Conducting Focus Groups:Talk Informing Action

Information Services Assessment Council

June 8, 2006

assessment

an ongoing process in which services, resources and performance

are measured against the expectations of users, and

improvements are made to satisfy user needs effectively and efficiently.

What do we need to know?

Who can tell us?

How can we get the information?

What will it enable us to do?

What we’ll cover:

What is a focus group?Why is it used?What can it tell us?How to organize and conduct oneExamples from our experiences this

past yearYour questions

What is a focus group?

A group of 4-12 people, selected according to some defined criteria, who engage in a focused discussion on a specific topic, facilitated by a moderator.

What a focus group is not:

not a method for gathering quantitative data

not a question and answer interview

not a substitute for a surveynot a gripe session

Why use a focus group?

People tend to be more comfortable discussing a topic as part of a group

Interaction among participants reveals more information

Provides insight into role of peer pressure in relation to topic

What are they good for?

Determining user habits &/or usage of specific resources & services

Revealing user attitudes about specific resources & services

Identifying the language and vocabulary of users with reference to resources & services

What good?...continued…

Creating awareness of specific resources & services

Generating ideas for new resources & services

Testing possible survey questionsTesting user reactions to

promotional strategies

Successful focus group basics

4-12 participants (8-10 is ideal)Well-conceived discussion guide

(leading questions)Quiet room with comfortable

seating and refreshments50-90 minutes in duration1-2 recorders1 facilitator

The discussion guide

Identifies the objectives of the exercise

Outlines the process the focus group will follow

Details the general discussion topics

Details the specific discussion topics

Selecting participants

Homogeneous is generally bestConsider gender-specific groups,

especially among studentsConsider using a screening

questionnaire

The focus group setting:

Quiet room with comfortable seating in conference-style or living room arrangement

Refreshments easily accessible Paper and writing instrument at each

seat Perimeter seating for recorders or

observers Nametags for participants

Who should facilitate?

An effective facilitator will exhibit the following characteristics:

Good listener Good short-term memory Well-organized Personable Responsive Unbiased/neutral

Cautions for facilitators

Facilitators can inhibit the effectiveness of the focus group by:

Allowing one or two members to dominate the discussion

Defending practices, policies, resources, etc.

Allowing discussion to stray from the topic

Interjecting opinion

Recording and observation

Note takingAudio tapingVideotapingSilent observation

Conducting the focus group:

IntroductionWarm-up discussionSpecific discussionClosing

Introduction

Facilitator introduces selfExplain purpose of sessionIdentify recording methodsDistribute refreshmentsReview group rules

Warm-up

Participants introduce themselvesDiscuss general issues related to

topic

Specific topic discussion

Discuss specific topics introduced from discussion guide

Closing

Gather information forgotten or omitted

Any “further advice for ...”Thank participantsTell participants how/where to

collect compensation

Compensation

Food and drinkMoneyOther valuable consideration

Some recent focus group topics...

Desktop support in IS

Six focus groups of one-hour duration were conducted on June 6, 7 & 8, 2005 in the Kansas Union, level 3, Alcove F.

Each group included 3-6 participants, 1 or 2 note-takers, and 1 facilitator.

The 29 total participants included 17 Libraries staff (including 3 dean’s staff), 7 Information Technology staff, 4 Network & Telecommunications Services staff, and 1 Information Services vice provost’s staff.

Desktop support discussion guide:

Describe your ideal desktop support arrangement.

What types of support are essential to your job? (hardware, software, applications, systems, etc.)

What level of responsiveness do you expect? (time, manner, method, communication)

Libraries Web site

Eighteen staff members and student assistants participated in the three focus groups about student and faculty users' experiences with the Libraries Web site that we conducted on October 27 and 28.

Libraries Web site discussion guide:

What questions do you get asked about the Libraries Web site? How frequently? What types of users (students, faculty, etc.)

Describe how you assist users who are experiencing problems with the Web site.

IS newsletter

Four focus groups; 22 participants (9-IT, 6-NTS, 7-Lib); November 16 & 17, 2005

Locations: Anschutz Library (2), Computer Center, McCollum Hall

IS newsletter discussion guide:

How do you currently get information about IS-wide issues? (meetings, email, etc.)

Are these effective means? What could be better?

Did you attend the IS convocation in August? Have you watched the video? Thoughts, impressions, recommendations, etc.?

What kind of information would you like to have? (content)

What do you need to know?What frequency and length would be

optimal?Would you be willing to contribute as a

writer?Did you receive and read the HVC2

Outcomes reports? Thoughts, impressions, etc.?

Student use of email

Three focus groups of one-hour duration were conducted on May 2, 3 & 4, 2006 in the Burge Union, room 307.

Thirty-one students participated; participants by group numbered 8, 13, 10.

Participants by class included 4 freshmen, 7 sophomores, 10 juniors, 7 seniors, 2 graduates

Participants by school included 17 CLAS, 5 fine arts, 4 architecture, 2 education, 1 journalism, 1 business, 1 social work

Student use of email discussion guide:

For students who choose to have a KU email account, why do they choose one? Do they use it, or do they use another account?

For students who do not choose a KU email account, why do they use something else?

Is connectivity between mobile devices (PDA’s) and email important for students and why or why not?

Do students need or want a full-featured groupware service with calendaring, notes, contacts? Do they want other kinds of calendaring, like a federated calendar where they could subscribe to events or tracks and have those pre-populate a calendar.

Do students interact with faculty and other students through email as part of their courses? (and, if so, is a KU email account necessary? Do they use something else such as Blackboard?)

Email is the official KU communication channel. What would make students more receptive to official email?

Are other modes of communication (chat, IM) desirable for students as official ways to communicate with KU? (Thinking about the work the writing center does and the library does with their chat-based services.)

What else do students need? Storage, federated calendars…wiki’s, blogs, rss feeds, etc.

Maybe something about the viability of offering services through the portal as we have done with email. Are they using portal email?

What level of expertise do you expect of desktop support staff?

Describe the kinds of things you can handle on your own.

In your area of responsibility, how should desktop support tasks be prioritized?

What is working well with the current arrangement?

What would you like to see improved?

Planning checklist: Topics to be discussed Participant pool composition Method of recruitment Participant compensation Number of sessions Time of day and duration of session Number of participants per session Facilitation Facility Recording method Reporting

Information Services Assessment Council members

Susanne Clement, Libraries

Jill Glaser, IT

Ryan Papesh, NTS

Thelma Simons, IT

John Stratton, Libraries

Bill Myers, IS

Call on ISAC members to:

Consult, advise and assist in the development of assessment initiatives.

Identify other campus resources for assessment-related services.

Provide oversight and assure coordination with other IS assessment activities.

Assessment presentations available at:

www.informationservices.ku.edu/assessment/