Evelyne TOUCHETTE, Department of Psychoeducation, University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, Canada
Catherine LORD, science popularization expert, Immerscience, Quebec, Canada
Science popularization web project entitled “Learning to sleep like walking” in toddlers 0 and 5 years old
Context
Approximately 25% of parents report that their children have sleep problems during childhood (Owens, 2007). Parents quickly find themselves lost in a whirlwind of information of highly variable scientific quality. In order to meet this need, a web platform was co-built in 2021-22.
Objective
The objective is to present the origin of the project as well as the methodology linked to the knowledge transfer (KT) strategy of the popular science web project "Learning to sleep like walking" developed by the knowledge brokers of Immerscience and to present the results of a co-construction survey.
Method
KT's strategy has several components such as the development of partnerships and more active co-construction phases with target audiences. The last phase of needs assessment was done online with a mixed design. Results. Less than a year after the start of the “Dialogue” grant from the Fonds de recherche du Québec, the community receiving the newsletter numbered nearly 1,000 people and partners. The qualitative co-construction phase with small target groups made it possible to develop content and a design sensitive to the needs expressed for the platform. Thanks to the enthusiasm and dialogue with the ecosystem, the last phase of co-construction was carried out online with 176 participants (response rate of 19%). This last phase made it possible to refine the tone and confirm the chosen KT themes and tools (texts, videos, scientific evaluation). Involvement. Thanks to the KT strategy put in place, we were able to create a dialogue between the science of children's sleep and the "village" surrounding children such as parents and caregivers. This allowed us to develop suitable content in appropriate formats. Actively listening to knowledge needs will create a long-lasting, high-impact dialogue.
