Miami University, Ohio
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Sensory Reduction
No full textThe purpose of the design project was to examine the methodologies involved in the development
of a design solution to a given problem. Students worked in teams of five and worked with a client to
consultatively identify a problem, develop a strategy to meet the client’s needs and compose a proposal
for a solution. The team created a project management plan in the form of a Gantt chart, which was kept
up to date as the project evolved, up until the final day. The team was encouraged to think creatively,
using their individual backgrounds to enhance the group’s creative capacity. This required each member
to respect the diverse disciplines at play and to understand the ever-evolving roles of each member of the
group. The goal was to present a final deliverable to the client in a timely and professional manner.
The client in this project was Kidspace, a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy clinic located in San
Francisco, Californa. Kidspace provides occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and
psychotherapy. Their clients seek treatment for a broad range of child development challenges including
sensory processing disorders, Austism Spectrum Disorders, ADD/ADHD and a few neurological
disorders. The teams worked closely with the therapists to understand their perspectives and concerns and to identify the problem that the design team would attempt to solve.
Many of the children at Kidspace are sensitive to sensory feedback and are easily overstimulated
by a variety of sensory inputs. During the busier times and transitions at Kidspace, the high levels of
sensory input can create a difficult environment to have a productive therapy session. The goal of the
project is to design an environment to reduce auditory and visual stimulation throughout the facility.
A very thorough, human-centered design approach was followed, guided by the policies with
which the design consultative firm, IDEO, has become so successful. This process included facility and
interaction observations, large group brainstorming sessions, rapid prototyping, proposal analysis and
selection, refinement and implementation.
To address the issue of sensory reduction in Kidspace, the team inevitable designed three final
products, which were formally presented to the client four weeks after the first meeting. The first
deliverable was a working prototype of a partition that would be used to close off the gap in the wall
between the waiting room and the main hallway to reduces the sound travel between the two areas. The
second design was a working model of a door made of several overlapping 6” PVC strips. which provided
a safe alternative to a solid door and also reduces sound travel between the gyms The final deliverable
was a sound sensor implemented into a structure that hangs on the wall and provides feedback in the form
of LED lights to indicate the noise level of the room.
After the presentation, the client was very pleased with the products delivered, and it is likely
many of these designs will come to fruition within the facility in the near future
Using Google Glass to Teach Privacy (and sharing)
No full textGoogle Glass is Google’s latest consumer technology and is a wearable, head mounted computer that acts like a voice-activated, hands free smartphone. Hailed by some and reviled by others, Glass provides a peek into the future of information delivery and a route by which to discuss privacy and sharing. In August 2013, Google chose the presenter as a “Glass Explorer” – one of approximately 8000 people using Glass. This presentation will demonstrate how she integrated Glass technology into instruction about privacy and sharing for Miami University students
For Video Streaming/Delivery: Is HTML5 the Real Fix?
Get PDFThe general movement towards streaming or playing videos on the web has grown exponentially in the last decade. The combination of new streaming technologies and faster Internet connections continue to provide enhanced and robust user experience for video content. For many organizations, adding videos on their websites has transitioned from a “cool” feature to a mission critical service. Some of the benefits in putting videos online include: to engage and convert visitors, to raise awareness or drive interest, to share inspirational stories or recent unique events, etc. Along with the growth in the use and need for video content on the web; delivering videos online also remains a messy activity for developers and web teams. Examples of existing challenges include creating more accessible videos with captions and delivering content (using adaptive streaming) for the diverse range of mobile and tablet devices. In this article, we report on the decision-making and early results in using the Kaltura video platform in two popular library platforms: CONTENTdm and DSpace
Towards a Closed-loop Community: Creating a Sustainable Seed in the Urban Environment
No full textIn the coming years resource stress and waste management will continue to become two of the world’s biggest issues. If order to conserve resources and reduce waste that our cities produce I believe that we will need to begin to move towards a closed-loop pattern of consumption and away from the current, linear and wasteful pattern. If closed-loop systems are adapted and layered into our cities then resources and raw materials will have multiple lives and waste will be significantly reduced. Is it possible for our cities to begin to function according to closed-loop principles? This thesis is centered on three case studies of communities that are able to function as semi-closed-loops systems. The three communities include: Kalundborg Industrial Park in Denmark, the Mobius Project in London, and the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Ohio. Although these communities may not function strictly as closed-loops, they begin to move away from linear patterns of consumption towards closed-loop principles. Each community has been able to achieve a large cost and environmental savings by productively reusing waste products. This paper analyzes each case study and discusses the problems and opportunity that arise when considering closed-loop communities. I believe that adapting closed-loop principles will be the only way for our cities to make significant progress with the sustainability movement
Implmentation of the 2012 Ohio Nursing Home Family Satisfaction Survey: Research Brief
No full textIn 2012, the Scripps Gerontology Center conducted the sixth biennial Ohio Nursing Home Family Satisfaction Survey under a contract to the Ohio Department of Aging. This research brief provides highlights from the survey implementation, as described in a full report of the same name
My Home Among the Hills: Revitalizing Placemaking and Identity in West Virginia
Get PDFThis paper will explore the current model of museums as a civic institution, their current role in society and why a reevaluation of contemporary civic institutional design is needed; especially in rural regions. Critiques on museums by outside sources and examples from vernacular architecture will help provide the insight necessary to understand the potential of a civic institution. Is it possible for these two models of architecture to come together to aid in the revival of mountainous rural areas such as West Virginia? Can these two architectural models work to create a strong community, to educate, and to integrate technology and work as a hub for outer lying regions? The current outlook on the state is problematic to the citizens of the state and their ability to further strengthen their cultural identity. The paper exploration will be tied with a design exploration to introduce a new kind of civic institution directly catering to the mountainous region of West Virginia
Self-Efficacy in Introductory Physics in Students at Single-Sex and Coeducational Colleges
Get PDFWe surveyed 88 students at four colleges: one men’s college, two women’s colleges, and one coeducational college. The questions, modified from Reid (2007), asked about in-class participation, how fulfilled they were by their achievement in their calc-based physics class, their attitude toward their class, and their self-efficacy (Bandura 1994) in the class. While a t-test showed no difference between men and women, an ANOVA showed a significant interaction between sex and type of school. Detailed results will be presented and discussed
Privacy and Sharing: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
No full textPresentation at Digital Ethics Track of the National GeoGebra Conference 2013Increasingly, our digital lives have moved off hard drives and into the cloud. What are the privacy implications of cloud-based services such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter? Who is watching us, and – more importantly – what decisions are being made about us based on our online behavior? Yet our online world is not sinister. People online share information, build social connections, and foster trust. Online collaboration and scientific breakthroughs spurred Craig Newmark to call sharing "a civic duty." What are the implications of sharing information online? Most importantly, how can we build online experiences that provide us with protection and connection
Common Sense for Caring Organizations: Results from a Study of High-Performing Home Care Agencies and Nursing Homes
Get PDFThis study reports on results of a qualitative study of 21 high-performing Ohio nursing homes and home care agencies. The study focused on best practices for managing their direct care workforce to achieve high performance. The report includes the most prevalent practice themes as well as tips and management strategies
Hueston Woods State Park Bikeway Feasibility Study
Get PDFStudy of the potential for implementing a public bikeway in Hueston Woods State Park. The study looks at the physical, legal, and social trailblocks present for the park and in light of these obstacles, considers the cost/benefit of various bikeway options.Executive Summary - - First-year graduate students in the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability at Miami University worked with Hueston Woods State Park in Butler County, Ohio to explore the feasibility of adding a bikeway at the park. The park offers a wide variety of amenities and attractions, but doesn’t offer a path for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel along the Main Loop Road from one end of the park to the other. After exploring the associated environmental regulations, public opinions, related barriers, engineering concerns and financial costs, the team recommended that the park not construct a bikeway, but instead add shared lanes signage and a bicycle education program. This alternative has minimal cost, can be implemented more immediately, and causes little environmental impact. However, if Main Loop Road is reconstructed, the project team recommends incorporating a paved shoulder into the roadway. Some additional recommendations include exploring bikeway options within the park but away from Main Loop Road, considering whether connection to other pathways outside the park are possible, and gathering further public input to determine if a new pathway is desired