Creative Methods Research Articles

2.Y.1. Communication in participatory health research with refugees and migrants

Abstract Innovative approaches are needed to transform public health research and address health inequities. Participatory Health Research (PHR) is one such approach, which aims to maximize the participation of those whose life or work is the subject of the research in all stages of the research process. PHR has advantages for both research outcomes, including increased relevance, meaningfulness and impact of research, as well as for those involved, in terms of ownership and empowerment to address their health priorities. PHR with migrants has potential to reduce health inequities through the active involvement of migrants in research about their health. In a framework for refugee and migrant health in the WHO European Region, MacFarlane et al. (2022) recommend the research field of migration and health to adopt PHR as the norm, for ethical reasons and to support effective research-policy-practice translation. PHR with migrants is increasingly used but is still rare and adhoc in the field of migration health research. There are also potential practical and ethical challenges that warrant critical reflection. One persistent challenge is communication, where differences in culture, language and knowledge areas need to be considered in multiple ways, for example, in the development of participatory partnerships, in the conduct of data collection that takes place as a result of such participatory partnerships and in dissemination processes. The aim of the workshop is to share different approaches on PHR with migrants and propose solutions to common challenges in communication. The workshop will be structured in a first part where presenters will draw upon their experience in PHR with refugees and migrants covering a broad range of topics relating to communication, and a second part of open discussion with presenters and the audience. The workshop will address two key questions: what challenges have we experienced, and lessons learnt. Anne MacFarlane presents emerging evidence about music and singing as culturally attuned arts based methods that can create innovative opportunities for communication for partnership building, fieldwork and dissemination. Ana Gama presents on using idea-generation workshops with vignettes representing migrants with diverse health-literacy profiles and its potential to address communication challenges. Key messages • Participatory health research with migrants warrants critical reflection around communication, ethics and partnership-building. • In participatory health research, using innovative and creative methods can create opportunities to overcome communication barriers and build meaningful collaborations. Speakers/Panelists Anne MacFarlane University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland Ana Gama IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Navigating Co-design in Children’s Health Literacy Interventions in Schools

Abstract Today’s society exposes children to vast amounts of health-related information, presenting significant challenges in navigating this content. European health literacy (HL) research underscores the primary school’s role in educating children’s HL. Several HL interventions have been developed for a school setting and few have used co-design with adolescents. However less is known about co-designing HL activities with children. Therefore, this study aims to identify barriers and facilitators for co-designing HL activities with 9 to 12-year-old children in school settings. We use 4 phases of design-based research for the process of co-designing learning activities with multiple teams of 6-8 children in school settings. First, children Reflect on HL and empathize and define skills they want to design activities for. They Design activities through ideation and prototyping. We use a variety of creative methods for the sessions and analyses, such as body mapping and affinity mapping. The evaluation of the effectiveness regarding HL and learning outcomes will be performed in Test and Evaluate phases. Our preliminary results show that children need short and clear assignments for the sessions to reach the goals. Children are enthusiastic to participate and like the methods used in the session, although the concept of HL is sometimes difficult to comprehend. It is challenging for children to come up with creative and appropriate elements for activities without correct health information. We are awaiting results from Test and Evaluate phase on the effect on HL levels and learning outcomes. Children are able to co-design HL activities together with HL and health promotion researchers. By giving children a voice and hands-on experience in the design process, we are able to create activities that are suitable for the target population. This co-design process will be evaluated and adapted to an intervention for the “healthy school” program in the Netherlands. Key messages • By co-designing HL activities children actively learn about health literacy. • Children are important and capable co-designers for HL activities when working together with HL researchers.

Integrating Machine Learning for Enhanced Agricultural Productivity: A Focus on Bananas and Arecanut in the Context of India’s Economic Growth

AbstractAgriculture is one of the sectors that has an important impact, taking into account the problem of sufficient food supply on a global level. The process of predicting the yield of crops is among the most challenging undertakings in the agricultural industry. Agriculture is the main source of income for most developing nations. The purpose of the study is to investigate the significant role that agriculture plays in boosting India's economic growth. Additionally, the research considers the challenges posed by a growing population and a changing environment in terms of agricultural production and food security. The research focuses on analysing the complex characteristics of the agricultural industry, with a particular emphasis on the nutritional importance of tropical fruits, notably bananas and arecanut. These fruits are well-known for their vital nutrients and their role in ensuring world food security. This study acknowledges the importance of sustainable agriculture practices and incorporates sophisticated machine learning algorithms as dynamic tools to forecast crop yields and enhance decision-making processes throughout the crop development cycle. The main aim of this study is to create strong machine learning models and statistical techniques that can accurately predict crop yield by combining a variety of environmental parameters, then assess which models outperform each other. Assist yield projections may provide governments and policymakers with valuable information to make well-informed choices about food security, import–export policies, and resource allocation. It facilitates national- and regional-level food supply planning. The validation method utilises important metrics like R square (R2), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). This present research adds to the continuing discussion on using creative methods to promote sustainable agricultural growth and ensure food security.

Opportunities Behind Challenges for Classroom Management at Aisyiyah Kindergarten in Kalitengah Village

Community Service Program (KKN) is an extracurricular activity that combines the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, as well as learning and community service. This course is designed to provide students with real-world experience while also enhancing their critical thinking skills. KKN focuses on community welfare. This article discusses the implementation of the 2024 KKN-T group 23 in Kalitengah Village, Tanggulangin, focusing on the educational aspect. This study examines the challenges of teaching in the Aisyiyah Kindergarten class in Kalitengah Village and explores the innovative opportunities that arise from this situation. With an unfavorable teacher-to-student ratio, this educational institution faces several challenges in providing high-quality education. Using qualitative research methods, this study examines the adaptive strategies developed by students and teachers. Data was collected through participatory observation, interviews with teachers and school principals, as well as analysis of school documents. The main idea is that the lack of human capital has driven the implementation of more collaborative and creative learning methods. Strategies such as the implementation of a peer mentoring system, integration of educational technology, and active involvement of parents in the learning process have produced unexpectedly positive outcomes. The research results indicate an increase in student independence, better development of social-emotional skills, as well as efficiency in time and resource management. This study concludes that challenges can serve as a catalyst for educational innovation, with important implications for the development of adaptive and effective classroom management models in other early childhood education institutions facing similar limitations.

Application of Interactive Learning Methods and Character Strengthening in Aisyiyah Penatarsewu Kindergarten

This research aims to explore the role of Real Work Lecture (KKN) students in supporting learning activities at the Aisyiyah Kindergarten in Penatarsewu Village and their contribution in increasing awareness of children's dental health. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, this research assesses the impact of KKN on educational learning, social and cultural introduction, and children's health. The research results show that KKN students have succeeded in applying creative and innovative methods, introducing local social and cultural values, and increasing children's understanding of dental health, including the importance of limiting consumption of sweet foods. The involvement of KKN students makes a significant contribution to improving the quality of education, social knowledge, culture and children's health. This program shows the potential for synergy between higher education and local communities in creating sustainable positive change.

Winging it: visions, automation, and narrating alternative mobility futures

This paper is concerned with the way that futures for autonomous mobility are envisioned, specifically in industry representations. We begin by analysing a pair of representative commercial narratives around future autonomous mobility, from Wing and Audi, finding them to be simplistic, exclusionary, and focused on individual freedoms. Building on this analysis, we draw on ideas around mobility justice and creative mobilities methods to craft an alternative science fiction vignette, one that augments a future from a gig worker’s perspective. In doing so, we foreground multiple injustices and insecurities, and aim to highlight the potential within creative and narrative methods to complicate dominant stories about technological futures, to articulate alternative futures, explore them, research with them, and make other futures more tangible. The paper concludes by discussing the need for such approaches given the dominant framings around autonomous mobility futures.

The play’s the thing: reflections on the use of playwriting as creative practice within an education studies PhD

Purpose Expanding on Harris and Sinclair (2014, p. 5) claim that “the writing of a play is an act of inquiry”, this paper aims to consider the joyful entanglements, messiness and friction-led use of creative methods within the context of a PhD in education studies. Design/methodology/approach Amplifying the voices of both doctoral student and supervisor, the authors explain how the construction of a dramatic script informed the crafting of an alternative format thesis within which “the play’s the thing” (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2). In responding to the influence of creativity in the lives of both the student and the supervisor, the paper uses creative and reflective writing as a method of inquiry to explore how practice and procedure are navigated in relation to non-standard theses submissions. Findings The authors find that academic expectancy continues to influence the structure, form and presentation of the PhD thesis and argue that enduring tensions surrounding the reverence of “tradition” impact the application and nature of creativity. Originality/value The piece aims to examine the multiple challenges faced but, importantly, highlights how the creative partnership between supervisor and student has forged changes in contemporary doctoral education in the awarding institution and the implications for future practice within doctoral education more broadly.

Young people’s participation in urban landscape planning and transformation: a scoping review of interactive approaches

AbstractThis article presents a review of methodological advancements and transformative potential in participatory processes with young people in urban landscapes. It offers a framework understanding of current types of participatory processes in relation to urban landscape planning, and underlines lifeworld and action as two key components in transformative participatory processes with young people. The two-step scoping review of a literature sample (n = 44 studies) finds a prevalence of less-interactive approaches to young people’s participation in urban landscapes, and subsequently analyses openings for lifeworld and action in the more interactive approaches described (n = 17 studies). The interactive methods described demonstrate opportunities to facilitate young people’s own articulations of lifeworlds within the urban landscape, especially in extended processes deploying multiple creative methods. The relatively few examples of actions and interventions resulting from participatory processes points to the need for further development and the ambition to include young people in transforming urban landscapes towards increased sustainability.

Stories from the Botanical Underground

Living simultaneously in worlds of subsurface darkness and cosmic light, plants transfer knowledge across time and place thresholds. They communicate through their interactions in plain sight and beyond view, often escaping the reaches of human imagination. Medicinal plants, in particular, offer the intimacy of embodied sensory knowledge. As we consume them, ecosystem functions are reenacted inside our bodies through physiological actions. Drawing on botanically centered practices incorporating field work, herbalism, and writing, this project expands creative methods within geography. Through botanical stories, I build on established knowledge adding insights and interpretations derived from ecological observations and botanical medicine practices. These stories feature ecologically and culturally important species that serve as guides for navigating emerging and ongoing environmental and social issues. Through interconnectivity with Betony (Pedicularis spp.), Globemallow (Sphaeralcea spp.), and Vervain (Verbena spp.), I explore plant perspectives for living relationally with environmental change.

Alzheimer's Disease Protein Targets: Comprehensive Review and Future Directions.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a gradual degenerative ailment of the nervous system that is marked by the buildup of amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. This accumulation causes problems with the connections between nerve cells and the loss of these cells. This review paper explores the complex pathophysiology of AD, analyzing the neuronal loss reported in key brain regions like the entorhinal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and cortical association areas. The text also examines subcortical nuclei participation, such as the noradrenergic locus coeruleus, serotonergic dorsal raphe, and cholinergic basal nucleus. Also, this review discusses the importance of tau protein hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, and metal ion dysregulation in the evolution of AD. Moreover, it explores the cholinergic theory and the influence of the APOE (apolipoprotein E) genotype on the effectiveness of therapy. This article thoroughly summarizes the current knowledge on AD, including its clinical symptoms and possible treatment approaches, by combining several theories and new targets. The study highlights the connection between the degree of tangle development and the severity of dementia, underlining the need for creative methods to tackle the complex difficulties of discovering drugs for AD.

Literature cartographies

If traditional literature reviews in academia tell stories of what is known about a topic, this article proposes a way to engage in this knowing differently through cartography, geography, and poetry, informed by Baradian theory. This writing details the creative method developed to think-with literature using geography as a mapping strategy, called ‘literature cartographies’. Through affective engagement with literature, geographical found-poems are presented that tell stories of how place shapes identity in arts therapy across the globe. The creative method of literature cartographies disrupts traditional literature review writing by inviting us to consider expanding how we tell and are affected by literature stories.

‘There for me’: learning from young people about challenges and enablers to continuing education

ABSTRACT Young people’s perspectives are not always central to policy and practice in widening participation contexts. This article explores enablers and barriers to educational progression by considering factors that young people suggest influence how they envisage and act on their futures. The underpinning study asked students aged 12–23 in disadvantaged areas of northern England to think about their possible selves using creative methods to encourage dialogue, including an animation and board game co-designed with university students. The findings suggested that students’ perceptions of their own futures are influenced by their experiences of being categorised or labelled, both in and out of school, as well as the quality of their relationships with adults and peers. The authors discuss how these factors tended to shape the young people’s experiences of being at school, with a view to rethinking labelling and enabling participatory spaces that cultivate the intersecting relationships, influences, structures and self-belief that make a difference.

A Simulation-based Education Platform for Security Investments Through Culture and Knowledge Convergence

Cybersecurity is one of the most critical sectors of information systems and is considered a strategic priority for many Organizations. Information security investments are a crucial aspect of cybersecurity. However, it often happens that the economic decisions, which aim to improve information security, have poor efficiency. One reason is the lack of background on economics of the Chief Information Security Officers who are often not familiar with the evaluation of the non-technical aspects of security, e.g. economics. The other reason is the cultural gap between the different persons related to business management and administration. In this paper we present an interactive - simulation software designed to familiarize the aforementioned persons with information security investments. The software is actually a game that aims to boost learning for all the stakeholders who are involved in the investment process. Α better understanding of the processes, the technical, economic and human factors, along with the cultural convergence of the stakeholders will help boost the efficiency of investments. Design Science is used as the research method. The creative method, a brainstorming technique, is combined with the five steps of Design Science, i.e. explicate the problem, define the requirements, design and develop the artefact, demonstrate the artefact, and evaluate the artefact, to develop a process framework that will be able to cope with this problem. The artefact is an interactive-simulation platform in which a person could take the decision maker role and (a) deal with events that happen and (b) investigate different aspects of information security investment complexity. The evaluation of the artefact is made with a case study in the Industry, where real world data are used to feed the simulation and real-world decision makers play the game in order to better understand the different aspects of the problem and help us trim and enhance the functioning of the platform. Finally, limitations are elaborated and future work is also discussed.

Challenges of Adult Education in China: A Review

This literature review examined the situation of adult education in China, using Knowles' Andragogy Theory and an assessment of legislation, policies, and challenges to adult learning. Knowles' approach emphasizes the value of self-directed, experiential learning, which is critical for adult learners. In China, the government has implemented laws such as the "Lifelong Education Law" to encourage continual learning, although considerable problems remain. These include insufficient finance, out-of-date curricula, restricted access to educational resources, and social attitudes that devalue adult education. Therefore, this review emphasized the need for policy refinement, creative teaching methods, and more investment in infrastructure and educator training. Addressing these difficulties is essential in developing a strong adult education system in China that encourages lifelong learning.

Novel Techniques Tool in Cutting and Peeling Coconut: SWOT Analysis

Innovation is essential for small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia, as it improves productivity and competitiveness in the agricultural industry. It is essential to incorporate cutting-edge techniques and tools for processing coconuts, given the agriculture sector's objective of increasing productivity and sustainability. Since Malaysia aims to upgrade its agricultural methods, these advancements are relevant in Malaysia. The present study provides a thorough SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of CoCoCut's cutting and peeling procedures and tools for coconuts. The analysis is based on a single-case study. Furthermore, it evaluates inherent advantages and disadvantages of these innovative approaches, together with potential advantages and risks in the market. This study offers a thorough analysis of the innovative tool, i.e., CoCoCut's areas of expertise, which can help in identifying numerous possibilities for expanding its business. Moreover, it offers a comprehensive comprehension of CoCoCut's vulnerabilities and discerns prospective hazards that pertinent stakeholders may encounter in future. Having this comprehension is crucial for effectively navigating the intricacies of the market and taking advantage of advancements. To conclude, this study emphasizes need for adopting creative methods in coconut processing and advancing a more competitive and sustainable coconut sector. The invention and utilization of this groundbreaking instrument have several substantial economic ramifications. This cutting-edge gadget enhances the efficiency of coconut peeling, resulting in boost in output. It is advisable to utilize this instrument to enhance distribution network by forming strategic alliances with industry and trade firms, thereby expanding its reach in the worldwide market.

PhEminist skins of resistance: creative activism as a decolonial tool for the empowerment of young people within the neo-liberal educational setting

ABSTRACT In this article, I discuss the legacy of the art historical trope of the female nude in perpetuating colonial narratives that inform young women’s understanding not only of the idealized female body, but also what is perceived as ‘good’ drawing in the contemporary art classroom. Theoretically informed by phEmaterialism (feminist new materialism and post-humanism in education), I review the skin as a post-human assemblage to diffract heteronormative and raced colonial imaginings of the female skin. I discuss the PhEminist Skins project, a collaboration with six young women artists (the YWAs), where critical engagement with creative methods, such as life drawing, mobilized the agency of the skin and created opportunity for creative activism. I further share how the methods developed by the YWAs instigated the creation of The Centre for Creative Explorations, a creative research centre that explores alternative pedagogical approaches to the decolonial endeavour in secondary education.

Influence of Walt Disney’s Work on Soviet Cartoons

In the mid-1930s, Walt Disney’s cartoon characters conquered screens all over the world. The Soviet Union was not spared from this fascination. Despite the fact that Soviet animation took its first steps in the mid-1920s and by the time of the Disney craze already had several successful films (e.g., “The Rink”, “The Post Office”, “Black and White”), domestic cartoonists fell under the “Disney hypnosis”. This leads to active borrowing of Disney methods, imitation of the performing manner, copying characters. At the newly established studio “Soyuzmultfilm” with the approval of high film bosses begins work on the creation of “his Soviet Mickey Mouse”. For the basis of cartoon production take the flow method – conveyor, which allows, thanks to the use of celluloid sheets instead of paper, accelerate the production of cartoons. This method of creating cartoon pictures divides artists into supporters and opponents of Disney methods. Some of the opponents are leaving the profession, believing that the conveyor belt method would turn the art of animation into a craft.However, even uncompromising supporters of Disney animation quickly realize that direct copying of the great master’s tapes leads domestic animation to a dead end, as it becomes obvious that Disney’s tricks, techniques and images cannot be adapted to traditional stories: folk tales, fables. In addition, in the second half of the 1930s, the USSR changed its cultural policy. All this leads to the struggle against “Disney” and the search for their own unique style of Soviet animation.The article analyses the memoirs of cartoonists N.P. Khodataev, I.P. Ivanov-Vano, A.V. Ivanov, F.S. Khitruk and others, their perception of Disney’s work, their attitude to the borrowing of the master’s creative methods, as well as the experience of creating their own works using Disney technologies.

METHODS OF PROPER ORGANIZATION OF PROFESSIONAL CULTURE AND ACMEOLOGICAL CRITERIA IN TEACHER'S ACTIVITY

In this work, written on the topic of "methods of correct organization of professional culture and acmeological criteria in teacher's work", the importance of formation of professional culture and correct organization of acmeological criteria in pedagogical activity is analyzed. Acmeology is the professional and personal development of a person is a science that studies the process of growth and self-development, and this process takes an important place in the work of teachers. In this study, teachers' professional culture and how to achieve their personal and professional growth through acmeological approaches The abstract emphasizes the importance of using effective strategies, methods and technologies for the proper organization of professional culture and acmeological criteria in the teacher's activity.Approaches to self-development of the teacher, improvement of professional competencies, as well as ways of using creative and innovative methods in pedagogical processes are studied. Through this, the teacher achieves high results in his work and contributes to the development of his students. The importance of this work is that the relationship between professional culture and acmeological criteria in improving the quality of education is analyzed on a scientific basis. Opinions expressed by scientists and presidents on the topic "Professional culture and methods of correct organization of acmeological criteria in teacher activity" play an important role in the formation of pedagogical culture and the role of teachers in improving the quality of education.

Creative and accurate method for optimal hardware implementation of neurons and biological cells: Application in FPGA-based implementation of cardiac pacemaker cell

The sinoatrial (SA) node cells play a vital role as the principal pacemaker in mammalian hearts, generating regular and spontaneous action potentials to regulate the heart’s rhythm. Comprehending the intricate activity of the SA node’s operation necessitates a collection of differential formulas that tackle non-linear functions. The study presents a new technique to improve the digital representation of the SA node cell model, offering benefits such as decreased hardware needs, enhanced processing speed and accuracy, and reduced implementation expenses by transforming the original model’s differential equations into a unified trigonometric function. This transformation significantly simplifies the computational complexity by eliminating the need for multipliers, resulting in a streamlined set of mathematical expressions. The digital implementation of this novel method can be efficiently realized using the Coordinate Rotation Digital Computer (CORDIC) algorithm, which circumvents the necessity for cumbersome mathematical operations. To demonstrate the viability of this approach, the proposed model is successfully synthesized and implemented on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The results of the implementation demonstrate a significant rise in the operating frequency, which is approximately 6.14 times greater than that of the original model. Furthermore, there is a notable 45 percent decrease in power usage. The lowered hardware needs make significant scalability possible, thus allowing for the inclusion of approximately 12 times as many SA node cells on a sole FPGA board in comparison to the original design.

Lego Serious Play in Psychology: Exploring Its Use in Qualitative Interviews

ABSTRACT Lego Serious Play (LSP) developed in corporate settings to encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and drive creativity. As a creative research method, LSP is relatively under-researched. The constructive ‘build, share, listen’ process of LSP has considerable potential to promote reflection and elicit talk in phenomenological research interviews. We draw on our experiences using LSP in interviews to explore the meaning of happiness with five young adults in Hong Kong, who had moved back to their parental home. We explain our approach and discuss the potential benefits, limitations and considerations when using LSP to enhance individual interviews. It is a participant-led approach, which reduces anxiety, enables ‘flow,’ self-expression and reflection, access to tacit knowledge, use of metaphor and symbolism. Considerations and limitations include the time burden, aspects of our approach which were more researcher- than participant-led, potential improvements to enhance data generation and ethical reflections on the cathartic nature of the LSP-supported interviews.