Participatory+civic+engagement

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**Participatory civic engagement: Usability research methods as a model for connected knowing ** Allen Brizee, Assistant Professor, Loyola University Maryland [habrizee@loyola.edu]

**Keywords:** Community relationships, sustainability, community literacy, rhetorical theory, mixed methods

**Conference track:** Contexts and methods: Theoretical and conceptual frameworks, research designs, and methodological issues

**Format:** Research/Scholarly paper

**Summary** This presentation outlines the methods, findings, and implications of a three-year civic engagement study and posits usability research as a model for building college-community relationships. The session details the qualitative and quantitative methods that helped researchers collaborate with an adult basic education program and a state employment agency.

The purpose of the study was to use a theoretically and empirically informed approach in collaborating with local nonprofit organizations to improve community literacy. To investigate the outcomes of this work, researchers asked three primary questions: (a) How might theoretically and empirically informed methods help writing programs form sustainable, participatory relationships with local organizations? (b) How might these methods help community partners help themselves? (c) What are the outcomes of using these methods? Researchers used rhetorical theory and mixed methods research to guide and complete the study.

Findings from the study show that the methodology helped researchers accomplish the following: (a) develop a sustainable, collaborative relationship with the project’s stakeholders; (b) compose online writing resources that met the participants’ needs; (c) and assist participants in improving their job search documents (cover letters and résumés). This research is significant because it is one of the first studies to use rhetorical theory and mixed methods usability testing to develop and assess a community literacy project. Moreover, the project generated online literacy resources housed on one of the world’s most popular writing websites. Lastly, the study garnered significant funding, two class-based service-learning projects, and a methodology that can help other scholars replicating similar work.

**References** Boyer, E. L. (1990). //Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate//. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Community Research Collaborative (2007). //Facilitating mutually-beneficial community-based research: A report to university neighborhood partners//. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah.

Cushman, E. (1996). The rhetorician as an agent of social change. //College composition and// //communication//, //47//(1), 7-28.

Cushman, E. (1999). The public intellectual, activist research, and service-learning. //College English//, //61//(3), 328-336.

Dumas, J. S., & Redish, J. C. (1999). //A practical guide to usability testing//. Wiltshire, UK: Cromwell.

Flower, L. (2008). //Community literacy and the rhetoric of public engagement//. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University.

Grabill, J. T. (2001). //Community literacy programs and the politics of change//. Albany, NY: SUNY.

O’Meara, K. A., & Rice E. R. (2005). //Faculty priorities reconsidered: Rewarding multiple forms of scholarship//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Scott, B. J. (2008). The practice of usability: Teaching user engagement through service-learning. //Technical communication quarterly//, //17//(4), 381-412.

Simmons, M. W., & Grabill J. T. (2007). Toward a civic rhetoric for technologically and scientifically complex places: Invention, performance, and participation. //College Composition and Communication//, //58//(3), 419-448.

Strauss, A. L. (1987). //Qualitative analysis for social scientists//. New York, NY: Cambridge University.


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