55 pp. / Training resources for volunteer facilitators of grandparent discussion groups; Grandparents Raising Grandchildren / Grandparents-raising-grandchildren discussion groups may conduct their meetings by a) focusing on issues that members suggest and/or b) choosing from among a list of critical topics that are common issues to most grandparents. Sometimes, discussion group facilitators want help identifying topics that are both reliable and educational. To fill the need for conversation-starting topics, we have provided a series of discussion topics for a facilitator's reference. These discussion topics have been gathered from KKONA's experience listening to the issues grandparents bring up about raising grandchildren. Some of the best group discussions introduce a topic after grandparents have attended a related workshop or training that allows grandparents to process information that they have heard or read. Following through with a discussion topic will help the group more deeply explore the issue and gather grandparents' ideas. The themes of the discussion topics include legal issues, relationship issues, discipline, schools, accessing social services and recordkeeping. There are eighteen topics. The sources for these materials include research and parenting materials as well as practical recommendations gathered from discussion groups. As you use these sheets, remember that they are intended to spark discussion and give you some reliable references. The sheets are not meant to be a step-by-step method for conducting your discussion groups nor do they provide in-depth information.

Researchers have learned much about how sighted individuals seek information on Web sites - for example, users follow "information scent" as they move from page to page, and individual differences may impact successful information seeking on the Web. While it is possible that individuals with disabilities, especially those with severe visual impairments, perform information-seeking activities in a similar manner, little is known about how individuals who use screen readers to navigate actually seek information on the Web. In this study, we used both qualitative and quantitative measures to investigate the Web navigation techniques of four screen-reader users and how a user’s experience affects these navigation techniques and his or her ability to successfully complete an information-finding task. We compared metrics for between-page and within-page navigation to studies of sighted users. We also considered how a Web site’s compliance with Section 508 guidelines affects the overall information-finding experience of a visually-impaired individual. We discovered that among the four individuals in this study, user experience was not necessarily indicative of a successful information-finding experience. As individuals, the participants' navigation techniques varied widely; as a group, they generally searched more frequently and used the back button less frequently than has been reported for sighted individuals. Screen-reader users in this study followed a more flimsy, linear navigation style and generally used scrolling actions rather than searching actions. When using a Web site that has a Section 508 compliant home page, we found that the screen-reader users in this study completed information-finding tasks significantly more quickly, used significantly fewer actions, and reported a more satisfying information-finding experience. They were also more successful at finding the information goal and encountered fewer impasses. Using both quantitative and qualitative measures was critical in this study. The quantitative metrics allowed us to compare values and the qualitative data provided additional insight into individual differences as well as allowing a deeper understanding of the quantitative data. The information from this study contributes to the growing body of research knowledge about screen-reader users. It also contributes a new understanding of screen-reader users that can be used by the worldwide community of Web developers, designers, and users. / text

An experimental study at a large research university evaluated the role of image resolution on 60 participant's locomotion tasks in an interior virtual desktop wayfinding environment. Four virtual environments were developed using different resolutions for wayfinding images including high level 150 ppi, medium high level 100 ppi, medium level 75 and low level 30 ppi images. The environment was designed to accommodate forward, backward, sideways and figure 8 locomotion tasks as defined by the VEPAB. The effects of the different image resolutions on time-on-task performance scores to navigate through the environment, object-based visual attention as recorded by two eye movements - saccade and gaze fixation detections in viewing the images and the perceived usability of the computer system and virtual environment as measured by two post tests - the System Usability Scale and the Virtual Environment Presence Questionnaire were evaluated. Eye movement scores were collected with an eye tracking system that used the dark pupil method of eye analysis with a video lipstick camera. Results indicate that image resolution has a statistically (p < .05) significant effect on time-on-task performance wayfinding tasks and on object-based visual attention as indicated by gaze fixation scores. Participants fixated longer on lower resolution images, which affected their time-on-task performance. Resolution did not have a statistically significant effect on the perceived usability of the computer system or virtual environment.

The alarming numbers of Latino/a students graduating from four year institutions continues to be low and while access has improved there still lies an issue in that the number of students graduating has not increased (Otero, Rivas & Rivera, 2007; Watkins, Labarrie & Appio 2010; Jones, Castellanos & Cole 2002) Latina/o undergraduate students are positioned in relation to the White dominant student population at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs), which, in many ways silences their voices and thus maintains an educational space of Whiteness. The purpose of this study is to understand and highlight the experiences of Latina/os, particularly the ways in which they navigate through PWIs. Testimonio, a narrative of marginalization, has been recognized as a way to collect qualitative data from students. Through this genre and a Critical Race Theory and Latina/o Critical Race Theory framework, the author examines and shares student experiences to do what? (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012; Peréz Huber & Cueva, 2012). Testimonio is used as a methodology to co-conduct a research process that engages the researcher, and 10 students as the participants to share educational experiences. Students positioned themselves as distant from the university and understood educational spaces of Whiteness to be spaces of financial access and white student serving. As such, Latina/o students navigate the spaces through community support and avoiding unwelcoming spaces throughout the larger institution.

This dissertation documents a doctoral endeavor to explore both the potential of theatre as a means to enable students to practice vulnerability and the potential curricular impact of such a practice, using an in-depth narrative study of six theatre and drama for the young specialists. The researcher attempts to gain understanding and create a discourse on the vulnerability of the every-student as a curricular concern as well as make a connection to the potential of theatre as a means to practice navigating vulnerability. This not only involves a reconsideration of the term vulnerability to be seen as a path to strength, but also a reconsideration of educator responsibilities. The researcher sought stories of the everyday vulnerabilities that a student might encounter during school and specifically did not seek stories of vulnerabilities from extreme or exceptional traumatic events. While this study does not produce specific curriculum planning, it yields a better understanding of the concept of vulnerability, including the acknowledgment that practicing navigating vulnerability and practicing vulnerability can be accepted as useful terminology in educational pursuits. A key component of the research is the development of a Métissage Circle Theatre Script entitled “To Practice Vulnerability?” as a method of data analysis and research dissemination. It is the researcher’s intent that this script be available for readings by non-actors at school board meetings, parent-teacher meetings, teacher organizations, departments of education, theatre and drama organizations, theatre artist groups, and educational policy decision-makers. The script gently invites readers to begin to explore, ask questions, and discuss the educational possibilities, and provides a low-risk opportunity to navigate the vulnerability experienced when simply encountering the very subject of our own vulnerability. / Graduate / 0727 / 0465 / cclement@uvic.ca

This dissertation documents a doctoral endeavor to explore both the potential of theatre as a means to enable students to practice vulnerability and the potential curricular impact of such a practice, using an in-depth narrative study of six theatre and drama for the young specialists. The researcher attempts to gain understanding and create a discourse on the vulnerability of the every-student as a curricular concern as well as make a connection to the potential of theatre as a means to practice navigating vulnerability. This not only involves a reconsideration of the term vulnerability to be seen as a path to strength, but also a reconsideration of educator responsibilities. The researcher sought stories of the everyday vulnerabilities that a student might encounter during school and specifically did not seek stories of vulnerabilities from extreme or exceptional traumatic events. While this study does not produce specific curriculum planning, it yields a better understanding of the concept of vulnerability, including the acknowledgment that practicing navigating vulnerability and practicing vulnerability can be accepted as useful terminology in educational pursuits. A key component of the research is the development of a Métissage Circle Theatre Script entitled “To Practice Vulnerability?” as a method of data analysis and research dissemination. It is the researcher’s intent that this script be available for readings by non-actors at school board meetings, parent-teacher meetings, teacher organizations, departments of education, theatre and drama organizations, theatre artist groups, and educational policy decision-makers. The script gently invites readers to begin to explore, ask questions, and discuss the educational possibilities, and provides a low-risk opportunity to navigate the vulnerability experienced when simply encountering the very subject of our own vulnerability. / Graduate / 0727 / 0465 / cclement@uvic.ca

An increasing proportion of people in the United Kingdom are living longer with long-term conditions. The National Health Service is facing the challenge of increased pressure on its service provision. A number of key health policy initiatives encourage individuals to make informed choices and purport to give them rights and control over their own health and healthcare. Within this context, people are actively encouraged to self-care, manage diseases, and make decisions and choices about healthcare in an informed way. To facilitate this, it is important to gain an understanding of the health information seeking behaviours of older people. Health information is available from various sources but little is known about the health information seeking behaviours of older people and what affects this. By exploring this, it helps to reveal how health information is sought regarding on-going health conditions and provides greater depth in understanding the health information seeking process. The study explores older people's experiences and views on their health information seeking behaviours and endeavours to gain a better understanding of these experiences and views. The study draws on constructivist grounded theory with two phases to data collection: Nine participants completed un-structured diaries over two months with follow up semi-structured interviews, a further twenty participants participated in semi-structured interviews. Major categories were inductively drawn from participant's responses. Strategies of health information seeking behaviours are not necessarily fixed, but subject to change over time. The analysis suggested three main categories that explained the health information seeking behaviours of older people. Three interrelated conceptual categories were identified: (1) Regulating self (2) Self managing and (3) Self-mobilisation. These categories formed the basis of the emergent substantive theory called 'navigating later life'. There were different patterns of behaviours between participants which captured variations in information seeking; these informed the development of a typology of health information seekers. Ageing in the 21st century is a complex process; with older people inhabiting a world of more choice, multiple sources of knowledge, changed healthcare roles and increased self-care undertaken within the home. The study provides important insights for healthcare professionals and raises implications for strategies aimed at improving older people's access to appropriate health information. The navigation model provides a potentially valuable tool for policy makers when considering the support older people require to self-care.

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Sometimes when terrain is inaccessible to humans we use robots to help us explore it. In this project a self navigating robot was created that used ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles in its path and avoided them. When an obstacle is encountered the robot documents said obstacle by taking photographs of it as well as registered its coordinates and created a map, as a bonus feature. Thereafter the robot continued its path based on where obstacles were absent. By using stepper motors to drive the robots traveled distance was calculated. With this information a map over the traveled path was created. Tests were conducted where the map was compared to real life as well as letting the robot roam freely. The tests showed the robots ability to evade obstacles and how well the integrated camera function performed. The placement of the sensors worked well enough considering only five were used. Although the robot would improve significantly if an increased amount of sensors were to be added. The algorithm enabled the robot to navigate and avoid all detected obstacles. It is the sensors that inhibited its navigation since they only detected obstacles directly in front of them. Since this was a mobile robot it was powered by batteries. The robot would be able to explore to a greater extent if it could recharge its batteries on its own, for example with solar panels. A GPS could be installed to keep track of the robot at all times. / Ibland är okänd terräng av olika skäl otillgänglig för människor och då kan en robot istället skickas ut för att undersöka dessa omgivningar. I detta projekt har en självnavigerande robot skapats där ultraljudssensorer användes för att registrera hinder som sedan dokumenterades. Dokumentationen gjordes genom att fotografera hinder och som en extra funktion registrerades deras koordinater och med dessa skapades en karta. Därefter valdes en ny riktning baserat på vilken väg som var fri från hinder. Stegmotorer användes för att driva roboten och genom att räkna på de antal steg dessa tog beräknades det avstånd roboten hade förflyttat sig. Med hjälp utav dessa avstånd skapades en karta över den tillryggalagda vägen. Tester utfördes där kartan jämfördes med verkligheten samt låta roboten upptäcka på fri hand. Detta visade hur väl den undvek hinder och hur väl den integrerade kamerafunktionen fungerade. Sensorernas placering fungerade bra med tanke på att endast fem användes. Däremot kan fler adderas för en mer exakt avläsning. Algoritmen fungerade väl då roboten parerade alla upptäckta hinder. Det var endast sensorerna som hämmade robotens navigering då de bara upptäckte hinder direkt framför dem. Då roboten var mobil behövdes batterier för att ge den ström. En framtida förbättring innefattar därför exempelvis att addera en solpanel som kan ladda batterierna för att göra den ytterligare självständig. Dessutom kan en GPS installeras för att kunna bevaka var roboten befinner sig i alla situationer.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur ett ekologiskt blöjföretag kommunicerar hållbarhet till föräldern i sin multimodala marknadskommunikation, och vilken relation som genom denna synliggörs mellan företaget och föräldern. Ett delsyfte är att vidare kritiskt belysa vad marknadskommunikationen kan säga om relationen och ett samhälle präglat av hållbarhet. Studien undersöker det svenska, ekologiska blöjföretaget Naty. Med teoretisk utgångspunkt i sociosemiotiken genomförs en skrift- och bildanalys med hjälp av den interpersonella metafunktionen och strukturen inom systemisk-funktionell grammatik och andra sociosemiotiska analysverktyg. Resultaten visar att Natys marknadskommunikation till en majoritet byggs upp av skriftliga påståenden relaterade till det ekologiska och hållbara, vilka rymmer tilltal och omtal, adjektiv och värdeord, argument och modalitet. Inom påståendena syns därigenom att förälderns sociala identitet konstrueras som en vilken är oroad för sin bebis och hållbarhetsaspekter och att Naty konstrueras som en ekologisk och hållbar vän, samtidigt som en tredje part målas upp i negativa aspekter vilken både implicit och explicit uttrycks som en annan del av blöjindustrin. Resultaten visar vidare att marknadskommunikationens bilder fungerar som förstärkande av det ekologiska och hållbara. De aktualiserar också klimatfrågan med hjälp av kontrasterande konnotationer mellan negativt klimatpåverkande fordon, oljeriggar och skog för att påvisa olika maktförhållanden där såväl Naty som föräldern och den andra delen av industrin ingår. Resultatet talar för en komplex relation mellan Naty och föräldern, där det genom en påverkande marknadskommunikation görs försök till att få föräldern att köpa Natys blöjor genom att använda strategier kopplade till hållbarhet.