Trainer Note

Before the session ask someone to prepare a 15-minute activity using Trainer Attachment 18A (Rainy Season Feeding Messages). The main emphasis should be why and how adaptation of the messages was done in the case described.

Prior to the session ask someone to prepare and present tracing and sketching techniques for adapting visual Aids using Trainer Attachment 18A (Tracing Techniques for Adapting Visual aids and Handout 16D (Guidelines for Demonstrations). It some participants are interested in drawing, try to organize peer teaching by one of the participants with drawing skills, using Helping Health Workers Learn, Chapter 12 (Learning to Make and Use Pictures). Pictures are provided for the adaptation practice, during Step 3, in Handout 16B (Child to Child Health Booklet). You may prefer to substitute other visual Aids Breastfeeding and Weaning (Resource Packet P 12) or Visual aids on Sanitation for Africa include many pictures that could be used in this activity and are available through ICE.

Ask two or three people to prepare to do a ten-minute role play demonstrating pretesting. Work with them as they practice the techniques described in Handout 18A (Visual Aids: Do They Help or Hinder?) Trainer Attachment 18C (How to Pretest) and develop the roles in Trainer Attachment 18D (Role Play on Pretesting Pictures), to make certain that the role play will demonstrate correct pretesting techniques.

Invite several people from the local community (or local people who work in the training center) to visit the session for 30 minutes (during step 4) to give their opinions about some visual aids Also try to arrange for separate rooms to conduct the pretest interviews, so that the groups do not distract each other. Or, if you use the child to child materials face Handout 18B, arrange for pretesting and health education activities in the local school.

Trainer Note

If possible, show some examples of pictures that have been adapted and describe why and how they were adapted. The example below was taken from a counseling book developed for use in the United States and adapted for use in West Africa by changing the facial features and clothing.

Some of the points that should come out of the discussion include:

- changing clothing, hairstyle, facial features, gestures to resemble local people
- changing objects, houses, scenery to resemble the local area.
- changing or omitting words and symbols that are unfamiliar.
- avoiding colors that have negative or religious meaning or are unrealistic.
- simplifying pictures that are too technical or show too much information at one time.

Refer to the discussion of cultural considerations in Session 17 (Selecting and Using Visual Aids). Suggest that participants refer to Handouts 17B (Why Pictures Fall to Communicate) and 17D (Using Pictures to Communicate Effectively) for additional ideas about adapting health education materials.

Trainer Note

An effective way to introduce the tracing demonstration is to show the group a picture that you traced and claim that you drew the picture in five minutes. When they ask how you became such a great artist you explain that you "cheated." that is you traced the picture from a photograph and modified it slightly.

When demonstrating tracing it is important to note that you have to decide how much detail to copy from the original picture as is explained in Trainer Attachment 18B (Tracing Techniques for Adapting Visual aids Also urge Trainees to clip or tape the tracing paper to the picture that they are copying so that the paper does not move around while they are drawing.

People usually vary a great deal in how quickly they trace and sketch. Have additional exercises for those who finish early. For example they can try out other drawing techniques shown in Helping Health Workers Learn, Chapter 12.

Trainer Note

If you use Handout 18A (Child to Child Health Booklet) for the adaptation practice, you can assign different parts of the booklet to different people to adapt and pretest. By the end of the session participants will have a complete booklet adapted for use in child to child activities in their communities.

Trainer Note

If possible, do the demonstration of pretesting with community members instead of the role play. If you used Handout 18 (Child to Child Health Booklet) for the adaptation practice, demonstrate and later have participants pretest these materials with children in the local school.

Use your reading of Trainer Attachment 18C (How to Pretest) as a guide for the discussion. Ask participants to recall the techniques they practiced in Session 11 (Methods for Learning About the Community).

Some of the important points that should appear on the list include:

- Greet the person or persons appropriately.

- Introduce yourself and explain that you are trying out new materials.

- Make the person feel at ease in your company, ask about the family, ask about village matters, crops, or the weather, etc.

- Ask open questions about the picture, such as "what is happening in tints picture?" "Is there anything that you do not like about this picture?"

- Encourage people to talk. Assure them that this is not a test. There is no right answer. You want to know what they think about the picture.

- Let people touch the materials if they want to.

- Ask probing questions if you get vague answers to your questions, or phrase the question in a different way.

- Work in pairs if possible so that one person can accurately record the responses while the other holds the conversation with the community member.

- Explain that you are recording because you think their opinion is important to improve the picture and you don't want to forget what they have said.

- Stop recording if the person objects or seems to be nervous about it.

- Thank the person for his or her help ( or the group in a focused group interview).

Trainer Note

If time allows, arrange to have the participants pretest the visual aid in the community. Ask each group to pretest their poster with two different people similar to those for whom it is intended.

If the pretesting takes place in the training center, arrange separate rooms for each of the groups to conduct their interviews or have them work in different corners of the room so that they do not distract each other.

Spend some time with each of the groups but do not interfere with the interview. Note some good interviewing techniques and interesting outcomes that you can mention during the discussion of the pretests.

After participants have worked with one community visitor for 15 minutes, have them rotate and spend the last 15 minutes interviewing different second visitor.

If the participants adapted the child to child health booklet, try to arrange for pretesting in the local school. If possible, combine the pretest with a health education activity for the children on one of the topics in the booklet. Another option is to ask the children to adapt the pictures with their own drawings, working with the participants.

Trainer Note

It some participants are involved in radio health education, they may prefer to try out spot announcements instead of a picture. Others may want to try out a song or a puppet show.

Encourage participants to make the proposed changes in their visual aids if possible allow time for this and arrange a place on the wall for a gallery of visual aid adaptations.

If the group adapted the child to child booklet, arrange for a chance for some participants to return to try out the adapted booklet with the children.