Learning beyond borders : pioneering interdisciplinary learning and teaching approaches to promote socially responsible design practices

Social design is the use of the design process to bring about social change. In this session, staff and students share their experiences of participating in a pioneering interdisciplinary approach to social design at Sheffield Hallam University. Key learning will be highlighted including: how can learning and teaching practices be socially situated, what makes a holistic learning and teaching experience and what happens when learning and teaching moves beyond the classroom to bring transformation to real world issues

The effect of different cardiovascular risk presentation formats on intentions, understanding and emotional affect: a randomised controlled trial using a web-based risk formatter (protocol)

Background The future risk of heart disease can be predicted with increasing precision. However, more research is needed into how this risk is conveyed and presented. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of presenting cardiovascular risk in different formats on individuals' intention to change behaviour to reduce risk, understanding of risk information and emotional affect. Methods/design A randomised controlled trial comprising four arms, with a between subjects design will be performed. There will be two intervention groups and two control groups. The first control comprises a pre-intervention questionnaire and presents risk in a bar graph format. The second control presents risk in a bar graph format without pre-intervention questionnaire. These two control groups are to account for the potential Hawthorne effect of thinking about cardiovascular risk before viewing actual risk. The two intervention groups comprise presenting risk in either a pictogram or metonym format (image depicting seriousness of having a myocardial infarction). 800 individuals' aged between 45 and 64 years, who have not been previously diagnosed with heart disease and have access to a computer with internet, will be given a link to a website comprising a risk calculator and electronic questionnaires. 10-year risk of having a coronary heart disease event will be assessed and presented in one of the three formats. A post-intervention questionnaire will be completed after viewing the risk format. Main outcome measures are (i) intention to change behaviour, (ii) understanding of risk information, (iii) emotional affect and (iv) worry about future heart disease. Secondary outcomes are the sub-components of the theory of planned behaviour: attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms. Discussion Having reviewed the literature, we are not aware of any other studies which have used the assessment of actual risk, in a trial to compare different graphical cardiovascular risk presentation formats. This trial will provide data about which graphical cardiovascular risk presentation format is most effective in encouraging behaviour change to reduce cardiovascular risk. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN9131931

Innovation through Cross Cultural Fusion

Design is usually focussed around the development or improvement of innovative commercial services or products, society is encouraged to purchase goods and services eto improve our lifestyles. Design promotes and creates desires and aspirations for particular lifestyles, it affects how people/society live and work, it sustains cultural identity. Design and creativity is an important tool for sustaining economies, encouraging consumers to spend. Design is a powerful tool. This project will use design skills and expertise to challenge public opinion and lifestyles with regard to consumerism and social well-being. This proposal will enrich design students education by introducing issues that all countries/cultures are having to address: climate change – the result of lifestyles across the globe and the change of demographic: a higher percentage of elderly people within society as people (in developed countries) are living longer. Design students will generate responses/ideas and concepts through identifying, comparing and understanding different cultural practices or responses within a number of countries to these two themes – “Innovation through Cross Cultural Fusion”. The focus for the project centers around different cultural practices developed in response to topics that impact across boarders and cultures: Climate change/environmental/sustainable lifestyles (the reduction of carbon gas output), and Social Well-being – what impact can design have on the changing demographic of the population/society? How can design help maintain independent living for an increasing elderly population? Countries across the globe are addressing these themes as a result of different political, social, economic and demographic frames of reference and this project will be a celebration of of different cultural practices by synthesising and identifying good practices. This proposal will provide both UG & PG students from different countries with an opportunity to work together, students will form international groups and learn how different cultures have responded to common themes. The international network/partners will include: Sheffield Hallam University – England, UK Ecole De Nantes Atlantique, France Akademia Sztuk Pienych W Katowicach - Poland</p

Catalyst: Festival of Creativity - Make Good Livelihoods

Make Good Livelihoods Sat 18th & Sun 19th June Make Good Livelihoods is a free public weekend of activities, demonstrations and talks to celebrate the people who make their livelihood from craftsmanship in Sheffield, and inspire others to do the same. Young people will be offered a rare opportunity to see the work of some of Sheffield’s most exciting craftspeople, find out how they became makers, and have a go at making something themselves. The Millennium Gallery will come alive as metalworkers, wood-workers, textile artists, sculptors, graphic designers, printmakers and fashion designers demonstrate the skills, knowledge and spirit required to create beautiful and useful things. Hear how practitioners at Sheffield Hallam University and other craftspeople make a satisfying living, and how you can take steps towards it. Students from Hallam University, Freeman College, UTC and Sheffield schools will be on hand to share their making skills too. Sheffield Institute of Arts opens the doors of its stunning new home in the former Head Post Office, where you can try your hand at digital making techniques. Portland Works will run activities ranging from traditional forging to high-tech creation with their Hackers and Makers. Open access media lab Access Space will offer bespoke workshops for people to create works using digital embroidery and laser-cutting. All are welcome to this weekend of activity to reveal how Sheffield’s rich heritage of craftsmanship, so admired by renowned Victorian thinker John Ruskin, is alive, constantly evolving, and providing good livelihoods for people today. The Make Good Livelihoods weekend draws inspiration from the exhibition In the Making: Ruskin, Creativity and Craftsmanship, at the Millennium Gallery until 5th June. Make Good Livelihoods is a collaboration between SHU, the Guild of St George, which owns and support the Ruskin Collection, Museums Sheffield, Portland Works and Access Space. It is part of a wider programme of Ruskin in Sheffield events

Performance and Neuromuscular Adaptations Following Differing Ratios of Concurrent Strength and Endurance Training

The interference effect attenuates strength and hypertrophic responses when strength and endurance training are conducted concurrently; however, the influence of training frequency on these responses remain unclear when varying ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training are performed. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the strength, limb girth, and neuromuscular adaptations to varying ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training. Twenty-four men with >2 years resistance training experience completed 6 weeks of 3 days per week of (a) strength training (ST), (b) concurrent strength and endurance training ratio 3:1 (CT3), (c) concurrent strength and endurance training ratio 1:1 (CT1), or (d) no training (CON) in an isolated limb model. Assessments of maximal voluntary contraction by means of isokinetic dynamometry leg extensions (maximum voluntary suppression [MVC]), limb girth, and neuromuscular responses through electromyography (EMG) were conducted at baseline, mid-intervention, and postintervention. After training, ST and CT3 conditions elicited greater MVC increases than CT1 and CON conditions (p ≤ 0.05). Strength training resulted in significantly greater increases in limb girth than both CT1 and CON conditions (p = 0.05 and 0.004, respectively). The CT3 induced significantly greater limb girth adaptations than CON condition (p = 0.04). No effect of time or intervention was observed for EMG (p > 0.05). In conclusion, greater frequencies of endurance training performed increased the magnitude of the interference response on strength and limb girth responses after 6 weeks of 3 days a week of training. Therefore, the frequency of endurance training should remain low if the primary focus of the training intervention is strength and hypertrophy