Form 17 UCEDD: Interview with Peer Researchers and Colleagues

INTERVIEW WITH PEER RESEARCHERS AND COLLEAGUES

[Interviewer]: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. My name is [interviewer’s name], and I work for _______________, a private research company in ___________________.

The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) is conducting an independent evaluation of Developmental Disabilities Network programs and collaboration among them. The purpose of this evaluation is to examine the impact of the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network programs on the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. [NAME OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR] OF [NAME OF UCEDD] that contacted you to participate in this evaluation is one of ____ UCEDDs in ____ states that have been randomly selected to participate in the evaluation. As someone who is a peer and colleague of UCEDD faculty members, you are an important source of information. We have some questions we would like to ask you about your interaction with the [NAME OF UCEDD] and your impressions of the work that is done. The interview should last approximately ½ hour – 45 minutes.

Before we begin, I would like to ask your permission to record this interview so that we do not miss any of your responses to our questions. This recording is for _____ ‘s use only. It will not be made available to anyone else. Do we have your permission to record?

Do you have any questions before we start?

Background

Let’s start with a little background.

1. First, would you please tell us what you do?

Probe:

• Ways s/he spends time (research, teaching, administration, other)

• Affiliation/name of organization/department

• Inside/outside university

• Disability related/not disability related

2. What is your relationship with the [NAME OF UCEDD]? Please describe.

Probe:

Collaborator on disability-related course(s) [Part A]

Collaborator on disability-related materials [Part A]

Research collaborator [Part B]

Collaborator/participant in UCEDD community services [Part C]

Other ____________________________________________________________

[Interviewer: Only use sections relevant to respondent.]

Now we’ll try to get a few details on each of the ways you have interacted with the UCEDD, starting with the [NAME OF UCEDD]’s interdisciplinary pre-service preparation and continuing education program.

PART A. INTERDISCIPLINARY PRE-SERVICE PREPARATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

3. You mentioned that you’ve collaborated [PROVIDE DETAILS FROM QUESTION 2]. Would you please tell us a little about it?

1. How was the collaboration initiated?

2. What kinds of courses/syllabi/course materials were developed as a result of the collaboration? Please give examples.

3. For what types of courses (university program; continuing education)?

4. What was your role?

5. With whom did you collaborate?

6. What was the UCEDD’s faculty or staff member’s role?

4. Have you been involved in any continuing education programs/courses offered by the [NAME OF UCEDD]? Please describe.

Probe:

• Method of initiation

• Nature of program/courses

• Nature of involvement (e.g., development of materials; provision of class or seminar)

5. What is your perception of the courses developed by UCEDD faculty and staff? To what extent do you consider them to cover current practices and issues and contain up-to-date content? Please give examples.

5. What is your perception of the effectiveness of UCEDD faculty and teaching? Please explain.

Probe:

• Content

• Delivery

• Perceived engagement of students

• Achievement of teaching objectives

• Source of perception (e.g., observation, participation in meetings)

• Other_______________________________________________________________

5. What impact do you think the UCEDD teaching program has on its students? Please describe.

Probe:

• Careers

• Everyday life

• Other________________________________________________________________

PART B. BASIC AND/OR APPLIED RESEARCH

You mentioned that you collaborated with a member of the research faculty of [NAME OF UCEDD].

8. Would you please describe the nature of that collaboration?

Probe:

• Interviewee provided access to study subjects

• Jointly developed research questions

• Jointly developed design and methodology

• Interviewee was responsible for implementation of study

• Interviewee was responsible for data collection

• Interviewee was responsible for data analysis

• Coauthored article or report

• Other___________________________________________________________________

9. What is your overall impression of the visibility and standing of the [NAME OF UCEDD] among members of your area of research?

1. Are any members of the UCEDD research faculty considered to be experts in certain aspects of disability research? Please give examples.

2. Is there a sense that UCEDD research faculty publish in high quality journals? Please explain.

3. Are you seeing the work of UCEDD faculty cited by other researchers? Please give examples.

4. Have you served on any professional committees or advisory panels with a [NAME OF UCEDD] research faculty member? Please describe.

Probe:

• Name and description of committee/program

• Purpose of committee/program

• Specific role of interviewee

• Specific role of [NAME OF UCEDD] committee/program member

• Size and composition of committee/program

We realize that research findings often take a long time to percolate, become known by researchers and non-researchers, and to be used, but we’d like to get your perception of the impact [NAME OF UCEDD] research has had on people with developmental disabilities, their families, and the developmental disabilities community, including researchers.

10. In what ways has UCEDD research (including evaluation and/or public policy analysis) been able to support, encourage, or provide the underpinning for certain actions that benefit people with developmental disabilities and their families?

1. Can you think of any examples in which UCEDD research supported changes in legislation or public policy over the past 10 years? Please describe.

2. How effective would you consider UCEDD research efforts in directly or indirectly altering legislation or public policy? Please explain.

very effective somewhat effective not effective

3. Can you think of any examples where UCEDD research findings have supported changes in practice or services for people with developmental disabilities? Please describe.

4. How effective would you consider UCEDD efforts to be in directly or indirectly altering practices or services? Please explain.

very effective somewhat effective not effective

5. Can you think of any other way that UCEDD research has benefited people with developmental disabilities and their families? Please describe.

PART C. COMMUNITY SERVICES

You indicated that you were involved with [NAME OF UCEDD] in some of its community services activities, so we’d like to get some details on that.

11. What was the nature of the community services activity(ies)? Please describe.

Probe:

• Purpose

• Type of activity (e.g., model demonstration program; train the trainer)

• Frequency

• Target audience

• Method of recruitment

11. What was the nature of your involvement?

Probe:

• Assisted in design of a program or service

• Contributed expertise to the UCEDD activity

• Other____________________________________________________________

We’d like to get an idea of your perception of the impact [NAME OF UCEDD] community services has on the developmental disabilities community in this state and beyond.

11. Are any of the UCEDD community services activities known beyond the local community or State? Please give examples.

11. Have any of the UCEDD community service activities been adopted by service and support providers beyond the local community or state? Please give examples

Is there anything else you can tell us about your association with one or more members of the faculty or staff of this UCEDD?

That completes this interview. Do you have any questions before we sign off?

Again, we’d like to thank you for taking the time to talk with us.