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Blog 9&10

Over the course of research design I have gained an understanding of various methods and practices relating to social science research. I have learned research methods through a lens of outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism. The three concepts that I am certain and confident about relating to outdoor recreation research are the following; identifying and applying quantitative research, identifying and applying qualitative research, and finally, the steps to developing a research question.

Quantitative research revolves around data and numbers. Quantitative research questions involve both independent and dependent variables. The relationship between both variables must be identified before data is collected. The data will then indicate the degree to which the independent variable affects the dependent variable (Hooykaas, 2022). The numbers found in data collection will form patterns, percentages, and averages. The conclusions found from a quantitative case study can be used to create predictions and generalizations of a larger population of the same demographic. An example of a quantitative question could be the following: How many cups of coffee a day do you drink during exam season?

Qualitative research on the other hand revolves around soft data such as words and pictures. A qualitative research question is presented like a conversational question using words like “how” and “what”. The question should identify the key topic being studied. (Hooykaas, 2022). Qualitative research data is collected directly by the researcher. An example of a qualitative research question could be the following: How does participating in canoe tripping improve problem solving skills?

Both qualitative and quantitative research require strong questions. To develop these questions, there are important steps to remember. Firstly the topic should be something you are interested in so that you don't lose interest. Preliminary research is done at the beginning to determine what has already been published so that your research is focused and possibly new. Next the target of your audience should be considered, this helps with formulating the appropriate language in the question for the desired demographic. Finally, the questions should be reviewed to ensure that language is clear, not leading, and focused on the topic. (Hooykaas, 2022).

The three areas of this course that still confuse me are: structuring interview questions, wording survey/interview questions, and identifying a target audience for research. I would like to be more comfortable with understanding which interview structures are most appropriate for various situations. In this class I have used the funneling technique of asking more specific questions as the interview progresses but I think it would be helpful for me not to just rely on that structure. When I have worded interview questions in the class I have found that my initial questions have been too leading. I would like to get better at using language that promotes non biased answers, and language that makes respondents feel that they can answer questions openly. This skill would help me in my future because non-leading questions allow respondents to share their full perspective. Finally, I have struggled in this class with determining a target audience, specifically for the podcast project. This is because my group's research was done on a skating trial which is used by a very large demographic. I am confused by whether the target audience for research always has to be specific or can it be broad? Is it possible to present research findings or present research questions with language and mediums that are accessible to all people? My group ended up targeting our podcast to young families.

After taking Research Design, there are three things that I know for certain about myself as an outdoor recreation researcher. I prefer qualitative research, having interest in the research topic is important to me, and presenting findings in a medium that is interesting is also important. I prefer qualitative research for a couple of reasons. Naturally I am better at analyzing words, sentences, and conversations as opposed to numerical data. I prefer to do research in the field so that I can interact with subjects and get a first hand feel for the work that I am doing. In class we were lucky enough to have guest speakers on a few occasions. The guest speaker on March 28th gave the class advice to engage in research that we find interesting, as a research project becomes a huge part of the researcher's life. I related to this on a smaller scale. When doing blog posts that I was interested in, I found it a lot easier to find motivation to complete them. On a similar note, I appreciated the unconventional mediums of completing assignments in this class. Both the podcast and the blogs allowed for more creativity than a conventional essay or report. As a researcher I find it helpful to be excited about how I present information.

Moving forward in research, there are three areas in which I would like to continue developing my skills. I would like to further understand how my personal background is affecting my research and how I interact with research participants. This will involve unpacking my invisible backpack, delving deeper into understanding ethics, and finally, critical reflexivity. My invisible backpack is my bias and assumptions based on how I engage the world (Hooykaas, 2022). I have to take into account my own privileges when engaging in research and with research participants so that I am respectful and fair. In terms of ethics I need to further understand how ethics approvals are acquired. Furthermore, when working with communities that are underprivileged I need to learn how to gain research data while also helping the community. Finally I would like to break down my critical reflexivity in depth. Critical reflexivity involves examining your own personal engagement with your research. (Hooykaas, 2022). Reflecting on how I engage with my research and findings will help me mitigate my own biases and work with objectivity.

References:

Hooykaas, A. (2022, January 17). Research Design Lectures Week 2 (PowerPoint slides). Mycourselink.

Hooykaas, A. (2022, January 24). Research Design Lectures Week 3 (PowerPoint slides). Mycourselink.

Hooykaas, A. (2022, February 7). Research Design Lectures Week 5 (PowerPoint slides). Mycourselink.

Hooykaas, A. (2022, February 16). Research Design Lectures Week 6 (PowerPoint slides). Mycourselink.

Blog 5

On March 25 last week the musician Taylor Hawkins passed away. He was only 50 years old, his death was tragic and unexpected. Taylor Hawkins was the drummer for the band Foo Fighters which he had been a part of since 1997. Foo Fighters were on tour in South America at the time of his death and were gearing up for a show in Bogota, Colombia. Foo Fighters released a statement on twitter on the night of Hawkins death: “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time”.

The CBC released an article about Hawkins death on March 26, 2022. The key message of the article is to inform the public of his passing. The article also includes information regarding the bands current tour and projects, the life of Taylor Hawkins, details of his death, messages of condolence from fellow musicians, and Taylors connections to Canada.

Andrew Dalton, the journalist for CBC who wrote the article, got his information from local authorities and public documents. The details regarding Hawkins death are verified from Colombia's Prosecutor's Office. The information about the band's whereabouts likely come from the band's tour manager. Information about Foo Fighters and Hawkins relationships with band members come from public documents such as Dave Grohl’s (the front man for Foo Fighters) recent book, “The Storyteller”. Condolences from fellow musicians are cited from their posts on Twitter. The article is a compilation of information that is already available to the public and the information is not evaluated or interpreted by the journalist.

Consumers of the article would have expectations that the article should inform readers of how Hawkins died and who he was. The article includes a statement from Colombia's Prosecutors Office. The statement indicates that a toxicological test on Hawkins urine revealed that he had consumed 10 psychoactive substances before he died but that cause of his death is still under investigation. I felt that this information was inappropriate to include because readers like myself will just assume that he died of a drug overdose even though that has not been confirmed. I also feel that releasing the findings of Hawkins toxicological test goes against the band's wishes of respecting his privacy. I think that this article should have just stated that the cause of his death is unknown. The article could be later updated once the cause of death is confirmed and then releasing all relevant information would be justified. The article does a good job of informing consumers of who Hawkins was both musically and personally. They outline his musical journey thoroughly from his musical influences, his musical origin as the drummer for Alanis Morissette who is Canadian, and his most famous role as the drummer for Foo Fighters. In Hawkins personal life, the article states that he was married with three children and famously known as Dave Grohl's best friend. The article speaks to Hawkins character by including quotes from those who were close to him. Dave Grohl described Hawkins as a “brother from another mother, my best friend, a man for whom I would take a bullet” in his recent book, “The Storyteller”. Overall, the article does a good job of presenting all of the information that consumers are likely curious about.

Here is a link to the article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/taylor-hawkins-obit-1.6398683

References:

Dalton, A. (2022, March 26). Taylor Hawkins, drummer for Foo Fighters, dead at 50. CBC. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/taylor-hawkins-obit-1.6398683

GROHL, D. A. V. E. (2022). Storyteller: Tales of life and music. SIMON & SCHUSTER LTD.

Blog 8

On January 31, 2022 Thunder Bay's first Popeyes opened. Since then, there has been a craze in the city for their fried chicken. For the first two weeks the drive-through was almost always jammed and the restaurant ran out of popular items on a few occasions. I have a friend who is a cashier at the restaurant and he said that there was a constant flow of hungry guests and chicken for the opening weeks. When reviewing this week's blog prompt I was hungry. This led my mind to thinking about Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich, which inspired me to take Popeyes online survey. I googled their online survey, clicked the link, and I was brought to a prove you’re not a robot program where I had to identify items on a receipt. I thought this was a fun idea but the execution was flawed as I was not able to input the correct answer given the options I had. After finally hacking in, I was informed that Popeyes had completed their data collection for today's current period. In Conclusion, good chicken but no surveys… at least right now. I was forced to move my efforts elsewhere.

After checking my email I realized that the Student Feedback on Teaching Surveys had been released. Problem solved! The survey starts by asking whether or not the course is a program requirement or an elective. I think this is an important distinction to make because an issue with a program requirement would call for more immediate attention. The next item on the survey is a comprehensive agree or disagree chart which reviews both course material and instructor performance. Finally, there are three questions which require written responses: What did you like about the course?, What suggestions do you have for improving the course?, and a space for additional comments.

The strength of this survey is in its agree or disagree statement section. This is because it is straightforward. Participants of the survey select either 1: Strongly Disagree, 2: Disagree, 3: Neither Agree Nor Disagree, 4: Agree, and 5: Strongly Agree based on the statements that are provided. There is no room for confusion, as opposed to other surveys where you might be asked to rate your experience from a scale of 1 to 10 not knowing which number is good and bad. The statements are also comprehensive. Most problems or praises a student would likely have for a course and instructor are included in this section.

This survey could be improved by revising the first written question: What did you like about this course? I feel that this is a leading question in hopes of getting positive responses from students. I think that it would be more fair, and also more informative, to also ask students what they did not like about the course. A revised question could look like this: What aspects of this course did you like and/or dislike? The last two questions ask participants to provide input of how the course can be improved and provide a space for additional comments. Both of these questions are good because they are specific to what the survey is trying to achieve, which is how to improve a course. In conclusion, with revision of the first written question, this survey is fair and concise. The survey will likely acquire helpful input from students.

Here is a link to the Student Feedback on Teaching Surveys: https://myinfo.lakeheadu.ca/home/student?SUBR=SET

Blog 7

This past week Lakehead University hosted a Research and Innovation Week Conference. On Friday I attended a talk called “Follow the Water, Stand with the Land” presented by Dr. Rita Wong. Dr. Wong is a poet and scholar. Her work focuses on ecology, water justice, and decolonization in Canada.

The talk was largely about the importance of water and our duty as citizens to protect it and the land while maintaining a respectful relationship with indigenous people. Water can teach humans lessons. Dr. Wong quoted Bruce Lee saying “be water, my friend” meaning to be adaptable. Dr. Wong recited poems from an anthology she co-edited called “Downstream: Reimaging water” the poems main messages were that water gives earth life and that humanity needs to protect it to survive. She touched on environmental issues local to Canada including the pollution caused by fracking and pipelines. Dr. Wong suggests that Indigenous Law should be consulted when making environmental decisions in Canada. Indigenous law protects lands and waters from pollution and mistreatment.

Dr. Wong's research is presented in an anthology. I think that this methodology is extremely effective for raising awareness for the issue of climate change and colonization in Canada. Dr. Wong’s poems evoke powerful emotions in her readers that can inspire change and initiatives towards finding solutions. Further inclusion of Indigenous Law in the Canadian legal system is a powerful step towards decolonization. Dr. Wong's poems raise awareness for inclusion of Indigneous Law. The climate crisis is obviously not an easy issue to solve, nor is Canada’s role in solving it. Canadian society is far too dependent on the extraction and burning of fossil fuels for fracking and pipeline projects to immediately stop. The country is accustomed to a lifestyle that demands high energy consumption. A more sustainable and eco-friendly energy source would solve the issue. In the interim between oil and gas and a sustainable energy source, I think that Canada should continue to invest a percentage of revenue generated by oil and gas into sustainable energy initiatives.

Dr. Wong’s research does a fantastic job of raising awareness for decolonization and the importance of healthy land and water to life on earth. Her research keeps energy corporations accountable for the damage they do to the environment. Her work also inspires citizens to work towards finding sustainable energy sources and solutions. Most importantly, Dr. Wong's research promotes the inclusion of Indigenous Law into the Canadian legal system which is an important step towards decolonization and will hopefully help ensure future energy solutions respect the land and water of Canada. I think that Dr. Wong's research would be more effective if she recognized that oil and gas cannot be eliminated immediately. Oil and gas should definitely be phased out to maintain life on earth. However, it is unfair and unrealistic to reject oil and gas in the present day.

raoutd2511

#6 Interview Questions

Prompt: You have five minutes to interview a key thinker who represents your field of inquiry (for the podcast project). To do this you must: 1) Identify who you are interviewing and why 2) List five clear interview questions (and what insight you hope to get out of each) 3) Provide a brief overview/summary that discusses how you decided on these questions (referencing the textbook would be helpful here!). In your response to a peer, please provide feedback on how effective these questions might be at addressing the aims of the interviewer. How might they be improved? On what basis?

Answer:

If I had 5 minutes to interview a key thinker for my podcast, I would interview Charolette Madison, my roommate (Charlotte Marsden’s alter ego) because she is a prime example of the people we want to survey to understand why they came to Thunder Bay for our podcast. Since our podcast encompasses aspects of why people come to Thunder Bay for recreational purposes. Charlotte is from England and she came all the way to Thunder Bay for school. We discussed in our podcast planning that we would have a target audience of high school students and potential individuals who may be interested in coming to Thunder Bay. I have seen Charlotte take on every opportunity to embrace recreating here - including doing 51km of classic Nordic skiing yesterday at the Sleeping Giant Loppet.

The questions I would like to ask:

1. Before you made the decision to come to Thunder Bay, were you aware of all the recreational opportunities that you can try in this city?

This question allows for the person being interviewed to expand on if they were aware of different activities you can participate in this city. This analyzes how the city of Thunder Bay adversities different things they offer. It also allows the interviewee to answer if they have looked into some of the things you can do here.

2. Without meeting people of similar interest.. Do you think you would have embraced so many different activities and opportunities?

Humans are social people and it is really nice to have the confidence of others to encourage you when you are doing something new. I personally do not feel I would have not had so many opportunities or confidence to try something new if I had not met people with the knowledge and same adventure spirit.

3. How has being in the ORPT program changed your view on the different recreational activities that are available to you in this city?

This is specific to the program because most other programs do not have these same opportunities and people often find rec people to go with when they want to partake in things like rock climbing, canoeing, mountain biking, etc. I have been made aware of so many more things that exist in Thunder Bay because of the program.

4. What has been your favorite recreational activity you have participated in since coming to Thunder Bay?

From this question you can get insight into what kinds of activities their person has participated in and what their likes and dislikes are. This could be beneficial for recommending activities. This is an interesting question because perhaps they tried something completely new and it has become their favorite.

5. Are there anything you have yet to participate in and how do you plan to find a way to participate in it?

Thunder Bay can be a hard city for a student as it is spread out and has a poorly functioning transit system that does not reach out to some of the coolest places for recreation. How do students get around without vehicles etc.

6. Anything you find challenging about living here and participating in recreational activities?

This can share some of the challenges an individual might face living in this city for recreation purposes and how access to some of these activities is limited for those who want to try them but do know the right people etc.

Summary:

I decided on these questions because it allows Charlotte to elaborate on her answers with open ended questions that allow for explanation. This format has questions that ask for specific details regarding experiences with recreational activities. This allows them to share why they do what they do and what they are getting out of it.

etoutd2511

Hi Rachel! Great post.

I agree that Charlotte would be an insightful key thinker to interview as her journey to Thunder Bay and ORPT is uncommon and her decision to come to Lakehead was well thought out. Charlottes story of coming all the way from England for the program and recreation opportunities speaks to how impactful outdoor rec is on the community and culture of Thunder Bay.

If you had any additional time in your five minute interview I have two questions for you to consider:

Building off of your second question, I would also wonder how participating in activities with like-minded individuals affects her enjoyment of the activities? For me, I usually enjoy activities more with others. This is for two main reasons: I love the social aspect of outdoor rec and I find that others motivate me to push myself and improve in the activity. For example, I joined Charlotte on the 51km Loppet ski and if I was alone on the journey, I probably would have stopped after the first 20km loop.

My second question is are there any university programs closer to England that are comparable to ORPT at Lakehead? I think it would be interesting to know if there are programs in the U.K. or Europe that she may have considered. If so, what is it about Lakehead and Thunder bay that made her program the best choice?

Evan

Blog 6

This past year Thunder Bay opened a new skating trail at Vickers Park. My podcast group and I are looking to uncover the benefits and impacts this trail is having on our city. Interviewing a key thinker in the field would help us find our answer. I would interview a skater at Vickers Park to get a firsthand understanding of how the skating trail is affecting a member of the community.

Questions:

How was your skate today?

This question is a friendly way to start my interview. My hope with this question is to be polite with the skater so that they feel comfortable with me. This would hopefully lead to more in depth answers later on.

How did you hear about the skating trail and did you come with anyone?

I would like to understand how the general public knows about the skating trial. Is it word of mouth? Social media? This would help me understand how the skating trail is interacting with Thunder Bay. I would also like to know what demographic of people are using the trail to understand its benefits. This is why I would ask if the skater came with anyone.

How often do you use the skating trail and what is your purpose for coming?

It is important for me to know if skaters are repeat users of the trail. If they are, that would be a sign that the trail is having a positive impact on community members. Skating can be for leisure, for expertise, or for social reasons. Finding out the purpose of the skaters visit will help me further understand the demographic of skaters.

Describe your skating experience. Have you been to a skating trial before coming to Vickers Park?

This question helps me understand the skill level of skaters. Are the trail users people that already skate through activities such as hockey or figure skating? Knowing if skaters have pleasure skated elsewhere gives an understanding of why a trial is better or worse than a regular pad of ice. The skating trial is a new thing in Thunder Bay but similar trials exist elsewhere in Ontario. I would be interested to know if users of Vickers Park are trying something new or already experienced in trial skating.

Do you enjoy using the skating trial? Why or why not?

This question would hopefully reveal the impact the trail is having on skaters in Thunder Bay. If skaters are not enjoying the trail, this question gives an opportunity to voice concerns and criticism. If skaters are enjoying the trial, this question will provide an opportunity for specific examples of positive things the trail gives to the community.

Summary:

The questions I have listed have a few main objectives. Firstly, I would like to find out how people are finding out about the skate trail, and to see what demographic the skating trail advertisements are catering to. For example, if skaters are becoming aware of the trail through social media then that would likely generate a younger crowd. This would impact Thunder Bay in a different way than a radio advertisement which would likely bring families and older citizens to the trail. Secondly, I am looking to find out what the skill level of skaters is and what their desired use of the trail is. Finally, I would like to know if the skating trail is a successful development. Happy skaters and repeat skaters would speak to the success of the trail.

My questions follow the funneling technique. They start out light and open for interpretation and become more specific towards the end of the interview. My intentions with this technique are to develop a good relationship with the skater through friendly and easy questions at the beginning. This would hopefully lead to stronger and more full answers in the final specific questions.

cfmoutd2511

My Ski Journey

This week, I’ve been skiing a lot and have decided to dedicate this blog to my ski journey and overcoming my fears following a ski accident I had 10 years ago this weekend.

I fell in love with skiing from a really young age but growing up in England, the only time we got to go was in Canada when we visited my mum’s family. My mum grew up competing in ski races so I would love watching her fly down the hills and getting to ski between her legs. I always wanted to be as good as her and join her on the harder runs!

In 2012 we went on our first (and last) family ski holiday in the south of France. My first day went really well, I had a lesson and was feeling confident and excited for the week ahead. This mindset led me to make the fatal decision at the end of the day to take the ski out rather than the gondola. It was going well however I soon got too confident for my own liking… bombing it down the mountain I quickly lost control and didn’t know how to stop. I flew over a mogul, hit a tree, then went tumbling down a cliff. Okay that didn’t happen, but it would have made a far more exciting story than the truth of me purposely falling to the side to stop, only to have my skis not fall off. After checking I was alright, my mum proceeded to make me keep skiing to the bottom. Little did we know until the following day when I had to wait 5 hours for an X-ray (pictured below) I had in fact broken my leg and the top of my tibia bone had completely sliced off. This abruptly ended my ski holiday and turning it into a fancy hospital holiday for the rest of the week.

I surprisingly enjoyed my time in the fancy French hospital for the week but I still would have rather been out skiing with my family. My journey to recovery consisted of spending 6 weeks in a wheelchair, then 2 months on crutches and attending physio-therapy twice a week.

My first-time back skiing was in fact later that year when little brave me thought it would be a good idea to go to our local indoor ski ‘resort’ with one hill and fake snow. Believing I would just pick up from where I left off, I was very much mistaken. As soon as I got to the top of the little slope, extremely intense fear overcame me and I proceeded to bawl my eyes out for the full hour-long time slot we were there for, but I still tried. Since then, I have skied a couple time (still cried every time) but have been able to stay in control and do the easy slopes.

That brings us to present time. Now that I live in Thunder Bay, this year for Christmas the only gift I wanted was a ski pass so I could finally overcome this fear and live out my dream of being able to ski. I have already improved massively and have been doing slopes that just last week I would stop in the middle of, start crying and almost refuse to continue down. I won’t lie and say it hasn’t been disheartening watching little kids fly past me, feeling extremely judged, taking huge tumbles or being nowhere near as good as I would like, but I am so proud of myself for pushing myself to face one of my biggest fears and get over this psychological hurdle.

I end this week’s blog with a quote by Judy Blume: “Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we will go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” I will continue to live by this and never let fear stop me from experiencing everything I want to in life.

etoutd2511

Hi Charlotte!

I really enjoyed reading you blog. Its a great story and really well written. As you know, I also ski but I have never had a fall causing injury. Skiing is all about confidence so I can imagine how an injury would create fear and slow down your learning process.

Your story reminds me a bit of my Mum. I was skiing with her a few years ago where she had a scary fall. She turned hard on some unexpected ice launching her into a 180 degree turn skiing backwards. At first this move looked really cool and I had no idea what had gotten into my Mum, but then she hit her head and back off a tree which was not fun. luckily she was not seriously injured but she was shaken up. Since that fall she has lost confidence in her abilities causing her to stop progressing in skiing. Your story makes me optimistic for my Mum because you’ve proved that you can recover physically and most importantly mentally from bad fall in skiing. I’m excited for her ski future and I’m sure my dad is too because he will definitely be pushing for lots of skiing in their retirement.

I have really enjoyed skiing with you this year! It is so satisfying seeing you quickly progress. You are well on your way to achieving your goal of going on ski trips and skiing hard slopes with your Mum. You should feel chuffed.

Blog 4

What is the greatest song of all time? This is a question that I have always wondered about, but I have been contemplating it especially this past week. I was driving home from skiing at Loch Lomond with my friend and we started talking about what makes some songs special. Music has a magical ability to paint a picture in your mind that doesn't exist in real life. Music has nostalgic power to instantly bring you back to a moment in your life from the opening notes of a song. Finally music evokes powerful emotions. The special and best songs in music achieve all three of these things.

To answer the question of what is the greatest song of all time, I am going to cheat and just focus on music that is relevant to today's human population in western culture. The first job is to determine the genre of this song. The most popular music in the world is pop music. The band is next. The best pop group in the world has to be the Beatles. They are popular across all generations which cannot be said for a lot of groups. Their melodies are timeless and continue to inspire many other bands. Finally their numbers speak for themselves: Over 1 billion records sold, the most number one albums in British album charts, and they hold 16 of the top 100 most successful songs of all time. This all means that the best song of all time is a Beatles song, and that song is, A Day In The Life.

I must admit my bias, A Day In The Life is my personal favorite song so that is why I think it’s The Beatles best. Going back to what me and my friend decided to be the three elements of the best songs, A Day In The Life hits all the stops for me. When listening to the song it tells a story. It's like watching a movie in your head and I've seen the same movie my whole life listening to this song. I can imagine the man running late for work and reading the news. I first listened to this song when I was traveling with my family in Quebec when I was a little kid. I am transported back to looking out of the car window staring at the city of Magog every time this song appears on my Spotify shuffle. The change in pace and melody in the song brings out multiple emotions in me. The opening lyrics and pace are slower and sad causing me to feel a little sad. At around 2 minutes and 20 seconds, the pace is increased and the lyrics describe a man running late for work. This makes me appreciate the small things in life like my morning commute. And Finally, At the 3 minute mark, an orchestra joins the song which creates an overwhelming and beautiful sound making me happy. A Day In The Life is on the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band which was released 1967. It is the greatest song ever.

In my time at Lakehead I have found that reccers generally have great taste and appreciation for music. If you respond to this blog post please let me know what you think the greatest song is. I’m sure it's a banger and I’d love to add it to my playlists.

Reference:

Lee, P. (2021, May 28). 25 reasons the Beatles are the greatest band ever. Hooks and Harmony. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://hooksandharmony.com/20-reasons-beatles-greatest-ever/

demoutd2511

Mental Health and Local Parks

If I were conducting research with limitless resources, my ultimate research project would be to study the ecological health of parks and ponds in Scarborough, ON, and how it affects mental and physical health in the communities surrounding those parks. I would focus on the parks in Scarborough, as I lived there with my family for ~12 years, and the area I lived in had two parks with ponds nearby, one was across the street and the other was at the end of the street I lived on.

Terraview Park. Photo Credit: ‘Friends of Terraview and Willowfield Gardens Parks’ Facebook Group

I would focus mostly on the two parks closest to where I lived in Scarborough, Terraview Park and Willowfield Gardens Park, along with looking at other parks in other communities of Scarborough to have a large sample size, along with seeing if the results from one pond are normal for the area or consist of something it only has that is giving it very different results.

Willowfield Gardens Park. Photo Credit: https://foursquare.com/v/ willowfield-gardens-park/4e4c601ffa769ce595b0813a

I would be using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, as the health of the park would be measured with water and soil pH tests, along with other tests to see its ecological health; while the mental and physical health of the community members would be measured with anonymous surveys. To see how the parks are used daily, park users could be asked what they use the park for, also through observation by counting the number who people are using the park and how they are using it, whether it be to get to school, riding their bike, or doing cross-country running practice. People who also don’t use the park should also be asked for their opinions, to find out why they don’t use the park.

Who would benefit from this research study would be the people in the communities surrounding the parks, along with the local flora and fauna in those parks. The people of the communities would benefit as their opinions on their parks could be used to improve the parks in ways that could be beneficial to their mental and physical health, such as adding more benches or a community garden. This research would be helpful to the local flora and fauna as there will be updated records of the species that live there, along with their physical health and what should be done to improve it.

Local schools would also benefit, as outdoor classroom areas could be added or revamped, which as many studies have shown “...time spent outdoors contributes to better mental health and happiness, regardless of age, and research at the K-12 level indicates that outdoor experiences lead to higher student engagement and test scores…” (Brady, 2020).

This is my ultimate research project, as it provides me a way to give back to the community that I lived in from the time I was in grade 1 till last October during my first year of university.

Reference:

Brady, B. (2020, December 17). The value of outdoor environments to K-12 learning, health, and student safety. Clark Nexsen. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.clarknexsen.com/blog-value-of-outdoor-environments-to-k-12-learning-health-and-student-safety/

etoutd2511

Hi Drew!

I really enjoyed this post! I am from Toronto so found reading about parks back home to be very nostalgic. I can relate to the importance of municipal parks in the GTA because I used my local park, High Park almost everyday when I lived there.

The ecological health of ponds in GTA parks is definitely a big concern these days. There is a small pond in High Park at the Bloor St West and Parkside corner that sometimes has an unruly scent. One day my dog did some exploring... she jumped in as a yellow Labrador and exited as a black Labrador. I think that improvements and conservation of parks ecology would improve park user satisfaction.

My favorite thing to do in my local park was to walk my dog with my friends. Your future research in understanding why people use parks will be extremely helpful for improving GTA green spaces for the future.

Blog 3

In 10 years time, if I was a researcher, with unlimited resources, I would like to research the effect that social media has on young people's mental health. My research would be specific to Canadian youth. I would determine both the positive and negative impacts of the most popular social media platforms in the year 2032. My research would help Canadian youth better understand how social media impacts their lives. With that understanding, I would hope that my research would contribute to developing healthy social media habits.

As of the year 2022, social media is extremely prevalent in teenager’s lives. Social media allows teenagers to easily communicate with each other, stay connected to their communities, and share with their friends and family what is happening in their lives. However, some teenagers feel a toll on their mental health from using various platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. Teenagers may compare their own lives to their peers based on posts. This is generally an unfair comparison as users tend to just post the highlights of their lives making some teenagers feel that their lives are worse. Constant communication can cause stress for teens as they do not want to miss out on online conversation but may feel that they can't relax. Social media can cause body image issues. An article by Mark Gollom written for CBC entitled Instagram fuels both body image issues and social connections, teen girls say reports on how social media is a mixed bag of negatives and positives. First hand experiences from teenage Canadians in the article reports that Instagram has made them feel bad about their bodies when comparing themselves to models. On the other hand, social media has helped some teens spread activism and connect with like minded people across the world.

In my own life I have seen a drastic rise in the consumption of social media from Canadian teens. I already think that most people are too concerned with their online presence and I think that the bad outweighs the good on social media. I am worried that by the time 2032 rolls around, that most Canadian teens will give up a level of happiness just to be accepted online. This is why I think it is important for young people to think critically about how social media is affecting their lives. Will social media bring happiness to young Canadians in the future? Or will teens dedicate a significant amount of time online just to feel accepted and to avoid ridicule?

I am in university to become a school teacher. So if I were ever to actually do this research project, it would most likely be a class research project with my students. The research would be conducted as a case study of the classroom. Students would report how social media affects their mental health in correlation to levels of social media consumption for a month. At the start of the study, students would carry on with how they would normally interact with social media, but would then reduce consumption levels. Some brave students may even try not using social media at all. At the end of the month students would look to see if there was a pattern with their moods and general mental health in relation to how much time they spent on social media. In my personal experience, I have found that unplugging from social media has made me feel happier and more in the moment. I would be interested to see if my future students think the same thing.

The ethical concern with this research would be in regards to where the results would be presented. A class conversation would have to be had to determine how comfortable students are with sharing their results. Options may include keeping results to themselves for personal reflection, sharing with the class, or the entire school. Parents may be concerned with their child's information being shared with others. Parents input would have to be included to determine the appropriate level of exposure for the research.

Resource:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/instagram-girls-body-image-1.6200969

Gollom, M. (2021, October 7). Instagram fuels both body-image issues and social connections, teen girls say | CBC news. CBCnews. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/instagram-girls-body-image-1.6200969

okoutd2511

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years *Documentary

Who: The lykov family

What: Observing how Agafia Lykov has survived for 70 years in a rough conditioned remote area

Where: Russia, Siberia, taiga

When: First half of documentary 1936 - 1944, second half 1944 - 2013

Why: Because there are not many people now a days who live of the land the way Agafia does, especially individuals who are open to interviews and cameras. Trying to share her way of life.

How: By recording and using standard research methods to attain information

Research Techniques:

The main research technique being used in this case study is Inquiries based in a natural setting. This research technique is a mix between two others known as observation and interviewing. It includes the field-visit research method which involves going to the area of research and interviews that provide us with first person research. They do a good job posing open-ended questions that result in a lot of information being given through the stories told by Agafia.

Invisible Backpack

There is definitely an invisible knapsack involving the convenience that is taken for granted in the urban areas. It is easy to forget how many different resources we have within our reach, Agafia is forced to craft, forage, or trade in order to get any of her essential needs. There are no companies she can call to shovel her roof or area. She also has no money to purchase anything from an urban area.

They don’t really address much about any challenges she has faced as a woman in the Taiga, other than when learning about her relationship with Yerofei. It is assumed that because he is the only man in the area and her the only woman that they must have had a fling. It is a bit of a rude assumption and I don’t understand how her past love life relates to the goal of the video. I believe there are other assumptions made about their relationship however its hard to make out exactly what the filmmaker was trying to achieve with the questions posed in the interviews between Yerofei and Agafia.

Ethics

They talk about some ethically questioning scenarios such as how Agafia had lost her family. Her family had died to pneumonia that was allegedly contracted from geologists who had came to visit her home. The interviewer asks if she blames them for her family death, it was clear that a part of her did, but it was also apparent that she had forgiven them and moved on. Despite everything she has gone through (escaping the oppression of Stalin, mother starving to death, and losing the rest of her family), Agafia remains grateful and content with the life she has.

Considering her family has passed away due to outsiders visiting her home, does it seem ethical for these filmmakers to be conducting their interviews while living with her? They never addressed what made Agafia agree to having them live on her property, or why she would allow outsiders. I feel this was a posing ethical question that was left unanswered.

My Own Research Method

I personally feel the best way to research different cultures is to visit the area of research as a participant. It is still important to have questions ready, but living with Agafia and experiencing her everyday life first hand makes for good observation information. This illustrates a proper understanding of what is needed to be done in order to survive the Taiga. A good example of this type of research method is the documentary “Departures” by Scot Wilson and Justin Lukach. They visit different places around the world participating in their cultures and way of life to build relationships and connections while collecting information.

This is the thumbnail for the show for anyone curious:

etoutd2511

Hi Owen!

I like the aesthetic of your blog! Its given me inspiration to add some life to mine for next week.

Now onto the video! I too was extremally confused as to what the filmmakers were getting at with the relationship between Agafia and Yerofei. It seemed like Yerofei had acted inappropriately but that section of the video was so unclear that I couldn't understand what point the film makers were trying to get across. Also, It was clearly a touchy subject for Agafia given her vague answers. I felt that VICE should've done a better job articulating that section or just not include it at all.

I appreciated your ethics paragraph which commented on Agafia’s positive attitude and gratefulness for life. It is remarkable that even though she has faced so much loss in her family home she is still strong enough to still live there.

Blog 2

Link to “Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68

“Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years” is a VICE documentary that takes a look into the life of Agafia Lykov. In 2013, when the case study was filmed, Agafia Lykov was 70 years old and had been living in Siberia's taiga for her entire life. Agafia comes from a family of Old Believers who fled into the wilderness in fear of Stalin and oppression in 1936. Agafia was born in the Siyan Mountains in 1944 and has lived off the land ever since.

The researchers in the case study traveled to Agafia's home and stayed with her for several days. The crew used various research techniques to learn about and record Agafia's unique lifestyle. The research done in the documentary is qualitative as the information is collected through first hand observation and interviews. The researchers helped Agafia with labor around her home which gave them first hand experience of her day to day life in the winter. The research is presented to the audience in a YouTube video which consists of direct interviews with Agafia and a geologist named Yerofei who lives close to Agafia's home. The documentary also includes footage of Agafia praying and working, as well as reflection from the research crew regarding their time helping and staying with Agafia.

The researchers are from urban civilizations which clearly made it hard for them to understand why Agafia would choose to remain in such harsh wilderness conditions. Their lifestyles are completely different from Agafias. The documentary was sponsored by The North Face which gave them the financial power to use expensive forms of transportation such as helicopters. The technology used by Agafia and the research team is vastly different. Agafia uses traditional technology such as homemade snowshoes, axes, and livestock. On the other hand the VICE team used presumably state of the art cameras, microphones, and winter gear. The difference in technology between the two parties speaks to the power and privilege of the researchers. They were able to leave at their will and collect as much information as they saw fit.

For the most part VICE was respectful of Agafia during the filming of the documentary. Their questions were largely up for interpretation and I felt that they let Agafia paint her own narrative of her lifestyle. However, I do have a couple of ethical concerns. I do not think that Agafia has the life experience to fully understand the reach of YouTube. As of January 23, 2022 the video has 7.3 million views. I am not convinced that Agafia is comfortable with that level of exposure seeing as she lives alone and only comes in regular contact with one other human. Secondly, I am concerned that Agafia had no say in what footage would be included in the documentary. For example, Agafia is asked about her relationship with Yerofei, the geologist who is the only other person in close proximity to her. The researchers are clearly wondering if the pair of them ever had a romantic relationship. The persistent questioning on the topic seemed to make Agafia uncomfortable and I doubt she would want that footage in the documentary.

If I had the opportunity to do the same research I would be interested to learn more about the relationship between Agafia's faith and her unconventional lifestyle. Is it her faith that keeps her in the taiga? I would also like to learn about her yearly routine. What specific tasks must she get done in each season to insure survival? I would be a student researcher. This gives me the privilege of funding the university may provide. My lifestyle as a student is also vastly different to Agafias and much more privileged. I would try to keep an open mind and be respectful to new ideas while making sure Agafia feels that she is in control of her story. Ethically speaking, I would like to make sure Agafia knew exactly where the research would be presented and what material would be focused on.

gboutd2511

Blog 1

What has drawn me to the program?

Going to camp when I was young had a big impact on me because it allowed me to try so many different outdoor activities such as windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, mountain biking, and canoeing. Camp helped me to grow a passion for the outdoors which eventually lead to me becoming a camp counselor. I was a camp councilor all through high school because I really enjoyed teaching and doing the outdoor activities and I wanted to spend as much time out in nature. After grade 12 I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I took a gap year and spent three months at Taurenhof Bible school in Austria. We would spend our days going on hikes in the Austrian alps and playing a ton of different sports. It was not until I was in Austria when I found out about Outdoor Recreation at Lakehead. One of the instructors from Alberta told me about the Outdoor Rec program and that she thought it would be a program I would enjoy. After the three months and some time traveling around in Germany I went home. When I got home my parents also heard about the program from some friends and suggested it to me. After looking into it, Lakehead looked like the perfect program that is best suited for me. I had spent some time before in Thunder Bay when I would go to Weagamow First Nations Reserve with a group of alumni high school hockey players to teach and donate equipment. I have grown to love Northern Ontario which is another reason why this program seemed like such a good fit.

Reliable sources I use:

Sources of information that I rely on are Lakehead Omni database, Documentaries and Google Scholar. The Omni database is a great resource to find information for topics on outdoor recreation that I can use for the program. It is also good for navigating around as it is pretty easy and straight forward to filter and find specific information. Documentaries are a great resource for me because I am a huge visual learner so watching documentaries are a great way to learn. Documentaries provide a great insight on getting different perspectives on different topics, and even if i may not agree it is still interesting to see it from a different point of view. Nature documentaries can be very helpful with showing first hand how the environment and wildlife in it are changing as the world changes. If you pick the right documentaries they are for the most part reliable especially documentaries made by well known names. Google Scholar has been one of my go to’s when I am doing research since I was in high school. It is similar to the Lakehead Omni database and it has some good peer reviewed articles I can find information on.

etoutd2511

Griffin! Happy new year you legend. I thoroughly enjoyed blog one. Similarly to you, it was summer camp that got me interested in the outdoors and eventually Outdoor Rec at Lakehead. What camp did you go to? Wind surfing sounds awesome, I have always wanted to try it. I found that once I had graduated from being a participant to a staff member at summer camp my passion for the outdoors grew immensely. Providing others with unique experiences in the outdoors inspired me to look for education and career opportunities in the industry. Did you have a similar experience when you became a counsellor? Your adventures in Europe sound like an amazing life experience. I am curious to know if you met anyone during your travels attending a program comparable to Lakehead’s Outdoor Rec in Europe?

Blog 1

My name is Evan Thomson and I am a second year student at Lakehead University studying Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism. I became aware and interested in the program during the summer of 2019 when I was counseling at a summer camp. A few of my friends at the camp were enrolled in Outdoor Recreation and spoke highly of it. At the time I was struggling to find a university program that matched my interests and I did not enjoy the academic side of school. I became passionate about my summer job. I enjoyed providing kids with experiences they normally would not have like canoe tripping. I found seeing my participants step outside of their comfort zone and growing as people very rewarding. I was pleased to learn that Lakehead has a program that matched these interests. This inspired me to apply for the program in January of the next year. Most of my peers in high school were not as interested in outdoor activities as I am so Lakehead was off of my radar until my time at camp. I am in school to eventually become an elementary school teacher. Outdoor recreation will help me develop the leadership skills needed to be successful in that job.

As a consumer of information, the three most prominent sources in my life are: social media, internet articles, and news corporations on various mediums. As a user of social media I find myself reading news headlines sometimes not by choice. Eye catching headlines are prominent in social media. I find out about major news events usually on Instagram. When I need to research for a school project I look on the internet for scholarly articles. The tool I find most useful is Google Scholar which is a search engine for scholarly material. If I become interested in a topic outside of school such as a new band, I generally stick to YouTube videos to gain knowledge. Finally the two news corporations I look to for information are CBC and PBS. CBC is my favorite news source because I have been surrounded by it for my whole life via the radio and television. As a kid I would listen to Metro Morning before school and often watch The National at night with my family. I sometimes watch the PBS NewsHour for the American perspective. I think that it is important to know what is happening down south as well because America is so influential on life in Canada.

Reliability is often in question in the digital age of information. When researching for school I am confident in the reliability of peer reviewed academic sources. Social media I have found is the most unreliable source for information. The goal of social media posts is to generate numbers and views with less concern for the truth or opposing perspectives. News corporations can often be biased towards one side of a story so try to gain facts from news and generate my own opinions.

Finding reliable information is critical to success in outdoor recreation. In the field recreationalists are dependent on research done on gear so that they can be confident of its ability. When trying a new route for a canoe trip for example, it is beneficial to speak with someone who has done it already for tips. Guides and leaders need to be informed of the activities and routes they are running to answer the questions of their participants. Developing creditable research skills in my program will be transferable to my teaching career. I will be able to present information to my students in an unbiased manner to let them develop their own opinions.

Disclaimer

This blog was created for OUTD 2511, Lakehead University

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of Lakehead University

Lakehead University is not responsible for the accuracy of the information supplied by this blog

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