Browsing by Subject "play"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Addressing Early Childhood Accessibility at a Children’s Museum: A Community-Based Capstone Project
    (2024-04-29) Sharlow, Teri; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Handel, Elyse
    The occupation of play is vital in early childhood for the development of crucial life skills including motor, social, emotional, language, and executive functioning. Young children with disabilities often face challenges and barriers to participation in play, especially when visiting a community facility like a children’s museum. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (TCM) has an ongoing commitment to provide accessible and inclusive facilities and experiences for their guests, yet recognizes that there are many opportunities for growth within their accessibility programming. The aim of this capstone project was to contribute to TCM’s accessibility programming through the assessment of an exhibit that had not yet been addressed in depth by their accessibility team. Using information gathered from the assessment and best practices from the literature, the student developed a detailed accessibility report that outlined strategies and guidelines for accessibility improvement within the exhibit. The project was presented to relevant museum staff and distributed throughout the facility so the report can be used as a resource for future accessibility initiatives within the exhibit. To evaluate the effectiveness of the project, attendees of the report presentation took a brief survey and provided feedback to the student. Overall, the results indicated that the project was successful in contributing to the museum’s accessibility programming and that staff members had an increased understanding of accessibility principles and how they can be applied within exhibits in future projects.
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    Effects of Language on Children’s Understanding of Mathematics
    (ICRSME, 2022) Wilkerson, Trena L.; Mistretta, Regina M.; Adcock, Justin; Borgioli Yoder, Gina; Johnston, Elisabeth; Bu, Lingguo; Nugent, Patricia M.; Booher, Loi; School of Education
    Teacher educators have a moral and civic obligation to examine ways in which language and mathematics are connected and supported in teaching and learning mathematics. It is essential to examine the roles and influence of family, parents, community, teachers, administration, and teacher educators as they collaborate to support learners. Their role should be considered in preparing and supporting teachers to develop curriculum, plan instruction, and implement strategies that support students’ development of language in the mathematics classroom. An examination of the literature regarding the effects of language on children’s understanding of mathematics was conducted around six areas: 1) impact of language on understanding and meaning making; 2) symbols, expressions and language connections; 3) effects of teachers’ listening orientation; 4) language development, play and family influences; 5) implications for multilingual learners; and 6) technology and digital media. Implications for teacher education and future research are presented. We offer readers a potential framework to consider for guiding teacher educators’ practices and future research efforts. In so doing, we display various connections and interplays between language and children’s mathematical meaning making and understanding.
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    Improv(ing) learning environments: How to Foster Belonging through Play
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2015-04-17) Rossing, Jonathan P.
    Applied improvisation is a field in which practitioners apply the principles and practices of improvisational theater to enhance and transform relationships in real-world arenas. Applied improvisation practices have gained popularity in business and professional settings, including professional education such as medical school, law school, and management training. However, currently no research examines how applied improvisation might augment college learning environments by promoting greater student connection, focus, and presence. This research project examines how principles and practices of improvisation can be used to address two classroom challenges: 1) distraction or lack of focus/attention and 2) disengagement and disconnection from peers that hinders the development of a learning community. First, mental distractions hinder student engagement: from smart phones and online social networks to larger concerns such as academic anxieties (worrying about an upcoming test) or stresses in persona life (i.e. a troubled relationship). These distractions displace students’ attention from the immediate task of learning and limit their mental presence in class. Second, learning often remains a radically individual endeavor rather than a process of engaging with and supporting peers in a learning community. In response to these challenges, I have adapted improvisation games to use as “warm-up” activities in every class session throughout the semester. The goal is to understand whether applied improvisation promotes greater student focus and attention as well as foster connection and trust among learners, both of which result in a stronger learning community. These outcomes are particularly significant at a commuter campus where students find fewer opportunities to develop community and connection. This poster will report the results of a mixed-methods study featuring both quantitative and qualitative data. Results indicate that applied improvisation improves learning environment factors such as students’ sense of community, belonging, focus, and attention.
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    Rapid Systematic Review of Occupational Therapy-Adaptable Interventions to Improve Social Engagement in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
    (2020-08-27) Alexander, Joelyn; Gordon, Madeline; Heydon, Mallory; Klukken, Angela; Moring, Kelly; Nguyen, Elizabeth; Chase, Anthony; Petrenchik, Terry; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    In this rapid systematic review, we describe how evidence-based interventions aiming to improve social engagement in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be potentially adapted to be included within the scope of occupational therapy. Children and adolescents with ASD often experience difficulty with social engagement, impacting overall social participation and other aspects of daily life. It is important to address this issue within this population to ensure engagement in the occupation of social participation, which is vital to optimal health and well-being. We discovered several themes including communication, joint attention, peer engagement, social skills, and play as outcomes addressed within the interventions included in this review. There is limited research available regarding social engagement interventions for children and adolescents with ASD directly including an occupational therapist within the intervention. This review demonstrates that there is a large variety of social engagement interventions that could be implemented by occupational therapists; however, therapists must be mindful of choosing an intervention that is specific to the client's condition. There is strong evidence to suggest that interventions targeting social engagement in children and adolescents with ASD result in increased social abilities. Further research should be conducted assessing the implementation of these interventions by occupational therapists to ensure generalizability.