by tom.giess -

#15 | Feedback interview paper prototype

In order to validate my first prototype idea, our lecturer Birgit Bachler encouraged me to get in touch with a nearby interest group in Graz: Institut für Epilepsie IFE.

In the course of a 45-minute meeting, I was able to demonstrate my paper prototype on site and ask questions about my research results and the experience of my contacts. Regina and her colleague were very interested in my project.

Starting an alert to bystanders

Speaking from experience, Regina and her colleague told me that working with sensors to detect an aura before a seizure is much more feasible for a person who is going to have a seizure. Many people do not recognize the onset of a seizure, and when they do, it takes too long to manually activate an alert in the open app. Examples of such inputs are Fall Detection and Brainwave Detection.

Visibility of wearable devices

Some of the studies I found suggested making electronic devices less visible. Contrary to what I found in my literature review, Regina and her colleague never met people who were reluctant to wear conspicuous devices for fear of stigmatization. Instead, they are happy to have them.

Advancement: Expressing gratitude to bystanders

Regina and her colleague responded positively to my planned feature that would allow people to reach out to their supporters by leaving contact information. They had never seen such a personal approach in any device and thought it was a nice idea for human relations.

Advancement: Tailored emergency information

Throughout the conversation, we talked about different types of epileptic seizures, especially those that are not really addressed by technological solutions. They explained that tonic-clonic seizures are most associated with spasmodic movements, but seizures that are expressed through confusional states are often overlooked. When I explained my idea for an individualized feature, Regina and her colleague were excited about the idea: Allowing people with epilepsy to view emergency information tailored to their own form of epilepsy could potentially provide more targeted first aid.

Choice of medium

When I asked my contacts about an appropriate medium for my endeavor, they confirmed that a mobile application is indeed appropriate from their point of view. It doesn’t require anything more than a smartphone, which many people already have. Also, most of the people they treat are used to the existing technological solutions, which in most cases include a smartphone. In fact, they gave me a printed version of a seizure care pass where people can write individual instructions for their own condition. The downside is that this document can easily be overlooked by first responders and the content is less appealing to read.

Log feature

When Regina and her colleague mentioned that some users would appreciate having a log where they could see past incidents, I showed them the feature in my paper prototype.

Conclusion

In the end, I was provided with a lot of informational material, a warm handshake, and the possibility to always reach back to Regina and her colleague. Overall, this step was really valuable to me and it did not take much effort to get quick and useful feedback, even when using a low-fidelity paper prototype to demonstrate ideas.

Next steps

Next, I would like to incorporate the feedback I received from the Institut für Epilepsie into the development of my prototype and possibly contact them if I need more expert opinions.

by ellen.dressler -

08 | Exploring Sustainability Awareness: Insights from an In-Depth Interview

In my ongoing exploration of sustainability, I recently conducted a semi-structured guided interview with a friend deeply involved in environmental activism, particularly in the context of Fridays for Future. Studying Psychology with a focus on environmental psychology, she brought a wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives to the conversation.

In my previous blog posts, I delved into defining sustainability and examining international agreements aimed at addressing its challenges. Recognizing the need for individual contributions alongside governmental efforts, I aimed to understand the current level of awareness and explore interactive educational approaches that could inspire sustainable action.

The interview aimed to provide insights into my friend’s experiences, perceptions, and recommendations regarding sustainability awareness. Structured as a guided conversation in German, the questions were designed to offer flexibility while maintaining the framework.

Insights from the Interview

Existing educational Efforts

My friend acknowledged the importance of education but expressed concerns about its effectiveness in promoting general sustainability awareness. She emphasized the need for clearer communication and a focus on positive future scenarios to counteract false balance in media representation.

Challenges in Communication

Addressing challenges in communication across age groups, she highlighted the prevalence of false balance in media, where a climate scientist might be juxtaposed with a climate denier, giving a misleading impression of a 50:50 debate. She stressed the importance of clearly stating the scientific consensus.

Role of Social Media

While recognizing the influence of social media, she also pointed out the trend towards superficiality and rapid content turnover. The success of influencers showcasing luxurious lifestyles might perpetuate a perception that sustainability means sacrifice.

Interactive Approaches

Regarding effective communication, she suggested exploring interactive approaches such as workshops, events, and campaigns that provide tangible experiences. She believed that the cool factor of sustainable living needed to be emphasized.

Governmental Role

Highlighting the importance of government involvement, she expressed concern about the perceived lack of effectiveness and social justice in current sustainability measures. She believed that well-executed, socially just initiatives could significantly increase public support.

Tailored Approaches

Recognizing the diversity of lifestyles and professions, she emphasized the potential effectiveness of individualized approaches. By addressing specific challenges related to mobility, food choices, and energy consumption, tailored solutions could resonate more deeply.

Motivations for Engagement

In terms of incentives, she highlighted intrinsic motivations tied to biospheric values, such as the desire for a better environment for future generations. The potential impact on one’s immediate surroundings, avoidance of negative consequences like flooding or water scarcity, and hedonistic enjoyment of sustainable practices were also mentioned.

This insightful interview offered valuable perspectives on sustainability awareness. It underscored the need for clearer communication, engaging and tailored educational approaches, and the pivotal role of governments in driving effective change. These insights will undoubtedly shape the direction of my research on this topic.

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

Key Findings from Interviews

I have spent the last week planning and arranging two interviews related to my topic. It was interesting to conduct primary research in this way and talk directly to people with experience in the topic. In this seventh blog post, I will present key findings from the interviews. 

Interview subjects

  • Women in the age between 23 and 25
  • Went to music lessons for 1-3 years in primary school
  • Mainly piano, but also other instruments such as the clarinet, guitar and drums
  • Busy time schedule with handball, football, horse riding and choir

Why did they start?

They both have a parent with musical talent and interest. One of them also has a sister that went to piano lessons and got inspired by her. Both interview subjects also grew up with a piano in their house, which made them curious on the instrument. 

During music education

The first interview subject stated that it was much more difficult to learn the instrument than predicted. She never learned musical notation, but had another technique that worked out in the beginning. The different notes in the C major scale got a number from one to five, representing the different fingers on her hand. When the number 1 was listed, she played a C with her thumb, without knowing the actual name of the tone. After some time, it was difficult to adapt the system to more complicated songs. Without knowing how to read music sheets, she struggled to progress. She quitted practicing at home between the lessons and did not get a big feeling of mastery. 

The second interview subject had a slightly different experience. She learned how to read musical notation, and felt that she mastered how to play the instrument in the beginning. She practiced at home approximately once a week, but did not find it genuinely fun or motivating. The music school arranged a competition for the pupils, to make them practice more between the lessons. This did not motivate the interview subject, because she felt that the whole intention was wrong. They had to use a stopwatch to time how long they were playing for. After a while, the songs also got more difficult which made it less fun for her. 

Why did they quit?

For both interview subjects, it was mainly a consequence of a tight time schedule. They went to other arranged activities that was more active, fun, and social, which made them easier to prioritize. For the first interview subject, it was challenging to get to the piano teacher. She had to walk for a long time along a road not suitable for pedestrians. None of the subjects had a lot of friends doing music lessons, and because they did not find the actual practice motivating anymore, quitting was an easy option. The second interview subject also dreaded the concerts that were arranged once every semester. She did not look forward to them and thinking of them made her rather afraid and unwell. 

Subsequently, both interview subject state that they now wish they were better at playing music instruments. Nevertheless, they do not regret prioritizing more social and physically challenging activities. 

Music lessons at school

In addition to attending arranged music lessons, both of them took part in music education in school. They learned basic guitar chords and rhythms on drums, which they found both fun and challenging. The second interview subject especially enjoyed playing drums, but none of them liked the guitar lessons. They did not get along with their music teachers and felt like they were very much left on their own. To get a grade in the course, they had to perform with the guitar. The second interview object found that significantly scary and uncomfortable, it did not give her any feeling of mastery at all. 

Thoughts about digital music education

None of the interview subjects have been trying out any form of digital music education. One of them said that she could picture herself using YouTube tutorials if she was a child now. She also mentioned that she thinks Duolingo Music has a cool approach, but do not think she could commit to doing it regularly. The other interview subject said that it is crucial to be truly motivated for digital music education to be efficient. It is not very social, so the students will be more left on their own. One would need to be dedicated, and she states that digital music lessons would definitely not work for her. 

Additional input

Both interview subjects told me that they love music. They consider it being a big part of their life, and a source to a wide range of emotions. They would love to be good at playing an instrument now, but they still do not consider learning one now. It is apparently too late. Even in middle school, learning a new instrument or starting a new leisure activity was considered too late. 

The first interview subject enjoyed playing around and experimenting on the piano as a child. The second one stayed with the music sheets and did not challenge herself to improvise in any way. At home, they were both allowed to play when they wanted to and was not very restricted. They also remember to like their piano instructors, and do not know if other instructors could make them stay longer. For the second interview object, it could possibly have made a difference if the concerts were voluntary instead of obligatory.  

They agreed on the fact that inner motivation is crucial. It does require a lot of hard work to become good, which is impossible if you do not enjoy practicing. It would be easier for them to stay in music education if they were surrounded by people who did the same. Both friends and family had a big impact on them. They wanted to do the same as their siblings, and not miss out on the social arenas handball and football practice offered. One of them mentioned that it would be harder to quit if the piano lessons was more collaborative and social. According to her, group rehearsals to make piano harmonies could be a good idea. 

by ellen.dressler -

06 | First interview guide

In my last blog posts, I provided some general insights into the topic of sustainability. In this context, I first defined the term more precisely and then took a look at governmental European and international agreements. However, as there are many challenges involved in achieving these, it is essential that not only the governments of all countries work together, but that we as individuals also play our part.

Therefore, it is necessary to find out to what extent people are aware of the sustainability issues, we are facing at the moment, and how an interactive educational approach could help to make the topic more present and show people with simple means how they can contribute to more sustainability.

But before I begin to expand my research into the topic of sustainability education to find out what systems and opportunities for personal education in this area already exist, what platforms, projects and initiatives are available for personal engagement, I would like to conduct a first interview to gain further insights into the topic.

For this purpose, I will interview a friend who has been intensively involved in Fridays for Future for many years and studies Psychology with focus on environmental psychology. Therefore she has a lot in-depth knowledge in this area, as she has also come into contact with many different people.

It will be a semi-structured guided interview in order to provide a rough framework of what the conversation should be about, but at the same time offer the necessary freedom to deviate from this and gain further interesting insights into the topic. The interview will be in German, but to make this blog post accessible to all, I have translated the questions into English.

Interview guide

Introductory questions:

  1. To what extent have you already dealt with the topic of sustainability and how are you involved in this area?
  2. You have certainly come into contact with many different people from different social groups in this context. What is your perception of the current level of education on sustainability issues and environmental awareness in society?
  3. What obstacles do you see with regard to people’s involvement and participation in the topic of sustainability?

Key questions:

  1. Do you think existing educational approaches are effective enough to promote general sustainability awareness?
  2. Do you see specific challenges or barriers in communicating sustainability issues to different age groups?
  3. Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how to better communicate sustainability issues in different social and cultural contexts?
  4. What role could schools or universities play in promoting a deeper understanding of sustainability?
  5. What role do you think the media landscape plays in facilitating or inhibiting a comprehensive understanding of sustainability?
  6. What forms of communication could be particularly effective in raising awareness of the issue among the general public?
  7. How would you assess the role of government or other public institutions in promoting sustainability awareness?
  8. What types of interactive offers, activities or events could help to increase general public engagement in sustainability?
  9. Do you think an individualized approach to sustainability issues (e.g. adapting to different professions, lifestyles or age groups) could be more effective?
  10. Do you have any idea what incentives or motivations could encourage people to integrate sustainability more into their daily lives?

I’m very much looking forward to the outcomes of the interview and hoping to gain more insights into the topic from the perspective of someone who was involved in climate action a lot.