Go on then, prove it

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Go on then, prove it!

• Using Research to Develop Excellence in Learning
  Development
• Andy Hagyard, University of Lincoln
• Christine Keenan, Bournemouth University

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Aims

• To ensure that Learning Development staff wishing
  to undertake research are aware of issues
  regarding methodology and methods
• To share experiences of collecting evidence on
  various aspects of student learning

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Paradigms
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Research Paradigms (1)

• Positivist
• Assumes the truth is out there, knowledge
  exists and is observable and measurable
• Prime concern is reliability, so that conclusions
  can be generalised
• Associated with quantitative research methods
• Adopts a deductive approach develop a hypothesis
  and then collect evidence to test it

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Research Paradigms (2)

• Interpretivist
• Assumes that truth is multiple and contingent
• Concerned with understanding the participants
  relationship with the phenomenon
• Associated with qualitative research methods
• Adopts an inductive approach data is collected
  and theory is then developed from the evidence

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Quantitative research

• Collection of data in numerical form, surveys,
  data banks, observation
• Answers to What and How much questions
• E.g. NSS / World Database of Happiness

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Issues with quantitative research

• Samples is your sample representative of the
  population?
• Significance Does the evidence prove a link, or
  could it have occurred by chance?
• Correlation does NOT prove causality

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Qualitative Research

• The collection of data that represents the lived
  experience of participants
• Emphasis on language used to describe experience
• Answers the how and why questions

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Issues with qualitative research

• Cannot be generalised to the whole population
• Can only provide an insight
• Prone to subjective interpretation
• Is time consuming and can be expensive

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Mixed methods

• Triangulation
• Simultaneous use of different methods to enhance
  validity
• Exploratory
• Qualitative investigation informs quantitative
  research
• Explanatory
• Qualitative investigation of the reasons for the
  findings of quantitative findings

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Discussion

• What methods have you used to research the
  student experience?
• What has worked well?
• What hasnt?