If you are trying to recruit youth to participate in your study, DigiKnowIt News, a customizable website that educates young people about research, is the ideal tool to use as part of your recruitment plan. The website was designed with input from youth, so that it would be developmentally appropriate, understandable, and optimally engaging for both children and adolescents. Sharing this website with potential participants, once you have customized it for your study, can help boost your recruitment and retention rates.
How does the child version engage children?
The child version of DigiKnowIt News was created with and for 8 – to 11-year-old children.
The multimedia designs in the child modules use bright colors, playful fonts, and simple, custom illustrations. Activities included in the child modules give children an audio option in which they can choose to have content read to them instead of choosing to read it on their own.
The pedagogical styles in the child modules are highly engaging and entertaining presented in interactive investigative learning activities and digital comic books.
The language used throughout the child modules was designed to be understandable for 8- to 11-year-olds. New vocabulary words and concepts are introduced and explained in simple, clear language and short sentences.
How does the teen version engage adolescents?
The teen version of DigiKnowIt News was created with and for adolescents.
The multimedia designs used in the teen modules reflect the request of adolescents who were involved in program development to include more complex content to read, fewer illustrations, fewer game-like learning activities, and more videos than the child modules.
The pedagogical styles used in the teen modules also include many informative, YouTube-style videos that contain concise and complex content, focusing on topics related to research participation, as well as interesting facts about research and medical procedures. In addition, the comic books included in the teen modules contain more information and fewer interactive elements than the comic books in the child version.
The teen version includes additional content beyond what is included in the child version. For example, it includes content specific to different types of medical procedures used in clinical trials (e.g., sedation and anesthesia; organ testing). It also includes a module designed to help young people understand the process that occurs between adolescents and their parents when they are deciding about whether to participate in a research project.
How do I customize DigiKnowIt News for recruiting the age group of my potential participants?
Once you have purchased DigiKnowIt News, you will have the opportunity to customize the website to reflect the measures and procedures your participants will experience in your study. If your study includes a measure or procedure that is not part of the existing website, then you can contract with us to create new modules to fit your study’s needs that can be incorporated into your website.
First, you can choose to show your participants the child version or the teen version of the website. Alternatively, you can let your potential participants choose which version they would like to view.
Second, within the version of the website you choose, you can select which modules, including investigations, comics, or spotlight videos, you want to include based upon your study’s protocol.
The software will guide you through making these decisions and building your custom website.
To review all content available for you to include in your custom DigiKnowIt News website for children and adolescents, click here.