FaOC Research

Parallel to the project “My Film, My Story,” the FaOC research, at Radboud University Nijmegen, is taking place under the supervision of Prof. dr. Bert Steenbergen. Here it is studied whether and how the use of FaOC can lead to an improvement in communication, visible in the conversation with communication partners. The research focuses on how storytelling can be studied with the support of FaOC and how the FaOC method can be developed for practice. During the research, a FaOC coding model was developed in close collaboration with international researchers Nicola Grove (Rix Centre, University of East London), Annalu Waller (Dundee University), and Gloria Soto (San Francisco State University). This model was subsequently developed into a FaOC scorecard, which can be used by teachers and speech therapists to score the conversation, with and without FaOC.

The FaOC coding model, and the FaOC scorecard, studies three aspects of a conversation; 1) topic development, 2), repair conversation, and 3) conversation structure. These three aspects of a conversation provide insight into the conversational balance between the child/young person with a communication challenge and their communication partners. With a good conversation balance, both communication partners have equal input and participation. By providing information, asking questions or, for example, broaching a new topic, a story or conversation develops. These are the skills that are difficult for children and young people who do not speak or speak with difficulty. The conversation is therefore often out of balance, wherein the communication partner often offers much more input into the conversation. By studying the conversation, with and without FaOC, the effect of FaOC on "a conversation" can be studied.