Summary Reader Response Draft 4

 Summary on Innovative Face Mask

This will be a summary on the article “Innovative Face Mask Breaks Inclusivity Barriers " ‘Helloface’ is an innovative transparent alternative to Type IIR EN14683 medical face masks made up of a 3-ply construction that prevents large particles from reaching patients" (University of Hertfordshire, 2022). The usage of masks greatly increased during the Covid19 Pandemic and the creator of Helloface, Dean Ezekiel, found that face masks created an obstacle for talking between people; thus, he launched a new company to face that problem by producing clear facemasks. The plan to start the company was inspired by his wife, who is partially deaf and needed lip reading to help her understand when she could not hear the person. Dean understood that being able to communicate via lip reading and facial expression is important as there are 11 million people in the UK registered as deaf or blind and it would help out in the medical sector and other industries where facial recognition is crucial. Because there are so many people who are deaf or have trouble hearing, According to University of Hertfordshire (2022), that how important facial recognition is for communication in the medical field. For those who are deaf or have trouble hearing, a clear and inventive face mask that allows others to read lips may be more important than a standard mask for preventing COVID-19.

Before the pandemic, most people did not frequently wear face masks. However, the use of face masks became increasingly widespread as a result of the rapid COVID-19 outbreak. This has caused a difficulty that many individuals encounter. Research done by the University of Sydney’s Voice Research Laboratory discovered how the voice changes when wearing a facemask (Blowes, 2021). I believe that wearing an innovative face mask would help people with medical conditions like hearing loss and respiratory conditions to overcome the disadvantages that come with wearing a face mask during the pandemic.

One concern with face masks is that they conceal half of the face, which could lead to difficulties. It is known that there are 430 million people, or over 5% of the human population, who need rehabilitation to fix their hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children) (World Health Organization, 2021). Many of those 430 million individuals depend on lip reading or facial expression to communicate with others. Even the majority of those who have hearing loss do not use sign language, making it difficult for many individuals to interact with those who have hearing loss using sign language. A study showed that only 1% of those with hearing loss use sign language (Lacke,2020). Because of this, folks who have hearing loss are at a tremendous disadvantage because they can't read lips or observe others' facial expressions. As a result, using transparent face masks like the recently developed Helloface face mask would be very helpful.

Breathing difficulties are another issue that people have when wearing a facemask. This is especially true for those who suffer from ailments like asthma. According to the World Health Organization (2022), there were 262 million people affected by asthma. Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects breathing. According to an article by Botterman (2022), researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago did an online survey with 501 adults with asthma regarding mask usage during COVID-19. The survey showed that when wearing a mask, 84% of people experienced discomfort, and 75% reported trouble breathing or shortness of breath at least a little. A good answer to this would be to have an innovative face mask that would make it easier for people with respiratory disorders to use. Anybody could adopt this mask since most people have encountered discomfort with breathing with the face mask.

The fact that standard face masks might not be suitable for everyone is yet another issue with them. The often purchased face masks typically have a similar shape and size. The mask might not always be able to fit comfortably and offer protection from infections or pollution. The one-size-fits-all mask design may cause more severe problems in more vulnerable individuals. As a result, rather than just employing cloth or fabric, an innovative face mask is made to fit people's features. A mask company named IdMASK has designed a face mask using silicon that works like an adhesive bra to make it fit the shape of the user's face and ensure that it is 100% airtight (Clifford, 2020)

Innovative face masks for persons with medical disorders are, in my opinion, a positive thing, but they might not be suitable for everyone. As most people won't consider using face masks to tackle the their medical condition not everyone is looking for creative face masks that could aid them. Given that the standard face mask in use is ubiquitous and more affordable for the majority of people, the innovative facemask may not be commonly found.

Finally, most people would be able to use a face mask on a daily basis without issue. However, others may not be as fortunate. Innovative face masks were developed and made to help those who encounter problems due to their medical conditions without compromising safety during the pandemic. Thus, with the help of innovative face masks, those with medical conditions would be able to cope with the difficulties in wearing face masks.

 

 

 

References

 

Blowes, M. (2021). Study reveals how face masks hinder communication. University of Sydney News.

https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2021/03/30/study-reveals-how-face-masks-hinder-communication.html

 

Clifford, C. (2020). 10 innovative face masks designed by young people competing for $1 million XPRIZE—take a look. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/25/pictures-face-masks-designed-by-young-people-competing-for-xprize.html

 

Lacke, S. (2020). Do All Deaf People Use Sign Language?

https://www.accessibility.com/blog/do-all-deaf-people-use-sign-language

 

University of Hertfordshire. (2022). Innovative Face Mask Breaks Inclusivity Barriers.

https://www.herts.ac.uk/enterprise-zone/news-and-case-studies/case-studies/business-incubation/innovative-face-mask-breaks-inclusivity-barriers

 

World Health Organization. (2022). Asthma.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma

 

World Health Organization. (2021). Deafness and hearing loss.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss

Critical Reflection

Module Learning

I set goals for myself at the beginning of the module to improve my confidence in public speaking and to write better reports and letters. My approach for boosting my confidence in public speaking was to speak up more in class, be able to answer questions, and use my experience during the final performance to gauge my progress. However, not everything proceeds as planned. I was frequently drowsy in class due to a lack of sleep the day before, and I was unable to contribute as frequently as I would have liked. I assumed that because I am in a communication module, I would have opportunity to gradually enhance my communication abilities. Before I knew it, it was at the end of the program, and I hadn't accomplished much. And, because I am usually silent and reserved, I felt that even in a small class, I was unable to completely take the step toward improving my confidence. Even during the final presentation for the group report, I was unable to perform as well as I would have liked because of my anxiety. I couldn't make eye contact with the entire class. I wound up stumbling a lot and speaking in fragments. I was frustrated that I was unable to achieve my goals and perform better. All of this makes me recognize my fault in public speaking, and I know that if I had worked harder in class, and possibly even outside of this class with other modules, I would have done better.

I know I need improvement and I need new target to help achieve my goal of being confident in public speaking skills. Be more energetic and proactive in class. Communication more often with different people and bigger groups. Trying my best from the start of any module. I hope that with all these gradual changes I would ultimately be able to present to large group of people without my nervousness preventing me from showing the best of me.

 

Project Learning

My group Team Gaia research about Interceptor Trashfence that was design by the Ocean Cleanup. Close to submitting the report now, it was a great experience that allow me to learn many things. One of it being teamwork. I relearn that communication is the key to great teamwork. Being in group with people that I initially had not interact with before, it was certainly a challenge to me being an introvert. However, it turns out to not be as bad as I thought. My team was friendly and open. This allows me to adapt naturally into the group. At the start of the group project, our group was not able to decide on the topic for our research. This led us to start slower than another group. Our group decided to sit down and brainstorm for ideas. Once the topic was chosen, we discuss on how we wanted the idea of the project to be. With this, we finish our initial plans of the project way faster than expected. We knew that everyone in the group is busy with the school schedule. Thus, in order to cope with this issue, we decided to let everyone contribute to the report whenever they can. This let us not have to constantly worry about other module while being able to complete this assignment in time. However, there was a problem that we faced using this approach. The presentation slide were slightly unorganized and it was quite apparent during the presentation. With this learning experience, I hope to improve on this by implementing time to discuss and rehearse the slides and hopefully be able to give a presentation that shows professionalism in the group.

Overall, this project was able to let me reflect and refine on my written skills through project and letter writing, presentation with the class and final presentation and teamwork skills through working with multiple different groups throughout the whole course. I believe that this module is essential as it encourages critical thinking/reflection, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. 

Team Gaia final report on benefits of product

 3 Benefits

A fully automated fence that collects trash from the river without having to wait for low tide and using manpower to physically collect the trash. By making it into a conveyor belt system,hence eliminating problems such as failure of structure, shortage of manpower, and clogging of huge amounts of trash, regardless of high or low tide. 

3.1 Green energy

As the Trashfence’s main source of energy is through solar panels, it is running on green energy. This allows the trash fence to run continuously using solar and reduces the need for separate power units during the monsoon season. And even during monsoon season, hydro energy can be used from

3.2 Automation

Cleaning trash in rivers requires a lot of manpower, with the help of a conveyor system, the trash will automatically be removed from the river and help to save lots of manpower and resources. This allows the consumer to now focus their resources into just clearing the rubbish in the trash can which is much easier and efficient as compared to the conventional cleaning method. As it became easier to manage the trash in the river, this will help to also reduce the overall cost of clearing the trash.