Participation in Occupation 2 -- Finding Meaning in My Knitting

Hey There,
Click Here to get to my second course blog where I look at knitting.
See you there :) 

Tutorial Eight: Assistive Technology

As part of our class looking at assistive technology we had a guest lecturer Dave Speden come to talk to us about how he uses assistive technology in his Occupational Therapy practice. It was extremely fascinating :). We got to play around with some of the things he uses to assists the students at the school where he works to engage in their learning.

So what is assistive technology?

The United States Access Board (2000) defines assistive technology as: 

"Any item, piece of equipment, or system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is commonly used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities."

The United States Access Board (2000). Electronic and information technology accessibility standards (section 508). Retrieved from http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/standards.htm

This is a very broad definition. It covers equipment such as an easy reach

as well as advanced technology systems such as complete home automation. What I like about this definition is that it includes a certain DIY aspect. I can imagine "modified" or "customised" referring to the things that a client has adapted for their own assistance. One example of this is when I was on placement a client used an ordinary scarf to lift their legs into bed. 

In class we looked at heaps of different assistive technologies such as switches, a smart board, communication devices, an IPad and an electric wheelchair. These are only some of the many different types of technologies available to aid clients and therapists. 

Commonplace equipment such as digital cameras and cellphones can be very valuable for assisting in practice. I'm going to talk a bit about digital cameras as assisitive technology.

Here goes.........

As the saying goes "A picture is worth a thousand words"

Cameras are a great way of recording things. They capture a visual image of the situation and allow for accurate recall. They can be used in so many ways in Occupational Therapy practice. Therapists can use them (with informed consent of course) to record clients' progress and therapy sessions. In community they can be used to take pictures to aid in the preparation of housing modifications. They can be used to show correct positioning or to  demonstrate how a new piece of equipment would work. Cameras can also be used as a therapy tool. Some clients find photography a very meaningful occupation and others may just like to have a go. Photos can be used to enhance presentations. In the lecture that we had photos were used to illustrate points and show other assistive equipment that could be used. 

The price of a digital camera depends on what kind is required. They vary in price, compact models can be around $100 for a really cheap one to nearly $3000 and digital system cameras (which are a bit more like the old analog in that the lenses can be changed and they are bigger) they range from about $500 to extremely high end nearly $45,000 (not really necessary for OT practice).

This webpage describes a collaboration between OT's and design students one of the designs they came up with was a camera stand to enable an individual to continue photography which is a meaningful occupation for them.

And here is a research study which looks at the benefits of using photos to give voice to people with mental illness. The participant were given cameras and askede to take photos that would tell their experience of mental illness.

Tutorial Seven: Linking to blogs of inerest and exchanging comments.

So in class we looked at different blogs relating to occupational therapy. Blogs are a very interesting way of gaining information about OT.  If you look to the left you will see a list of blogs that I have linked to. Some are fellow OT Students blogs and others are blogs by different OT's about topics of interest.One good thing about blogs is the way that you can comment and interact with the author and other readers.

To demonstrate this here is a comment that I made on a fellow student's blog.

Also here are some comments that people have left on my blog. 

Tutorial Six: The Internet and Online Communities.

Now let's have a look at online communities. These are websites where people interact with each other. There are so many different online communities that cover every topic under the sun. There are support groups and interest groups and groups to share and increase knowledge. The sites I have chosen to look at are interest communities related to Jane Austen. Now this may seem totally unrelated to Occupational Therapy but reading  is something that many people would consider a meaningful occupation and as occupational therapists we look at meaningful occupations that people undertake. I personally love to read Austen and have found it fascinating that there are whole sites full of people who love it too! Surprisingly even though this is a very niche topic there are quite a few interactive communities dedicated to the life and works of Jane Austen.


The first site I found is called The Republic of Pemberly http://www.pemberley.com/. This site takes it's name from the estate of Mr Darcy the main male character in Pride and Prejudice, possibly Jane Austen's most well known novel.The purpose of the site is to connect people who have a similar interest together. It links people from all over the world who have a passion for things Austen. It is a fun site run by Austin fans for Austin fans. This site provides discussion forums and information about all things to do with Austen's works. The forums discuss a wide rang of topics both specific to Austen and a little broader. Each novel has it's own forum and there are forums that discuss the movies and mini series, other books that people recommend, life and time of Austen as well as a fun advice forum where people role play different historical characters giving and receiving advice. Here is an example from the Pride and Prejudice board showing the sorts of things that are being discussed. 

• Faddy?   .......   (4/12/2011 5:10 p.m.)
• "Faddy" is used...   ........   (4/12/2011 6:22 p.m.)
• make our acquaintance in general understand   .........   (4/12/2011 6:42 p.m.)
• Choosey and faddy   .........   (4/12/2011 6:48 p.m.)
•  After Jane's marriage  ........   (4/12/2011 7:26 p.m.)
•  Elizabeth's marriage prospects   ........   (4/13/2011 1:38 p.m.)

(Because posters use their real names on this site these have been removed for ethical reasons.)

The second website I found is called Jane Austen Addict: Blog and Chat 

http://blog.janeaustenaddict.com/. This site is run by Laurie Viera Rigler a very strong Austen fan and author of two books to Jane Austen: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (2008) and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict (2010). The site has information about both these books as well as a blog and chat feature. The chat feature provides forums for people interested in the books as well as other Austen topics to voice opinions and discuss topics of interest. The site allows the fans to interact directly with the author and other enthusiasts. The site also provides links to other Austen related sites as well as information about book clubs and fun Austen quizzes, games and videos. The forums discuss many different topics mostly related to the Authors novels and the works of Austen. Here is an example of what is being discussed on the forum:

Pride & Prejudice 2010	Merlin 03/08/2010 4:20 AM	Laurie Viera Rigler 03/20/2010 9:47 PM	4
EMMA miniseries 2009/2010	Laurie Viera Rigler 01/28/2010 2:25 AM	Laurie Viera Rigler 01/29/2010 5:33 PM	5
Season's Greetings!	Merlin 12/23/2009 7:46 AM	Laurie Viera Rigler 12/21/2010 12:15 AM	8
Is it ok to dislike some of Austen's work?	decorum 12/21/2009 10:32 AM	Carl 08/30/2010 6:44 PM	6
Mating Rituals: Today & in JA's Day	Laurie Viera Rigler 08/18/2009 1:34 AM	Laurie Viera Rigler 12/13/2010 2:24 PM	17
Now That You've Read Rude Awakenings...	Laurie Viera Rigler 07/24/2009 12:32 AM	Carl 09/04/2010 3:07 PM	32
Lost in Austen	Maxi3D 06/02/2009 1:47 PM	DKDC 03/26/2011 6:51 PM

The third website I'm looking at is The Jane Austen Center http://www.janeausten.co.uk/forum/index.php. It is the website of a center in Bath dedicated to Jane Austen. The center's aim is to "celebrate Bath's most famous resident" It provides information about Austen events and things to do in and around Bath. There is information about the Regency Tea Rooms and walks related to the novels. The website also details opening times and has links to the gift shop where you can buy Austen and regency gifts online. A newsletter and online magazine are available and are full of more information about fashion and life in regency times. The forums are open but you need to register to post. Topics vary from the novels, to the television and movie adaptations and discussions of news related to Austen.  And here is one topic that is being discussed:

		Jane Austen Society Diary of Events : 2011 stella	23-03-2011 10:53 PM by stella	1	92
		Jane Austen Regency World Magazine 50th Anniversary Edition stella	23-03-2011 10:46 PM by stella	0	32
		Jane Austen and Gardening ( 1 2) Claudine22	23-03-2011 10:30 PM by stella	13	2,296
		Cooking with Martha and Jane ( 1 2 3) Claudine22

People choose to be involved in these sites because they are interested in the topics being discussed and want to interact with other people who are also interested. They can gain a sense of community and connectedness with other members. The information is reciprocal in that all different people can contribute and give and receive information. People can ask questions and they will receive an answer. Alternatively they can choose to answer a question asked by someone else.  By contributing and feeling they are adding value to the discussion participants can experience and increased sense of self efficacy (Kollock & Smith, 1999).

Kollock, P. & Smith, M. (1999). Communities in cyberspace. In M. A. Smith & P Kollock (eds.).  Communities in cyberspace London: Routledge 

Ethical Issues

There are several ethical issues that are relevant to online communities. One of these is lack of accountability or responsibility. People who post on an online community are not known by the other participants. There is a level of anonymity which decreases inhibitions. People will say things online that they might not say in person. Another issue is the use of intellectual property. Since forums are open once something is put on there it can be copied and copied and copied again until it is impossible to tell whose intellectual property it is.

Benefits of Online Communities for Austen fans.

• Connects people in different geographical locations who might not otherwise meet.
• Sharing of resources and ideas about Austen and her times.
• Ability to observe interactions before engaging.
• Enables in depth discussions.
• There are not that many avid fans of Austen so online communities provide a place for them to meet and to discuss their opinions with other like minded people.  

Aspects of traditional communities that these online communities provide.

• A cup of tea and a chat.
• Developing broader relationships that aren't centered around the one topic.
• Opportunity to dress up, act and dance in regency costume (yes there are groups that do this, sounds like fun!). 

Tutorial Five: YouTube

After making our own movie we then looked at YouTube which is an online medium that allows people to share and view videos. Anyone can view the videos but you have to be registered to upload them. Videos are censored so that only registered users over 18 years old can view things that would be seen as objectionable. Having a YouTube account allows you to personalize your viewing. Setting up favorites, queues of videos to watch, playlists and subscribing to channels are some examples of features that enable this. One thing that has led to the popularity of YouTube is that videos from YouTube can be attached to external websites. So bloggers, facebookers, Myspacers and web site creators have access to a wide range of video resources. These videos are not covered by copyright, which makes them a very useful resource to get quick information or entertainment.

To demonstrate this feature I have gathered together five different videos about Scottish Country Dancing from YouTube. I chose this topic because it is something that I really enjoy. Scottish Country Dancing is fun and energetic, there is a large social aspect and it is very good exercise.

Enjoy :)

Tutorial Four: Our Film about "Overcoming Adversity"

In this tutorial we discussed video production. We talked about the use of storyboards and scene planning. We got to play around with video cameras and figure out how they worked. Then we split into small groups to make a movie. Our small group launched straight into it and filmed many shots. We edited these into a short film. Below is the movie that we made in class. In it we explore the theme "overcoming adversity". Our extremely talented actor comes across several stumbling blocks while attempting to get his books from the library to the locker room. He is however creative in his thinking and manages to get the job done.

 

Enjoy :)

Tutorial Two: Digital Imaging aka: Photos

There are many different ways to create transport, and store photos. As well as traditional cameras, other information technologies hardware now have the capability to take and store photos. Some examples of these include Ipods, cellphones, MP3 players and computers fitted with webcams. there are many sites that discuss the pros and cons of various photo options. This site has information and news about different digital cameras.

 

Photo's can be used in different ways to enhance information and provide a visual aid to some knowledge. Here are some examples.

This family history site explains a software that aids the use of photos in genealogical research. It also discusses how the use of photos has become more common in this type of research.

Flickr is a site which enables people to upload share and store thier photos. Photos can be kept private or shared with the general public. Photos from Flickr can be made into a badge. These can be added a website or blog. On the side of this blog you will see a badge I made with photos of the Dunedin Railway Station. The theme of this is Place. the railway station is a place that I really like. It is a beautiful old building that symbolises the heritage nature of Dunedin city.

Snapfish is another site like Flickr, however it also sells photo books and prints.

Digital vs. Film 

There is a great debate about whether digital photos are better than traditional photos or not. here are some of the pros and cons of both sides.

Traditional Cameras/Photos

Pros:

• Fun to develop.
• Clearer colour tones.
• Anticipation of what you'll get.
• Surprise about what develops.

Cons:

• Photos damage easily 
• Photos can be damaged during development process.
• If you lose the negatives you can't get the photo back.

Digital Cameras/Photos

Pros:

• Fast.
• Really easy.
• More people have acess to them. 

Cons:

• Non standard batteries/cables
• Risk of losing photos stored on the computer.
• restricted life of storage devices eg: cd's.

 

Ethical Issues

As with all information technology there are ethical issues that surround the use of photos. There are issues about getting a person's informed consent and who owns a photo the photographer or the subject?

One area where the ethics of photos is uncertain is the taking of photos in public places. Here is an article that discusses the New Zealand perspective on taking photos in a public place. It presents a court case where the defendant was convicted of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place for taking inappropriate photos of people without their knowledge.

Photos in Occupational Therapy

Photos can be used in several ways to enhance occupational therapy practice. Most product catalogues have photos of the products in them. Photos can be used to show clients correct techniques.  Photography is also a very meaningful occupation for some people. This means that photography can be used as part of an intervention plan. If a therapist gets informed consent from the client they can also use photos to record progress through each intervention session.