Designing for Peer-Led Critical Pedagogies in Computer-Mediated Support Groups for Home Care Workers

Title of the Paper

Application of Critical Pedagogy for Peer-Led Computer-Mediated Support Groups Among Home Care Workers

Paper Information

• Subject Areas: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Social Computing, Social Justice, Support for Marginalized Workers
• Keywords: Critical Pedagogy, Computer-Mediated Support, Home Care Workers, Peer Leadership, Marginalized Groups, Emotional Labor, Digital Support Communities, Peer Mentorship, Equity Design

Research Background and Problem

• Problem or Challenge:
  • Home Care Workers (HCWs) are essential laborers in home health care, but they are vulnerable to exploitation and neglect due to the physical isolation of their work environment and the lack of support structures.
  • Mutual aid in support groups often depends on experienced professional facilitators, yet many support programs are led by untrained peers in practice.
  • HCWs require a support model that not only provides emotional support but also inspires structural social change.
• Significance: This research is relevant to the broader support needs of distributed marginalized labor groups (e.g., domestic workers, gig economy workers) to improve their professional status, mental health, and social rights.
• Research Motivation: To explore how computer-mediated support programs can help HCWs overcome feelings of isolation at work, utilizing critical and emancipatory pedagogy to establish a peer leadership training model and promote socially just solutions in practice.

Solution

• Proposed Method or Solution:
  • Designed and implemented a three-month HCW support program, including interactive video conference support groups and a closed Facebook community forum.
  • Developed and conducted a three-day training course to teach peer leaders critical and non-directive facilitation techniques.
  • The project was based on core principles of critical pedagogy, such as non-directive support, problem-oriented education, and the irreducible nature of social-historical connections.
• Innovations:
  • Applied critical pedagogy to a participant-led, computer-mediated support group.
  • Explored the tensions and challenges of peer leaders balancing dual roles as facilitators and group members.
  • Emphasized the design of technological tools to enhance facilitators' coordination and support capabilities in digital environments.
• Implementation Steps and Techniques:
  • Training covered facilitation principles such as active listening, content acceptance, reflective questioning, and narrating personal experiences.
  • Established strict privacy rules and procedures embedded in the program's daily operations (e.g., invitation-only participation, closed groups).
  • Provided practical operational support, such as technical guidance for Zoom video conferencing and Facebook collaboration.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Outcomes:
  • The support program significantly addressed HCWs' self-reported needs for emotional support, information sharing, and social connections.
  • Peer facilitators, leveraging shared identity backgrounds, successfully created a safe and empowering discussion space where participants could openly discuss workplace stress and challenges.
  • Training helped facilitators adapt to non-directive roles while identifying key skill areas (e.g., conflict resolution, participant engagement) for further development.
• Comparative Advantages of Existing Solutions:
  • Compared to programs led entirely by professional facilitators, peer-led support groups were more culturally and occupationally aligned with HCWs, fostering greater trust between participants and facilitators.
  • The project utilized computer-mediated technologies to overcome communication barriers caused by HCWs' geographic dispersion, offering significant advantages in accessibility and convenience.
• Experiment and Evaluation Results:
  • Early stages of the project revealed difficulties for facilitators in adapting their roles (e.g., transitioning from "instructor" to "facilitator"), but their listening, reflection, and conflict resolution skills improved over time.
  • Some participants expressed concerns about privacy and platform rules, which were gradually alleviated through technical support and facilitator explanations.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • The study's sample size was small and primarily focused on HCWs in New York City, necessitating further expansion to marginalized worker groups in different cultures and industries.
  • Future research should explore more detailed and sustained facilitation training models, such as shadowing or phased training.
  • Technologically, stronger privacy signaling features, interactive communication tools, and methods to facilitate asynchronous participation should be developed to enhance user experience and the long-term feasibility of the project.