Activity: Interview an Adult Learner
You should conduct an empathy interview to increase your empathy for the adults you may be working with. Find an older adult that you can speak to. You should feel comfortable asking them the questions in the empathy map template. The template is available in multiple formats you can download.
It would be great to find an adult who may eventually be an audience for the Digital Ambassadors program, but it’s okay to ask anyone who is accessible and agrees to work with you. You may end up interviewing a relative or school employee. If necessary to save time, a group of Digital Ambassadors can all interview one adult at the same time.
During the interview, consider the following:
- Practice your strong communications skills: Greet your interviewee, be an active listener, leave time for clarifying questions, and thank them when you are done.
- Do not record your interviewees name or any identifying characteristics.
- Begin by asking your adult about a goal they have related to learning some kind of new technology. You’re not going to help them figure it out during the interview, you just want to know more about them and their needs.
- You don’t have to write complete sentences. Capture enough information that makes sense to you. Bullets are fine.
Your interviewee can decline to answer any questions if they want to. - Feel free to share your notes with the interviewee if they would like to review them. They might actually clarify some points.
Post your empathy map and share with the group. Take time to review the maps others create so you can develop a stronger understanding of working with adults. Based on what you find out, consider how this will impact your actions when working with adults.