Journals@UC (University of Cincinnati)
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Designing for Children\u27s Social Play Affordances
No full textWhile studies regarding children’s outdoor play often focus on nature exposure and physical activity, this study explored a lesser-published topic of outdoor play and socioemotional development. The study utilized an online survey of early childhood educators to explore their views on the outdoor play settings and their physical design features that afford solitary, parallel, and cooperative play. We analyzed the quantitative data from the 64 respondents with frequency tables and the qualitative data from 32 of the 64 respondents using an open coding method. The results offer practical implications for architects, landscape architects, environmental designers, and early childcare and education centers to implement environments intentionally designed to afford solitary, parallel, and cooperative play. 
A Qualitative Study of Human-Equine Interaction for Historically Underserved Youth
No full textThe horse barn is an environment with the potential to support young people’s well being. While spending time at the barn, children and youth participate in exercises related to riding and caring for horses, use mindfulness skills to work effectively with horses, and gain a sense of purpose and accomplishment. The horse also provides unique opportunities to learn emotion-regulation skills and give and receive affection. This study describes the summer horse camp experiences of historically underserved young people aged 9-18, viewed through letters the participants wrote to their assigned horses. The data represent a long-standing partnership between three organizations located together within a metropolitan area in the U.S.: a religion-based group providing recreational programming for historically underserved youth, a horse barn/riding academy, and a small nonprofit organization dedicated to providing equine experiences for historically underserved youth each summer. Participants\u27 letters written to their horses (n=271) underwent a thematic content analysis using Dedoose software, and we conducted qualitative interviews with riding instructors in a group format. Data suggest the program provided a space for cultivating positive relationship skills such as respect, responsibility, discipline, empowerment, positive affect, and social relationships. Themes of "respect" (49.1%), "positive social relationships" (46.5%) and "affection" (77.5%) emerged from the letters and were supported by interview data. We conclude that this three-way organizational partnership provides valuable opportunities for historically underserved, urban youth to develop important socioemotional skills while interacting with horses. The young people used this safe environment to build social relationships and learn about making positive life choices
The future is participatory: Collaborative communication design for global health initiatives
No full textThe World Health Organisation develops and delivers a range of technical documents outlining best practice procedures with the aim of improving global health outcomes and with emphasis on supporting low- and middle-income countries. However, these guidelines and other normative standard setting products tend to have low uptake and implementation in the countries and communities they aim to reach due a range of system level barriers and decision-making processes. These barriers are compounded by a disconnect between the individuals who write and develop guidelines, typically in wealthy nations, and those who are expected to implement them at the country level, typically in middle- and low-income countries. In order to address this problem, we employ the Digital Tactile Tools co-design method as a means to understand the lived experience of implementing guidelines in country contexts. By drawing on participatory design, we show that alternative approaches to generating and testing, at scale, communication design processes is a viable and important means to developing more inclusive and responsive global health guidance. With this example we suggest that communication futures must consider the wider context and environmental factors in which information will be used and understood
Show Me what You Mean: Inclusive Augmented Typography for Students with Dyslexia
No full textAugmenting the visual appearance of continuous text may contribute to more inclusive learning opportunities for university Students with Dyslexia (SwD). This neurodiverse population remains largely reliant on reading tools developed for ‘typical’ readers. Although SwD find reading slower, more tiring, and more difficult, they are also known to use deep learning approaches, which may be assisted by inclusive, custom typographic and layout systems. While printed texts offer only one typographic presentation and make limited use of visual cues, the affordances of digital reading tools could result in multiple visual adaptations to suit individual needs, preferences, and reading. This can be achieved with networked devices using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to read the content in texts, and applying real-time typography and layout modifications. A human-centred design approach is required if we aim to develop inclusive reading experiences to better serve the educational requirements of SwD. This application of our understanding of the diversity of human abilities may also open new possibilities for other marginalised readers and the wider academic reading population
Research on Innovative Design Methods of Footwear in the Context of Generative Artificial Intelligence
No full textTo address the mismatch between complex development requirements and traditional design efficiency in the era of artificial intelligence, a footwear innovation design method based on generative artificial intelligence is proposed, using athletic footwear as a case study. Through human-machine collaborative analysis of category products and user demand surveys, a hierarchical model comprising 4 primary indicators and 17 secondary indicators is constructed. The weights of various elements are calculated, and consistency testing was refined to transform vague user demands into specific design prompts. Using generative artificial intelligence technology to assist in footwear innovative design, through the trend matching, adversarial training, parameter optimization, noise generation and other steps to complete the preliminary design proposal. This proposal was optimized and practiced on the modeling software platform to verify its feasibility. Finally, the design proposal was evaluated for comprehensive satisfaction from four dimensions: color attributes, style attributes, material attributes, and functional attributes. The results indicate that the paradigm, derived from this method, offers significant practical value and provides research insights and methodological guidance for footwear desig
What AI Taught Me about Teaching: Class activities in the First-Year Composition classroom
Full text linkWhen I designed a classroom game to help my students practice synthesis writing, I didn’t expect that the experiment would teach me more than it taught them. Prompted by growing concerns over GenAI’s role in student work, I developed a four-part composition activity—with help from GenAI—to help cadets distinguish between summary and synthesis. While the exercise succeeded in engaging students, it failed to foster deeper synthesis, in part because I had treated AI-generated content as “good enough.” Reflecting on this outcome helped me identify three key shifts in my teaching. First, GenAI didn’t save me time—but it reallocated it in ways that deepened my pedagogical clarity. Second, my reluctance to disclose AI’s role in the lesson revealed an unresolved tension around expertise and authority. And third, I came to see GenAI as a tool that demands critical engagement, not passive acceptance—a lesson my students also need to learn. This essay explores how partnering with AI prompted a more recursive and transparent approach to both teaching and learning
From Curiosity to Classroom Practice: A Chemist’s Personal Journey with AI
Full text linkThis personal narrative explores how my approach to teaching General Chemistry has changed through the use of AI tools like ChatGPT and BearcatGPT. I share how these tools have supported student learning, prompted me to rethink my instructional strategies, and raised valuable conversations around ethical use. The reflection includes both successes and challenges in helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly
Taking the Edge Off: Letting Go of AI Fears to Support Teacher Education students and myself
Full text linkAs AI usage increases and evolves, university students may benefit from exploring what AI can do for them, not only in coursework but within their future occupations, too. In this personal narrative, a university instructor describes implications of new opportunities for students to use AI for assignments. Two specific experiences are discussed and changes made to teaching are noted.