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Qualitative Classroom Research: "Blind" Observation and Analysis Damian Bebell Boston College Slide 2 Case Study Methodology in Technology Studies Often only post-technology (i.e. intervention) inquiry Researcher can be unintentionally biased An example to use throughout: How does teaching and learning change when a new technology is introduced? (Russell, Bebell, Cowan, and Corbelli; 2002) Slide 3 3 Ways to Improve Case Studies collecting data over an extended period of time before the technology is placed into the classroom(s) using observers who are "blind" to the intervention engaging students in documenting their environment and experiences. Slide 4 Date Collection Before Intervention PROS Allows the measurement of change!!! Less reliant upon specific curricula Increased comfort level with teachers and students CONS Time consuming and expensive Potentially confounds blindness or objectivity Slide 5 For example: Study Pre - Post change Increased use of AlphaSmarts and computers Increased peer conferencing Slide 6 Pre-Post change Slide 7 Blind Observer PROS Decreases unintentional bias Increases validity Less training of the observers CONS Observer is likely to figure out intervention anyway Big learning curve (less training) Interpretation may be off Difficult finding observers who are not aware of research Slide 8 Engaging Students in Documenting Their Environment and Experiences Common Ways: Student Surveys Student Interviews Less Common Ways: Student Drawings (Haney, Bebell and Russell; in press) Of classroom Of processes (learning) Low cost Easy for students Engaging for students, researchers, teachers and decision makers Slide 9 What Students Drew Slide 10 Code the drawings reliably with emergent analytic coding techniques See: Wheelock, Bebell and Haney, 2000 Slide 11 Code the drawings reliably with emergent analytic coding techniques Slide 12 Future directions in our case study observation Use of videos Using FileMaker Pro databases Pre-made templates Not blinded approach Extension of AlphaSmart (1:1 ratio) work Successful for multiple observers Include measurement of time Random checklists Slide 13 Overview Page Slide 14 Phase Notes Page Slide 15 Checklist Page