Complete thesis - Murdoch University

derived/validated measures that, in general, have been developed to examine the qualityof learning. Interaction schedules provide a profile of interaction and activity withina particular context, either through time or event sampling by an observer, or analysisof taped material• records such as diary/journal, supporting documents, tapes. The journal may be consideredto apply to all participants of the Action Research environment, and is a mechanismfor recording and reflecting on action and thought. Supporting documentationrefers to the more formal background to the interventions actioned: syllabus, documentsfor course development and accreditation, student assessment planned. Tapingis considered an easy mechanism for data collection, but may have the effect of influencingparticipant behaviour. In addition, ethical issues may inhibit the taping ofcomplete action cycles• feedback from students should provide opportunities for participants to raise issues andconcerns, either through tightly structured/open questionnaires or interviews. Bothformal and informal questionnaires provide a mechanism for participants to addressareas of interest to the researcher, while interviews allow for both general impressionsto be uncovered and tight analysis to be undertaken.Together, these techniques provide mechanisms to validate the observations through a processof triangulation, a term borrowed from psychological reports and developed by Denzin(1970). The term has been taken to mean more than one method of investigation: withinmethods(same method on different occasions, as well as researcher/observers’ reflection ontheir participation) and between-method (different methods in relation to the same objectof study), as well as the use of multiple investigators and theories. The value of such anapproach is that the discrepancy between what people say and what people do can be overcome.Since this is a fundamental issue in education for RE (see Chapters 2 and 3) it is mostappropriate to apply a mixed method approach to this study.4.2.4 Strategies for data evaluationEvaluation is often referred to as being formative or summative if not diagnostic. In thisstudy, formative evaluation is undertaken on the basis of a match between the design ofthe learning environment and the ‘real world’ as described by practitioners in the discipline.The latter provide a specification for a theory-based formal modelling in terms of conceptual,learning and instructional design factors. All information provided by the participants in thestudy may also be considered as formative user-based evaluation of the learning environment.204