Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemThe MT-VR Solution: A Novel Telehealth Approach to Delivering Online Group Singing Therapy for People with Quadriplegia(World Federation of Music Therapy, 2020)People living with quadriplegia are disproportionately rurally and regionally located, at high risk for social isolation, and face numerous barriers to accessing music therapy (MT). They also face significant risk of illness due to paralysis of the primary breathing muscles. Face-to-face group singing therapy can improve breathing, voice, mood, and social connectedness for people with quadriplegia (Tamplin et al 2013). Online delivery of group singing interventions may be a viable solution to improve access, however latency is a significant barrier to synchronous music performance over the Internet. Our research group has been working to find an acceptable solution to this issue, with implications for MT practise more widely due to the current high demand for telehealth MT solutions due to COVID-19.
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ItemVirtual Writing Groups: Collegial support in developing academic writing capacity(Dublin City University, 2020)It is expected that academic staff at research intensive higher education institutions are capable and competent academic writers. Yet, where and how do early career academics develop this writing capacity outside of their doctoral or postdoctoral writing experiences? Various forms of workshops and mentorships can be implemented. They can involve formal or informal gatherings of people committed to achieving writing goals within a specific period of time (Badenhorst et al., 2016). For academic writing, Olszewska and Lock (2016) identified two models - “Structured and Guided Process” (p. 136) and “Open Forum with Retreat” (p. 137). Further, what role can a virtual writing group play in developing academic writing capacity? The authors developed and implemented three iterations of a virtual writing group series. Initially, the pilot study of the writing group began with a senior and early career academic located in Canada and Australia. In the additional iterations, the senior academic, along with a group of early career academics, engaged in the virtual writing group experience. Personal writing goals were identified prior to commencement of each eight-week series. Members met weekly for 30-minute synchronous meetings wherein they talked about their writing. Meeting topics were generative in nature to support the needs of the participants. During the week, each member was committed to personal writing time (e.g., up to two hours). An integral component of the writing group was peer editing. Together, the virtual writing group initiative was strategic to support prioritizing writing. For each iteration, a research study was conducted to gain insight into the participants’ experiences, and to learn of personal academic writing development. The findings resulted in five major themes: 1) Attributes that impact success; 2) Supportive characteristics; 3) Supportive processes; 4) Challenges; and 5) Benefits. The findings from the study suggest that it is possible for early career researchers to continue their writing development through accessible online means, while having the flexibility to allocate their own personal writing time. From the study focus on the practical application of a virtual writing group. It is recommended that future study explore how different forms of technology supports community development within the group, as well as members’ influence on the replication of virtual writing group models with their own students.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEmpowering Caregivers of People Living with Dementia to Use Music Therapeutically at Home: Design Opportunities(ACM, 2020-12-02)Human-computer interaction researchers have explored how to design technologies to support people with dementia (PwD) and their caregivers, but limited attention has been given to how to facilitate music therapy in dementia care. The use of music to help manage the symptoms of dementia is often guided by a music therapist who adapts the intervention to respond to the changing needs of the person living with dementia. However, as the incidence of dementia increases worldwide, individualised therapy programs are less feasible, making it valuable to consider technology-based approaches. In this paper, we analyze data from case studies of home-based music therapy training interventions with two families. The findings show that embodied interactions supported the therapist in responding to the needs of the PwD and built an empathic environment that empowered the caregivers' learning. We discuss opportunities and challenges for designing technologies that support family caregivers' therapy-informed music use in dementia care.