Online Focus Groups Presentation
May 21, 2012
More information about this project can be found at – http://z.umn.edu/onlinefocusgroups
This past semester 11 participants joined efforts to research various online tools in the hope of findings ways in which to conduct an online focus group effectively with limited resources. After conducting focus group for over 30 years, Dr. Richard Krueger, with the help of Dr. David Ernst, Director of Academic Technologies, organized a course around the idea of testing various online platforms’ strengths and weaknesses for hosting focus groups. The project involved 11 co-investigators at the University of Minnesota, all with a strong background in conducting focus groups and using technologies in innovative ways. The group analyzed potential platforms for online focus groups in terms of their cost, information privacy, administrative requirements, ease of navigation, hardware requirements, data capturing process, and other criteria. Our goal was to come up with cost-effective solutions for translating the anatomy and the essence of a face to face focus group to an online environment.
Exploring focus groups through focus groups was an integral element of our research design, as we were ourselves knowledgeable in online environments and focus group theory. Following an initial brainstorming session, the research team categorized various online social platforms based on their strengths and weaknesses. Some tools discussed included: Facebook, Google Docs, Desire to Learn (D2L), Moodle, Free Forums, Co Meeting, Google Groups, VoiceThread, Listservs, Skype, Ning, and Adobe Connect, among others. These tools were then classified according to whether they allowed for real-time (synchronous) interaction, or allowed participants to log in at different (asynchronous) times to participate.
Other variables that were considered included: cost, security, data ownership, ease of use, data capture, ability to participate anonymously, additional and unique features (“bells and whistles”), multimedia capabilities, bandwidth requirements, and the platform’s visual appeal. The team focused its exploration by settling on a “short list” of online social platforms for further testing representing both synchronous and asynchronous options (see Figure 1). Research team members divided up the roles of moderator and participants, modifying each platform to fit the purpose of a focus group, and using each other as “test subjects” to try out the various platforms.
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Synchronous |
Asynchronous |
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Skype |
Google Groups |
|
Adobe Connect (UM Connect) |
Ning |
Figure 1. Platforms tested by different research members.
While we are currently writing a brief chapter that illustrates in more detail our experience with each platform. Various other details about our work can be found at: http://z.umn.edu/onlinefocusgroups. Which includes the following PowerPoint
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Lessons Learned – Through a process of conducting several focus groups, the group came up with a list of lessons learned, summarized in the table below
| Environment | Technology |
| Make it Welcoming – Take some time to think through the way your online environment looks. Is it inviting? Is it user-friendly? You may want to film a brief introductory video to introduce the moderator(s), the purpose of the group, and the features of the online platform.Personalize it – Allow your participants to personalize their presence. Even in an anonymous group, you can have participants pick fun profile pictures, write a brief personal bio, answer a few introductory questions, upload a few personal photos, or even film a brief introductory video, if appropriate. There are several simple video tools available, such as: http://intervue.meSimple Layout and Design – Make it easy to find things on the site, build in some navigational redundancy, and avoid clutter. Make sure you only have on the site what is necessary for conducting the focus group. | Teach the technology – Participants will come with varying levels of technology expertise and anxiety, and it is important to get them more or less on the same page before starting the focus group. Try creating a “how-to” guide or filming an introductory video that introduces the platform, and ask participants to look at it prior to joining the focus group. Consider incorporating a “test run” or a “warm-up” activity at the beginning of the focus group to introduce and test out the features of your focus group platform.Stay behind the curve – Choose platforms and features that participants have the maximum amount of familiarity with. Remember: focus groups are about getting rich information–not about demonstrating the latest technology. If all goes well, the technology should be as transparent as possible.Keep the technology support “quiet” and omnipresent – Technology should remain as invisible as possible, in order to focus on participants’ voices and ideas. Build in multiple avenues for troubleshooting, and be explicit about how participants can request help if something breaks down. For example, if a microphone or webcam isn’t working, encourage participants to ask for help via text chat; if participants are confused about how to engage in an asynchronous forum, consider holding “office hours” where moderators are available for live text chat support; if a participant’s computer breaks down altogether, have a phone number or e-mail address available to participants for “last ditch” tech support. |
| Participants | Moderator |
| Keep the group small – Somewhere around five participants is ideal. This reduces the amount of reading for asynchronous text-based focus groups, and reduces the bandwidth and troubleshooting issues for synchronous voice/video focus groups.Know your audience – Make sure the platform you choose and the features you use will resonate with your participants. There are some generational and even gendered patterns in the ways people prefer to engage with technology that may be helpful to consider when selecting a platform. To get a sense of what you might reasonably expect from participants, you may want to look at the Pew Internet & American Life Project’s work on technology user types (see Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2009).Consider how you recruit – Recruiting for an online focus group can be very different than a face-to-face group. You have to consider motivations and ability. Do the people you are recruiting like communicating online? Or is communicating online the only way to participate in the group? When are good times to get together? What is their level of technology sophistication and will they have sufficient access to the technologies and bandwidth you require?
Furnish the right incentives – Incentives help participants stay engaged throughout the online focus group. The incentive could be intangible (e.g. “You are helping the community.” or “This research project will help others in need.”) or tangible (e.g. a gift card from a popular store or a movie ticket). If the incentive is intangible, be sure to describe the benefit. Don’t assume that it is obvious. |
Establish expectations for engagement – Social norms vary much more online than in a face-to-face environment. Being explicit about how and how much you expect participants to engage will help avoid “culture clashes” and confusion. In synchronous environments, you’ll want to spell out clear expectations of who should talk and when, or even try calling on people in turn. In asynchronous environments, you can communicate guidelines for how and how frequently participants should comment on each others’ contributions. You can also encourage participants to use bullet points, bold key ideas, and give brief explanations to avoid rambling.Be socially present – As a moderator, it is important to appear present in the conversations–perhaps more so than in a face-to-face environment. Online environments can feel impersonal, so you may want to make particular effort to address participants by name. In synchronous environments, you may find you need to more actively moderate and “fill in the gaps” in conversation. In asynchronous environments, you can create daily summaries and bullet points to highlight key ideas in the discussion and guide further discussion for participants who don’t have time to read all the posts.Have multiple moderators – Having two or more moderators is important. You may want to divide roles into “talk-moderator” (to guide the discussion) and “tech-moderator” (to help with troubleshooting and tech questions). |
