1. Participatory Research with Children

2. ChiCI  ChiCI Group Founded 2002 / 2003 Group Size (6 – 10 people) Ran the first Interaction Design & Children Conference in 2003 (following on from IDC workshop in Netherlands – 2002) Founded the International Fun & Games Conference in 2006 IFIP SIG & International Journal of CCI

3. Child Computer Interaction (CCI)  Subset of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Focus on interaction between children and technology  Major Themes Design Evaluation Research Methodology

4. What is a MESS day? Mad Evaluation Session with Schoolchildren  First held in 2004 Morning: 30 primary school children Afternoon: 30 secondary school children  FAR TOO TIRING

5. Planning a MESS day  Held in response to research needs In general, once a term Informal conversation  Researchers ChiCI Researchers Visiting Researchers PhD Students Taught MSc and Undergraduate Students

6. Planning a MESS day  Contact Schools Appropriate aged children Dates, times, location Transportation  Schools v University

7. Organisation  Time for whole event: 90 minutes – 2 hrs  Studies are organised by individual researchers Time Materials Participants  Plan is created (inc. some negotiation)

8. Organisation 9:3010:0010:3011:00 Matt (30 mins)A + BC + DE + FG + H Janet (15 min)CDABGHEF Dan (10 mins)EFGHABCD Gavin (10 mins)FEHGBADC Diana (20 mins)G + HE + FC + DA + B Plan of activities Then… the MESS starts!!!

9. Evaluating MESS days  Evaluation form completed by researchers  2008 – 2010 6 MESS Days 21 Research activities 6 conference papers 2 journal papers 43% Publication Output

10. User Involvement  Children  Teachers  Researchers

11. ABCD  ABCD is an ethical approach to research with children that goes beyond simply ‘ticking the boxes’ on an ethics form.

12. A is for AGREEMENT  Informed Consent Parent and Teachers CHILDREN  Information The research The children’s participation What the University does What is research Who is funding the work Where the findings will go

13. B is for BEHAVIOUR Children should not just be physically safe but also comfortable around the researchers.  Criminal Records Bureaux (CRB) Checks  Training  Guidance Documentation

14. C is for CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE  Experience of fellow researchers Mood of the children Unexpected changes to the environment Problems with the design  Activity Forms Organisations points Procedures and methods used Initial impressions of the data gathered

15. D is for DISSEMINATION  Traditionally Journals Conferences  But what about the children who took part? Progress of the research Copies of publications and posters Presentations for the research Questions and comments

16. Thank You! ANY QUESTIONS chici@uclan.ac.uk http://www.chici.org