Image uploaded by Olav W. Bertelsen, Retrieved from ResearchGate This week we read Chapter six in, “Qualitative Research in information Management.” We read an excerpt from Brenda Dervin’s entitled, “From the Mind’s Eye of the User: The Sense-Making Qualitative-Quantitative Methodology.” My meta-cognitive process for dissecting this article was to first recall prior knowledge, then read through the article, make notes on the main “take-aways” I got from the excerpt, and finally to find media to help support what I learned via google images and YouTube. The title of this excerpt immediately reminded me of the book we read last semester entitled, “Action Research: Teachers as Researchers in the Classroom” by Craig A. Mertler. This is where we first learned about qualitative vs. quantitative research and data collection tools. I started by reviewing my notes before beginning Brenda Dervin’s article. Mertler stated that characteristics of qualitive data are: accuracy, credibility, and dependability (pg. 114). Mertler stated that the practices that ensure the quality of qualitative data are triangulation, member checking, and prolonged engagement and persistent observation. This includes triangulation, which is the use of multiple data to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Member checking is the importance of sharing data sources with the participants of the study to make sure I represented their ideas accurately. Prolonged engagement and persistent observation means that I have developed trust with my students and observed behavior to the point of being routine. Mertler wrote that quantitative data is numerical; anything that can be counted, calculated, or rated can be considered quantitative (pg. 116). This includes surveys, closed-response questions, or multiple choice questions that the participant responds to. This information from Mertler is what I knew about qualitive research and data collection prior to this week’s reading. As I read Dervin’s article, I learned that data collection is just a small part of qualitive research. Dervin states that the purpose of this book is on qualitative research, but that there is also a quantitative approach in this chapter. She stated, “In the argument between qualitative and quantitative approaches to research, sense-making likewise refuses to choose a side. It is explicitly both qualitative and quantitative.” (pg.81). Reading about qualitive and quantitative research within the context of sense-making, added more depth and understanding. Dervin stated that sense-making includes finding a set of methods that have been developed to study the making of sense that people participate in their everyday experiences. Sense-making refers to methods for studying human information to use when others want to know about behavior. My Take-Aways:
If I taught this same reading content to a high schooler, I would start by showing this YouTube Video on Sensemaking by Adopt&PF (see below). In addition to this YouTube, I would embed images into my presentation (i.e. the image included in this blog). I would make sure to present this information piece by piece, and allow time for partner discussion in order for the students to better process what they are learning. The use media and visuals will help break it into mind-sized chunks to make it easier to understand.
2 Comments
Caitlin Mitchell
2/17/2019 10:06:45 am
Hi Jen!
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Jona Sandau
2/17/2019 08:51:20 pm
Jen, I am SO very glad I read your blog! I had so much trouble digesting the Dervin chapter, I now realize, because I was going too microscopic into the meaning. Your blog was great because you gave a "bigger picture" perspective, and it was really helpful to me in relating the info to our work. The video you found was FABULOUS in helping me relate sense-making to the work we are doing in our program. Even mistakes can help pave the path to understanding what works, and does not work. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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