Usability, Undergraduates, Understanding: Enhancing Climate Resiliency and Climate Literacy through Co-Production

Abstract

The overarching goal of this dissertation research is to contribute to the body of literature on co-production while enhancing climate literacy and climate resiliency of various stakeholder groups. For each of the three studies presented, collaboration was done with the end user to try and create a successful website with climate information for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), classroom intervention about climate change for undergraduates at a Southeastern United States university, and educational material developed through surveys and interviews for health services employees in Northeastern North Carolina. Co-production was an important part of each of the projects because it allowed for the end user’s voice to be heard throughout the research process rather than just after the project. All three studies used both quantitative and qualitative analysis to obtain robust results. With the USFWS stakeholders, eye-tracking and interviews were completed to improve a decision support tool in hopes that more climate information will be included in species status assessments. Both the quantitative and qualitative results provided recommendations on how the tool could be improved for overall usability. A classroom intervention was conducted with undergraduates in a weather and climate course using a decision support tool to help with the conceptual understanding of how climate change will impact endangered species in the future. In this intervention, participants undertook a pre and post assessment, active learning lab, and concept map activity that centered around the decision support tool. The final study involved surveys and interviews conducted with health services employees to gain an understanding of their knowledge of climate change. This information has helped to provide insight into how educational materials and workshops should be developed around climate change topics. More broadly, this research aids in understanding the novel approach of co-production which should be considered as a research technique if deemed an appropriate strategy with the stakeholder group.