Abstract:
ABSTRACT
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN EMOTIONAL
MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP: TONING EFFECTS
ON ATTITUDES OF ADULT YOGA STUDENTS
by
© Andreini McPherson-Husbands 2010
Masters of Science in Instructional Design and Technology
California State University, Chico
Spring 2010
Improving the chanting component of a yoga class for a yoga practitioner was
one of the primary goals of this project. The other was to provide the yoga practitioner
and prospective yoga students an introduction to toning, its benefits, and its relationship
to and management of their own emotions.
A Nine Elemental Instructional Design Model (Morrison, Ross & Kemp,
2001) was used to develop an introductory educational unit on the topic of toning, a
foundational technique that underlies chanting. The unit was used in conjunction with
collaborative and experiential learning activities in a workshop format. A biofeedback
system for vocal profiling was used to analyze and generate participants’ voice prints
before and after toning. The prints displayed a quantitative outcome and offered
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participants real-time measurement of the frequency imbalances within their own voices.
Participants were then introduced to the relationship between toning and emotion through
emotional aspects associated with the frequencies in their voice prints and by applying a
prescribed tone via the toning technique learned in the workshop to augment those
frequencies that were out of balance.
Complementary instructional materials were developed for the workshop
consisting of an Administrative/ Instructor Guide, PowerPoint Presentation, and two
handouts: 1) Emotional Characteristics of the Notes, and 2) Toning and Emotional
Management Guide. The workshop was developed as a prototype, and a formative
evaluation was conducted during the workshop to determine what effects toning had on
the attitudes of adult yoga students, as well as how effective the workshop activities were
delivered to the target audience.
The project’s results revealed two main findings: 1) positive reactions from
participants and the instructor during and after the pilot run of the workshop, and 2) the
time allowed for the workshop was insufficient.
The project established the workshop prototype as a demonstration of how the
workshop would look and work and what could or would be produced as a final
deliverable. If given sufficient time, the Toning and Emotional Management Workshop
has the capability of delivering effective instruction on the subject of toning. It also has
the ability to engage, influence, and attain learners’ satisfaction with varied activities, and
attractive user-friendly materials.
