Insights from eye movement tracking research – Laura Muir, School of Computing
The Human Visual System is optimised for processing ‘big data’ characterised by high volume, velocity, variety and veracity over a limited bandwidth channel between the eye and the brain (the optic nerve). Applications which model human visual responses to image data in video systems are presented in research which began in projects to improve the quality of real-time video communication of sign language and is currently being developed in proposed new research to improve identification of faces in vast quantities of surveillance video. The common theme is the study of the visual information seeking behaviour of ‘experts’: people who are profoundly deaf and rely on visual communication of information and so-called ‘super recognisers’ who have exceptional face recognition ability. Eye movement tracking of experts during active information seeking tasks reveals insights that may be exploited to improve the processing efficiency and effectiveness of ‘big video data’. (Video)
Chronicling Empire: Scottish Albums in Colonial Southeast Asia – Alexander Supartono, School of Arts and Creative Industries
This research examines photographs and photographic albums associated with Gillian Maclaine, a Scottish entrepreneur who established one of the most significant Asia-based commercial networks operated in the region through the 19th and first half of the 20th century. It aims to show how the photographic practices in the colonies (modern architecture, industrialised landscape, or portraiture of intimate social circles) reflected the cultural hybridity and social stratification of modern colonial society. Photographic albums produced within Maclaine’s business circles will take us into the worldview of the colonisers themselves beyond the blunt colonial construction of cultural and geographic difference. Exploring material from largely understudied archives in Scotland, Indonesia and Singapore, this research will offer a new reading and theorising of both Scottish colonial history and photographic practice in the colony, knowledge, which will aid the internationalisation of the history of photography curriculum at the photography programme of the Edinburgh Napier University. (Video)
Portraits of Care – Gemma Webster, School of Computing
People with late-stage dementia commonly experience communication difficulties due to deterioration in their communication skills. This causes problems when they enter new care environments as their character, preferences and life experiences are unknown to new care providers. Portrait is a unique software tool that allows care staff to gain insights into the lives of people with dementia before they needed care.
Portrait presents staff with a snapshot of the individual’s life, composed of photos, life events, family details, preferences and hobbies, created by the individual’s friends and family. This facilitates patient-centred care, which can improve care outcomes and wellbeing, and assist in the management of challenging behaviour. Portrait is unique in that it was designed from the perspective of care staff; it is not simply another reminiscence tool. Portrait is a user-friendly tool designed specifically to fit into care staff work routines and be easily, quickly and effectively used to learn about a person in their care. In short, it allows care staff to know who the people are, rather than their illness. (Video)
Using Social Media to Engage Nurses in Health Policy Development – Siobhan O’Connor, School of Health and Social Care
Health policy can be designed with little input from frontline nursing staff, leaving gaps between practice and policy that impact patient care. The Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland launched a “2030NursingVision” project which used social media, among other approaches, to gain insights into the profession to inform future health policy. This study explored the views of participants in a Twitter chat and how social media was used for policy debate and development. A mixed study design involving thematic analysis of tweets gathered via NCapture and descriptive statistics generated from an analytics platform were used. Nurses called for investment in technology, education, research and mental health. In particular, primary care and advanced practice roles to support older adults with complex needs were also seen as vital to develop. Social media can help reach and engage nurses in the formulation of national strategy and ensure there is continuity between policy and practice. (Video)
Caregivers, Silently Accepting Burden and Suffering in Their Role – Elizabeth Larue, School of Health and Social Care
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered the “signature injury” of recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, with 22% of U.S. returning troops experiencing a TBI. After receiving acute and rehabilitative healthcare services, Veterans with a TBI are typically cared for at home by a family member, with little or no help from others. Symptoms of a TBI are distressing and include cognitive impairment (deficits in memory, language, attention, and/or planning), difficulty communicating, poor impulse control, and poor emotion regulation. Symptoms of a TBI do not lessen over time, are often perceived as burdensome, and are associated with negative mental health outcomes. Thus, we designed this study to determine if Problem Solving Therapy, delivered through a high-speed Internet video connection between a caregiver and a Problem Solving Therapist, will reduce the burden and improve the mental health outcomes in co-residing family caregivers of a Veteran or Service Member with a TBI. (Video)
Glass half empty or full? Analyzing and interpreting the concerns data of people at end of treatment? – Lucy Johnston and Karen Campbell, School of Health and Social Care
Transforming Care after Treatment in Scotland (TCAT), funded by Macmillam Cancer Support, has implemented 25 local projects, each with different approaches to redesigning follow up after treatment for cancer. The overall programme seeks to improve the after care for people living with and beyond cancer.
The presentation will describe and compare follow up approaches for different cancers (breast, prostate, colorectal and melanoma) being tested via TCAT to illustrate how the context of the follow up (location, timing), the circumstances of the professional and the patient (gender, age, profession) and the concerns identified need to be appreciated all together in order to understand truly how survivorship services and outcomes can be improved. (Video)
Have you been mis-sold PPIs? – Katherine Staines, School of Applied Sciences
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most widely used drugs in the world and act to reduce gastric acid production. It is known that the long-term use of PPIs is associated with an increased risk of bone fractures, thought to be due to a reduction in calcium absorption. Here I will present data showing a novel direct mechanism by which PPIs may cause reduced bone mineralisation and subsequent increased fracture risk. (Video)
Threshold Concepts in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – Anne Tierney, Department of Learning Teaching Enhancement
Threshold Concepts can be used to identify topics that learners find difficult; the defining characteristic of a Threshold Concept is that it transforms the learner, and once negotiated, is irreversible. Without successful mastery of a Threshold Concept, further learning cannot take place. Negotiating a threshold concept is defined as being troublesome for learners, as concepts can be counter-intuitive or elusive in nature. This may lead to a period of liminality, where the learner remains uncertain about their acquisition of knowledge. This study investigates Threshold Concepts as experienced by Life Sciences academics engaged with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Using Keith Trigwell’s Model of Scholarship, I identified Threshold Concepts within the dimensions of the model, as well as others which lay outside the model, framework. Awareness of these Threshold Concepts is useful for anyone engaging with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, as they give an insight to some of the pitfalls of scholarship and pedagogic research. (Video)
Revealing the hidden impact of feedback through internal reflection – Mark Carver, Department of Learning Teaching Enhancement
Assumptions about how students approach learning and use feedback have so far paid little attention to very motivated students or those with a strong sense of vocation. To look at what happens when students are not wholly grade-driven, students on vocational courses were asked to give their narrative about how they used feedback. A theoretical framework of dialogic feedback was adapted to consider internal monologue as a type of self-dialogue, and helps to give a more appreciative impression of how students engage with feedback. Crucially, much of what they do remains hidden from the normal ways we look at the impact of feedback. (Video)
Student survey Groundhog Day? Extracting data from survey-fatigued students – Ella Taylor-Smith, School of Computing
Student experiences and perspectives are central to the Centre for Computing Education Research. In the last couple of years, I’ve worked on 5 projects which surveyed and/or interviewed current students and one which surveyed and interviewed graduates. These same students are the targets of research from within and outwith the university and there may be considerable overlap between survey schedules. Can we take this opportunity to share strategies for recruiting students, including promotion and incentives? Can we start to design an integrated and ethical approach that makes the best use of students’ and staff time and gathers good quality data? (Video)
Could your PhD be the basis of a British Standard? – Ivor Davies, School of Engineering and the Built Environment
British Standards aim to codify ‘what good looks like’. As such they can offer a significant opportunity for recent PhD graduates to increase the impact of their research by transforming it into a publication that will define best practice in their field for years to come. This talk outlines how I turned my PhD into the BS 8605 series of British Standards. Could this process work for you too? (Video)
Culture Change Required: Domestic Abuse and Child Contact actions – Richard Whitecross, Business School
This presentation is based on research funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2006 changes were made to the 1995 Children (Scotland) Act that require courts to take in to consideration “abuse” when making decisions about a contact between a child and a non-resident parent. The changes were introduced to ensure that domestic abuse would be a material factor over any contact order. However, evidence gathered indicates that lawyers find it difficult to raise such concerns in Child Welfare Hearings. As a result, female victims of domestic abuse find that their experiences are not taken in to consideration. This presentation presents preliminary finding and argues that there needs to be a cultural change towards domestic abuse in contact cases. (Video)
Gassy trout and other fishy tales from the Tweed – Rob Briers, School of Applied Sciences
I have been using stable isotope analysis to determine whether trout in different parts of the river Tweed are migratory or resident, to aid the management of this important fishery. In the process of undertaking the research, I have found evidence that some fish are deriving part of their energy indirectly from chemosynthesis of methane. This appears to be linked to the extent of peat bogs within the river catchment; understanding the importance of the energy derived from these sources provides another reason to promote conservation of peat bog habitats. (Video)