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Technology has been an ever evolving component of society and civilization, making our life easier but simultaneously creating problems. Now we have become the tools for our tools. It is the reaction to this technology that has led our society to become more and more mechanized and engineered, detaching us from the natural processes and the natural phenomena that make up our interesting world. However, because of the landscape'­s potential for communication and demonstration, it is a critical time for landscape architects to use the landscape, highlighting the interaction between the human and natural processes and create a heightened sense of ecological awareness. This thesis design explores how technology can be integrated into the landscape in order to reveal the natural phenomena of wind on the site. The revelation of wind is achieved through the engagement of the airplanes landing and taking off from Reagan National Airport and one's senses as one can hear wind, see wind, feel wind, smell and taste wind. The sensory experience is one that focuses on the overlapping of the senses in a type of synthesia, creating a rich and dynamic fabric for exploration, interpretation and understanding of wind, its movement and its unique cycles. / Master of Landscape Architecture

This thesis proposes that sensory experience should play an important role in setting up a direct relationship between people and the natural environment, and it is based on the premise that contemporary urban public space ecological designs. Are often deficient in this regard. In order to develop a design methodology that addresses both ecological function and sensory experience, the author examine both contemporary western ecological design and classical Chinese garden design. The former focuses on the ecological functions of the environment, while the latter typically emphasizes the sensory qualities of the landscape. Drawing from the strengths of both approaches, an experience-oriented ecological design framework is proposed with the goal of improving human experience in urban public spaces. The framework emphasizes both sensory experience and ecological functions in two phases of the design process — site analysis and site design. The framework is applied to a design for Bridge Park in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. The design is evaluated to assess efficacy of the framework for the design urban public spaces that address both sensory experience and ecological processes. The evaluation suggests that the framework could be an effective tool for designers, and also draws conclusions regarding the potential role of sensory experience as a tool for creative discovery in the design process. Finally the paper raises questions regarding the desirability of employing sensory experience as a didactic tool to enhance environmental awareness. / Master of Landscape Architecture

I studien undersöks hur elever i grundskolans tidiga år upplever att sinnesupplevelserpåverkar deras lärande utomhus i de naturorienterande ämnena. I utomhusundervisning sesplatsen som betydelsefull för lärandet då den kan erbjuda förstahandsupplevelser i autentiskamiljöer. Den lärandeteori som varit utgångspunkt i studien är pragmatismen. Det kvalitativaundersökningsredskapet intervju användes i studien då det gav möjlighet till att få djupakunskaper om hur eleverna upplever sitt lärande utomhus.Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur elever i grundskolans tidiga år upplever sitt lärandeutomhus i de naturorienterande ämnena. Studien fokuserar på den roll som sinnesupplevelserhar för elevernas lärande vid utomhusundervisningen i skolans närområde.För att besvara frågeställningen och uppfylla syftet i studien användes den kvalitativametoden och semistrukturerade intervjufrågor. Urvalet bestod av 15 intervjuade elever iårskurs tre på en skola i västra Sverige och undersökningen genomfördes enligt deforskningsetiska principerna.Majoriteten av eleverna uppgav att platsen har betydelse för deras lärande eftersom de villlära om fenomen i de naturorienterande ämnena i en autentisk miljö. Huvuddelen av elevernanämner ovanstående som gynnsamt för deras lärande då de kan använda synen, hörseln,doften och känseln då de lär om fenomen i naturen. Vidare angav 12 av 15 elever att deupplever att de lär sig utomhus med hjälp av att kunna använda kroppen och känna påfenomen som de ska lära sig om. Några elever uttrycker även att detta hjälper dem att minnas.Huvuddelen av eleverna uppgav att utomhusundervisning var ett bra komplement tillklassrumsundervisning. Några elever lyfter att de vill lära sig fakta om ett fenomen iklassrummet och sedan gå ut och se och undersöka det i verkligheten. Samtliga elever uppgeratt utomhusundervisning är roligt och att de gärna vill ha fler lektioner ute i denaturorienterande ämnena. Resultatet indikerar att elever i grundskolans tidiga år i dennastudie upplever att sinnesupplevelser i autentiska miljöer påverkar lärandet och minnetpositivt. En framträdande faktor som eleverna tar upp är möjligheten att kunna känna påfenomen i naturen.

The majority of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience sensory processing difficulties that are also associated with greater presence of autistic traits, psychiatric difficulty, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU). These relationships are also expressed in the neurotypical (NT) population, termed the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP), and present with impacts to daily functioning/well-being just as prominently. However, little is known concerning the neurophysiologic nature of these behavioral relationships, especially in young adults. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the behavioral and neurophysiologic nature of the relationships between sensory processing, autistic traits, and related behavioral functions in NT young adults. To accomplish this, approximately 1200 NT university students aged 17-26 years old completed a compilation of behavioral questionnaires addressing sensory processing difficulties, autistic trait expression, psychiatric difficulties, and IU. A subset of this sample, (n = 55) participated in a resting-state fMRI to evaluate atypical connectivity between sensory-related and supramodal brain regions. Partial correlations of behavioral measure total and subtest scores reveal that sensory processing, autistic traits, IU, and empathizing are all significantly correlated with each other. Between-groups comparisons of college major groups show that these behavioral relationships are heightened in particular fields of study (e.g., physical and mathematical sciences). Cluster analysis demonstrates that a subset of participants with first-degree relatives possessing an ASD diagnosis exhibit less favorable scores on all measures. Finally, neurophysiologic results portray that atypical functional connectivity between sensory-related brain regions (i.e., bilateral pre/postcentral gyri) and supramodal brain areas (i.e., bilateral supramarginal gyri, sensorimotor/cerebellar network, and salience network) is connected with increased total scores of autistic traits, sensory processing, and IU. These results are novel—as they show brain networks related to autistic trait expression in the NT population that may help with identifying neural contributors to ASD, thus, improving objective diagnostics and physiologic supports/interventions. In addition, these findings increase awareness of the daily functional, and challenging, impacts of sensory processing difficulties and autistic traits on all individuals, independent of diagnostic status. Therefore, accommodations/services could be improved for young adults in clinical, educational, and personal settings to improve overall quality of life.

Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to experience higher levels of sensory processing differences as well as anxiety, compared to the neurotypical population (NT). Both theory and evidence suggest that there is an interrelationship between sensory processing, anxiety and fear, and prediction abilities in autism. However, much more remains to be discovered about their relationship and especially underlying neural mechanisms. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the behavioral relationship between sensory processing, fear and anxiety, prediction, and related brain activity in autistic children. To this end, 30 autistic children (ages 6-11 years) and 25 age-matched peers participated in a resting-state fMRI as well as various behavioral assessments of sensory processing, anxiety, fear, and intolerance of uncertainty (i.e., as an indirect measure of prediction). Between groups comparisons showed higher levels of sensory processing difference, fear/anxiety, sensory processing differences, and intolerance of uncertainty in autistic children when compared to NT controls. Among autistic children, a mediation analysis also revealed that intolerance of uncertainty was a significant mediator between sensory processing differences and both anxiety and fear, supporting past research and suggesting a role of prediction in this relationship. Network connectivity findings showed that cerebellar, higher order sensory, and limbic regions were significantly correlated with anxiety, sensory processing, and intolerance of uncertainty. These results add information concerning the neurophysiologic underpinnings of anxiety/fear, sensory processing, and prediction to prior research focusing on behavioral relationships between these constructs. These results have the potential to inform future clinical practice, demonstrating the need for a predictable clinical environment as well as thorough explanation of expected tasks for autistic children who experience sensory processing differences and resulting anxiety. Finally, these findings may suggest that addressing sensory and prediction difficulties has the potential to lead to improvements in anxiety in children with ASD. Addressing these issues through both neurological and/or therapeutic means may be possible in the future.

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Our Third Ear aims to create a multi-sensory experience by fusing sight, touch, and sound. By creating a means of physically feeling music, listeners can connect with songs, bands, and individual musicians on a profoundly personal level. The potential for unintended applications like learning to play an instrument, broadening the understanding of music for people with hearing impairments, or providing a means of therapy are also exciting prospects. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the process involved in creating a multi-sensory experience of music from concept to prototype. The culmination of interdisciplinary research and a broad range of creative technologies resulting in a working system. The multi-sensory experience consists of primarily tactile, but also visual responses triggered by music and executed in conjunction with aural music. Tactile investigation involved varied tactile sensations such as vibration, temperature, pressure, proprioception, and touch. Further research questioned the practicality, feasibility, and psychological impacts of using such sensations as well as where on the body such sensations would optimally be received. Visual research involved the visual representation of notes, chords, and sounds, as well as, how music could directly affect visuals in a real time environment. Additional research explored active interaction and passive interaction of visual cues using human computer interfaces. / Master of Fine Arts

I denna uppsats tar vi upp frågan om besökarens upplevelse och hur detta mäts på olika museer. Vi har avgränsat oss till Stockholms läns museer. Syftet är att se vilka undersökningsmetoder som finns för att mäta besökarens upplevelse och hur dessa metoder används. Vi har även tagit reda på vad som behövs för att besökaren ska bli tillfredsställd med ett besök. För att uppnå tillfredsställelse hos besökaren tar vi upp aspekterna lojalitet, sinnen och förväntningar.   Vid insamlingen av det empiriska materialet för denna uppsats har vi använt oss av e-postintervjuer och tre djupgående intervjuer med personer som har goda kunskaper inom undersökningsmetoder. Med hjälp av våra respondenter och den teoretiska information som insamlats har vi sammanställt ett resultat. Resultatet som framkommit påvisar att enkäter och personlig kontakt är det som främst används för att mäta en besökares upplevelse. Personlig kontakt, interaktion och förväntningar hjälper besökaren att uppnå tillfredsställelse och på så sätt skapas en lojalitet mellan besökaren och museet. / In this essay we have raised the question of visitor experience and how this is measured at various museums. We have delimited our purpose by observing the Stockholm county museums. This is to make sure which inquiry methods the museums are using to measure the visitor experience and how these methods are being used. Also we wanted to find out what is needed for the visitor to be satisfied with the visit. In order to achieve the satisfaction of the visitor we have taken loyalty, senses and expectations into consideration.   To collect the empirical material for this paper we have used e-mail interviews and three profound interviews with people who have good knowledge of inquiry methods. With the help of our respondents and the theoretical information collected, we have compiled the results. The result that has emerged is demonstrating that surveys and personal contact are mainly used to measure a visitor's experience. Personal contact, interaction and expectations will help the visitor achieve satisfaction, and thus created a loyalty between the visitor and the museum.