that more interest in this novel approach of persuasive design for teaching/education/learning is stimulated. We are very grateful to the organisers of EC-TEL 2013 for allowing to host IWEPLET 2013 within their organisational facilities which helped us a lot in preparing this event. I am also very grateful to everyone in the EuroPLOT team for collaborating so effectively in these three years towards creating excellent outputs, and for being such a nice group with a very positive spirit also beyond work. And finally I would like to thank the EACEA for providing the financial resources for the EuroPLOT project and for being very helpful when needed. This funding made it possible to organise the IWEPLET workshop without charging a fee from the participants.

Sensorimotor experience in virtual environments

The goal of rehabilitation is to reduce impairment and provide functional improvements resulting in quality participation in activities of life, Plasticity and motor learning principles provide inspiration for therapeutic interventions including movement repetition in a virtual reality environment, The objective of this research work was to investigate functional specific measurements (kinematic, behavioral) and neural correlates of motor experience of hand gesture activities in virtual environments stimulating sensory experience (VE) using a hand agent model. The fMRI compatible Virtual Environment Sign Language Instruction (VESLI) System was designed and developed to provide a number of rehabilitation and measurement features, to identify optimal learning conditions for individuals and to track changes in performance over time. Therapies and measurements incorporated into VESLI target and track specific impairments underlying dysfunction. The goal of improved measurement is to develop targeted interventions embedded in higher level tasks and to accurately track specific gains to understand the responses to treatment, and the impact the response may have upon higher level function such as participation in life. To further clarify the biological model of motor experiences and to understand the added value and role of virtual sensory stimulation and feedback which includes seeing one\u27s own hand movement, functional brain mapping was conducted with simultaneous kinematic analysis in healthy controls and in stroke subjects. It is believed that through the understanding of these neural activations, rehabilitation strategies advantaging the principles of plasticity and motor learning will become possible. The present research assessed successful practice conditions promoting gesture learning behavior in the individual. For the first time, functional imaging experiments mapped neural correlates of human interactions with complex virtual reality hands avatars moving synchronously with the subject\u27s own hands, Findings indicate that healthy control subjects learned intransitive gestures in virtual environments using the first and third person avatars, picture and text definitions, and while viewing visual feedback of their own hands, virtual hands avatars, and in the control condition, hidden hands. Moreover, exercise in a virtual environment with a first person avatar of hands recruited insular cortex activation over time, which might indicate that this activation has been associated with a sense of agency. Sensory augmentation in virtual environments modulated activations of important brain regions associated with action observation and action execution. Quality of the visual feedback was modulated and brain areas were identified where the amount of brain activation was positively or negatively correlated with the visual feedback, When subjects moved the right hand and saw unexpected response, the left virtual avatar hand moved, neural activation increased in the motor cortex ipsilateral to the moving hand This visual modulation might provide a helpful rehabilitation therapy for people with paralysis of the limb through visual augmentation of skills. A model was developed to study the effects of sensorimotor experience in virtual environments, and findings of the effect of sensorimotor experience in virtual environments upon brain activity and related behavioral measures. The research model represents a significant contribution to neuroscience research, and translational engineering practice, A model of neural activations correlated with kinematics and behavior can profoundly influence the delivery of rehabilitative services in the coming years by giving clinicians a framework for engaging patients in a sensorimotor environment that can optimally facilitate neural reorganization