Information behavior of Scratchers (Call for research participants with compensation)

Hi, I am Kyungwon Koh, a doctoral candidate in School of Library and Information Studies at Florida State University. My research areas include youth information behavior, information literacy, and library and information services/resources for youth. I am writing this to introduce my current research on Scratchers’ information-related behaviors, and also ask your help in recruiting study participants.

I found Scratch to be an exemplary place to observe new and innovative youth information behavior—i.e., the ways kids seek, evaluate, use, share, and create information—to enhance their learning or pursue personal and aesthetic growth in the digital age. I am currently conducting my dissertation research, which aims to illuminate innovative patterns of youth information behavior in the digital age, with particular focus on the ways youth interact with technologies to access and use information and to create new knowledge.

As part of the research, I am investigating information behaviors of Scratchers, which I believe are prerequisites for participating effectively in Scratch activities. I am seeking young people with various ages under 19 who have participated in Scratch for individual interviews. 

·       Preference: Youth who have worked to create Scratch project cooperatively

·       When: October 2010 at a time convenient to interview participants 

·       Where and how:

o   Face to face interviews for Boston area youth

o   Online interviews for other areas (via Instant Messaging, Skype, or other online communication tools)

·       Benefits: $20 gift card per interview participant and educator who helps recruiting their kids (e.g., by distributing and collecting parent consent form and youth assent form)

I am attending Scratch@MIT this August, and hoping that I can meet any of you who are interested in my study. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments/questions, or are willing to help me recruit kids you are working with on Scratch. If you wish, you may contact my major advisor, Dr. Eliza Dresang, Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services at University of Washington Information School (e-mail: edresang@uw.edu).

Thank you so much and I look forward to listening from you!

Best wishes,

Kyungwon Koh

kwk05@fsu.edu; 850-766-6452

Doctoral candidate and Teaching Assistant

School of Library and Information Studies; College of Communication and Information

Florida State University