NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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A mixed-methods exploration of virtual reality as a tool to promote green exercise
No full textThe salutogenic effects of green exercise are widely recognised, yet many individuals do not engage in this health-related behaviour. Using a convergent mixed methods approach, this study explored the impact of experiencing nature through Virtual Reality (VR) on the decision-making process relating to green exercise. Three experimental trials were conducted (overall n = 136), in which healthy adults were exposed to different VR scenarios reproducing a virtual walk in an existing urban green area. Participants reported medium–high rating of intent to visit the location. Significant pre-to-post increments in future green exercise intention were observed after the VR exposure, though a significance difference was not achieved in comparison with a control condition. Qualitative analysis revealed the impact of the VR experience on behaviour regulation, and highlighted the pivotal role of anticipated emotional benefits. Despite scepticism, the VR experience was effective in arousing curiosity to explore natural environments, which was associated with environmental perceptions as well as nostalgic and socio-cultural perspectives
“I didn’t know it was going to be such a life changing experience” An inquiry into the experiences and impacts of higher education on a group of mature students.
No full textThis thesis set out to explore how a group of mature students experienced and were impacted by completing a BA at Maynooth University. The aim of my study was to highlight the experiences of mature students in higher education with a particular focus on the non-academic experiences. This research was underpinned by my own experience of completing a BA as a mature student at Maynooth University and my experiences of working as an educator for twenty years. I am keenly interested in how students experience education. Because of this the student voice was central to my research.
For this research I used an inductive approach where I built my argument using data from national and international experts who are interested in the mature student experience in the adult education field and the data that emerged from the voices of the seven students that participated in the interviews. I decided from the outset that it was important to interview graduates that were at least two-years post-graduation, so they had time to reflect on their experience. I applied a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. I thought this approach suited best as although I had certain questions to ask, but I also wanted the freedom to explore other avenues if needed.
The themes that arose from the findings were economic realities, effect on personal well-being, significant learning about the self and society, and social connections. The findings also suggest apart from the academic credentials gained, mature students benefit in many other ways such as, gaining confidence, making friends, and finding their voice. Although each participant reported being ‘stressed’ at some stage during the BA each of them seen their experience as positive overall.
I hope my research will give a broader understanding of how mature students experience education and what non-academic gains they can get along the way
Centering voices from the political margins: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Civil Society Organisations' Civic Education approaches in Promoting Youth Political Participation in Kenya.
No full textSuppose educators are to revitalize the language of civic education as part of a
broader discourse of political agency and critical Citizenship in a global world. In
that case, they will have to consider grounding such a pedagogy in defense of
militant Utopian thinking in which any viable notion of the political takes up the
primacy of pedagogy as part of a broader attempt to revitalize the conditions for
the individual and social agency while simultaneously addressing the most
fundamental problems facing the prospects for social justice and global
democracy.
Henry Giroux (Winter 2004, p.36)
The overall aim of this research is to identify and evaluate the civic education
approaches used by civil society organizations to promote the participation of youth in
political processes in Kenya, as well as propose the adoption of critical pedagogy as the
most effective in empowering youth to be transformative agents of their society. The
study used a qualitative approach and employed semi-structured interviews as the data
collection method. The study draws from the perceptions and experiences of eight civil
society organizations and finds a direct correlation between the values and ontological
positions the civil society brings to the field and the civic education approach, which in
turn affects the civic knowledge acquisition of the youths. The study also found that
most of the approaches used by civil society in Kenya are rooted in a deliberative
pedagogy that often has little focus on power inequalities that are at the core of the
political system. Consequently, the study draws from Frearean pedagogical principles to
propose adopting a critical pedagogical approach in the youth civic education programs.
This research adds to the body of knowledge on youth civic engagement by suggesting
a pedagogical approach that is most suited when empowering disillusioned and
apathetic youth, as is the case with the Kenyan Youth
Potentially modifiable associates of anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review
No full textPurpose
A high percentage of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) experience anxiety, which can negatively impact quality of life. Despite this, anxiety in PwMS remains under researched. This review aims to identify associates with anxiety in PwMS that are amenable to change, with a view to informing the development of interventions in the area.
Materials and methods
The following databases were searched for studies investigating anxiety in PwMS from 2015 to 2021: PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science. The search consisted of keywords relating to MS and fear, anxiety or worry. Once screening was completed by two reviewers, a narrative synthesis was used to analyze the data, with the MMAT used for quality appraisal.
Results
Of the 3117 unique abstracts screened, 39 studies met the criteria for inclusion. Evidence was found linking anxiety in PwMS to several modifiable factors broadly categorized as either psychological, social or lifestyle factors. Perceptions of self and one’s ability to cope/adjust to MS emerged as important psychological factors. Physical activity and social support from friends were also linked with improved anxiety outcomes.
Conclusions
Anxiety in PwMS is linked to a number of modifiable factors. Findings may help inform the development of rehabilitation interventions to decrease anxiety in MS.
Implications for rehabilitation
This review highlights interventions which have successfully lowered anxiety in people with MS (PwMS); however, there is a clear need for the development of further interventions which target the pathologically specific concerns surrounding anxiety in this population.
We show how a number of factors amenable to change associate with anxiety, suggesting that these factors may be appropriate targets for anxiety interventions in PwMS.
Enhancing physical activity and self-efficacy are important means in which healthcare professionals can reduce anxiety in MS.
Identifying ways of encouraging positive coping and increasing social support are further targets for improving comorbid anxiety in PwMS.
Focusing on the modifiable factors highlighted here offers considerable potential for enhancing psychological wellbeing in this group
Validation of the International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire in Israel and Switzerland
No full textThe ICD-11 has introduced a new conceptualization of adjustment disorder (AjD) as
a stress response syndrome with core symptoms of preoccupations and failure to
adapt to the stressor. The current study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of
the International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ) in two culturally distinct
samples from Israel and Switzerland. Two samples were recruited in Israel
(N = 1142) and Switzerland (N = 699) during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a correlated two-factor model provider an excellent fit to the Israeli and Swiss sample data. The IADQ scores
correlated strongly with another measure of AjD symptoms and with symptoms of
depression, anxiety, acute stress and negative emotions, whereas correlations with
posttraumatic stress disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder and positive
emotions were weaker. In the Swiss sample, 18.8% met diagnostic criteria for probable AjD and 10.2% in the Israeli sample. The current study provides the first evidence
of the validity of the German and Hebrew versions of the IADQ and can be used for
the screening of this debilitating condition
Expecting the best or fearing the worst: Discrepancies between self‐rated health and frailty in an ageing Irish population
No full textObjectives. Ageing populations have the propensity to rate their health status more
inaccurately than their younger counterparts. As a result, we (1) devised a metric which
categorized older adults into groups based on the discrepancy between their self-rated
health (SRH) and Frailty Index (FI) scores, and (2) investigated which factors predict group
membership.
Design. A cross-sectional design was employed using data from The Irish Longitudinal
Study of Ageing (TILDA).
Methods. A health asymmetry metric was derived: this categorized 6907 participants
(aged 50+ years) into three groups: ‘health pessimistic’ where participants underestimated their healthiness, ‘health realistic’ where participants accurately assessed their
health, and ‘health optimistic’ where participants overestimated their healthiness. A
multinomial logistic regression modelled the ability of a set of sociodemographic,
psychosocial, and health behaviour variables in predicting membership of these
categories.
Results. A significant proportion of the study population were categorized as ‘health
realistic’ (~69%). The prevalence rates of health optimistic individuals increased in older
age groups, and conversely, health pessimistic rates decreased in older age groups. Most
notably, psychosocial factors significantly predicted being health pessimistic: such as
anxiety (OR = 1.03), loneliness (OR = 1.04), and decreased social connectedness
(OR = 0.87). However, less clear sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health behaviour
associations were found for being health optimistic.
Conclusion. Health asymmetry is a useful method of identifying at-risk individuals for
inaccurate SRH. The ability of this metric to predict clinical mental health outcomes
should be investigated
Utility, barriers and facilitators to the use of connected health to support families impacted by paediatric cancer: a qualitative analysis
No full textAim
As healthcare systems are increasingly burdened, the efficiencies and cost savings offered by connected health (CH, i.e. two-way communicative healthcare technologies such as eHealth or mHealth) present an attractive solution for supporting families impacted by cancer. More research is required, however, to examine attitudes towards CH to better facilitate its use in practice. This study seeks to examine the utility, barriers and facilitators of CH use for families affected by paediatric cancer living in Ireland.
Methods
Healthcare professionals (n = 5) and parents of children with cancer (n = 7) completed semi-structured interviews on their experiences of and attitudes to CH via Microsoft Teams. A reflexive thematic approach to analysis was employed.
Results
CH was perceived to provide support for a number of current needs with themes of ‘shifting responsibilities’, ‘individualisation of care’ and ‘knowledge as power’. Through facilitating communication, information sharing and monitoring of child health, CH was perceived to support decreased parental burden and increased parental control, with positive child outcomes thought likely. Perceived barriers and facilitators to the use of CH included the ‘importance of trust’, ‘pace of change’ and ‘access’.
Conclusion
While results suggest an acceptance of CH across key stakeholders, barriers and facilitators should be considered to support effective implementation. While further analysis of the efficacy of CH to support families impacted by paediatric cancer is needed, these findings highlight key areas where CH may be effectively employed
How can scientists and designers find ways of working together? A case study of playful learning to co-design visual interpretations of immunology concepts
No full textIn UK HE institutions there is a growing realisation and appreciation for academic disciplines to seek research partners beyond their own subject (QAA. 2018. Enterprise and entrepreneurship education: Guidance for UK higher education providers. Accessed 1 April 2020. https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaas/enhancement-and-development/enterprise-and-entrpreneurship-education-2018.pdf?sfvrsn = 15f1f981_8). The rewards for developing understanding and sharing methodologies can extend beyond solving research questions to enhance the researcher and student learning experience. When academic researchers and students are given the opportunity to work together outside the confines of the curriculum and inhabit a space of ‘otherness’ in playful learning, liberated thinking and uninhibited ideation can transform patterns of learning and problem solving. This study aimed to use interdisciplinary co-design workshops to create opportunities for bringing scientists and designers to work together, exposing them to the challenges of developing accessible immunology materials and to develop a pathway to reconcile them through empathy and reflective practice. Our research evidence showed that projects like this are inclusive and engaging. Student participants were excited and inspired by each other’s different knowledge and skills, but were also rewarded by overcoming different cultures of learning and communication. The efficacy of playful learning’s ‘otherness’, and the ‘out-of-hours’ aspect were also interrogated and reflected upon in interviews. The impact of this research will inform pedagogy on interdisciplinary learning, and be a persuasive argument for further Science and Design collaborations. More widely among the community, raised awareness of our immune system has the potential to modify behaviour and improve public health, as the student groups chose to focus on allergies, vaccinations and transplantation
Towards an instant structure-property prediction quality control tool for additive manufactured steel using a crystal plasticity trained deep learning surrogate
No full textThe ability to conduct in-situ real-time process-structure-property checks has the potential to overcome
process and material uncertainties, which are key obstacles to improved uptake of metal powder bed
fusion in industry. Efforts are underway for live process monitoring such as thermal and image-based
data gathering for every layer printed. Current crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modelling is cap-
able of predicting the associated strength based on a microstructural image and material data but is com-
putationally expensive. This work utilizes a large database of input–output samples from CPFE modelling
to develop a trained deep neural network (DNN) model which instantly estimates the output (strength
prediction) associated with a given input (microstructure) of multi-phase additive manufactured stain-
less steels. The DNN model successfully recognizes phase regions and the associated unique crystallo-
graphic orientation variations. It also captures differences in macroscopic stress response due to the
varying microstructure. However, it is less reliable in terms of fatigue life predictions
Old English in the Irish Charms
No full textThis article presents a reassessment of the evidence provided by the extant medieval Irish
medical manuscripts for ritualized healing charms, focusing on a group of blood-staunching
incantations preserved in a substantial, but hitherto largely unstudied, medical remedy book
written primarily by the sixteenth-century Irish medical scribe Conla Mac an Leagha
(fl. 1496–1509). It is argued that some of the charms in question may have been composed in
the early medieval period, and reflect currents of intellectual exchange between ecclesiastical
centers in Ireland and southern England, especially Canterbury, prior to the twelfth century.
The apparently obscure lexical items in one of these blood-staunching charms may point to
the participation of Irish literati in broader European trends relating to esoteric writing and
“hermeneutic” vocabulary, and to its potential for articulating the concerns of the educated
elite regarding the perceived exclusivity of literate knowledge