Designing tabletop applications for collaboration in non-collaborative learning tasks in the classroom : learning persuasive writing

PhD ThesisLearning in a face to face collaborative setting can have many benefits, such as leveraging differing peer proficiency to obtain an outcome not reachable by the individuals involved. Including expertise provided by teachers decreases this gap between potential and current ability, while also providing opportunity for the expert to impart timely and appropriate assistance to the learners. In the fields of Human Computer Interaction and Educational Technology, digital tabletops have come to the fore as a medium for facilitating small groups of collaborative learners, and suitable applications can provide at least some of the support that the teacher’s expertise would in the learning process. Previously, most explorations in this area have concentrated on learning tasks that are already collaborative in nature, and have focused on single group deployments, and usually in controlled settings such as a research lab. This thesis focuses on two main aims: (i) investigating the design of such applications, and how learning tasks not normally considered collaborative, such as Persuasive Extended Writing, might be adapted to a digital tabletop mediated collaborative learning task; and (ii), how to expand this application from a single group to a classroom scenario, and overcoming all the challenges that an “in the wild” deployment of this kind might entail. A review of previous literature on collaborative learning and collaborative learning technology inform a learner centred design process of an application for the collaborative learning of Persuasive Extended Writing. This design process was conducted with three groups of three learners aged 13 – 15 in the lab. Based on this investigation of the literature around collaborative learning, there is a potential learning impact from allowing collaboration in a usually non-collaborative learning setting. The application incorporates factors designed to elicit collaborative behaviours, such as visuospatial representations and decision points. The work then sets about identifying and evaluating these collaborative behaviours, with a view that they are potentially in line with this ultimate learning goal. iii The Collocated Collaborative Writing application (CCW) is deployed and evaluated in an “in the wild” classroom setting. This involved two studies in real classrooms in schools, with eight digital tabletops allowing for a class-wide deployment. In the first study, participants were students of mixed ability, year 8 (aged 13-14), studying English, Geography and History. In the second study, participants were mixed ability year 8 students (aged 13-14) studying English. Studies were facilitated by teachers who had created the material for the studies based on their current teaching and curriculum. The process identified the issues and challenges involved in this kind of “in the wild” deployment. The lessons learned from this process about the differing expectations of the stakeholders involved in the first study informed the second deployment. A combination of addressing the issues directly, forming a more equal partnership with the school and teacher, and differences in culture between the schools lead to a study in which the collaborative writing application is evaluated. There are two main contributions of this work. Firstly, a set of design guidelines derived from lessons learned during the design process. Their intention is to assist in the process of making a normally non-collaborative learning task into a collaborative one, by exploiting affordances of the technology. The second contribution comes from lessons learned from two “in the wild” classroom studies. It outlines a deeper understanding of how this kind of application can be extended to the classroom by gaining insight into expectations of the parties involved, understanding the culture of the school and making the process a partnership rather than an imposition. The work also evaluated the Collaborative Writing Application in terms of the type and quality of the collaborative behaviours of the participants, and how they changed over time, as well as the adoption of the technology by the teacher, eventually being seen as a tool for their own agenda rather than an external element in the classroom

Fathers Who Foster: Exploring Gendered Narratives from Foster-Fathers

This thesis reports the findings of an in-depth narrative study, involving 23 foster-fathers from within an independent foster care agency. The foster care of ‘looked after’ children in Britain has undergone considerable organisational change over the last few decades. This change to fostering has coincided with feminist and sociological discourses that have developed our understanding of family and gender relations. However, as research and practice have tended to focus on how women look after fostered children, these new ways of looking at gender roles and family relations have not been applied to families who foster. This focus on women as foster carers preserves traditionally gendered roles where women are seen as homemakers. Therefore, there is little understanding of what it is that men do within fostering families and men are routinely assigned a secondary role, as support carer or breadwinner, to a woman main carer. This study aims to add to the understanding of foster care by using feminist concepts around intersectionality and performativity to reappraise the literature and reflect on foster-fathers’ experiences as they see them. Data were gathered through mixed methods involving foster-father interviews and observational diaries alongside gathering data from 70 social worker questionnaires. While men in the study performed traditionally masculine roles, many were also seen to take on roles normally performed by women. The study highlights the complexity of foster-fathering because men were seen to perform roles and tasks that are not currently attributed to them. This complexity is often overlooked in both research and social work practice. The findings from this study show men developing caring alone in isolation from social workers. Furthermore, the findings suggest social workers could better support men and women negotiate roles within fostering that extend beyond performing gender which reproduce existing male breadwinner and female homemaking roles

Synthetic character fidelity through non-verbal behaviour in computer games

Artificial Intelligence in games has historically focused on providing a challenging opponent for a player and narrative development. Scope exists to increase the fidelity of synthetic characters throughout the game to create a more immersive game play experience. This requires both visual and behavioural fidelity, and while graphics are nearing photorealism, synthetic characters' behaviour is still unrealistic. Non-verbal behaviour of synthetic characters has to date received little attention and so the scope and participants of non-verbal behaviour requires identification. We review the range of spatial and task scenarios relevant in a game context, then identify categories of non-verbal behaviour and go on tot summarise their role in communication and propose their incorporation in the design of non-player characters. Finally we review how non-verbal behaviour of synthetic agents might increase immersion for a player and identify interaction techniques that might facilitate non-verbal communication with players and non-players characters alike

Do parents and carers experiencing violent and challenging behaviour from their children fit with a safeguarding model of support? Messages from a Facebook study

Purpose This paper reports research findings on the experiences of parents/carers of children with special education needs and disabilities who present violent and challenging behaviour. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is to explore how parents/carers report how their support needs are met by social care services. Design/methodology/approach The research is an empirical study which considers the challenging side of parenting children with additional needs. Data were gathered through a national online social media focus group and thematically analysed to identify emerging themes from an overlooked community. The study applied a participatory approach, with researchers and participants collaborating in designing and producing the research. Findings Participants reported a multitude of adversities and they experience difficulties in accessing support from professionals. The parents and carers expressed a continued desire to care for their children, often during much adversity and in receipt of little recognition or support from external agencies. An emerging theme was that they are often not assessed in their own right by agencies who focus on safeguarding. Research limitations/implications In this online participatory study, participants were self-selecting and the research relied on self-report during online discussions. Originality/value This study is original in applying an innovative research methodology using online focus groups with an under researched community. This online focus group generated real time data and offered participants the opportunity to share information in their own environments. The themes emerging from this research have implications for policy and practice for an under reported adult community who experience increasing vulnerabilities. The study sought to explore how parents of SEND children displaying VCB experienced their world. Through an online, focus group. The research is an empirical study, which considers the challenging side of parenting children with additional needs. This is a phenomenon, which has largely gone unnoticed in research. Phenomenology is concerned with the exploration of experiences from the first person perspective, in order to uncover and unearth previously unnoticed issues. The study applied a participatory approach, with researchers and participants collaborating in designing and producing the research. Data from the study were thematically analysed

Reframing social work assessment: Connecting spaces and people

This paper seeks to reframe social work assessment, reflect on complexity, autopoietic theory, narrative, and life stories, and introduces a conceptual interactive practice tool, Connecting Spaces. This tool is being designed to facilitate assessments and therapeutic work with children and vulnerable adults in person and online. Social work is concerned with systems involving people, often during crisis, their environments, and networks where engagement and assessment cannot function outside of communication between assessor and assessed. Social workers are nested within their own personal, biological, and professional networks including employing agency and professional regulatory bodies. Complexity arises because social workers must condense information into stories of what might happen and make sense how best to support people. Munro (2011) in her review of child protection explains social workers try to understand and help people and she reflects on the interplay between conscious analysis and intuition in assessment and decision making. Ten years on from Munro’s recommendations The Case for Change (Children’s Social Care Independent Review, 2021) highlights the continued need for less bureaucratic process-led practice and more direct work with children and families.Given the prominence of attachment theory in social work, it is a surprise Siegal’s Mindsight, which is the capacity to clarify, label and analyse the internal emotional world and its response to the external word, has gained little attention in social work. The potential for Mindsight’s application in social work is enhanced by narratives, storytelling and life story therapy with children and vulnerable adults. Connecting Spaces can be used to create a narrative about the person's life: past, present and/or future. The aim is to inform and improve decision making by enabling the person's understanding, views, wishes and feelings to be explored, heard, presented, evidenced, and considered. Further, it has the potential to present and consider multi-perspectives and narratives such as in family and wider systems. This flexible communication conceptual tool is designed to have a range of uses and it is intended to be provided in both digital and physical form to suit a range of needs. This tool does not aim to replace but to enhance building relationship, safety, and communication in direct work with a child or vulnerable adult

The European Digital Kitchen Project

This article reports on the European Digital Kitchen, an EU-funded language learning project which promotes learning of languages, cultures and cuisines in digital interactive kitchens. The project involves taking a normal kitchen and specifically adapting it for language learning using the next generation of digital technology, namely activity recognition and sensor technology. We intend that learners will be able to learn aspects of the language whilst performing a meaningful real-world task and will simultaneously experience the cultural aspect of learning to cook a foreign dish. The article starts by outlining the project background, including rationale, motivation and aims. We then explain in detail how the technology works (using photographs) and outline our design methodology, which blends Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). We then present 3 extracts of Digital Kitchen interaction to illustrate the type of learning which takes place.Cet article rend compte de la 'European Digital Kitchen', un projet d'apprentissage de la langue financé par l'UE qui favorise l'apprentissage des langues, des cultures et des cuisines dans les cuisines interactifs digitales. Le projet consiste à prendre une cuisine normale et l'adapter spécifiquement pour l'apprentissage des langues à l'aide de la prochaine génération de la technologie digitale, à savoir la reconnaissance de l'activité et de la technologie de capteur. Nous avons l'intention que les apprenants seront en mesure d'apprendre les aspects de la langue tout en effectuant une tâche utile dans le monde réel et auront simultanément l'expérience de l'aspect culturel d'apprendre à cuisiner un plat étrangère.Dieser Artikel berichtet über die 'European Digital Kitchen', ein EU-geförderten Sprachlernprojekt , das Lernen von Sprachen, Kulturen und Küchen in digitalen interaktiven Küchen fördert . Das Projekt modifiziert eine normale Küche speziell für Sprachlern mit der nächsten Generation der digitalen Technologie, nämlich Aktivitätserkennung und Sensortechnik. Wir wollen , dass die Lernenden in der Lage sind , Aspekte der Sprache lernen, während der Durchführung eine sinnvolle reale Aufgabe und gleichzeitig erleben sie den kulturellen Aspekt des Lernens, indem sie eine ausländische Gericht kochen

Effect of Angiotensin System Inhibitors on Physical Performance in Older People - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: Preclinical and observational data suggest that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may be able to improve physical performance in older people via direct and indirect effects on skeletal muscle. We aimed to summarize current evidence from randomised controlled trials in this area. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting and Participants: Randomized controlled trials enrolling older people, comparing ACEi or ARB to placebo, usual care or another antihypertensive agent, with outcome data on measures of physical performance. Methods: We searched multiple electronic databases without language restriction between inception and the end of February 2020. Trials were excluded if the mean age of participants was <65 years or treatment was targeting specific diseases known to affect muscle function (for example heart failure). Data were sought on measures of endurance and strength. Standardized mean difference (SMD) treatment effects were calculated using random-effects models with RevMan software. Results: Eight trials (952 participants) were included. Six trials tested ACEi, 2 trials tested ARBs. The mean age of participants ranged from 66 to 79 years, and the duration of treatment ranged from 2 months to 1 year. Trials recruited healthy older people and people with functional impairment; no trials specifically targeted older people with sarcopenia. Risk of bias for all trials was low to moderate. No significant effect was seen on endurance outcomes [6 trials, SMD 0.04 (95% CI –0.22 to 0.29); P =.77; I2 = 53%], strength outcomes [6 trials, SMD –0.02 (95% CI –0.18 to 0.14), P =.83, I2 = 21%] or the short physical performance battery [3 trials, SMD –0.04 (95% CI –0.19 to 0.11), P =.60, I2 = 0%]. No evidence of publication bias was evident on inspection of funnel plots. Conclusions and Implications: Existing evidence does not support the use of ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers as a single intervention to improve physical performance in older people

What Brown saw and you can too

A discussion is given of Robert Brown's original observations of particles ejected by pollen of the plant \textit{Clarkia pulchella} undergoing what is now called Brownian motion. We consider the nature of those particles, and how he misinterpreted the Airy disc of the smallest particles to be universal organic building blocks. Relevant qualitative and quantitative investigations with a modern microscope and with a "homemade" single lens microscope similar to Brown's, are presented.Comment: 14.1 pages, 11 figures, to be published in the American Journal of Physics. This differs from the previous version only in the web site referred to in reference 3. Today, this Brownian motion web site was launched, and http://physerver.hamilton.edu/Research/Brownian/index.html, is now correc