title: Enhancing interactivity: how has design exploration of physically and intellectually interactive picturebooks enhanced shared reading?

authors: Vanderschantz, Nicholas

subjects: design

abstract: Children’s book design can have a significant impact on shared reading practices, interaction, and engagement. We hypothesise that books designed with the intention to specifically enhance the author’s story through interactivity will provide opportunities for new experience design outcomes that are both human-object and human-human centred. The multi-faceted problem of children’s books has been explored by linguistics, history, and education researchers, yet seldom using a design lens. In previous work we developed a traditional and highly interactive picturebook which we observe here being used by families. The study explored how physical and intellectual enhancements change the level and types of interaction within a shared reading environment. The inclusion of physical and intellectual enhancements within the book promote a greater level of interaction and engagement from the parent and child. However, this is only the case if the enhancements provide meaningful interaction, and have relevance to the story. Our results provide design solutions for designing effective children’s books in the future.

text: Enhancing interactivity: how has design exploration of physically and intellectually interactive picturebooks enhanced shared reading? Children’s book design can have a significant impact on shared reading practices, interaction, and engagement. We hypothesise that books designed with the intention to specifically enhance the author’s story through interactivity will provide opportunities for new experience design outcomes that are both human-object and human-human centred. The multi-faceted problem of children’s books has been explored by linguistics, history, and education researchers, yet seldom using a design lens. In previous work we developed a traditional and highly interactive picturebook which we observe here being used by families. The study explored how physical and intellectual enhancements change the level and types of interaction within a shared reading environment. The inclusion of physical and intellectual enhancements within the book promote a greater level of interaction and engagement from the parent and child. However, this is only the case if the enhancements provide meaningful interaction, and have relevance to the story. Our results provide design solutions for designing effective children’s books in the future.

year: 2020

title: "Crossing the border" : An interpretive study of children making the transition to school

authors: Peters, Sally

abstract: This thesis explored the experiences of children and their families as the children started school at one Aotearoa/New Zealand primary school. The study followed the progress of seven case study children and their families, from the children's last months in early childhood education, when they were four-years-old, until the children were eight, and had been at school for three years. Their stories are nested within a broader framework, looking at the transition experiences of 16 other children and families. Using an interpretive methodology, interview and observation data were gathered from the children, their parents, their early childhood and new entrant teachers, and other relevant school personnel. This provided a 'rich description' of the year in which the children's transitions took place. A series of interviews over the four-year period captured the case study participants' ongoing experiences and reflections. 

An ecological framework was used to analyse the ways in which the children learned to 'do school' and took on the role of school pupils. It revealed the complex interweaving of characteristics of individual children, and their immediate and more remote environments, that led to different patterns of experiences. This helped to uncover why some children apparently settled happily into school, and for others the experience seemed more challenging. In understanding the children's experiences, it was important to look at the influences over time, rather than a single characteristic of either the child or context. It appeared that most difficulties were short-lived, but some children had ongoing problems that were potentially detrimental to their progress. The study provides insights into why this happened, and indicates possible actions to address the difficulties. 

In the interrelated experiences of children, parents and teachers, the beliefs and practices of the adult participants helped to shape what happened for children. Complexity was evident here too, with transition practices that suited one group of participants sometimes viewed as problematic by others. There were also many, (sometimes contradictory), ideas, that appeared to be underpinned by different views about development. For example, an important issue for the school was the children's development of independence. This was at odds with the more sociocultural and ecological positions evident in the parents' and some early childhood teachers' beliefs about how children could be supported. The focus on independent children carried through into assessment practices at school, which tended to measure isolated skills, and overlooked the influence of the teacher-created environment on children's learning and behaviour. 

Different views about learning led to differing ideas about how children should be prepared for school. These beliefs were also played out at the macro level in systemic differences between early childhood education and school. Hence, the children's journey to becoming a school pupil involved crossing a cultural, as well as a physical border. The differences between the 'cultures' of home and early childhood center on one side, and school on the other, have been well documented in previous research. This study provides new insights into how these could be negotiated. Instead of eliminating differences to provide a smooth or seamless transition, I argue for sociocultural approaches, which capitalise on the developmental possibilities of coping with change. This involves supporting children in the process of becoming a pupil, where the difficulties appear to be beyond those that they can negotiate alone. Overall, it is proposed that enabling children and their families to become 'border crossers' into school requires those supporting them to recognize the multiple, interwoven influences on the process, to know what the hazards are from the border crossers' point of view, and have sufficient understanding of different perspectives to communicate in ways that are 'intelligible' to those involved.

text: "Crossing the border" : An interpretive study of children making the transition to school This thesis explored the experiences of children and their families as the children started school at one Aotearoa/New Zealand primary school. The study followed the progress of seven case study children and their families, from the children's last months in early childhood education, when they were four-years-old, until the children were eight, and had been at school for three years. Their stories are nested within a broader framework, looking at the transition experiences of 16 other children and families. Using an interpretive methodology, interview and observation data were gathered from the children, their parents, their early childhood and new entrant teachers, and other relevant school personnel. This provided a 'rich description' of the year in which the children's transitions took place. A series of interviews over the four-year period captured the case study participants' ongoing experiences and reflections. 

An ecological framework was used to analyse the ways in which the children learned to 'do school' and took on the role of school pupils. It revealed the complex interweaving of characteristics of individual children, and their immediate and more remote environments, that led to different patterns of experiences. This helped to uncover why some children apparently settled happily into school, and for others the experience seemed more challenging. In understanding the children's experiences, it was important to look at the influences over time, rather than a single characteristic of either the child or context. It appeared that most difficulties were short-lived, but some children had ongoing problems that were potentially detrimental to their progress. The study provides insights into why this happened, and indicates possible actions to address the difficulties. 

In the interrelated experiences of children, parents and teachers, the beliefs and practices of the adult participants helped to shape what happened for children. Complexity was evident here too, with transition practices that suited one group of participants sometimes viewed as problematic by others. There were also many, (sometimes contradictory), ideas, that appeared to be underpinned by different views about development. For example, an important issue for the school was the children's development of independence. This was at odds with the more sociocultural and ecological positions evident in the parents' and some early childhood teachers' beliefs about how children could be supported. The focus on independent children carried through into assessment practices at school, which tended to measure isolated skills, and overlooked the influence of the teacher-created environment on children's learning and behaviour. 

Different views about learning led to differing ideas about how children should be prepared for school. These beliefs were also played out at the macro level in systemic differences between early childhood education and school. Hence, the children's journey to becoming a school pupil involved crossing a cultural, as well as a physical border. The differences between the 'cultures' of home and early childhood center on one side, and school on the other, have been well documented in previous research. This study provides new insights into how these could be negotiated. Instead of eliminating differences to provide a smooth or seamless transition, I argue for sociocultural approaches, which capitalise on the developmental possibilities of coping with change. This involves supporting children in the process of becoming a pupil, where the difficulties appear to be beyond those that they can negotiate alone. Overall, it is proposed that enabling children and their families to become 'border crossers' into school requires those supporting them to recognize the multiple, interwoven influences on the process, to know what the hazards are from the border crossers' point of view, and have sufficient understanding of different perspectives to communicate in ways that are 'intelligible' to those involved.

year: 2004

title: Water Quality Modelling of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere

authors: Hamilton, David P.

abstract: As a component of work to contribute towards the management of water quality of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, the University of Waikato was subcontracted by University of Otago to apply a coupled hydrodynamic-water quality model to the lake. The primary funder for this work was Environment Canterbury (ECAN), Whakaora Te Waihora and the Central Government Freshwater Cleanup Fund. The main modelling tool used in the study to simulate the dynamics of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere was the one‐dimensional (1‐D) hydrodynamic-water quality model DYRESM-CAEDYM. The model was used to reproduce observed water column data for a mid-lake station over the period 2011 to 2015. Once a satisfactory level of reproduction of these data had been achieved, an assessment was carried out with the model to examine the impact of various management scenarios on lake water quality. These scenarios involved: (i) projected changes to external nutrient loads to the lake that could be associated with future land management in the catchment and (ii) different lake water level management regimes based around opening of the barrier separating the lake from the ocean. The scenarios are intended here to be a catalyst for further hui and consultations that may adapt and refine additional scenarios, some of which may involve testing of multiple management options. The quantitative output from the model provides a component of the input required to inform strategies for lake management, alongside historical and expert knowledge, as well as analysis of measured data.

text: Water Quality Modelling of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere As a component of work to contribute towards the management of water quality of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, the University of Waikato was subcontracted by University of Otago to apply a coupled hydrodynamic-water quality model to the lake. The primary funder for this work was Environment Canterbury (ECAN), Whakaora Te Waihora and the Central Government Freshwater Cleanup Fund. The main modelling tool used in the study to simulate the dynamics of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere was the one‐dimensional (1‐D) hydrodynamic-water quality model DYRESM-CAEDYM. The model was used to reproduce observed water column data for a mid-lake station over the period 2011 to 2015. Once a satisfactory level of reproduction of these data had been achieved, an assessment was carried out with the model to examine the impact of various management scenarios on lake water quality. These scenarios involved: (i) projected changes to external nutrient loads to the lake that could be associated with future land management in the catchment and (ii) different lake water level management regimes based around opening of the barrier separating the lake from the ocean. The scenarios are intended here to be a catalyst for further hui and consultations that may adapt and refine additional scenarios, some of which may involve testing of multiple management options. The quantitative output from the model provides a component of the input required to inform strategies for lake management, alongside historical and expert knowledge, as well as analysis of measured data.

year: 2017