<p>Audio-visual temporal processing, and integration of auditory and visual information, is necessary for perceiving the world around us. Although previous research has indicated a slowing of temporal processing in older adults for unisensory stimuli, little work has examined the role of aging on multisensory temporal processing. The goal of this thesis is to use temporal-order judgment (TOJ) tasks to investigate age-related changes in audio-visual temporal processing. Overall, our results indicate that older adults do not demonstrate impairments on simple audio-visual TOJs, but they do exhibit deficits on more complex TOJ tasks. We also found no influence of spatial cues on TOJs for younger or older adults. Finally, we found age differences in complex TOJ tasks could not be explained by changes in the ability of older adults to detect a gap between sequential visual stimuli. The work in the thesis suggests that although there may be slowing in audio-visual temporal processing in complex situations, there are circumstances where audio-visual temporal processing is spared. By categorizing multisensory processing deficits in the elderly, we can aim to improve quality of life by preventing fails and perpetuating social interactions.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

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The purpose of this research study was to investigate the role of manipulative materials in improving achievement in computation, concept-formation, and problem-solving in fourth-grade mathematics. This study examined whether manipulative materials had greater impact when used to introduce a concept, to reinforce a concept, or both to introduce and to reinforce a concept. The sample group for this study was 123 students. The children in experimental Group A (n=41) used manipulative materials for the first lesson in a concept. Experimental Group B (n=27) used manipulative materials only after initial instruction on the concept by the traditional method (lecture by teacher using blackboard and textbook). Experimental Group C (n=28) used manipulative materials for initial instruction, practiced the concept using the textbook, and reinforced the concept through additional use of manipulatives. All experimental groups continued to use the adopted text as well as the manipulatives. Control Group D (n=27) used only the textbook and had no lessons involving manipulative materials. The Science Resource Associates (SRA) Achievement Tests, Level E, Form 2, and researcher-designed achievement and retention tests were administered to the subjects. Data from the posttests were analyzed using an analysis of covariance model with multiple contrasts. The analysis of scores on the SRA tests showed no significant difference between groups on the concepts and computation tests. Group A, which used manipulative materials for introduction, scored significantly higher than the other groups on the problem-solving test (p=.05). The analysis of scores on the researcher-designed tests indicated a significant difference between groups on both the achievement and retention tests. Both Group A, which used manipulatives for the introduction of concepts, and Group B, which used manipulatives for reinforcement, scored significantly higher than the other groups on both researcher-designed tests. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of visual performance presentations on student perceptions of the elements of music. Eighth and 12th grade student groups (n = 155) were randomly assigned from intact music classes into two presentation groups (audio and video). A Posttest Control Group Design was utilized to determine the treatment effects of four videotaped performances on student responses to Olson's <i>Part One: Musical Detail from the Measurement of Musical Awareness</i> (©1987). Two excerpts in Jazz style (big band) and two in Classical style (symphony orchestra) were presented in random order to each of the treatment groups. The experimental group was presented a videotaped music performance of each excerpt while the control group was presented only the audiotaped performances of the same excerpts. The students responded to twenty-eight test statement items regarding melody, form, texture, meter, rhythm, harmony, tone color, tempo, and dynamics in the four different music performances. / Ed. D.

It is the purpose of this study to determine whether the use of sound films alone, shown to homemakers in adult homemaking classes, is effective in improving attitudes relative to family and social relationships, civic responsibility, and the use of leisure time.

Weekly Meditations est un projet de recherche-création sous la forme d’un cycle de sept oeuvres audiovisuelles pour ensembles mixtes et électroniques. Suivant un désir d’approfondir l’expérience immersive, le cycle intègre des pratiques et mentalités méditatives à tout le processus musical, allant de la composition à l’interprétation, jusqu’à la réception de l’oeuvre et la place du spectateur. Cette intégration expérientielle part de l’hypothèse que la différence du degré de sentiment immersif entre le compositeur, l’interprète et le spectateur peut être atténuée par l’invitation à se placer sur un socle expérientiel commun, soit celui de la méditation. Ce projet de recherche-création tente d’observer, sous un premier axe de recherche, en quoi l’intégration de pratiques méditatives au processus créatif peut renouveler le rôle de l’interprète et, sous un second axe, en quoi la prise en charge de l’ambiance, du lieu et de l’espace vu, entendu et ressenti de la performance peut favoriser le sentiment immersif. Cette prise en charge implique une multidisciplinarité explorée sous l’angle d’une pensée réellement mixte où les dimensions instrumentale, électronique, visuelle et spatiale sont prises en charge de façon à créer un tout intégré plutôt que de simplement les additionner les unes aux autres. Une méthodologie oscillant entre théorie, pratique et évaluation a été utilisée tout au long du processus créatif, permettant de définir les implications esthétiques et techniques des nouvelles ressources utilisées et de conceptualiser les différents paramètres musicaux, visuels et conceptuels dans l’optique d’une approche immersive, autant pour les spectateurs, les interprètes que le compositeur. L’intégration de pratiques méditatives, en plus d’une prise en charge de l’espace audiovisuel semblent — suite à de nombreuses répétitions, concerts et données acquises par des sondages effectués sur les spectateurs et les interprètes — indiquer qu’ils peuvent grandement contribuer à l’immersion lors du concert. Ce sentiment immersif est toutefois sujet à de nombreuses conditions, telles que la disposition mentale, la familiarité avec son instrument et les pratiques méditatives, ainsi que la charge interprétative lors du concert, soit un degré de virtuosité trop élevé ou un trop grand nombre de manipulations à exécuter. Ce présent mémoire établi les fondements théoriques reliés à l’immersion, à la prise en charge de l’espace audiovisuel et aux pratiques méditatives et leurs implications sur les pratiques d’interprétation et de composition, pour finalement analyser comment chaque oeuvre du cycle met en pratique les différents concepts théoriques de façon à répondre aux axes de recherchecréation mentionnés ci-haut. / Weekly Meditations is a research-creation project that takes form as a cycle of seven audiovisual works for mixed ensembles and electronics. Following a commitment to deepen the immersive experience, the cycle integrates meditative practices and mentalities into the entire musical process, from composition to performance. This integration is based on the hypothesis that the immersive experiential difference between performers and spectators can be reconciled by inviting both of them to place themselves on a common experiential foundation, that of meditation. This research-creation project attempts to observe how the integration of meditative practices into the musical process renews the role of the performer, and how taking charge of the atmosphere, the place and the space that is seen, heard and felt in the performance can enhance immersion. This has led to the addition of a visual discipline to my practice, in the form of videomusic. A methodology oscillating between theory, practice and evaluation was used throughout the creative process, making it possible to define the aesthetic and technical implications of the new resources and to conceptualise the various musical, visual and conceptual parameters from the perspective of an immersive approach for both spectators and performers, but also the composer. The multidisciplinary nature of the project is explored from the angle of a truly mixed approach in which the instrumental, electronic, visual and spatial dimensions are taken into account so as to create an integrated whole rather than simply adding them together. The integration of meditative practices, in addition to the taking charge of the audiovisual space seems - following numerous rehearsals, performances and data acquired from audience and performer surveys - to indicate that they greatly influence immersion throughout the concert experience. This immersive feeling is, however, subject to numerous conditions, such as mental disposition, familiarity with one’s instrument and meditative practices, as well the interpretative load, i.e. too high a degree of virtuosity or too many manipulations to be performed at once. This thesis establishes the theoretical foundations related to immersion, audiovisual spaces and meditative practices and their implications on performance and composition practices, ultimately analysing how each work in the cycle puts the various theoretical concepts into practice in order to respond to the research-creation axes mentioned above.

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No / This paper introduces multimedia design guidelines for browsing large volumes of e-mail data. These software design guidelines derived from two sets of experiments under a prototype version of a multimedia e-mail tool. The experiments tested various forms of audio-visual communication metaphors. For example, the auditory stimuli consisted of musical sounds (earcons), compositional sounds, environmental sounds (auditory icons), stereophony, pitch, synthesised and recorded speech as well as other sound effects. The first set of experiments involved the multimedia browsing of simple and complex sets of e-mail data. The second set of the experiments involved the communication of e-mail categories and other related e-mail information such as the presence or absence of an attachment, priority status and subject of an e-mail. The results of these two sets of experiments are described and linked with other experiments in the literature. The paper integrates and discusses all these experimental results, the incorporation of auditory stimuli and the suitability of different types of multimedia metaphors for the design of audio-visual browsing techniques of large volumes of e-mail data. The totality of the multimedia design appeared to offer a meaningful, easily understood and recognised interaction mechanism and therefore demonstrated a potential way to maximise the volume of information that could be communicated to users. The application of synthesised and recorded speech, earcons and auditory icons as well as sound effects are also discussed in the light of the experimental results with emphasis upon issues of synergy, synchronisation, consistency, structure, classification and presentation of different types of communication metaphors as an integral part of the software design process. Furthermore, the suitability and use of compositional sounds are also discussed. The paper concludes with a set of practical guidelines for software and multimedia designers and a design approach for this type of data browsing.

South Africa has been witnessing an escalation in drug use amongst adolescents in high school. Thus, the main question that motivated this research was: How can a psycho-educational programme, using a selected audio-visual media resource, assist teachers and parents in an effort to prevent adolescent students’ substance abuse problem behaviour? Social cognitive theory (SCT) and self-efficacy theory (SET) were used as a conceptual framework. The study explained these theories in-depth. Adolescent substance abuse was also studied as well as programmes to address this problem. This was followed by a perusal of numerous audio-visual resources for their possible incorporation into prevention programmes. The ‘Above The Influence’ (ATI) resource was selected for the psycho-educational programme which was designed for the study. The programme was put into action during seven sessions over a period of about two months, and implemented with a group of 26 Grade 10 and Grade 11 students in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to evaluate its relevance for adolescent substance abuse prevention. To evaluate the programme, a qualitative approach was used. The data were gathered during the programme implementation by means of in-person and online focus groups, individual interviews, written open-ended questions, observation notes and follow-up interviews some time after the programme had ended. Eleven principles were identified from the literature to evaluate the potential of the programme to be effective in preventing adolescent substance abuse. In particular the programme needed to increase adolescents’ skills related to studying, communication, peer relationships, self-efficacy, assertiveness, and drug resistance. The programme also had to employ interactive techniques and needed to address the type of drug abuse problem in the local community, for example, the ‘gateway’ substances of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco. In addition, the programme potential was evaluated in the light of SCT and SET. The findings indicated that the psycho-educational programme, using ATI as audiovisual medium, can be used very effectively by teachers to raise students’ awareness and develop particular skills that could contribute towards the prevention of adolescent substance abuse. It is recommended that the programme should be used in the long-term with repeated reinforcing sessions over time. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)