INTRODUCTORY EXERCISE (15 minutes)

Tell the group you are going to carry out some research on them.

Tell everyone to close their eyes then ask them a series of linked questions about something where there are yes/no answers. Where the answer is yes they have to raise their arm. No opening of eyes. An example would be about the lottery:

Raise your hand if you do the lottery.

Do you do it once or twice a week? Raise your hand

Raise your hand if you spend more than £5 a week on the lottery? Have you ever won on the lottery? Raise your hand

Raise your hand if you have ever won more than £10. Hands down

Tell the group that you have finished, that they can open their eyes, thank them

For taking part and that you will now move on to something else. Ask them if that’s OK.

Hopefully they won’t be happy about that and want some feedback information.

REVIEW OF THE GROUP PROJECT IN PART 1 (30 minutes)

Review the group’s experience of the Part 1 group project.

If this involved people in actually carrying out some research pose questions around:

• How they went about it?
• What went well and what went badly?
• Would they have done anything differently?

If their project did not involve any actual research then pose questions around how they might have undertaken research in their own community on the project topic.

DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNITY (30 minutes)

Provide the group with a map which shows an area which is a bit bigger than their own immediate geographical community.

Split them in to pairs and ask them to draw a line round the area they identify as their own community.

Ask people to feedback as to why they have drawn the line where it is and discuss.

Now introduce the different definitions of community Handout A i.e. Geography,Interest, Identity.

Use examples to see how the lines on the map would change for differing groups.

A FRAMEWORK FOR APPROACHING RESEARCH (30 minutes)

Give the group a copy of the research spiral/cycle, Handout B, and take them through each of the stages explaining how it applies to the work they are going to embark on.

Ask if they are familiar with it or use it. Give them Handout C to show that it’s something we use everyday.

Break into smaller groups and get them to take something they do in their everyday lives and break it down to the component parts of the cycle

DIFFERENT RESEARCH METHODS (60 minutes)

Get the group members to talk about their previous experience of being involved in research particularly the methods employed. Using the headline methods from Handout D discuss the pros and cons for each method. But don’t give out Handout till later.

Break into groups and get the small groups to discuss what would be the most appropriate research method for engaging with, for example:

• Young children
• Teenagers
• Adults
• Pensioners
• Members of minority groups

Give out full Handout D and have a brief discussion on the methods and appropriateness for use.

Next get the groups to discuss and then feedback on how they would go about identifying and engaging with particular sections of their community

Get them to consider the following questions.

How would you identify members of that section of the community? How would you get to them?

What barriers would you face?

How would you overcome the barriers?

EXERCISE 6

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PLAN (120 minutes)

Here people have to decide:

a) How they are going to get together to undertake a research question i.e. what size of group or groups they are going to work in.

b) What the question is that they are going to research.

In relation to the research question it is important to think about the constraints they are faced with in terms of time and relevance to their community. They should also start to get initial ideas about what methods they are going to use. Participants should then start to discuss and prepare their research plan in detail using the template of Handout E. Tutors may wish to refer to the guidance on the website and work through the relevant parts of the expanded template.

RECAP AND SUMMARY (15 minutes)

Recap on the main points from this session and deal with any questions, issues or concerns

Give out the Unit 10 Learning Log and allow participants time to fill it in before they leave.