The Effectiveness of Visual Feedback Singing Vocal Technology in Greek Elementary School

(Abstract to follow

Τεχνολογίες οπτικής ανατροφοδότησης για τη βελτίωση του τονικού ύψους της τραγουδιστικής φωνής στην Ελληνική Πρωτοβάθμια Εκπαίδευση

Στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής εξετάζουμε την αποτελεσματικότητα των νέων μεθόδων για τη διδασκαλία και τη βελτίωση της τραγουδιστικής φωνής των μαθητών της σχολικής τάξης με τη χρήση λογισμικών οπτικής ανατροφοδότησης. Ερευνούμε με ποιον τρόπο τα λογισμικά αυτά μπορούν να ενταχθούν στη διδασκαλία του τραγουδιού στο δημοτικό σχολείο και, πιο συγκεκριμένα, αν μπορούν να βελτιώσουν ένα συγκεκριμένο χαρακτηριστικό της, την τονική ακρίβεια. Λαμβάνοντας υπόψη το σχολικό περιβάλλον του Ελληνικού δημοτικού σχολείου, καθώς και το Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών του μαθήματος της Μουσικής, επιλέξαμε ενδεικτικά δύο διαφορετικούς τύπους τραγουδιών για τη διεξαγωγή της πειραματικής διαδικασίας σχετικά με την εφαρμογή των λογισμικών οπτικής ανατροφοδότησης στη διδασκαλία του τραγουδιού. Ο πρώτος τύπος τραγουδιού στηρίζεται στο συγκερασμένο δυτικοευρωπαϊκό μουσικό σύστημα και ο δεύτερος στο ασυγκέραστο μουσικό σύστημα της Ελληνικής παραδοσιακής μουσικής (στον Πρώτο ήχο). Οι δύο τύποι τραγουδιών περιέχονται στο Α.Π.Σ. του δημοτικού σχολείου, και συγκεκριμένα στο προτεινόμενο Ανθολόγιο τραγουδιών για το δημοτικό σχολείο. Το βασικό κίνητρο για τη διεξαγωγή αυτής της έρευνας μας το έδωσαν τα ενθαρρυντικά αποτελέσματα που ανέδειξε η εφαρμογή των λογισμικών αυτών στη διδασκαλία του τραγουδιού σε ενήλικες αλλά και σε μαθητές σχολείων του εξωτερικού, σύμφωνα με δημοσιευμένες εργασίες. Στη δική μας περίπτωση, προσεγγίσαμε με διαφορετικό τρόπο τη χρήση των εμπορικών λογισμικών αλλά και του λογισμικού Φωνασκείν (LabMat, T.Μ.Σ., Ε.Κ.Π.Α.), με απώτερο στόχο τη δημιουργία και την εφαρμογή ενός τεκμηριωμένου διδακτικού πλαισίου μέσα από το οποίο ο δάσκαλος αλλά και ο μαθητής θα μπορούν να «εξοικονομούν» χρόνο και να επιτυγχάνουν καλύτερα αποτελέσματα, έχοντας στα χέρια τους ένα δυναμικό εργαλείο, το οποίο αποτελεί κίνητρο για τη μαθησιακή διαδικασία. Τελικός στόχος αυτής της διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι να αναδείξουμε την αποτελεσματικότητα των λογισμικών οπτικής ανατροφοδότησης για την εκμάθηση του τραγουδιού στη σχολική τάξη, βοηθώντας τον δάσκαλο της μουσικής να επιτύχει ταχύτερα και ποιοτικά αποτελέσματα στην εκμάθηση του τραγουδιού και, παράλληλα, ενθαρρύνοντας και μυώντας τον μαθητή σε αυτήν τη διαδικασία με έναν πιο ελκυστικό και εξατομικευμένο τρόπο, σε σχέση με τις παραδοσιακές μεθόδους διδασκαλίας. Τα αποτελέσματα της πειραματικής διαδικασίας είναι ενθαρρυντικά όσον αφορά την πρόταση για τη δημιουργία μιας ψηφιακής εκπαιδευτικής πλατφόρμας για την εκμάθηση του τραγουδιού στη σχολική τάξη, που θα περιέχει λογισμικά οπτικής ανατροφοδότησης τα οποία θα ανταποκρίνονται στις απαιτήσεις και των δύο διαφορετικών μουσικών συστημάτων (του συγκερασμένου και του ασυγκέραστου), βοηθώντας παράλληλα στην καλλιέργεια και των υπόλοιπων χαρακτηριστικών της τραγουδιστικής φωνής των μαθητών μέσα από μια διεπιστημονική προσέγγιση τεπιστήμης της Μουσικής Ακουστικής, της Φωνιατρικής, της Παιδαγωγικής και της Τεχνολογίας.  In this PhD dissertation we thoroughly examine the effectiveness of new methods for teaching and improving the singing voice of the students in the classroom using visual feedback software. We investigate how these can be included in the teaching process of singing in the elementary school and, more specifically, whether they can improve a specific feature, pitch accuracy. After, considering the situation in the Greek elementary school classroom as well as the music course curricullum, we have selected two different types of songs for the experimental process concerning the implementation of the visual feedback software in the song’s teaching process. Τhe first song follows the well-tempered Western European musical system, and the other, the non well-tempered musical system of the Greek traditional music, (following the First Mode). Both songs are contained in the Analytical Elementary School’s Programme and specifically into the proposed “Anthology of Songs” for the Elementary school. Our motivation for this research was similar published research using visual feedback software to adults and students abroad, that provided particularly encouraging results. In our case, we have approached differently the application of commercial software and the Fonaskin software (LabMat, T.M.S., E.K.P.A.), with an ultimate purpose of creating and implementing a documented teaching framework through which both the teacher and the student will “save” time and achieve better results having in their hands a powerful tool that is a strong motivation for the learning process. The final purpose in this PhD dissertation is to highlight the effectiveness of vis-ual feedback software for the singing learning process in the classroom by helping the music teacher to achieve direct and qualitative results in learning a song by en-couraging and stimulating the student in this process in a more attractive and person-alized way in relation to the traditional teaching methods. The conclusion after this experimental process is the proposal of a new digital educational platform for singing in the classroom, which will include visual feedback software containing both two different music systems (the well-tempered and also the non-well-tempered) and will also help for the deployment of other student’s singing voice characteristics with an interdisciplinary approach through the science of Music Acoustics, Phoniatrics, Pedagogy and Technology

Corona mortis: Anatomical data and clinical considerations

Background Minimally invasive procedures, such as the TVT-Secur, have been linked to injury to the corona mortis. Injury during the insertion of the TVT-Secur happens due to the vessel’s position close to the place of the margin (25-30mm from the symphysis pubis). Aims Systematic description of the aberrant vessel anatomy so as to help gynaecologists determine the risk of peri- and postoperative complications during the TVT-Secur and related procedures. Methods In a cadaver study, the lesser pelvis of ten female cadavers with venous or arterial coronae mortis was dissected. The origin, diameter and course of the aberrant vessels, as well as the distance from the symphysis pubis, were documented. Results Arterial coronae mortis were found in eight hemipelvises. All vessels originated from the ipsilateral inferior epigastric artery and all crossed over the superior pubic rami. Average distance from the symphysis pubis was 52.4mm. Average vessel diameter was 3mm. Venous coronae mortis were identified in ten hemipelvises. Eight drained into the external iliac and four into the inferior epigastric artery. Nine vessels crossed over the superior pubic rami. Average distance from the symphysis pubis was 46.7mm. Average vessel diameter was 3.13mm. Conclusion Although individual variation makes direct contact with the vessel possible, in most cases there is a window of eight millimetres at least between the margin of the TVT-Secur and most aberrant veins. Possible aberrant arteries seem to lie even further

Health Care Professionals’ Views about Vaccination for COVID-19: A Qualitative Research in Primary Health Care Settings

The COVID-19 pandemic had many political, economic, and social consequences for individuals, families and communities. Vaccines play a crucial role for its effective treatment and health care professionals are key persons toward that aim, as they contribute to a successful implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination programs. Therefore, their personal views are of utmost importance. The purpose of this study was to investigate health care professionals’ willingness to get vaccinated and their perceptions and concerns about the vaccination process

Evaluation of Online Counseling through the Working Experiences of Mental Health Therapists Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Mental Health Care and Online Consultation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on people’s mental health. Additionally, it resulted in many transformations in mental healthcare services delivery. Mental health professionals preferred to provide mental health services via telehealth in order to meet their clients’ mental health needs. The purpose of this literature review is to analyze and evaluate the concept of online consultation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Mental Health Care and Online Consultation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on people’s mental health. Additionally, it resulted in many transformations in mental healthcare services delivery. Mental health professionals preferred to provide mental health services via telehealth in order to meet their clients’ mental health needs. The purpose of this literature review is to analyze and evaluate the concept of online consultation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Self-Reported Assessment of Empathy and Its Variations in a Sample of Greek Social Workers

The aim of the study was twofold: (a) to examine the way in which professional social workers perceive and apply in their practice the concept of empathy; (b) to explore sociodemographic factors, education/special training and work characteristics associated with their empathic skills. This is a cross-sectional study with a purposive sample of 203 Greek social workers. For the assessment of empathy, the Empathy Scale for Social Workers (ESSW) was used. The sample consisted mainly of female social workers with a mean age of 43.8 years. More than 70% of them were practicing the profession for more than 10 years. Nearly one-third participated in psychotherapy courses, and only half of them have been certified. On average, they reported high levels of empathy. Initial univariate analyses showed that empathy scores were significantly higher for older social workers, married, the more experienced, those who referred to working experience with disabled people or people having problems with substance use and the professionals who had obtained a certification in psychotherapy. ‘Having a middle work experience of 10–19 years’ was a significant correlate in all scales and related negatively to empathy indicating a burnout effect. The implications for social work education and future training are discussed