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Not Another Social Media App: Design to Assist Community Interaction in the Digital Age
No full textThis Master of Design Research project explores the question “How can design assist community interaction in the digital age?” by examining community dynamics in the era of social media and understanding the role of design in this space. The study identifies the widening gap between virtual and physical communities, which leads to the design exploration for an appropriate solution. The design outcome offers a hybrid social experience that leverages digital technology to support and enhance community interaction.
Humans are social beings. We live with families, we work in teams, and we bond over shared beliefs. The human brain is hard-wired to connect; it’s an important part of our adaptive skills (Lieberman, 2013). When coming together, we form communities for support and companionship. As the internet becomes an integral part of daily life, face-to-face communication is no longer the only way to build connections. In the online space, human interaction can be designed and mediated through digital means. There are currently numerous community platforms to help fulfill the human need to connect. However, when interviewed many young adults said they feel disconnected from the people around them, despite being socially active online.
A comparative analysis of three community platforms– Facebook Groups, Meetup and Mighty Networks – pinpoints the gap between product directions and user needs. Moreover, the study shows a lack of emphasis on building local communities. As a result, it reveals opportunities for a new design intervention.
The research is conducted through participatory methods, such as in-depth interviews and focus group activities, to study how young adults interact with community in the digital age. The participants are carefully recruited to fit the research focus and ensure effective collaboration. As they share valuable insights and inspire the solution, they become an important part of the project. The collected qualitative data help build a user mental model and direct the design exploration.
The synthesis of primary and secondary research results in the design of a hyperlocal community platform that allows users to interact with the communities around them. This mobile-native experience blends virtual interactions into the physical world which gives young adults an easy way to build new relationships. The design solution aims to narrow the gap between online and in-person connections by introducing a new but familiar way of interacting. This in turn will reinvigorate digital natives’ social lives.Community interactionDigital technologySocial medi
CrossFit: The Effect of Self-talk on Performance
No full textThe goal of this research is to document and explore the effect of self-talk on performance in CrossFit. The outcomes of this research will contribute to the design of an app to help athletes improve their positive self-talk. This study also will help athletes to understand how to be self-conscious, and reflective, and to use visual design to enhance self-talk techniques.
Self-talk is statements that athletes repeat to themselves during training to improve their focus and boost their energy to perform better. The goal of self-talk is to replace negative thinking with more positive messages. It could be motivational such as “Let’s give It all” or “You can do it”, or instructional which focuses on techniques and forms like “engage your core” or “activate your shoulder”. Self-confidence is the key to developing mental toughness, and self-talk is the best strategy to help athletes believe in their ability by saying the right words to themselves. Some athletes might find it difficult to be self-conscious or replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Physical strength alone is not enough to enhance performance in CrossFit. Optimal performance depends on mental preparation as well as physical preparation. As an athlete in CrossFit, I have never heard the community or coaches speaking about how self-talk can lead to mental toughness. Additionally, there is no research study on mental preparation in CrossFit sports. CrossFit is a combination of Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio that is performed at high intensity. Speed and form are both equally important in this sport which leads to a lot of pressure and stress on athletes.
In my research, I am going to focus on techniques that develop and document self-talk and its direct effect on specific workouts in CrossFit. My methods will include self-reflective practice, observation, diagramming, experimentation with workout/self-talk combinations, and participant surveys and discussion. I am hoping this study helps the CrossFit community to understand how to be self-conscious, and how to improve their mental toughness through self-talk techniques to enhance their self-confidence and performance in CrossFit through design practices.Discursive designDiagramsSportCrossFitNegative thoughtsPositive affirmationsCommunication designInteraction desig
What happened to OpenCourseWare?: a discussion of the open education movement’s shift from course content to textbooks
No full textThe open education movement is now more than twenty years old, if counting from the launch of MIT’s OpenCourseWare (OCW) in 2001. Though OCW was instrumental in jumpstarting higher education’s enthusiasm for open educational resources (OER), provincial funding bodies have doubled-down on open textbooks, and this focus is reflected in the language used by provincial funding bodies, as well as the impressive, and growing, number of openly licensed textbooks. The focus on textbooks is understandable given the intense interest from students. Several provincial funding bodies, including BC Campus, OpenEd Manitoba, and eCampus Ontario have saved students millions of dollars by encouraging open textbook adoption in post-secondary. Furthermore, open textbooks (and other learning objects) are arguably easier to host and distribute than entire courses. The tradeoff is that this lopsided focus on open textbooks means that a few institutions (most notably MIT, TU Delft and others) dominate the OCW space. In this presentation, the author will argue the reasons why OCW investment is inconsistent and highlight the challenges that face OCW creation and adoption. The author will also argue that refocusing on OCW investment has the potential to bolster institutional reputation and satisfy a public that is hungry for high-quality open content.Peer reviewedPersonalOERopen educationOCWOpenCourseWareteaching and learnin
Historical climate change: Empowering students by offering them perspective
No full textPresented at the Research Café on March 3, 2023
The experiences of sibling dyads impacted by albinism in Africa: An interpretive description study
No full textThe bond between siblings is the longest relationship one may have with another individual, but the perspectives and experiences of siblings impacted by albinism have not been fully explored. In parts of Africa, persons with albinism face multiple challenges relating to their vision impairment and sun sensitivity compounded by stigma, discrimination, and safety concerns stemming from deeply rooted spiritual and cultural beliefs and misunderstandings about albinism. Applying an Interpretive Description qualitative design, I explored the experiences of siblings impacted by albinism in five countries in Africa through individual and dyadic interviews with seven dyads. I employed a human rights, family-centred, and disability lens to derive four themes: (1) Internalizing Processes; (2) Normalizing Responses; (3) Stigmatizing Experiences; and (4) Encompassing Support. These findings highlight the importance of a strong family system and the need to address the concerns that persons with albinism experience to support them and their family
West Kootenay Homelessness Response Summit 2023
No full textNursing & Human ServicesRural Homelessnes
Modeling study of nonlinear dynamics in the growth of aquatic phytoplankton
No full textPhytoplankton bloom has become a growing global concern in recent years due to the excessive growth of algae, causing significant negative impacts on aquatic ecosystem and threatening human health. Growing evidence suggests that algal blooms are a consequence of the interplay of various hydrodynamical, chemical, and biological processes in aquatic systems. The complexity and nonlinearity of aquatic ecosystems, and the complexity of climatic and hydrographic events, make interpreting and predicting the blooms a very challenging task. In recent years, many different strategies have been adopted to manage algal blooms. Among them, mathematical models are advantageous because they can capture the ubiquitous stoichiometric constraints for modeling species growth and interaction. Thus, mathematical models have been widely used to investigate the dynamics of phytoplankton growth. In this study, five mathematical models were developed based on population dynamics, ecological dynamics, dynamic modeling, and probability theory. The models were investigated theoretically and numerically in terms of the theory of partial differential equations, stochastic differential equations, impulsive differential equations, and numerical simulation. The objective of this dissertation research was to gain insight into plankton dynamics and explore potential management strategies for excessive algal growth in aquatic systems. The main results are presented as follows: Firstly, a nutrient-plankton model incorporating delay and diffusion was developed. The theoretical analysis revealed that delay can trigger the nutrient-plankton oscillation via a Hopf bifurcation. Especially, the stability switches for positive equilibrium occur with increasing delay, which indicates that delay can generate and suppress the unstable coexistence of species population. Numerical results reveal that the stability switches for positive equilibrium indeed exist in the model, and the homogeneous multiple periodic solutions, as well as chaos, can occur with different values of delay, which implies that the model exhibits delay-induced complex dynamics. Secondly, a stochastic Leslie-Gower phytoplankton-zooplankton model with prey refuge was developed. The dynamical analysis revealed the sufficient conditions for the persistence and extinction of plankton populations. The numerical simulations showed that environmental noise and prey refuge play a crucial role in the survival of plankton species. The results further demonstrate that prey refuge can enhance the oscillation range of phytoplankton population, but the variance of zooplankton tends to increase and then decrease as prey refuge increased. Thirdly, considering seasonal disturbances in aquatic ecosystem, a stochastic nutrient-phytoplankton model with seasonal fluctuation was developed. The results indicate that periodic solutions exist under certain conditions, suggesting that plankton populations are associated with periodic oscillations. Furthermore, numerical results showed that seasonal fluctuation can trigger periodic blooms of phytoplankton and promote the coexistence of plankton species. Specifically, the results indicate that phytoplankton is more sensitive to nutrient than to seasonal fluctuation. Fourthly, a stochastic nutrient-plankton model with regime-switching was developed by considering regime-switching plankton mortality. The results showed that the model admits a stationary distribution under certain conditions. Then the numerical analysis revealed that the persistence and extinction of plankton populations are sensitive to variations in nutrient input. The numerical results also indicate that regime-switching plankton mortality contributes to the survival of plankton populations in the aquatic system. Finally, a stochastic nutrient-plankton model with impulsive control was developed. The theoretical analysis established sufficient conditions for the existence of periodic solutions. In addition, the numerical analysis showed that nutrient impulse plays an important role in preventing and controlling algal blooms, and appropriate environmental fluctuation can promote the coexistence of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations. However, excess intensity noise can result in the collapse of the entire ecosystem
Youth relationships with land and place in the Nechako watershed
No full textScholars have been calling for the integration of the natural environment within social work for over thirty years. However, the literature provides little insight into youth perspectives on their relationships with land and place, particularly in rural and remote communities. In fall 2022, I interviewed twelve students ages 14-17 at Fort St James Secondary School in BC’s Nechako Lakes District (School District 91) about their experiences spending time outdoors. By student choice, half of these interviews took place inside their school and half took place in outdoor settings nearby the school. Through reflexive thematic analysis, I developed five themes from our interviews, including (1) Specificity in relationships: Where we are (and who we are) matters; (2) Pathways to negotiating relationships with land and place; (3) Intersections of community, land, and youth resilience; (4) People are connected through place and time; and (5) Youth have agency and responsibility. My discussion links youth relationships with land and place to social work practice and highlights connections between the resilience of youth, their communities, and the land and water they rely on. This research contributes to a growing body of literature on social work and the environment and identifies future avenues for the integration of land and place within research
Adoption of electronic medical records in developing countries: a multi-state study of the Nigerian healthcare system
No full textElectronic medical records (EMR) are extensively used in developed countries to manage patient records and facilitate consultations and follow-up of treatment. This has resulted in centralised databases where different services and clinicians can quickly access patient data to support healthcare delivery. However, adoption and usage of EMR in developing countries is not common and, in most cases, non-existent. Clinicians are dependent on patients keeping their own records manually with no centralised database to manage and control the patient medical history. The key objective of this study was to investigate the propensity of clinicians and senior management personnel in healthcare facilities to adopt EMR and evaluate the contextual factors that impact or impede adoption. Using Davis's technology adoption model extended with other factors, this study determined if contextual or situational factors are associated with barriers that impede adoption of EMRs in developing countries. Using a cross-sectional quantitative research approach, a questionnaire was designed to collect data across four states in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Stratified random sampling was used to select healthcare facilities that participated in the survey and selection of respondents from each healthcare facility. Data was collected by trained research assistants and a total of 1,177 valid responses were received and analysed using factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results from the analysis show that usefulness, critical success factors, awareness and relative advantage significantly influence clinicians' intention to adopt EMRs. Surprisingly, infrastructure availability was not statistically significant. Meanwhile, risk and data security both negatively influence adoption, indicating that user perception of risk and safety of their data decreases their propensity to adopt EMRs. The results from this study suggests that usefulness and anticipated success factors in facilitating operations within healthcare facilities have a great influence on user adoption of EMRs. Awareness, training and education of users on the effectiveness of EMRs and their usefulness will increase adoption. The results will be beneficial in helping government and healthcare leaders formulate policies that will guide and support adoption of EMR. Other policy recommendations and suggestions for future research were also proffered.Peer reviewedelectronic medical recordsdigital healthmedical informaticsadoption of healthNigeriadeveloping countrie