title: 'Seeing' play through the virtual looking glass:  A metaphysical laboratory for de-framing and re-framing play for ECE

authors: Novak, Rene

subjects: Early childhood education

abstract: In this thesis I address the ambiguous nature of play by interrogating alternative ways of ‘seeing’ play beyond what I assert to be its contemporary Enframed state. I argue that to gain alternative insight into the basic features and functions of play, the concept of play needs first to be Deframed. Play is described as an ambiguous, elusive phenomenon, which makes it susceptible to being framed in ways that deter learning and development of children in ways consistent with the basic purpose of play. Such Enframing is evident across many situations and settings, including unsubstantiated assumptions about the way children’s learning is best assessed in early childhood education. These assumptions contribute to misperceptions of teachers regarding play, including the effects of their presence or absence in children’s play. The ambiguity of play also accounts for difficulties in empirical research; applying traditional researching approaches to investigate such an elusive phenomenon has proven ineffective. These investigative shortcomings have contributed to a lack of clear pedagogical and methodological insights about play. As an alternative methodological framework to ‘see’ beyond the elusiveness of play I shift the focus from asking questions about how play can support learning to instead employing a phenomenological investigation of what play is that enables Deframing.
I argue that to gain alternative insight into the basic features and functions of play, the concept of play needs first to be Deframed. Utilising Heideggerian phenomenological notions of Enframing and poiesis, I enter into a metaphysical laboratory in the virtual space, accessed through virtual reality (VR). This space offered insights into players’ subjective experiences when engaged in play. Play could thus be examined through empirical engagement rather than studied as an object. 
Two distinct yet related theoretical concepts were employed to encounter the phenomenon of a virtual representation of play: visual pedagogies and the embodiment theory. Visual pedagogies focus on the implications of visuality on teaching and learning and often rely on video as an empirical research method. Embodiment theory accounts for the expanded spectrum of sensorial modalities beyond the visual which enables an immersive experience. At the intersection of these two theories a new branch of pedagogy arises, referred to in this thesis as immersive pedagogy. 
The study found that the methodology applied was very effective in helping teachers develop alternative insights about play. Their centre of attention shifted from play as a tool for learning towards a focus on free play as a self-actualising tool for human development. In their interaction with the immersive experiences, teachers encountered a number of emotional responses that affirmed the use of virtual reality as a suitable metaphysical laboratory, available on the virtual side of the cybernetic looking glass, as a place for thought, reflection and phenomenological transcendence, referred to by Heidegger as poiesis. Poiesis is an aesthetic, esoteric and metaphysical term that brings forth a multiplicity of meanings of phenomena.
Deframing through poiesis was affirmed by play revealing itself to teachers in a new way. By becoming part of the dynamics of play and by assuming the role of ‘invisible’ observers genuinely invested in play, teachers were able to develop fresh insights about play’s inner workings. It revealed itself in a new way. On the basis of their experience, they re-framed play for themselves subjectively, thus separating it from its unproven association with standardised learning. 
Some of the potential implications of these discoveries were suggested by participating teachers themselves, who proposed the methodology be used by teachers as a reflective tool for learning more about educational phenomena. They also suggested that the tool would enable parents and other educational stakeholders to develop important insights about play-based curricula, which are currently difficult to comprehend. It is possible that on a larger scale these insights, which enable play to define itself to the players, could usefully change current perceptions of play for teachers, parents, researchers and educational policy makers.

text: 'Seeing' play through the virtual looking glass:  A metaphysical laboratory for de-framing and re-framing play for ECE In this thesis I address the ambiguous nature of play by interrogating alternative ways of ‘seeing’ play beyond what I assert to be its contemporary Enframed state. I argue that to gain alternative insight into the basic features and functions of play, the concept of play needs first to be Deframed. Play is described as an ambiguous, elusive phenomenon, which makes it susceptible to being framed in ways that deter learning and development of children in ways consistent with the basic purpose of play. Such Enframing is evident across many situations and settings, including unsubstantiated assumptions about the way children’s learning is best assessed in early childhood education. These assumptions contribute to misperceptions of teachers regarding play, including the effects of their presence or absence in children’s play. The ambiguity of play also accounts for difficulties in empirical research; applying traditional researching approaches to investigate such an elusive phenomenon has proven ineffective. These investigative shortcomings have contributed to a lack of clear pedagogical and methodological insights about play. As an alternative methodological framework to ‘see’ beyond the elusiveness of play I shift the focus from asking questions about how play can support learning to instead employing a phenomenological investigation of what play is that enables Deframing.
I argue that to gain alternative insight into the basic features and functions of play, the concept of play needs first to be Deframed. Utilising Heideggerian phenomenological notions of Enframing and poiesis, I enter into a metaphysical laboratory in the virtual space, accessed through virtual reality (VR). This space offered insights into players’ subjective experiences when engaged in play. Play could thus be examined through empirical engagement rather than studied as an object. 
Two distinct yet related theoretical concepts were employed to encounter the phenomenon of a virtual representation of play: visual pedagogies and the embodiment theory. Visual pedagogies focus on the implications of visuality on teaching and learning and often rely on video as an empirical research method. Embodiment theory accounts for the expanded spectrum of sensorial modalities beyond the visual which enables an immersive experience. At the intersection of these two theories a new branch of pedagogy arises, referred to in this thesis as immersive pedagogy. 
The study found that the methodology applied was very effective in helping teachers develop alternative insights about play. Their centre of attention shifted from play as a tool for learning towards a focus on free play as a self-actualising tool for human development. In their interaction with the immersive experiences, teachers encountered a number of emotional responses that affirmed the use of virtual reality as a suitable metaphysical laboratory, available on the virtual side of the cybernetic looking glass, as a place for thought, reflection and phenomenological transcendence, referred to by Heidegger as poiesis. Poiesis is an aesthetic, esoteric and metaphysical term that brings forth a multiplicity of meanings of phenomena.
Deframing through poiesis was affirmed by play revealing itself to teachers in a new way. By becoming part of the dynamics of play and by assuming the role of ‘invisible’ observers genuinely invested in play, teachers were able to develop fresh insights about play’s inner workings. It revealed itself in a new way. On the basis of their experience, they re-framed play for themselves subjectively, thus separating it from its unproven association with standardised learning. 
Some of the potential implications of these discoveries were suggested by participating teachers themselves, who proposed the methodology be used by teachers as a reflective tool for learning more about educational phenomena. They also suggested that the tool would enable parents and other educational stakeholders to develop important insights about play-based curricula, which are currently difficult to comprehend. It is possible that on a larger scale these insights, which enable play to define itself to the players, could usefully change current perceptions of play for teachers, parents, researchers and educational policy makers.

year: 2021

title: Matriarchal legacy: Intergenerational research empowering st’at’imc women through nxekmenlhkálha múta7 nt’kamenlhk’álha  (st’at’imc laws and way of life)

authors: Letterlough, Roxane

subjects: intergenerational research

abstract: This thesis explores how physical literacy, which is defined here as the physical quadrant in the St’at’imc medicine wheel, mitigates trauma and promotes healing for St’at’imc matriarchs and survivors of the Canadian residential school system; it does this by highlighting stories of resilience, resistance, and finding strength in unexpected places. Initially, the study aimed to document the healing journey of twenty Indigenous residential school survivors through sport. However, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the re-discovery of the 215+ Le Estcwicwéy̓ (“the Missing”) Indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021 re-traumatized potential participants.
 	In response to these events and ethical considerations, the research shifted focus to the Nxekmenlhkálha múta7 Nt’ákmenlhk’alha (St’at’imc laws and way of life), narratives of survivance, and intergenerational healing through research. As a matriarch of the Ts’al’alh band from the St’at’imc Nation, my narrative intertwines with those of three St’at’imc matriarchs and residential school survivors. Utilizing Indigenous story work and narrative inquiry, the study amplifies our lived experiences, emphasizing survivance rather than sport and showcasing the resilience and endurance of Indigenous women through Nxekmenlhkálha múta7 Nt’ákmenlhk’alha.
This thesis represents a personal and collective journey through family and community knowledge. It demonstrates the integration of intergenerational research with my own family, including my aunties, and my children. Through an Indigenous worldview, the research reveals the strengths of children as they grow, providing them opportunities to enhance their skills and explore their culture. The study offers a space of cultural resurgence within a colonial system, promoting healing and resilience among the St’at’imc people.

text: Matriarchal legacy: Intergenerational research empowering st’at’imc women through nxekmenlhkálha múta7 nt’kamenlhk’álha  (st’at’imc laws and way of life) This thesis explores how physical literacy, which is defined here as the physical quadrant in the St’at’imc medicine wheel, mitigates trauma and promotes healing for St’at’imc matriarchs and survivors of the Canadian residential school system; it does this by highlighting stories of resilience, resistance, and finding strength in unexpected places. Initially, the study aimed to document the healing journey of twenty Indigenous residential school survivors through sport. However, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the re-discovery of the 215+ Le Estcwicwéy̓ (“the Missing”) Indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021 re-traumatized potential participants.
 	In response to these events and ethical considerations, the research shifted focus to the Nxekmenlhkálha múta7 Nt’ákmenlhk’alha (St’at’imc laws and way of life), narratives of survivance, and intergenerational healing through research. As a matriarch of the Ts’al’alh band from the St’at’imc Nation, my narrative intertwines with those of three St’at’imc matriarchs and residential school survivors. Utilizing Indigenous story work and narrative inquiry, the study amplifies our lived experiences, emphasizing survivance rather than sport and showcasing the resilience and endurance of Indigenous women through Nxekmenlhkálha múta7 Nt’ákmenlhk’alha.
This thesis represents a personal and collective journey through family and community knowledge. It demonstrates the integration of intergenerational research with my own family, including my aunties, and my children. Through an Indigenous worldview, the research reveals the strengths of children as they grow, providing them opportunities to enhance their skills and explore their culture. The study offers a space of cultural resurgence within a colonial system, promoting healing and resilience among the St’at’imc people.

year: 2025-03-09

title: Machine translation for te reo Māori

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

abstract: What is Machine Translation? Machine Translation (MT) is a process where computer software is used to translate texts from one natural (or spoken) language to another. Early research centred on two distinct approaches: Rules Based Machine Translation (RBMT) and Statistical Machine Translation (SMT). In simple terms RBMT makes use of large sets of linguistic rules that define languages whereas SMT uses statistical techniques to build language models from large language corpora. Increases in computing power and the amount of language corpora available has meant that SMT had become the preferred option with recent advances in neural networks also being applied to improve the accuracy of SMT. For commercial reasons, this is an area of research that has generated a lot of interest and funding support from some major international computer companies, including Google¹,Microsoft² and Facebook³.
Why is Machine Translation important for te reo Māori? A te reo Māori purist may argue that it is not important to focus activities on having a machine undertake translations for te reo Māori; if people want to understand te reo Māori then they should put in the effort to learn the language. This line of reasoning is difficult to argue with. But, from a Māori language activist perspective the value of MT is not so much in the translation of te reo Māori to (say) English, but rather the translation of English to te reo Māori. If this translation can be done efficiently, with low costs, it will assist in the proliferation of te reo Māori into new contexts, new environments and will assist its normalisation in New Zealand's society.
At this time, two of the major international companies, Google and Microsoft, have invested significantly in MT for te reo Māori. This paper summarises their endeavours and reports on the quality of translations they have been able to generate.

text: Machine translation for te reo Māori What is Machine Translation? Machine Translation (MT) is a process where computer software is used to translate texts from one natural (or spoken) language to another. Early research centred on two distinct approaches: Rules Based Machine Translation (RBMT) and Statistical Machine Translation (SMT). In simple terms RBMT makes use of large sets of linguistic rules that define languages whereas SMT uses statistical techniques to build language models from large language corpora. Increases in computing power and the amount of language corpora available has meant that SMT had become the preferred option with recent advances in neural networks also being applied to improve the accuracy of SMT. For commercial reasons, this is an area of research that has generated a lot of interest and funding support from some major international computer companies, including Google¹,Microsoft² and Facebook³.
Why is Machine Translation important for te reo Māori? A te reo Māori purist may argue that it is not important to focus activities on having a machine undertake translations for te reo Māori; if people want to understand te reo Māori then they should put in the effort to learn the language. This line of reasoning is difficult to argue with. But, from a Māori language activist perspective the value of MT is not so much in the translation of te reo Māori to (say) English, but rather the translation of English to te reo Māori. If this translation can be done efficiently, with low costs, it will assist in the proliferation of te reo Māori into new contexts, new environments and will assist its normalisation in New Zealand's society.
At this time, two of the major international companies, Google and Microsoft, have invested significantly in MT for te reo Māori. This paper summarises their endeavours and reports on the quality of translations they have been able to generate.

year: 2017