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ERIC Number: ED453039
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2001-Mar
Pages: 7
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
When Face to Face Won't Work: Internet-Based Focus Groups.
Cook, Robert S.; Rule, Sarah
Faculty at Utah State University sought to modify a curriculum for teaching professionals the skills of naturalistic intervention with preschool children with disabilities to make it suitable for primary caregivers, and then to offer the modified curriculum over the Internet to maximize caregiver access. The curriculum development team decided to use Internet-based focus groups to obtain consumer input because of rural location, caregiver difficulties attending meetings, and the goal of national dissemination. Due to the lack of research on the efficacy of Internet-based focus groups, the team decided to begin the focus group in a face-to-face manner and then transition the group to Internet-based sessions. Six parents of children with disabilities participated in the focus group, providing feedback on the Web site, the curriculum, and the information offered. Two major modifications resulted from focus-group recommendations: using primary colors to indicate the Web site was child-related, and providing parents with video examples on CD-ROM to minimize download time. Findings indicate that focus groups can be effective in either format, but an Internet-based focus group has some interaction strategies that differ from those employed in face-to-face sessions. Recommendations are offered for setting up and facilitating online focus groups. (TD)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A