16 research outputs found
‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh
No full textThis study focuses on how the tradition of mumming in County Fermanagh is defined.
Several factors have contributed to the processes of redefinition mumming has been subjected
to. The violent conflict, which is agreed to have erupted in the province of Ulster in 1969,
played an integral role in the severe decline of mumming around this period. In the 1980s, it
was revived and mumming groups became a common sight around Christmas time, in local
towns and villages. This continued until the 2000s. However, at present there remains only
one mumming group practicing the tradition in Fermanagh: The Aughakillymaude (ACK-LAMAD)
Mummers. This thesis explores how mumming has been redefined by both the
mummers and the audience.
Throughout the thesis, it is argued that while social practices are viewed as possessing
longevity and immutability both time and context act to change and define them. mumming
exists on the margins of Irish cultural activity. There are no academic departments established
to study it, no dedicated archives to store its history, nor are there rules or regulations to bind
its existence. Its continuation depends on those involved redefining the tradition. The
mummers eke out a space for it through touristic and non-touristic avenues, by framing the
tradition as unconventional and marginal. The study challenges notions of the audience, the
commodification of tradition, masking, the ability to speak about conflict, reviving a tradition,
and the musician. By doing this, it examines how a tradition which exists without any
formalities to govern it continues to be redefined and practiced on the margins of Irish cultural
activity
Supplemental material for A qualitative study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to adopting digital health technology
No full textSupplemental Material for A qualitative study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to adopting digital health technology by Patrick Slevin, Threase Kessie, John Cullen, Marcus W. Butler, Seamas C Donnelly and Brian Caulfield in Digital Health</p
Interdisciplinary doctoral research networks: enhancers and inhibitors of social capital development
No full textInterdisciplinary research networks are increasing, with professionals
encouraged to undertake research across disciplines to increase
innovation, creativity and knowledge. More recently, this interdisciplinary
focus is being mirrored by the establishment of interdisciplinary doctoral
research networks. But do these networks work? And if so, how and why?
We employ social capital theory to (a) understand the lived experiences of
students in interdisciplinary doctoral programmes and (b) build
programme design theory to support the development of social capital
within such programmes. We present the results of 28 semi-structured
interviews conducted with doctoral students from three European Union
funded interdisciplinary research training networks to understand how
they perceive the enhancers, inhibitors and manifestations of social
capital within their networks. Key themes revolve around ‘extracting value
from the interdisciplinary process’, ‘motivating students throughout the
interdisciplinary programme journey’, and ‘relating to others both within
and external to the programme’. We propose a framework for
interdisciplinary programme design
Socially Distanced Higher Education: Redesigning Progress
No full textThe social distancing measures developed as an attempt to control the Covid-19 outbreak have had a major, long lasting effect on every aspect of society. Higher Education was dramatically affected by these social distancing measures, leading to the closure of campuses around the globe and the move to continue facilitating student learning online. In order to develop a Higher Education system in a future where the results of Covid-19 will be long lasting in our society, we require insight into the priorities of the Higher Education Institution as a whole. Here, we present a small sample of staff and student experiences of teaching and learning during the Covid-19 lockdown. Through their experiences, we see that the Higher Education Institution continued to ensure functional progress of students and staff during the lockdown; however, other equally important forms of progress were not prioritised. We argue that as we move into the future of Higher Education, it is vital that any changes made to the system take into account the ability for students to make functional, social and emotional progress through their studies
The potential of Design Thinking to enable change in Higher Education
No full textOver the past decade, design thinking had gained increasing attention from practitioners and academics from across many sectors and disciplines for its ability to foster innovation and tackle complex challenges. The approach has been defined as a “human-centered approach to innovation that puts the observation and discovery of often highly nuanced, even tacit, human needs right at the forefront of the innovation process” (Gruber et al., 2015). While there is increasing evidence that design thinking delivers value to firms trying to innovate and to societies trying to make change happen (Liedtka, 2018), there is little evidence that Higher Education has embraced the approach to the same extent as many other public, private and 3rd sector organisations.
Prior to the emergence of Covid-19 and the restrictions and disruption it brought about, Higher Education was facing many challenges. Now, as we begin to return to campuses, there is a growing pressure on institutions to respond, innovate and transform in order to tackle the growing list of new and existing operational challenges, the imminent threat of disruption and to meet the explicit and unarticulated needs of its staff and students. In this article we argue that design thinking could offer an inclusive approach to innovation and transformation, one that institutions can utilise to begin to address these complex challenges, improve stagnant processes and ensure sustainability over time. Change can only happen if institutions are able to motivate, build creative confidence and give permission to staff and students to take action. We argue that they need empower staff with the skills, attitudes and abilities necessary to identify and tackle challenges, and move into an uncertain space where the core skills and mindsets of design thinking : empathy, humility, creativity, experimentation and a bias towards action offer the opportunity to design that change. We suggest a set of design principles that could help begin this process.
Patient Experiences of Rehabilitation and the Potential for an mHealth System with Biofeedback After Breast Cancer Surgery: Qualitative Study
No full textBACKGROUND: Physiotherapy-led home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery can protect against the development of upper limb dysfunction and other disabling consequences of surgery. A variety of barriers can limit physical rehabilitation outcomes, and patients may benefit from more support during this time. Mobile health (mHealth) systems can assist patients during rehabilitation by providing exercise support, biofeedback, and information. Before designing mHealth systems for a specific population, developers must first engage with users to understand their experiences and needs. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to explore patients' rehabilitation experiences and unmet needs during home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery and to understand their experiences of mHealth technology and the requirements they desire from an mHealth system. METHODS: This was the first stage of a user-centered design process for an mHealth system. We interviewed 10 breast cancer survivors under the two main topics of "Rehabilitation" and "Technology" and performed a thematic analysis on the interview data. RESULTS: Discussions regarding rehabilitation focused on the acute and long-term consequences of surgery; unmet needs and lack of support; self-driven rehabilitation; and visions for high-quality rehabilitation. Regarding technology, participants reported a lack of mHealth options for this clinical context and using non-cancer-specific applications and wearables. Participants requested an mHealth tool from a reliable source that provides exercise support. CONCLUSIONS: There are unmet needs surrounding access to physiotherapy, information, and support during home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery that could be addressed with an mHealth system. Breast cancer survivors are open to using an mHealth system and require that it comes from a reliable source and focuses on supporting exercise performance.European Commission Horizon 202
Introducing Strategic Design in Education (SDxE): an approach to navigating complexity and ambiguity at the micro, meso and macro layers of Higher Education Institutions
No full textMembers of the Higher Education (HE) community have embodied the spirit of designers by identifying needs and creatively responding with speed, agility and ingenuity as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While these rapid changes were required at the time of the pandemic, the lack of an innovation structure in HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) has become evident. We argue it is necessary to implement an innovation structure in a HEI which can be used to guide all types of innovation, to ensure they are desirable, viable, feasible and suitable from the perspective of all stakeholders. This article builds on the ARRIVE innovation process and uses Vaugh et al.’s Principles for Designing Progress to develop the concept of Strategic Design in Education (SDxE). Through embracing the SDxE approach, the HE community has the potential to not only get comfortable in the complexity and ambiguity which will inevitably result in the HEI sector for decades to come, but have an opportunity to shape it into something more desirable. We propose that SDxE offers an actionable scaffold for Human-Centered innovation, one that holds the potential to affect change, improve collaboration and produce more successful outcomes across the micro, meso and macro layers of HEIs
A qualitative study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to adopting digital health technology
No full textObjective Non-adherence to self-management plans in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results in poorer outcomes for patients. Digital health technology (DHT) promises to support self-management by enhancing the sense of control patients possess over their disease. COPD digital health studies have yet to show significant evidence of improved outcomes for patients, with many user-adoption issues still present in the literature. To help better address the adoption needs of COPD patients, this paper explores their perceived barriers and facilitators to the adoption of DHT. Methods A sample of convenience was chosen and patients (n = 30) were recruited from two Dublin university hospitals. Each patient completed a qualitative semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis of the data was performed using NVivo 12 software. Results Barrier sub-themes included lack of perceived usefulness, digital literacy, illness perception, and social context; facilitator sub-themes included existing digital self-efficacy, personalised education, and community-based support. Conclusion The findings represent a set of key considerations for researchers and clinicians to inform the design of patient-centred study protocols that aim to account for the needs and preferences of patients in the development of implementation and adoption strategies for DHT in COPD.Science Foundation IrelandInsight Research Centr
An Interdisciplinary 4th Level Education Model:Connected Health
No full textThis paper responds to the need for interdisciplinary approaches to fourth level education that better reflect the complexity of the world in which we work and conduct research. We discuss this need in technology-enabled healthcare, Connected Health. We propose a model for fourth level interdisciplinary education and discuss its trial application in two European structured PhD programmes in the Connected Health research arena. We suggest broader learning objectives for the emerging fourth level graduate, methods for incorporating multiple disciplinary inputs and perspectives into deep disciplinary PhD training, intersectoral approaches to ensure employability and impact, and innovative training methods and structures to facilitate interdisciplinary and intersectoral learning. We give some examples of innovative training modules used within the pilot programmes. Finally we discuss six core elements of a truly interdisciplinary programme at fourth level - exposure to different environments, joint supervision, a genuine role for the non academic sector, career development training and planning, the development of a sustainable network beyond the life of the programme, and data openess.</jats:p
Activating Technology for Connected Health in Cancer: Protocol for a Research and Training Program
No full textAs cancer survival rates increase, the challenge of ensuring that cancer survivors reclaim their quality of life (QoL) becomes more important. This paper outlines the research element of a research and training program that is designed to
do just that.
Objective: Bridging sectors, disciplines, and geographies, it brings together eight PhD projects and students from across Europe
to identify the underlying barriers, test different technology-enabled rehabilitative approaches, propose a model to optimize the
patient pathways, and examine the business models that might underpin a sustainable approach to cancer survivor reintegration
using technology.
Methods: The program, funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie
Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 722012, includes deep disciplinary PhD projects, intersectoral and international secondments,
interdisciplinary plenary training schools, and virtual subject-specific education modules.
Results: The 8 students have now been recruited and are at the early stages of their projects.
Conclusions: CATCH will provide a comprehensive training and research program by embracing all key elements—technical,
social, and economic sciences—required to produce researchers and project outcomes that are capable of meeting existing and
future needs in cancer rehabilitation
