Kim Madden

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Shared passion different perspective
Kim Madden Research Assistant kmadden_at_glam.ac.uk 0
1443 483801
Cupp Conference II
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Project Background

• Genetics family history
• Public understanding
• Short term approach with adults

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Key Goals

• To understand the influences on young peoples
  attitudes to genetics

• To engage young people in tasks that utilise
  creative media

• To promote genetic literacy amongst
• participants as the study progresses

• To inform debates about engaging
• hard-to-reach communities with science and
  technology

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Recruiting

• Our aim was to recruit 25 participants
• Age range 16 19 years
• 8 not engaged in education, employment or
  training
• Inclusion criteria living within Merthyr
  Tydfil

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Type of contact

• Some personal introductions
• Information letters
• Telephone contacts
• Email contacts
• Talks (school, local college)

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What worked?

• Personal contact by research assistants
• Recommendations by Merthyr Media
• Recommendations by University of Glamorgan staff
• Emphasising benefits to participants
• F2F talks with young people

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What didnt?

• Contacting organisations without prior links
• Having other professionals promote the project to
  young people
• Trying to catch some contacts on the phone!

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Recruitment outcome n 21

• 9 in school
• 9 in college
• 3 not engaged in education, employment or
  training

6 of the 9 from college were in relationships and
came as 3 couples 2 young people attended with a
youth worker both having defined learning
difficulties
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What did we do?

• A series of group days.
• Learning about genetics.
• Introduction to creative media.
• Task to complete in their own time.

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Some of the topics we covered

• Genetics in the media
• Genetics inheritance
• Risk chance
• Families and health
• How to draw a family tree
• Genetics during pregnancy
• Ethical issues surrounding genetic technology

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What type of tasks

• Digital photography
• Art
• Digital story telling
• Short film making
• Video sound bites
• DNA extraction, Techniquest
• Radio broadcast BBC Wales

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Activities Inheritance

• GAMY monsters

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Activities Risk
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Activities Family Trees
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Activities Make your own designer baby
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Examples of photographs from our participants
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Sustaining engagement

• Social networking
• Text messaging
• Web site
• Telephone calls
• Information flyers

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2 be honest kim i dont think i will be coming but
if i do this 1st activity can i give it to you
later because im off on holidays on the 14th xx
wb swn xx ....... xx
ok then xx i will x i will get my pictures
developed ok then send them in xx hope u r ok xx
wb swn xx .......
kim im ok but the only problem is that i have
lost my camera so do u now how can i stil do my
photos for you?? any ideas please lol xx i found
out im pregnant 3 weeks ago im 10 weeks gone n
due on march the 10th next year xx write back
soon xx ....... xx
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hey kim im ok thnx u? im sori i cudnt meet up
wiv u i waz reli buzy wiv college wrk and thingz
so im sori abwt tht i wud like 2 catch az i av
been reli buzy and wud like 2 catch up wiv evry1
can i ask - wat wil the 2 minute digital story b
about? can it b about anything or a specific
topic tht the gamy project has picked for us? hpe
i wil get the 100 hpe 2 c u sn kim magz
yea thtz nt a problem kim thnx 4 tht yea thursday
wud b gr8 kim thnx wil c u thn magz
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Feedback
How close to the bullseye have we scored for.
Fun activities
Increasing your knowledge of genetics
Small group discussions
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• CHALLENGES
• Balancing contact time against data collected
• Maintaining up-to-date contact details
• Negotiating meeting times
• Confirming attendance
• Collecting tasks
• Devising learning activities that engage young
  people

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Tentative Conclusions

• Recruitment was successful and young people are
  interested in genetics.
• Results from tasks indicate different levels of
  understanding as well as varying levels of
  engagement.
• Young people have expressed strong opinions and
  evaluation from group days show that participants
  feel their genetic literacy has increased.
• Social Networking Sites can be a useful tool
  for engaging with young people.
• There are issues of retention of participants
  over a prolonged period.
• Dedicated time to nurture relationships and
  encourage a collaborative approach.

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Thank you
www.gamyproject.org.uk
Kim Madden Research Assistant kmadden_at_glam.ac.uk 0
1443 483801
A presentation prepared by Kim Madden April 2009