WHAT ARE STUDENTS REALLY THINKING?

Linda Alexander (Communication Studies)and

Agyeman Boateng (Office of Research & Planning)

OVERVIEW

Faculty often incorporate different teaching strategies (interventions) in the classroom. Would you like to get an idea of the

effectiveness of these strategies?

How might you do that? For example, would a survey of your students

inform your teaching practices?

Are there other methods you might find useful?

Ways to formulate and follow through on an informal inquiry plan will be discussed.

http://www.diabetescare.net/cms/sectionmanager/assets/Who_What_When_Where_Why_How.jpg

KEY QUESTIONS

Who Can Do Research?

What Is Research?

Where Can Research Be Conducted?

When Can Research Be Conducted?

Why Do Research In The Classroom?

How Can Faculty Do Research?

THE BASICS

Research Question: What do you want to know?

Research Methodology: What's the best way to find out what you want to know?

WHO CAN DO RESEARCH?

Instructors

Students

Other Interested Parties

WHAT IS RESEARCH?

Careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something

The activity of getting information about a subject

(merriam-webster.com)

WHERE CAN RESEARCH BE CONDUCTED?

In a classroom setting

In an online environment

In one section vs. across sections

WHEN CAN RESEARCH BE CONDUCTED?

Different times during a semester(Time 1, Time 2, etc.)

One time

Ongoing process

WHY DO RESEARCH IN THE CLASSROOM?

For Instructors: can implement more effective teaching strategies

For Students: can benefit from improved instruction

HOW CAN FACULTY DO RESEARCH?

Methodology:

Qualitative

Quantitative

RESEARCH: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH: (INFORMAL) CONTENT ANALYSIS

Critical Incident Questionnaires (CIQ) as a Classroom Evaluation Tool At what point in class this week were you

most engaged as a learner? At what moment in class this week were you

most distanced as a learner? What action that anyone in the room took

this week did you find most affirming or helpful?

What action that anyone in the room took this week did you find most puzzling or confusing?

What surprised you most about the class this week?

PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS Students' responses to questions

anonymous CIQs turned in at the end of class as

students leave the classroom After the end of class, instructor reads

responses and looks for themes to emerge

Results reported back to the students in the next meeting as a point of departure for class discussion.

IMMEDIATE BENEFITS

Instructor learns what the students are actually thinking

Students see that the instructor values their feedback

(Discussion as a Way of Teaching, Brookfield and Presskill, 2005)

RESEARCH: A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH: THE SURVEY METHOD

Research Question: What do you want to know?

What kinds of survey questions should you ask?

How should you ask these questions?

(THE SURVEY METHOD CONTINUED)DIG SURVEY

(THE SURVEY METHOD CONTINUED)DIG SURVEY

(THE SURVEY METHOD CONTINUED)DIG SURVEY

(THE SURVEY METHOD CONTINUED)DIG SURVEY

RESEARCH IN THE CLASSROOM: CONSTRAINTS Although West does not have a formal IRB review

process at this time, as is the practice at many community colleges, research involving students should be reviewed by the Office of Research and Planning

Aspects of research to include: hypothesis to be tested, the questions that would be asked, numbers of students involved, data collection protocol, type of analysis planned, what will be done with the data, and how confidentiality will be maintained.

 Contact Office of Research and PlanningRebecca Tillberg tillberw@wlac.edu

STARTING THE RESEARCH PROCESS: DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

What is your research objective? (Why do you want to conduct research?)

Determine a clearly focused research question based on your objective

Decide whether a qualitative or quantitative approach is best.

DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR RESEARCH OBJECTIVE!

 http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-how-can-help-you-sign-image23717254