USEFUL USABILITY DISPOSABILITY (UUD)
Focus group
USEFUL, USABILITY, DISPOSABILITY (UUD) is a project which addresses the issue of plastic invasion of our
communities and households with a purpose to bring the message of a safe and healthy environment closer to the citizens
through civic education enabled by land art installation.
Five organizations decided to use their capabilities and expertise to produce a Moodle based e-learning platform with
content capable to serve the project needs. For this reason we are preparing Training needs assessments on Moodle based
e-learning platform for organizations, which works with children, youth, seniors, artists, and disadvantaged persons.
Focus group will be carried out by partners in Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy and Lithuania.
Focus group should be carried out with a minimum number of 5 people representing the project target group and indirect
beneficiaries
 1 teacher;
 1 director/manager;
 3-4 youngsters.
The data provided will just be used in the framework of the Useful usability disposability project and only the
project partners and the European Commission will have access to them.
Part A. Focus Group Introduction
WELCOME
Thanks for agreeing to be part of the focus group. We appreciate your willingness to participate.
INTRODUCTIONS
Moderator; assistant moderator
PURPOSE OF FOCUS GROUPS
We have been asked by USEFUL, USABILITY, DISPOSABILITY (UUD) project management team to conduct the
focus group.
The reason we are having these focus groups is to find out training needs assessments on Moodle based e-learning
platform for organizations, which works with children, youth, seniors, artists, and disadvantaged persons.
We need your input and want you to share your honest and open thoughts with us.
GROUND RULES
1. WE WANT YOU TO DO THE TALKING.
We would like everyone to participate.
I may call on you if I haven't heard from you in a while.
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USEFUL USABILITY DISPOSABILITY (UUD)
2. THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS
Every person's experiences and opinions are important.
Speak up whether you agree or disagree.
We want to hear a wide range of opinions.
3. WHAT IS SAID IN THIS ROOM STAYS HERE
We want folks to feel comfortable sharing when sensitive issues come up.
4. WE WILL BE TAPE RECORDING THE GROUP
Part B. Questions
How do you contribute to the reduction of plastic consumption?
Prefer using bags made of a another king of material ;
Selective collection is a new habit that needs to be learnt;
Need to raise awreness about companies which collect wastes and do not do it separtely;
Savings by not using plastic bags
But plastic is stronger and has got a longer lifetime
What information about reduction of plastic consumption is missing?
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We do not see examples
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People are not aware of the dangers posed by plastics
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Info about the plastic composition dangers for human health need to be known
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Alternatives are needed; they have to be known
What will encourage you to reduce plastic consumption?
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USEFUL USABILITY DISPOSABILITY (UUD)
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Family influence
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Strong or financial stimuli (vacation)
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Plastic bag/bottle price
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Effects on environment and community to be knwon
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Informal learning
What will encourage youngsters’ community to reduce plastic consumption?
Which methods and techniques could help for youngsters’ community groups to reduce plastic
consumption?
-going back to nature
-cartoons about plastic bootles and bags to show the influence of plastic on bodies
Please share your experience about e-learning platforms. Did you ever attend e-learning courses? Please
clarify pros and cons.
Techers used it/youngpeople not yet
A platform should have with interesting info
Some used it in class
How to organize acivic event can be interesting
Tutors per subject or interest area on platforms need to be for real; info should be useful
What problems do people face in case of plastic consumption?
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Plastic makes life easier
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Bags and bottles are strong
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USEFUL USABILITY DISPOSABILITY (UUD)
What problems do you face during the trainings?
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Teachers/trainers speak too much
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There are few if any practical exercises
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More practice is needed
Part C. Analysing the data
In order for all participant comments to be understandable and useful, they must be boiled down to essential
information using a systematic and verifiable process. Begin by transcribing all focus group tapes and inserting notes
into transcribed material where appropriate.
Clean up transcripts by stripping off nonessential words. Simultaneously assign each participant comment/quote a
separate line on the page as well as each new thought or idea therein.
Once focus group findings are organized in the synthesized format they are ready for presentation. More formal report
is required, findings should written up in a narrative format that includes an executive summary, background section,
methods used, major findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Youth Focus Group Analysis
The focus group for youth took place on the 9th of March 2016 and lasted 25 minutes. 5 persons participated according to the
guidelines. Viorica Alexandru was the moderator, the discussion was recorded and Aura Ion took the notes of the meeting.
The findings were the following:
Youth Personal contributions to the reduction of plastic consumption included a mixture of practical
observations and examples concerning recycling and collection as well : preference for bags made of a another kind
of material; selective collection needs to be learnt just like anything new; awareness about companies which do not
collect wastes properly ( separtely) do not install wastes containers in visible places ; do not empty them regularly;
people save money by not using plastic bags. One emphasized that plastic is stronger and has got a longer lifetime
and that is why she would not give it up .
Youth think that the following kind of information about reduction of plastic consumption is missing no
examples of ways to reduce plastic consumption; lack of people’s info on plastics dangers; info on plastic
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USEFUL USABILITY DISPOSABILITY (UUD)
composition which endangers human life and nature; info on alternative materiales is missing
The following would encourage youth reduce plastic consumption : family influence, examples, financial
stimuli (vacation), increasing prices of plastic bag/bottle price, being shown the effects of plastic on emvironment,
community and learning outside schools
Methods and techniques that could help youngsters’ community groups reduce plastic consumption: going
back to nature ; cartoons about plastic bootles and bags to show the influence of plastic on bodies and nature;
Youth experience about e-learning platforms/ Pros and cons: young members of the group were not aware they
had used it in class; they think a platform should have interesting info ; how to organize a civic event would be
interesting to learn on a e-learning platform; subject tutors hoped to be for real; info should be useful and to the pointl
a platform should not be like class work where the teacher can be sooooooooooooo boring .
Problems youth face with plastic consumption : plastic makes life easier; bags and bottles are strong and many
times beautiful.
Problems youth face during trainings : teachers/trainers speak too much ; too few if any practical exercises; more
practice is needed; more interaction is also needed.
Conclusions
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Plastic consumption reduction needs to be clarified in the context of recycling, re-use and disposal; there is
need to combat the idea that plastic makes life easier;
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this group seems to have a clearer understanding of what could influence plastic consumptioin reduction :
family, examples, financial stimuli, learning outside school, ect.;
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Methods and techniques that could help youth reduce plastic : back to nature exercises, cartoons.
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E-learning is expected to provide interesting info, teach how to make a civic event, have real tutors, give
many practical exercises,, create interaction and be completely different from class work where the teacher
tends to speak too long .
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Information needs to be customized , clear , user friendly and within easy access.
Thank you for implementing focus group!
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