For adult English speakers studying Mandarin (Modern Standard Chinese), the acquisition of the Mandarin prosody presents major difficulties. One particularly problematic aspect of the Mandarin prosodic system, and the one singled out for research here is the acquisition of tones by second language (L2) learners of Mandarin. This thesis involves a literature review and a description of an experiment conducted for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of a new teaching method for educating students in Mandarin prosody generally, but especially with regard to "tones." Most studies investigating the acquisition of Mandarin tones by L2 learners have treated tones as separate from other aspects of Mandarin prosody such as stress, loudness and duration. The teaching method examined in this thesis, however, takes an alternative approach. Here the acquisition of Mandarin prosody is approached as a complex dynamic that has tones as an integral part. The aims of the study are twofold: (1) to identify the principal problems encountered by most learners in order to discover the causes of recurrent error patterns and, (2) to find out how a multi-sensory approach, which in this study was called the Somatically Enhanced Approach (SEA), might influence the acquisition of Mandarin prosody in these areas. The experiment involved 22 adult Australian students studying Mandarin in the first three months of language training. The experimental component of the study consisted of an evaluation of two groups of students� oral conversations. The two groups of students were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group was trained in a nonmulti- sensory but communicative approach in 2001 and 2002. Their results are compared with those of a test group and with a group of students trained in the multi-sensory communicative approach (SEA) in 2003 and 2004. The test materials consisted of short dialogues that were likely to occur in everyday communication. Data was collected from each group, once during the first half of the first semester of study in each year. The findings of the experiment were that the order of difficulty of the four Mandarin tones was found to be similar for both the experimental and control groups of students. However, the order of difficulty differed from what has been reported by previous researchers. This suggests that the input and the type of task used to collect data might exert a significant influence on the learning of tones. In other words, the performance of subjects in the dialogues suggests that in the initial stages of learning, the major cause of errors was first language (L1) interference rather than the physical "difficulty" of articulating particular phonemes (or any features of Universal Grammar). Therefore, by using a multi-sensory approach (SEA) to the learning of Mandarin, it may be possible to considerablly lessen the influence of learners� L1 from the outset. Finally, a number of suggestions for improving the teaching of Mandarin prosody are made and future research directions outlined. Some salient suggestions for teaching of Mandarin prosody that arise from the research are: (1) To use movement and gesture in the early stages of learning to enhance students� perception and production of Mandarin. This approach provides students with useful memory tools for learning both in class and in self-accessed learning; (2) To teach Tone 3 not as a full Tone 3 but as a low level tone. This should not be done solely through a simple verbal explanation but through a combination of movement and gesture, provision of visual and auditory feedback and a large amount of exposure and perception training so that Tone 3 is recognised as a low level tone rather than a full Tone 3. By so doing confusion is reduced between the various realizations of Tone 3 during the initial learning stages; and (3) To caution students about the common error patterns caused by interference from their L1. This should be supplemented with opportunities for students to observe their own production of Mandarin and then experience how physically they can find ways of reducing the interference. A qualitative analysis of interview and question data obtained from this research also revealed that the extensive use of computer enhanced language learning and SEA work well together, not only efficiently conditioning students to the phonology of Mandarin, but dramatically changing students' strategies in learning and increasing their learning opportunities.

This study investigated Accelerated Literacy Learning (ALL) trained teachers' implementation of sensory activities into their classroom instructional practice. There were 38 participants in Phase One that completed questionnaires using a 5-point response scale to indicate their frequency of use for each of 30 sensory activities. All but one participant reported a high use of sensory activities in their literacy lessons, although the grade level did influence the variety and frequency of their reported use. Most primary level teachers reported a high use on many of the activities. Seven teachers of the participants from Phase One participated in interviews for Phase Two, and four of the seven participated in Phase Three which included classroom observations. The major themes that were found in the written comments on the questionnaires and in the interviews were: teacher change, teacher empowerment, strategy talk, and student empowerment. Overall, the teachers reported that their ALL training made a difference in how they conducted their literacy lessons. Teachers' classroom use of sensory activities was compared to the teachers' reported use in the questionnaires. Although some items were over reported and a few under reported, a similar pattern of sensory activity use was found both in the reports and in classroom observations. The book level growth of struggling readers within the classrooms was compared with sensory activity use. The comparison between reading growth and sensory activity use proved to be inconclusive, as other factors such as the variety of activities and the amount of time and text were factors that would need to be taken into consideration.

Syftet med mitt arbete är att ta del av pedagogers erfarenheter av att arbeta med sinnligt lärande på en gymnasiesärskola. Hur skapar pedagogerna en kreativ lärmiljö för sina elever? Använder de sig av några sinnliga lärmetoder och i så fall hur? Min metod består bl.a. avdeltagande observationer och semistrukturerade intervjuer i en etnografisk studie. Analysen har visat att innebörden av ett framgångsrikt pedagogiskt arbete med dessa ungdomar på gymnasiesärskolan kan ses som en god praktik där fenomen som individuella mål, erfarenhet, intresse, delaktighet, sinnligt lärande, upplevelse, synliggörande samt att lära av varandra är centrala och viktiga delar. Min uppfattning är att pedagogerna försöker variera sina lärmiljöer och använder sig av sinnliga lärmetoder i undervisningen. Hela läsårets löpande arbete läggs upp i olika tema-moduler där undervisningen sker både inne och ute i natur och kulturlandskap. För vidare forskning kan det vara intressant att ta reda på om lärdomar från en lärmiljö kan överföras till en annan lärmiljö, och om ungdomarnas sociala erfarenheter och lärande i sinnliga rum blir överfört till vardagen hemma eller till skolarbetet generellt. / The subject of my paper is to examine the experiences of teachers using a multi-sensory teaching approach when working with pupils with learning disabilities in upper secondary school. How can they create a creative learning environment for their students? Do they use any multisensory teaching methods and, if so, how? My methodology has mainly consisted in participating observation and semi-structured interviews in an ethnographic study. Analysis has shown that the significance of a successful educational effort with these young people at upper secondary school can be seen as a good practice, in which phenomena such as individual objectives, experience, interest, participation, multi-sensory learning, experiential learning, visualization and learning from each other, are central and essential elements. My view is that the teachers try to vary their learning environments and that they are using different multi-sensory teaching methods. All the day-to-day schoolwork is set-up in different theme modules, where teaching takes place both indoors and outdoors in wilderness and cultivated landscapes. For further research, it might be interesting to find out if the lessons learned from one learning environment can be transferred to another, and if the social experiences and lessons learned in multi-sensory environments will be transferred to the young people’s everyday home life or to their schoolwork, in general.

This thesis studies people’s sensory perceptions of historic architecture, exploring the physical triggers for such experience, and connecting these with what can and should be maintained through building conservation. Sensory design is a developing field in architecture. The research argues that this approach can inform people’s understanding of the architectural experience of historic buildings, which in current discourse are predominantly considered for their associated ‘cultural significances’. People’s affinity to (historic) buildings is initiated by a response through the senses. This research advocates that establishing the triggers for such sensory response should be the main focus of the initial assessment of a building for conservation. From the review of changing approaches to building conservation, and exploration of sensory perception and sensory design, the research concludes people’s experiential perceptions have not been structurally considered in the appraisal of historic buildings. The methodology entailed the empirical development of a suitable assessment format, through performing initial on-site surveys that generated data to be added to those of a final sensory assessment, covering three buildings. Buildings were assessed according to Gibson’s sensory systems of visual, auditory, haptic, olfactory/gustatory and orientational perception, as well as with a comprehensive multisensory focus. Evidence from the data retrieved through this research indicates that the sensory assessment is a useful, informative and exciting addition to any architectural survey in building conservation practice. Such rich information will provide guidance and clarity to decision processes, to assist in retaining the affinity as the building’s physical relevance for the future. The research makes an original contribution to knowledge through the combination of two areas of study; through the application of sensory perception to understand historic buildings; and, in demonstrating that a sensory assessment has true potential as a suitable approach to the issue in practice.

While research has shown the positive impact of sensory cues and cue- congruency on emotion and behavior in retail store atmospheres, these cues have primarily been investigated in isolation or in pairs. Consequently, little is known on how multi-sensory cues in interplay impact on consumer emotions and purchase behaviors. In addition, research has not yet provided any clear conceptualization of congruency in marketing when designing retail store atmospheres, other than stating that some cues are expected to match, therefore become pleasantly perceived. Thus, the main purpose of this research is to examine and show how multi-sensory cues in interplay and congruency can be utilized in creating a retail store atmosphere to enhance consumer emotions and purchase behaviors. To address the purpose, a sequential method was adopted with four essays. The first essay explores multi-sensory interplay in marketing contexts with a literature review that forms the basis for a research agenda. The second essay employs focus groups to highlight the congruency between cues, products and the retail setting, and identifies which category of cues is in need of investigation. The third essay uses field experiments to investigate two congruent visual, auditory and olfactory cues (six cues in total) in a retail setting, and their impact on consumer emotion and purchase behavior. The final essay, also use field experiments to examine and duplicate one cue from each sense, and employs these together in interplay, to show how multi-sensory cues in interplay impacts emotions and purchase behaviors. This research concludes that multi-sensory cues in interplay in a retail store atmosphere have a greater impact on consumer emotions and purchase behaviors than single visual, auditory and olfactory setting-congruent sensory cues. Among single sensory cues, those perceived as complementary in the atmosphere, specifically auditory and olfactory in an already visual dominated atmosphere, have the largest impact on consumer emotions and purchase behaviors. Overall, this research signifies that congruent multi-sensory cues in interplay emerge as reliable predictors for the influence on consumer arousal, valence, time spent, touching, browsing and purchasing Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

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This essay looks at the language based disorder dyslexia and how it affects students’ ability to learn a foreign language. It will look closer at the strategies and tools foreign language teachers use to tackle the problems a dyslexic student may have when learning a new language. This research draws upon the interviews of foreign language teachers as well as the existing research on dyslexia and language acquisition. The main research questions of this essay are: How do foreign language teachers describe the disorder dyslexia both from a theoretical perspective as well as from a practical perspective? What difficulties do foreign language teachers have when teaching dyslexicstudent? What strategies do foreign language teachers use when teaching a student with dyslexia? By using the qualitative research approach, interviews, it was found that while foreign language teachers are aware of dyslexia they need to be given more education about language based disorders so that they are more equipped to help their students. This research will highlight the importance of giving foreign language teachers the needed tools and strategies to better support dyslexic students as they learn a new language.

Title: Multi-Sensory in Online Shopping: Insights into User Engagement  Keywords: Online Shopping, Multi-sensory, Consumer Awareness, User Experience, User Engagement  Research questions: 1. What factors of digitally enhanced multi-sensory experiences affect consumers' awareness? Purpose:   2. How are multi-sensory experiences affecting consumer engagement in e-commerce? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the level of consumer behaviour in multi-sensory online shopping, consisting of three stages: awareness, experience, and engagement, and to explore the factors that affect purchase intention.  Method: To fulfill the purpose of the study, a quantitative research method is employed, utilizing an online questionnaire.  Conclusion: Based on the research, consumer awareness, user experience, and user engagement with multi-sensory technology have a strong impact on purchase intention. Furthermore, gender, shopping frequency, level of interest in digital innovation, and country are related to consumer awareness and purchase intention.

A prática regular de exercícios físicos, no envelhecimento, mostra-se útil para trazer benefícios em todos os aspectos da vida dos idosos, e em especial, ao controle postural destes indivíduos que com a senescência, tendem a diminuir tal capacidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar e analisar as alterações promovidas por dois tipos de programas de exercícios sobre o controle postural de indivíduos idosos saudáveis. O desenho do estudo foi um ensaio clínico simples-cego e aleatorizado com braços paralelos. Participaram da pesquisa 46 idosos (69,5±5,4 anos) divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos de exercícios: multissensoriais (GMS) (com ênfase na estimulação proprioceptiva geral) e resistido (GR) (para os principais grupos musculares do corpo). As sessões de aproximadamente 1 hora de duração, ocorreram duas vezes por semana num período de 12 semanas no setor de condicionamento físico do Instituto de Medicina Física e Reabilitação (IMREA) do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. A avaliação do equilíbrio dinâmico foi feita por meio do teste Timed up and go (TUG). A avaliação do equilíbrio estático, pela plataforma de força e teste de apoio unipodal. Para avaliação das atividades funcionais dependentes do controle postural, foi usada a bateria de testes de Guralnik e escala de equilíbrio funcional de Berg. Também se realizou avaliação isocinética da articulação do tornozelo. Não foram observados efeitos adversos graves. Ao verificar os testes clínicos, apenas o TUG e bateria de testes de Guralnik apresentaram melhoras significativas após a intervenção pelo GMS, sendo que somente a melhora do TUG foi significante em relação ao GR. Quanto à oscilação corporal, apenas o GMS apresentou diminuição significativa da oscilação do centro de pressão na posição unipodal com olhos abertos nos sentidos: ântero-posterior e láteromedial e o GR apresentou apenas diminuição da velocidade de deslocamento do centro de pressão neste mesmo apoio; porém não houve diferenças entre os grupos. O GR apresentou melhora do pico de torque em 3 e o GMS em 6 (dos 8 grupos musculares avaliados) grupos musculares e apenas o GMS melhorou o trabalho dos dorsiflexores e flexores plantares, porém as diferenças entre os grupos não foram significativas. Embora os resultados apresentados pelo GMS tenham sido mais expressivos do que os do GR, os resultados deste estudo permitem afirmar que somente a questão do equilíbrio dinâmico apresentada pelo GMS foi melhor do que a do GR / The practice of regular exercise in aging is helpful to bring benefits in all aspects older peoples life, especially on senescence individuals postural control that tend to reduce such capacity. The aim of this study was to verify and to analyze the changes promoted by two types of exercise programs on postural control in healthy elderly. The study design was a clinical singleblind, randomized parallel-arm. The participants were 46 older (69.5 ± 5.4 years) and were randomly divided into two exercises groups: multi-sensory (GMS) (with emphasis on general proprioceptive stimulation) and resistance (GR) (for the major muscle groups of the body). The sessions of approximately 1 hour long, occurred twice a week over 12 weeks in the fitness department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute (IMREA) of the Faculty of Medicine Hospital, University of Sao Paulo. The evaluation of dynamic balance was made by means of the Timed up and go (TUG). The evaluation of static balance, the force platform and one-leg-stance test support. To evaluate the functional activities dependent on the postural control, we used the battery of tests Guralnik battery and balance scale of Berg. We also held isokinetic evaluation of the ankle joint. There were no serious adverse effects. By checking the trials, only the TUG and battery of tests Guralnik present significant improvements after the intervention by the GMS, and only the improvement of the TUG was significant in relation to GR. Relate to the body sway, only GMS was significantly decreased from the displacement of center of pressure in one-leg position with eyes open in the directions: anteroposterior and lateromedial and GR showed only slowing the rate of displacement of center of pressure in this same support, but not were no differences between groups. The GR showed improvement in peak torque at 3 and GMS in 6 (of 8 muscle groups evaluated) muscle groups and only the GMS has improved the work of the dorsal and plantar flexors, but the differences between the groups were not significant. Although the results presented by the GMS have been more significant than the GR, the results of this study have revealed that only the issue of dynamic balance presented by GMS was better than the GR

Archaeology is a field which has been impacted greatly by digital technology; the new technological instruments are developing both academic research and public mediation. Digital archaeology has been available at the museum for some time, but immersive technologies are recent introductions, which offer new experiences for museum visitors. Even though digital archaeology/virtual heritage have been studied for their technological virtues, the learning opportunities presented to the museum visitor has not yet been examined from a visitor’s perspective. In this dissertation, the visitor experience is the basis of analysis for determining how we can critically assess digital exhibitions using immersive technologies. This study examines if and how critical museology can be successfully applied to immersive digital displays; a detailed analysis of two case studies using VR (high immersion) and AR (low immersion) show that digital experiences are fully capable of communicating cultural content and that these multi-sensory technologies can successfully engage users in the creation of knowledge. The extent of sensory stimuli affecting the visitor is not accounted for in current critical museology, therefore the analysis of this study suggests a number of suggestions for future designs of digital displays using immersive technologies.