Hi Rachel I tried to access your document- it wouldn't let me in ? I am up to about the same stage as you so interested to see how you are going? I too carried out a student review and an expert review- and was hoping to post a summary before the end of the week- I have completed the evaluaitons now to the fun part I guess!!
Debra make sure that if you are using Internet Explorer that Google docs is not being blocked as a pop up. It should show at the top of the browser. I got in ok.
Hello Rachel I am looking at your results now and will add comments to the word document and upload again to google docs so you can try again to publish as a web page for others to see. You have some very helpful results and I like the way you have laid them out in colourful graphs. It makes is so much easier to understand and visualise. In the meantime, a couple of suggestions.
Calculate % frequencies, means and standard deviations where it is appropriate and combine as much of the data into tables which can go in the Appendix. Decide which results should be shown as tables in the results section and which is best as a graph. When looking at the comments to open questions - try and clump them into common themes or categories rather than listed as separate comments. You will need to be quite astute about developing your themes/categories. The information can then be put in a table and either added to the results section or described there, and readers referred to the table in the Appendix. Themes for all the open questions can go in one table. I have worked on one example which follows.
Students were then asked their opinion about using the technologies that were listed above. Their comments were:
* Need to know how to use some them, would be good - 1 * Fast way to communicate needed information, easy to use - 2 * A lot easier a lot of the time as in where/when the work is done - 3 * A very good way to keep communication between lecturers and students - 2 * Blackboard and polytech info sites are very handy to keep up and gather useful info from others - 2 * It’s a big help - 3 * The one’s I’m familiar with are really good for research, keeping in touch with lecturers etc - 2 * Helpful for assignments - 3 * Essential to everyday life’ - 3 * They are good, provide some good information - 2 * The ones that I use are good and easy to understand - 3
This list can be collated into themes and you can use some comments as quotes to illustrate what students were saying.For example, 1. More on how to use - n=1 2. Communication and information - n=5 3. Efficiency and helpfulness - n=5
I have put the number of the categories I have used for each theme next to each of the comments listed, for your information. what do you think, does this sound reasonable?
I have just read my post and realise it could be a bit confusing. the list 1 to 3 is the list of themes/categories I have created into which to organise the comments. You can provide more description about the themes or categories if you wish when you write about them in the results section. I hope this makes it clearer. The reason I suggest using % frequencies is because the % makes it easier for the reader to visualise and understand the information when it is presented as proportions rather than numbers. plus it removes the need for the reader to have to calculate the differences. Which sounds more impressive? If you say 10 out of 11 students used a computer daily at home or 91% used a computer daily at home and 9% used a computer a few times a week at polytechnic?
Hi Rachel, I was reminded by Bronwyn that to get access to a document to a group of people, you need to first publish as a web page and send the shortcut to the group.
I have found the answers to the question where you are asking people how they would like to access the information interesting. Am I correct to assume that the students are already familiar with Blackboard? Are you sure that the students understood the question? (may be I did not) I find it strange that they wish to access information and learning via email. Added insight about support: I have used instant messaging through www.meebo.com for the last three years, and have found it very useful to keep in touch with the students. I have had no negative experience so far.
Hi Herve - thanks for your feedback. The students are all familiar with Blackboard so that was no real surprise to me, although our institution is moving to Moodle for 2010. I was surprised that email was a preferred method. Again, I wonder if that is because it is familiar. Thank you for telling me about www.meebo.com, I will check that out as I am not familiar with that. One thing I did learn from the interview with the educational expert though was to stick with what students are familiar with, so if it is email contact or some form of instant messaging then that is best.
Hi Rachel
ReplyDeleteI tried to access your document- it wouldn't let me in ?
I am up to about the same stage as you so interested to see how you are going? I too carried out a student review and an expert review- and was hoping to post a summary before the end of the week- I have completed the evaluaitons now to the fun part I guess!!
cheers
Debra
cheers
Debra
I have given up with google docs at the moment and have sent out as an attachment to the evaluation group - hope that you can access it from there
ReplyDeleteDebra make sure that if you are using Internet Explorer that Google docs is not being blocked as a pop up. It should show at the top of the browser. I got in ok.
ReplyDeleteHello Rachel I am looking at your results now and will add comments to the word document and upload again to google docs so you can try again to publish as a web page for others to see. You have some very helpful results and I like the way you have laid them out in colourful graphs. It makes is so much easier to understand and visualise. In the meantime, a couple of suggestions.
ReplyDeleteCalculate % frequencies, means and standard deviations where it is appropriate and combine as much of the data into tables which can go in the Appendix. Decide which results should be shown as tables in the results section and which is best as a graph. When looking at the comments to open questions - try and clump them into common themes or categories rather than listed as separate comments. You will need to be quite astute about developing your themes/categories. The information can then be put in a table and either added to the results section or described there, and readers referred to the table in the Appendix. Themes for all the open questions can go in one table. I have worked on one example which follows.
Students were then asked their opinion about using the technologies that were listed above. Their comments were:
* Need to know how to use some them, would be good - 1
* Fast way to communicate needed information, easy to use - 2
* A lot easier a lot of the time as in where/when the work is done - 3
* A very good way to keep communication between lecturers and students - 2
* Blackboard and polytech info sites are very handy to keep up and gather useful info from others - 2
* It’s a big help - 3
* The one’s I’m familiar with are really good for research, keeping in touch with lecturers etc - 2
* Helpful for assignments - 3
* Essential to everyday life’ - 3
* They are good, provide some good information - 2
* The ones that I use are good and easy to understand - 3
This list can be collated into themes and you can use some comments as quotes to illustrate what students were saying.For example,
1. More on how to use - n=1
2. Communication and information - n=5
3. Efficiency and helpfulness - n=5
I have put the number of the categories I have used for each theme next to each of the comments listed, for your information. what do you think, does this sound reasonable?
I have just read my post and realise it could be a bit confusing. the list 1 to 3 is the list of themes/categories I have created into which to organise the comments. You can provide more description about the themes or categories if you wish when you write about them in the results section. I hope this makes it clearer. The reason I suggest using % frequencies is because the % makes it easier for the reader to visualise and understand the information when it is presented as proportions rather than numbers. plus it removes the need for the reader to have to calculate the differences. Which sounds more impressive? If you say 10 out of 11 students used a computer daily at home or 91% used a computer daily at home and 9% used a computer a few times a week at polytechnic?
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI was reminded by Bronwyn that to get access to a document to a group of people, you need to first publish as a web page and send the shortcut to the group.
I have found the answers to the question where you are asking people how they would like to access the information interesting.
Am I correct to assume that the students are already familiar with Blackboard? Are you sure that the students understood the question? (may be I did not) I find it strange that they wish to access information and learning via email.
Added insight about support: I have used instant messaging through www.meebo.com for the last three years, and have found it very useful to keep in touch with the students. I have had no negative experience so far.
Have fun
Hervé
Hi Herve - thanks for your feedback. The students are all familiar with Blackboard so that was no real surprise to me, although our institution is moving to Moodle for 2010. I was surprised that email was a preferred method. Again, I wonder if that is because it is familiar. Thank you for telling me about www.meebo.com, I will check that out as I am not familiar with that. One thing I did learn from the interview with the educational expert though was to stick with what students are familiar with, so if it is email contact or some form of instant messaging then that is best.
ReplyDelete