Extra Blog

I'm so  relieved that my presentation went relatively well. Now i'm not worried that i'll graduate and i can't until the 15th!

Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

1. I'd say I am proud of how my power-point turned out and how I was able to use it as a prop during my presentation instead of just having it there. I was able to reference it and it can in handy when I would blank occasionally. I also was able to convey my meanings and information in a good and confident way to my audience. I was told that I was very clear with my explanations and information.

2. a. AP-P. I completed all of the requirements but stumbled a few times and forgot to mention my sources that were posted at the bottom of specific slides.
b. P. I did everything I was supposed to, on time. And I did very well during my Lesson 2.

3. Researching was not difficult for me. My mentor gave a a website that made it simple for me to find good quality studies and research.

4. I wouldn't change much. Honestly, all I would probably have done is add some more slides in my final presentation in order to make time a little easier.

5. Senior project provided me with a lot of useful skills. Because of it I got in a lot more experience with researching, communicating with those I worked with at mentorship, good time management, and planning out presentations. Working closely with those at my mentorship was very common for me. We worked together to test the game and write up bugs in order to improve it and it helped a lot of field testing days where we went and worked with seniors at the YMCA. It also pushed me to find ways of getting quality research for my later endeavors in schooling and life.

Blog 22: Mentorship

LITERAL
Nina Withrington at Blue Marble Game Company

INTERPRETIVE
My experience at BMGC actually helped my come up with my whole entire project. I came up with my EQ by coming and helping here and it is actually my second answer to my EQ. I learned so much about fall prevention and the different ways that people can help themselves be healthier and prevent a fall. I think the most important thing that I learned is that there are so many ways to prevent a fall that no one specific combination is the best for each patient.

APPLIED
The game itself is actually my second answer to my EQ. So in that respect it has helped me answer it. But also throughout the interviews I did with people who worked at BMGC, it helped contribute and solidify my other two answers but giving me professional input.

Blog 21: Exit Interview

1. What is the best way for a healthcare professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly?

• The best way a healthcare professional can reduce the risk of falling in the elderly is by increasing a patient's physical activity.
• The best way a healthcare professional can reduce the risk of falling in the elderly by increasing a patient's exercise and physical activity through the use of a video game.
• The best way a healthcare professional can reduce the risk of falling in the elderly is by introducing multiple interventions into a patient's life.

2. Through completion all of my research and conducting my interviews, many of my sources provided these answers as the best way to reduce fall risk. I trust my interviewees because they are professionals and have the right education and experience to confidently answer this question.

3. When second semester rolled around the corner, I started to realize that I wasn't getting enough hours since I used 30 of them for my first independent component. To solve this problem, I went to two full day game testing days with Blue Marble at the YMCA and got 10-11 hours. This helped me reach my goal of 50 hours.

4. The most significant source I had was the interview that I had with my mentor, Nina Withrington. She explained a lot of so many different aspects of my project that I can really apply it to the whole project. The second most significant source was actually the last source that I looked up. It's a study but provides a lot of background information and why multifactorial interventions are the best answer to my EQ.

Extra Blog

I'm really excited to see how the game turns out in the end. Some mini games and other map locations were added this past week and it's looking like an actusl video game now. Another thing I am really excited about is that my name is in the credits of the game! I think it's super cool that they thought to put that in there. But I can't wait to present and show what this game is all about! I don't think people quite understand it so i'll be able to really explain it.

Independent Component 2

LITERAL

• I, Hannah Seyffert, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
• Source that helped me the most:
• Dallek, Lance. "Designing Balance Exercise Programs for Older Adults." The American Council on Exercise. The American Council on Exercise. Web. 12 April 2015. <https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/687/designing-balance-exercise-programs-for-older%20/>
•  For my independent component, I decided to create my own mini game for the video game that is being made at my mentorship, Blue Marble Game Company. I did research and brainstormed on what I should make my game about. Once I decided on what I would do, I story-boarded my game and wrote an essay on why I chose the things I chose and how it helped me in my project.

INTERPRETIVE

• This game helped me really think about the best way to create a video game for fall prevention. It forced me to think deeply about the goal and how to accomplish it. It really made me dive into the whole process and get to know what I should be doing.
• I created a mini game for my independent component. I researched and brainstormed a lot on my ideas and what I envisioned. Once I decided on what I was going to do, I drew up/story-boarded the game itself, since I do not have the knowledge to make it on a actual computer. I also wrote an essay on why I did this, my thought process behind the actual game and how it helped me in my project.

APPLIED

• This process really helped me think about the answers to my EQ. Since my second answer is basically about the video game, it really helped reinforce why I chose that answer in the first place. By going in depth and thinking about the details of the game, it showed exactly why my second answer is what it should be.

Independent Blog

Last Thursday, the 26th, I accompanied my mentor and a couple other people from Blue Marble Game Company to the YMCA for some field testing with the game, Health in Motion. At the YMCA, we had six elders, ranging from around 71-76, come in and do a fall screening.

Going out and testing this game with elders helps us see...

1. how the users react to the game
2. what they like/dislike about the game
3. how we can improve the game to make it more enjoyable to the user
4. if the Kinect is working/tracking the movements properly
5. how to make the instructions/use of the game easier for the user to understand

Those are a few of the things we looked at while game testing. It is extremely important for us to see how the seniors interact with the game because they are our target audience. If they are not able to navigate the game on their own and enjoy it, then the game will not sell as much. Going out and field testing helps with so many different aspects of the game and it is so much fun to meet these people and have them test out Health in Motion.

Nina(seat left) is my mentor. She explains the game to the seniors, helps them while they play to game to make sure they're safe(she's a PT), and asks them questions about the game.

Rachel(seated right) records and codes the videos while the play test is happening.

Tony(standing right) is one of the designers of the game. He is there to observe to see how the game can be improved, see that the tracking is working properly, and to help with technical difficulties.

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Preparation

1. Why is fall prevention so important?
2. How can falling effect an elderly person's way of life?
3. How does home improvement/installations help in preventing falls?
4. Would you recommend a personal trainer/PT or an at home program? Why?
5. What do you think are the most effective exercises for an elder to perform?
6. What does a video game offer that other fall prevention strategies don't?
7. Does an at home video game have any disadvantages? What are they?
8. How often do these tasks need to be performed in order to use them to the full extent?
9. What do you believe is the best way to prevent falling?
10. What kind of external factors can increase fall risk?
11. Do you think putting someone in a facility is a good or bad thing? Why?
12. If it was your loved one, how would you prepare them?
13. How do you work around health issues? Like if they have arthritis or something and it is painful for them to exercise.
14. Is there any way to prevent falling without exercising?
15. How do you help those with fear?
16. How is communication with the client helpful?
17. Why is trust between the patient and PT/program important?
18. How do you approach a client in order to build a solid foundation with them?
19. Are there ever any difficult clients? How do you get past that?
20. What is the most important thing to remember throughout the fall prevention process?

Blog 17: Answer 3

1. What is your EQ?

What is the best way for a healthcare professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly?

2. What is your third answer?

The best way for a healthcare professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly is by implementing multiple interventions with the patients.

3. My research articles 10, 18, and 25 best support my third answer.

4. Take precautions in multiple areas like exercise, at home prevention, and medication regulation will help cover more ground in reducing falls.

Independent Blog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuPJrkE-CSA

This is a link to a YouTube video called Video Game and Fall Prevention.

In this video, they show a little clip of a video game that patients used in order to prevent their falling in the future. This is a good example of a simple game.

Blog 16: Answer 2

1. What is your EQ?

What is the best way for a healthcare professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly?

2. What is your first answer?

The best way for a healthcare professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly is to keep the patient active through physical activities in order to strengthen muscles and stability.

3. What is your second answer?

The best way for a healthcare professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly is to continue physical activity through the used of a video game.

4. List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

• Doing the sit to stand movement increases the muscle in the thigh. Increased strength reduces risk. Doing this with the game makes it more fun for the patient as well as healthcare provider. 
• Parting the Horses Mane helps with balance for the elderly, decreasing fall risk. Doing this in the game makes it more fun for the patient. 
• One Leg Stand helps balance in the elder, decreasing fall risk. Doing this will the came makes it more fun for the patient. 

5. What printed source best supports your answer?

Power Training: Can it Improve Functional Performance  in Older Adults?

6. What other source supports your answer?

General Studies of the Sit to Stand Movement

7. Tie this together with a concluding thought. 

I think that using these techniques and keeping elders active will reduce their risk of falling and reduce falling in general. 

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1. For my second independent component, I plan on doing some more mentorship and starting to plan to design my own mini game for Health in motion. I will come up with the exercise that I will be using and the setting of the game. This will help me get into the workings of creating a fall prevention game.

2. I will storyboard my own mini game that I have created and turn it in on the due date.

3. Working at my mentorship helps me see the excises put in action through the game and why they help the elders. Taking what I learn there and transferring into making my own mini game will really solidify what I have learned and make it into my own creation.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

LITERAL

(a) I, Hannah Seyffert, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) Since I did extra mentorship for this component, my mentor Nina Withrington helped me complete my independent component. 

(c) See Working Bibliography

(d) I completed more mentorship hours at the Blue Marble Game Co. for my first independent component. I game tested, sat in on meetings, data checked, and basically shadowed my mentor throughout this component. I'm pretty much an intern. I help them do actual work that needs to be done.

INTERPRETIVE

My senior project is on Elderly Care, but focused on the Fall Prevention aspect of that care. By doing extra mentorship, I got to see the way things are run in a company that create games to help prevent falls. Data checking,game testing, writing up bugs, having meetings about the games, looking at all of the exercises; these are the things that helped me create my first answer for my Essential Question. It is a process, but if it reduces fall risk and the overall death rate among the elderly, it's worth it.

 This photo is an example of some game testing. As you may have noticed in the upper right portion of the screen, some words are being covered by the title of the game. This is called a bug. This is not supposed to happen. The words are telling us that there was an issue with the network connection so it wasn't able to log in to the server. With it being covered like that, the player will be less likely to notice it, or even, be able to read it clearly. In fact, I did not notice it until Jake said something when he took a look at it.

This is another example of a bug in the game. As you can see, on the results page for the exercises, it mentions the "Chair Stand Test" twice. It should only be mentioned once, since I only completed the task once.

APPLIED

Doing more mentorship helped me see why fall prevention is so important. I also learned through the process why certain exercises were chosen for the game. Some are better than others at decreasing your fall risk, and it is important to know which ones in order to create the most efficient and effective way to prevent a fall. Sitting in on meetings and discussions helped me see the professionals' thought processes and how they come to their conclusions about the game. I also got to see an elder play the game and how they interacted with the game. The exercises can be difficult for them even though they're not difficult for a young teen like me. So seeing that and how their muscles improve through that also helps me answer my Essential Question.

Independent Blog

I've had many peers ask me what my second and third answers are going to be to my Essential Question and I haven't really been able to answer their question. But this is something I really have to start thinking about.

I'll remind you that my Essentioal Question is: What is the best way for a health care professional to reduce the risk of falling in the elderly?

Since my mentorship is basically all about Health in Motion and the game in general, it is hard for mew to think of answers besides that one. I will discuss it with my mentor.

My first answer was staying active to keep stability and muscle mass in order to decrease the risk of falling. Some possibilities for my second and third answers are:

• Using a physically interactive video game.
• Being put in a wheelchair or other assistive device. (Not the best choice. "Helpful Hazard")
• Adding safety features to your home, like railings.
• Being put in a home so that the patient can be monitored and assisted.

All of these things are possibilities for my next two answers. I will put in more research to all of them, and then make a decision based off of my findings.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson2 Presentation and why?

I'm proud that I had enough content to talk about and did it even though I did not have as much breathing room. As in I kind of rushed through because I did not want to keep the class late, but I still made time.

2. a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

P

b. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I think I have good volume and presence while I present and make good eye contact with the audience. I had a board stating my EQ, made a powerpoint, and used all of my time talking and doing the activity and didn't waste any time. I had sources for my research. And I believe I completed all of the P requirements on the contract.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

I think I talked really well to my audience. I only stuttered a couple of times, so it overall went pretty smoothly.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your lesson 2?

Not many people actually got into and did my activity, which was kind of annoying. I understand it was the end of the day. So maybe I would make it more interesting somehow next time and have some sort of reward for the people who accomplished the task and did it the best and actually put effort in.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

My answer two could be the actual game playing as opposed to just doing the exercises.

Blog 12: Mentorship Hours

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?

I am doing my mentorship at the Blue Marble Game Company.

2. Who is your contact?

Nina Withrington

3. How many total hours have you done?

I have done a total of 30 hours, plus the 10 from my summer mentorship.

4. Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

Basically, then 10 summer hours were an introduction into what they do at BMGC. I got to play around with Health in Motion(previously called Zoezi Park), Treasure of Bell Island, and RESET; these are the games that they have created and are in the process of improving and adding on to. I was taught how to play test the games and write up bugs to be fixed. Also, my mentor showed me one of the main sources of their information. This helped me later on to do my own research for the project.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1.What did you do over the break with your senior project?

Since the place where i do my mentorship was closed the first week and I wasn't able to go the second week, I completed the rest of my research from the previous research check.

2.What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what you learned?

I learned the anatomy of the lower limbs and how the muscles work together to create certain movements. This gave me more research.
I watched the videos on this website: http://anatomyzone.com/category/tutorials/musculoskeletal/lower-limb/

3.If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I would talk to some sort of health care professional that worked with elders to help them prevent falling. Since they work with patients and know all of the different techniques, they would know best how to answer those questions. they would have first-hand experience.