Teaching Outcomes



Accessible play environments have received considerable attention in recent practice; opinions vary from seeing them as critical links for serving a disadvantaged population, to a more negative viewpoint of their reducing overall challenge and fun.  Little comparative research has been done to evaluate the use of specific playground features as indicators of attractiveness.  The primary aim of this dissertation research is to test the hypothesis that play environments designed to the higher accessibility standard of Universal Design (UD) are used more frequently by people of all abilities than those designed meeting only Accessible Design (AD) ADA minimums.  The secondary aims are to fill knowledge gaps in the literature by evaluating the impacts that specific physical elements of the play environment have on use, as well as their links to physical activity.  

This dissertation research is a cross-section case study that applies established protocols of momentary environmental observation in the playground settings of three public parks within one city where physical qualities and demographics are similar throughout, resulting in many potential confounding variables being controlled.  The study compares playgrounds in one case employing UD, and two comparisons employing AD.  Observations were made on 14 days in each park during 5 time periods, producing 210 observations (n=210), 70 in each park. 

Established protocols in momentary environmental observation were applied in the parks and playgrounds adding a new graphic dimension to the validated methodologies.  Building on the established tabular recording methods, observed users were recorded graphically on maps of each park and playground identifying a user’s approximate age, gender, and physical activity level.  This recording methodology allows for statistical analysis of the hypothesis and adds the potential of re-analyzing the data spatially or statistically for exploratory analysis or to evaluate additional hypotheses.   

Data analysis was accomplished using descriptive statistics and ANOVA to test the primary hypothesis.  Zero-inflated Negative Binomial Regression was also performed on 10 environmental variables of physical park and playground elements to evaluate potentially confounding relationships for significance.  Exploratory qualitative analysis was used for the secondary aims, evaluating where users were in the park and their relationships with specific physical park elements categorized by behavior settings.   

Findings showed more than 50% greater use in the UD playgrounds compared to the AD playgrounds.  The indication of greater attractiveness supported by greater use of UD playground facilities can serve to underwrite policies promoting the more costly UD practices not only for the benefit of those with disabilities but also for the overall public benefit facilitating greater levels of outdoor physical activity for people of all ages and abilities.  

Current Research

Use in the Playground

1 to 5 Year Research Plan

  • Current Research
  • Research Plan
  • Teaching Philosophy​ 
  • ​Teaching Outcomes

The overall aim of future research is anticipated to focus on filling existing gaps contributing knowledge in evidence-based design.  The first and most immediate course of action is that of publishing from the existing dissertation research data.  The hypothesis, the attractiveness of Universal Design (UD) for accessibility in play environments is in draft form and is planned and its methodology is planned to be submitted in Spring 2021.  

Other topics from the dissertation for development within the short to intermediate-term are defining UD in play environments, playground use as a contributor to park use, physical activity in parks and playgrounds, and physical activity on trails.  New research is also being considered relative to health and evidence-based design in the urban setting.  A new research and publication opportunity has emerged as a collaborative effort to assist with the publication of original international data on the topic of the stress-relieving qualities forests have on children in play evaluated through cortisol measurements.  With a proposal paper on the Forest Kindergarten children’s outdoor learning environments of South Korea, research is being planned on best practices and lessons learned among those facilities.    

Forthcoming research has the potential to go beyond the playground setting and focus on the effects specific amenities have on physical activity in different park and urban settings.  These projects could be along the lines of playground research as an expansion of the dissertation or they could apply the methodology to broader topics beyond the play environment to settings with various focuses in public parks, in urban design, and evaluation of physical elements in other outdoor environments such as therapeutic gardens in hospitals.  All of the work can be relative to differentials in use as they relate to physical activity and active living. 

New research initiatives may combine observation data with survey data to reveal feelings about comfort, safety, specific park elements, how far people travel to a facility, how often they use the area, the size of family groups, and more.  In contrast to the use and physical activity generated by physical amenities in outdoor open space is their contribution to the economic value in a community.  Economic value can be measured in terms of commercial activity in businesses located in enhanced environments as well as property values, both commercial and residential as influenced by the quality and proximity of public outdoor open space. 

This plan has outlined short-term articles for publication, several realistic intermediate-term possibilities, and the possibility of some funded research.  The intermediate-term also includes expansion of the methodologies into directly and indirectly related new research including the goal of seeking grant funding.  Implementation will likely be an evolution of the short-term work being more immediate and certain, leaving room for adjustment in the intermediate-term and beyond in response to a diversity of interests and opportunities.  

Research & Pedagogy

Writing

Additional Research Initiatives in progress

In parallel with a desire to contribute to the profession has come the desire to share my experience in practice with students working toward an outcome of applying a real-world vision to their designs.  Throughout my time at Texas A&M, I have been involved in teaching at the Teaching Assistant (TA) level, as Instructor of Record, and currently as Assistant Lecturer.  In all avenues of instruction, I have striven to bring an objective approach with a foundation in creativity and theory that is grounded by applying a vision of practical application. 

While a pragmatic approach to teaching is important to keep students grounded, creativity is the realm where advances in thinking and design dwell.  Often entertainment of seemingly unrealistic concepts can have a place in creative thinking for within them may be the seed of truly great work.  Stifling that level of creativity in design education can have the effect of limiting possibilities to only the safe and the known.  Within the endeavor of creative design dwells the practical application of experience, melding and directing the creativity to the realm of greater outcomes than that which would be otherwise achievable. 

The courses I have taught had a variety of foci contributing to different levels of the student’s educational process.  The construction courses were at all 3 levels of the curriculum my involvement in teaching has been as lead, co-instructor, and as a TA performing course planning, lectures, technical studio critiques, and grading.  The first course taught the basic application of grading and drainage.  The second course is on materials and methods reviewing the previously taught grading and layout adding design and detailing of pavements and wood structures with a final comprehensive construction document (CD) set.  The third applied the more advanced topics of irrigation design and Low Impact Development (LID) to the construction drawing process with the final product being a complete construction drawing package.  These built on my experience in practice and my teaching of basic Landscape Architecture (LA) Technology while working on my MLA at Oklahoma. 

In studio, I performed as lead instructor and instructor of record on teaching teams of two faculties including myself.  The studios have been for undergraduate students from the beginning to the end of their educations.  They have applied a wide range of design topics and settings.  Beginning studios addressed education in basic graphic communication with the primary focus being on hand drawing.  Mid-level studios engaged the students in site design projects that were focused on a scale of smaller sites.  The higher level studios addressed design of larger-scale sites typical of urban design practice, with more in-depth site analyses, and addressing master planning issues.  In the fall of 2020, I led an internship studio of seniors in both Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning to do design of a new rural community in South Africa.  In each of these studios, students were guided through design applying a mix of creativity grounded in a practical foundation.   

Additional teaching assignments have included an introductory seminar for Ph. D. students where the students work on professional writing and teaching skills that are critical to successful completion of their Ph. D. program, and a lecture course in planning entitled “Building Better Cities”.  Additional courses I would be capable of teaching with some preparation include research methods, human behavioral observation methods, courses in urban design and urban planning, park and recreation facility design, the design of therapeutic settings, and topics focusing on elements of active living.  While my education in plant materials and plant community restoration is from the upper Midwest, with some work, that could be expanded to other regional settings. 

The teaching evaluation outcome chart shown below reports student evaluations for the studios taught.  Evaluations are on a 5 point scale with 5 being high.  The range is from 2.85 in the first studio taught to 5.00, with a mean of 4.17 across all of the classes taught.  Please see the CV for a listing of classes taught, design studio service projects, guest lectures performed, and conference presentations.   

Use in the Park

Teaching Philosophy

Behavior Mapping: Representative Day

  • Stress Reduction in the Forest Environment through Nature Sports.  Building on the body of research in Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) original applying research done in South Korea measuring stress reduction by salivary cortisol as a result of physical activity in children in a forest environment. 
  • The Korea Forest Welfare Institute (FoWI) and Forest Kindergarten outdoor learning areas in Korea.  This research examines the existing system of 163 forest kindergarten facilities across South Korea for lessons learned and best practices in an extensive government-sponsored system of children's outdoor learning environments.  

Poster for 2017 Active Living Research (ALR) Conference

khurst5775@gmail.com • 214.228.1052

  • Hurst, Kenneth R.; Lee, Chanam (2014). A Case Study of Playground Accessibility, The Universal Attractiveness of Universally Accessible Play Environments: A Pilot Study.  Landscape Research Record, Vol. 2, pp. 191-200.
  • Hurst, Kenneth R.; Lee, Chanam (2014). The Universal Attractiveness of Universally Accessible Play Environments, A Pilot Study.  CELA 2014 Conference Proceedings, Baltimore, Maryland, March 26-29, p. 224.  
  • Hurst, Kenneth R. (2013). Accessible Play Environments Pilot Study. ASLA-The Field. December, 2013, 

Research Plan

The Attractiveness of Universal Design in Playground Environments

DISSERTATION SUMMARY

by Kenneth Rolf Hurst

Forster Ndubisi, Ph.D., Co-Chair • Chanam Lee, Ph.D., Co-Chair

James Varni, Ph.D. • Scott Shafer, Ph.D.

Kenneth R. Hurst, Ph.D.