Supporting Family-Led Inquiry in a Forest Preserve
Are you a member of a family that enjoys walking in nature? Would you like to engage your family in more conversations about science? We are developing a website to support families’ conversations about science in nature. We are recruiting (1) parents/caregivers for interviews about past experiences in nature and (2) families to test our website at Russell Woods Forest Preserve in Genoa, IL.
Parent/Caregiver Interviews
Have you visited a nature preserve, park, or other outdoor space with your child(ren) in the last 12 months? Our research team is recruiting parents/caregivers for interviews about how families learn and play together in natural areas (e.g., parks, forests). Participation involves 30-60 minute interviews over Zoom. Your reflections will inform the development of a website aimed to support families’ conversations about science in nature. If you would like to participate, please contact McKenna Lane (mllane2@illinois.edu) to schedule an interview.
Website Testing with Families
Your family may qualify if:
- There is at least one parent/caregiver (age 18+) and at least one child (any age) in your family.
- You have a mobile device with Internet access.
- You can visit Russell Woods Forest Preserve in Genoa, IL between May – August 2022 (specific dates TBD)
Participation involves:
- Video-recording your walk around the forest preserve
- Trying the website during your walk
- Competing a 15-minute interview after your walk
- Families will receive a $25 gift card for completing all parts of the study
For more information about participating in this study, email Dr. Catherine Dornfeld Tissenbaum at catdoti@Illinois.edu.
Study Information
This study aims to develop a website that will support families’ conversations about science when walking around in nature. There are two parts of the study: design interviews and website testing. For design interviews, parents will spend 30-60 minutes being interviewed about prior experiences with talking about science in nature. For website testing, as families visit Russell Woods Forest Preserve in Genoa, IL, we will ask them to record their experience with a wearable camera and visit the website as they visit. We will also analyze traffic to different parts of the website. We will also ask families to participate in a brief interview after their walk around the preserve. Families’ feedback will help us to continue improving the website and apply it to other natural areas.
