Conceptual maps are demonstrations of how one perceives his/her environment. Often, conceptual maps are adequate representations of real environments. However, the ways by which people draw these maps tells us about their likes/dislikes, interests and focal points in their lives. Examining kids conceptual maps provides insight to their world as they see it being constructed.

Laura’s map is full of creativity.

Ray’s map is an outline showing only the facts.

Here are some examples:

A kid’s life is put into perspective when you spend a day with them. Here is an example of a summer day with Johnnie.

A little skateboarding.

An urban, public school class.

Watching kids as they maneuver through school, which is a highly social and yet educational environment, gives us in-depth understanding of their social interactions, as well as their achievements and frustrations.

We videotape kids working at the non-play things that interest them. This research helps us understand the ways that kids go about learning and improving.

Kathy practices her violin.

Home tours provide the greatest insight to kids’ life. By walking us through their house, they truly let us in their physical environment and highlights of their world. Because of their natural ego-centerism, kids almost always demonstrate their likes and dislikes and share their thoughts.

Maria loves the Animorph books. She likes to do community service like raking the leaves for her elderly neighbors.

Micheal likes machines – both real and virtual. He flies toy rockets, likes flight sims and train sims. He also loves the book The Way Things Work.

Laura has every inch of her bedroom covered with posters, magazine clippings, art work, postcards and photographs.

Data gathered this way is original, raw, and full of surprises. Kids love to talk about themselves. In the storyboards, they fully demonstrate their unarticulated interests, likes and dislikes. Diaries, in which they jot freely about issues that concern them, are windows to their world and their thinking. Together, diaries and storyboards form a comprehensive bank of information that helps us understand kids’ world.

This child methodically illustrates important people and objects in his life with his storyboards.

The major tool of Observational Research is videotaping. With Observational Research, depending on the goals and needs of the study, researchers can gather anywhere from ten to hundreds of hours of documented observations.

Researchers then work together to systematically analyze and interpret the gathered data.

The goal of observational research is to capture the embodied knowledge – tacit, nonscientific knowledge – the type of findings that cannot be uncovered in surveys and focus groups. To that end, researchers can pay attention to minute details that can often be overlooked.

Pros

• The data gathered is not mediated by the subject.
• Results are not defined by the design of the method.
• The results are supported by verifiable evidence.
• Research is done in context.
• Uncovers embodied knowledge.
• Uncovers problems for which the subjects have developed workarounds.
• Uncovers problems and behaviors that people didn’t know they had.

Cons

• More costly.
• Difficult to do and administer.
• Time-consuming.
• Uses very small study groups.
• Results are more subjective.

At Funderstanding, we have technology and experience that mitigate the risk and allows us to use this method to generate actionable insight.