AMANDA HYNAN FINAL THESIS PDF

3.6.2.4. Group meetings
On two occasions, nine of the twenty-five participants were also seen within group
settings. On the first occasion (mentioned in section 3.4.7.), five participants were
seen prior to their individual interviews to build rapport and discuss interview topics
and strategies. Nearly all of the participants within the group had complex medical
issues and some of the participants were unable to keep their subsequent individual
interviews and these had to be re-arranged. One of the participants, despite being
unwell, was determined to take part in the research at considerable personal effort. As
noted earlier, within the Scope project (Morris, 2002) (section 3.2.1.) determination
was identified as one of the strengths that people with complex communication needs
demonstrate in terms of research engagement. Unfortunately, one of the participants
within the initial group could not be seen on subsequent occasions for an individual
interview due to health complications (see Figure B, section 3.6.3.2. for details of data
collection occasions).
The second time participants were seen in a group situation was when four interviews
were arranged by the college staff to take place within a computer teaching session
(see Figure B, section 3.6.3.2, occasion 10). When the session started I thought it
might be advantageous because participants would have time to prepare answers on
their VOCAs whilst I moved flexibly within the group. However, in reality it became
confusing and created communication breakdowns. As will be discussed in the data
analysis, moving between participants meant some concepts that were difficult to
understand were not allocated the time and attention they may have required. It was
only during the transcription process I was also able to see on the camera recording
how severely communication attempts may have broken down. This issue is discussed
in depth in section 4.12.
The other problem was the atmosphere that this approach created for the participants.
Some participants got ‘stuck’ with a prepared message whilst waiting for me to return,
which complicated and curtailed their ability to interact with the other people who
were in the classroom. Not being able to play messages to me when they were ready
meant they sometimes got deleted. Some participants rebuilt them but I cannot know
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