If you’ve conducted usability studies, you know that each one presents its own unique challenges and insights. Studies involving children, however, come with their own distinct set of considerations. By taking key factors into account, you can better prepare for research with children, ensuring a positive experience for the participants and more reliable data. In this blog we’ll share some tips to consider when planning and executing usability studies with children:
Study Design and Logistics
Effective planning for a usability study involves managing various logistics and details. Finding the balance of meeting research objectives while also ensuring a positive experience for everyone involved takes care.
Session duration and participant age
It is essential to consider the participant’s age and the length of the session. Attention spans and energy levels vary across developmental stages, significantly influencing a child’s engagement and ability to participate effectively. Consider structuring longer sessions into smaller, manageable tasks or incorporating breaks every 30 minutes to maintain focus. Aim to keep the total session duration within 60 minutes.
- Younger children (ages 4-8) may have shorter attention spans, so keeping sessions brief, highly interactive, and incorporating play-based methods whenever possible can help sustain engagement.
- Older children (ages 9-12) can typically focus for longer periods (20-35 minutes), but they can still benefit from structured sessions with clear goals and scheduled breaks.
- Adolescents (ages 13-17) generally have longer attention spans, but engagement may depend on the relevance to their interests. They may feel hesitant in a formal setting, so creating a relaxed atmosphere can be beneficial. Natural, respectful, adult-like conversations can encourage participation by acknowledging their perspectives.
Keep language simple
Use clear, simple language throughout the study, including in paperwork, session introductions, and task instructions. Keep sentences brief and avoid complex vocabulary. For example, use “join” or “help” instead of “participate”. Asking direct, easy-to-understand questions like, “What do you like/don’t like about this?” Lastly, give children enough time to respond before moving to another question.
Follow guidelines when conducting usability studies with minors
Ensure you are familiar with any relevant laws, regulations, company policies, and best practices related to conducting research with minors. This includes obtaining proper documentation (i.e., informed consent, assent, etc.) and clearly communicate the study parameters to inform both the child and their parent or guardian.
Scheduling and Recruitment
Scheduling and recruiting participants for usability studies with children requires flexibility and planning.
Consider school hours
When recruiting children, be mindful of their schedules. Parents and guardians are reluctant to take their kids out of school unless absolutely necessary. Arranging sessions during after-school hours, such as late afternoons, evenings, or weekends can help accommodate family routines. Flexibility is important to ensure the session times work for both the research team and participants.
Over-Recruit participants
When recruiting participants, it’s smart to recruit more than the minimum quota. Families may face scheduling conflicts, such as illness, sibling commitments, or transportation issues, which can cause changes to the study schedule. Being prepared is beneficial when conducting a study with a child and their families.
Environment and Setup
Setting up a room for a usability study is very important for any study, as it can help to ensure participants feel comfortable, focused, and provide a conducive environment for data collection. Factors like accessibility, lighting, equipment placement, and seating can all contribute to creating the right setting. Additional considerations are needed when working with minors.
Comfortable setup
Creating a welcoming environment is key. Comfortable seating and small tables can help children feel at ease and more engaged. Adding fun tactile items like fidget toys or blocks can be beneficial, but might be distracting, so finding a balance is needed. A well-chosen item that the moderator is also engaged with can help set a more relaxed tone for the session.
Age-appropriate materials
Choose materials suitable for the child’s age. For younger children, squishy toys, a sensory ball, and blocks work well. School-aged children might prefer Pop-It fidget toys, Tangle toys, stress balls, or fidget cubes/spinners. Coloring materials can also help children communicate during a session. Ensure all materials are safe, durable, and quiet to minimize distractions.
Additional individuals present during the session
The best practice when working with children is to include others, like an additional researcher, the child’s parent, guardian, and/or sibling to join the session. Their presence can help children feel more comfortable, but it’s important to clarify their role is to observe only. To reduce any potential influence their presence may have, consider having them sit off to the side during the session.
Moderating the study
Moderating a usability study is always a balancing act, especially when moderating with children. The moderator must possess skills to gather comprehensive data for the study while managing the right pace and rapport appropriate to engage the child throughout the allotted time.
Build rapport
Children may feel reluctant to speak or can become nervous in this type of setting. Building rapport early by being friendly and approachable is essential! It can be helpful to emphasize there are no right or wrong answers and that you are genuinely interested in their thoughts and opinions.
Make the session fun
Being playful and laughing can boost engagement, but it’s important to maintain control of the session. Using a calm voice and relaxed demeanor can help the child feel comfortable while keeping the atmosphere balanced—fun yet focused! This balance is a critical skill for a moderator to master.
It is so important to practice this. Being playful and engaging in a way that a child will work well with you requires a completely different set of skills from moderating with adults.
Incorporate visual aids
If a child becomes shy, fatigued, or distracted, visual aids can help re-engage them to participate more actively. Picture cards showing different facial expressions or simple thumbs-up/down visuals can be effective. These tools can help communicate feelings or preferences if they find it hard to express themselves verbally.
Mind your attire
As a moderator working with children, it’s important to choose modest and comfortable clothing. Given that you’ll likely be active—moving, kneeling, or sitting on the floor—ensure your clothes allow for ease of movement throughout a session.
Conclusion
Conducting usability studies with children requires patience, flexibility, and a keen understanding of your participants’ needs. Considering these factors and creating an environment that fosters engagement and support, you can ensure a productive study session that yields valuable insights. When researchers remain mindful of these key elements, they can anticipate challenges and adapt, ensuring research objectives are met and reliable, meaningful data is collected—while also providing a positive experience for both the child and their family.
