Digital Learning and Training: Technologies and Methods

The Applied Cognition, Technology & Interaction Group (ACTInG) at Loughborough University with our key project partner Mencap and other national 3rd sector organizations are bringing together researchers from across the Midlands for a series of three themed research sandpits between November 2021 and April 2022 focused on the inclusion, well-being, and autonomy of people living with cognitive impairments and learning disabilities. These events build on the success of our initial ACTInG research networking day in July 2021 (available here: https://acting-research.lboro.ac.uk/eventbrite-event/acting-day/).

The November event includes two keynote talks, two shorter talks, poster presentations, and a research sandpit. The theme for November is: ‘Digital learning and training: technologies and methods”. The goal of the sandpit is to produce new interdisciplinary collaborations and project proposals that will lead to the production of one or more large project bids within the framework—and with the support of—the Midlands Innovation Inclusive Transformation programme (https://midlandsinnovation.org.uk/Inclusive-Transformation).

This is a hybrid event (over Zoom and in-person at Brockington B114, Loughborough University).

Please also get in touch with any member of the Programme Committee if you have any questions:

* Rosie Daly – r.daly@lboro.ac.uk

* Lauren Bridgstock – lauren.bridgstock@nottingham.ac.uk

* Felicity Slocombe – f.slocombe@lboro.ac.uk

Programme

• 13:00 -13.20 – Welcome
• 13:25 -14:05 – 1st Keynote – Dr Alison Kahn – Visual Anthropologist; Director, Think Tank as SDS-Heritage; Visiting Fellow in Digital Learning Systems at Loughborough University.
  • Dr Alison Kahn did her PhD in anthropology at Oxford University. Alison is a fellow in Museum Anthropology and Modernist Literature with the prestigious Stanford University program in Oxford. She set up her own company, the Oxford Digital Film Institute (ODFI https://odfi.co.uk/odfi-team/) which provides workshops on digital methods for research and film making. Alison won several major awards for her anthropological films. Alison is also a fellow in Digital Learning Systems at Loughborough University and Director of the Cultural Heritage, Education and AI Think Thank for the SDS group, which manages digital archives. She lectures worldwide on digital methods and in her keynote will discuss how the pandemic has provided lessons to overcome issues in methods for digital transmission of information in children to facilitate learning.
  • Digital Children: Applying ethnographic methods to address The Essential Digital Skills (EDS) Framework outlined by the Department of Education (2018).
    • Historically. there has been an enormous amount of research in child development and classroom teaching initiatives to account for different needs of children. The global pandemic has brought into focus how ill-equipped most education institutions are when it comes to teaching children remotely. Whilst higher education and adult learning has gradually been adapting to on-line learning, the digital divide leaves many powerless and unable to progress in education and work,  This study asks several questions that address the critical gap between information and knowledge. How might we improve engagement with young minds to prepare them for a lifetime of learning? How can we best support primary care givers (PCG) and teachers to reduce anxiety around learning online, and how might we create a more inclusive education system fit for all types of learners from the ‘cradle to the grave’?
    • Here are the two films shown in Alison’s presentations:
      • Covid Classrooms: Underprivileged children’s worsening educational crisis by Navya Sara Jaiswal, 2021
      • Chronicle of a Summer (French original title: Chronique d’un été) by Jean Rouch, 1961
• 14:10 – 14:25 – 10 Minute talk – Dr Lucy Beishon – The Cognition and Flow Study: a Mixed Methods Analysis.
  • Cognitive training (CT) may be beneficial in delaying the onset or slowing dementia progression. CT has been evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively, but none have used mixed methods approaches. The aim of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to identify those who may selectively benefit from CT. This was an explanatory sequential mixed methods study involving a quantitative randomised trial of 12 weeks multi-domain CT in healthy older adults (n=20), and people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n=12) and dementia (n=24). Quantitative outcomes included: cognition, mood, quality of life and activities of daily living. Subsequently, twenty-five training participants were invited to a semi-structured interview with their carer. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated using joint displays of quantitative outcomes arrayed against themes from the qualitative interviews. Reasons for drop-out and low adherence were identified, with recommendations provided for the design of future CT studies in dementia. An individual approach to training should be adopted and low adherence should not preclude enrolment to CT programmes.
• 14:30 – 14:35 – Short Talk – David Maidment – pre-recorded presentation: ‘The power of mobile health (mHealth) technologies to enhance hearing loss self-management’
  • Abstract:
    • Objective. To assess the everyday experiences of first-time hearing aid users toward a newly developed mobile health (mHealth) intervention. Branded m2Hear, the intervention delivers increased individualisation and interactivity to enhance learning potential and hearing loss self-management. 
    • Methods. Seventy-five first-time hearing aid users were recruited from Nottingham Audiology Service. A mixed-methods study design was employed, whereby all participants trialled m2Hear for a period of 10-weeks in their everyday lives. Patient-reported outcomes (n=59) and individual semi-structured interviews (n=16) were completed.
    • Results. Outcome measures showed a range of benefits, all with large clinical effect sizes (Cohen’s d >0.8), including improved hearing-related quality of life, hearing aid self-efficacy, and knowledge of hearing aids and communication. Semi-structured interviews showed that m2Hear provided useful reminders to facilitate knowledge of hearing aids and communication and enabled greater individualisation and independence. In addition, availability via smartphone technologies improved accessibility
    • Conclusions. This study suggests that m2Hear is a valuable mHealth tool supporting first-time hearing aid users to self-manage their hearing loss.
• 14:40 – 14:55 – 10 Minute Talk – Claudio Di Lorito – Keeping physically active through tele-rehab during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from the Promoting Activity, Independence and Stability on Early Dementia (PrAISED) study.
  • The Promoting Activity, Independence and Stability in Early Dementia (PrAISED) is delivering an exercise programme for people with dementia. The Lincolnshire partnership National Health Service (NHS) foundation Trust delivered PrAISED through a video-calling platform during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The qualitative case-study I will be presenting aimed to identify participants that video delivery best worked for, to highlight its benefits and its challenges. Data were collected through qualitative interviews conducted between May and August 2020 with five participants with dementia and their caregivers, and five therapists from the Lincolnshire partnership NHS foundation Trust. The interviews were analysed through thematic analysis. The study found that video delivery worked best when participants had a supporting caregiver and when therapists showed enthusiasm and had an established rapport with the client. Benefits included time efficiency of sessions, enhancing participants’ motivation, caregivers’ dementia awareness, and therapists’ creativity. Limitations included users’ poor IT skills and resources. Overall, this study supports that people with dementia can use tele-rehabilitation, but success is reliant on having a caregiver and an enthusiastic and known therapist.
• 15:00 – 15:10 – 10 Minute Break
• 15:10 – 15:50 – 2nd Keynote – Prof. Martin Orrell
  • Prof Martin Orrell is Director of the Institute of Mental Health in Nottingham. He published over 300 academic papers and obtained 7 major dementia grants totalling £17M. He developed Cognitive Stimulation Therapy with Professor Aimee Spector when at UCL, which has proven benefits for people with dementia. He sits on the board of INTERDEM and the International Psychogeriatric Psychiatry. Martin is Chair of MSNAP which oversees quality of memory services across the UK and advises the Government. In his keynote, he will discuss the use of digital methods to improve the lives of people with dementia.
    https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/medicine/people/m.orrell
• 15:55 – 16:15 – 10 Minute Talk – A.Gisela Reyes Cruz – Accessibility reflections through a competencies-based approach
  • Research has shown that people with disabilities are regular users of a variety of technologies, both mainstream and assistive, that support them in accessing information and conducting various everyday activities. However, knowing about such technologies and users is still considered a specialist job, and much of mainstream technology and digital applications or services remain inaccessible or difficult to use for them, despite the existence of guidelines, tools and increasing efforts to raise awareness on the topic. In this presentation, I will give an overview of my PhD research, in which I have done empirical research on technology use by people with visual impairments that supports the proposal of a competencies-based approach, for bringing people from different backgrounds and abilities together to reflect on and learn about disability, accessibility and technology.
• 16:20 – 17:30 – ACTInG Together: Sandpit Networking & Discussion Session 
  • ACTInG_Together-18th-November – word document

Register online at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-learning-and-training-technologies-and-methods-tickets-193751133857