Action research for_librarians_carl2012

transcript

Action Research How to easily incorporate

evidence based research into your practice

CARL Pre-conference

Thursday, April 5, 2012, 8:00 am – 12: 00 pm

Salon A-C

San Diego, Calif.

April Cunningham, Saddleback Community

College

Stephanie Rosenblatt,

California State University, Fullerton

Learning OutcomesI. Articulate questions about your practice and collaborate with peers to generate ideas for investigating these questions

II. Practice using various methods and tools for data collection and analysis.

III. Understand the concept of action research

Learning Outcomes

Action Research Cycle

Reflect

Types of Action Research

Evidence Based

Librarianship

Action Research

Action Research is…6

Informed by concerns about practice/praxisConducted and often initiated by the

librarian(s)impacted as their expertise is valued

CollaborativeCritical, deliberative, and self-reflexiveInstigated with the goal of changing

practices, processes, policies, theories, or systems

Applicable to the local context

What do you

What do you hope to get out of today’s session?

Where do you work?

What kinds of

research/evaluation have you

done before?

Getting to know…

• What’s problematic in your work? • Identify partners and “critical friends”

by talking to them throughout the process

• Review the literature• Develop a research plan

• What kind of information do you need to investigate your question/problem?

• How can you collect it?

Task: Consider Your Work 9

• Take a moment to think about your own work. What’s problematic?

• Generate one or two questions you’d like to investigate.

• Talk to a partner in your group. Do you share any questions/problems in common?

Problems/Questions10

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PLAN: Identifying a problem

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=5770291&height=267&width=200

PLAN: Thinking about Data and Analysis

METHODOLOGY INTERLUDE

BUT FIRST: WORLDVIEWS (ESPECIALLY PRAGMATISM)

WORLDVIEW RESEARCH FOCUS

Pragmatism Problem centered

Postpositivism Theory verification, Objectivity

Constructivism Multiple meanings, Subjectivity

Advocacy Empowerment, Change oriented

Quantitative Inquiry

Intent: see how data fits an existing theory, model, or explanation

Ask close-ended questions

Collect and analyze numbers; Statistics

Large samples

Qualitative Inquiry

Act Intent: learn participants’ views

Ask open-ended questions

Collect and analyze words and images; themes

Small Samples

ActQuantitative Qualitative

Collection•Quasi-experiment•Close-ended Survey•Usage Statistics

Collection•Interview•Open-ended Survey•Focus Group•Observation

Analysis•Descriptive statistics•Cross-Tabulation•Correlation•Comparing Means

Analysis•Coding•Discourse analysis

TYPICAL METHODS

ActQuantitative Qualitative

•Statistical methods: -rejecting hypotheses -calculating effect sizes

•Large, random or representative samples

•Take steps to remove researcher bias

•Coding methods: -identifying themes

•Small samples studied in depth in their natural environment

•Peer review of data and analyses; reciprocity with participants

VALIDITY

Qualitative data enhance quantitative findings because they explain the statistical relationships

Qualitative data can inform instrument design for a later quantitative phase

MIXED METHODS:

“clarify subtleties, cross-validate findings, and inform efforts to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies”Creswell & Clark (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research.

a) Qual a)Quant

Supported by b)

Complementary

Qual &

1. Exploratory 2. Explanatory

3. Embedded 4. Triangulation

Break for 10 minutes. When we come back, we’ll…

o Collect datao Analyze datao Continue talking to our collaborators

•Collect data

•Analyze data

•Continue to talk to collaborators or friends about your findings to get different perspectives on your process/methods and what you’re discovering

Data Collection Tools:

Data Analysis Tools:

Tableau Public Excel Rubrics LIWC Word text.stat

HTTP:/ /WWW.TABLEAUSOFTWARE.COM/PUBLIC

Tableau Public25

Microsoft Excel41

Descriptive statistics Inferential statistics

Describing the numerical data you have by organizing, graphing, or tabulating.

Using the sample you have to make inferences or hypotheses about a larger population.

Types of Statistics42

Nominal

Ordinal

IntervalRatio

Microsoft Excel

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100M

Pretest Results

Frequency

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100M

Posttest Results

Frequency

Rubrics48

Microsoft Word50

HTTP: / /WWW.LIWC.NET/TRYONLINE.PHP

Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC)

HTTP: / /TEXTSTAT.SOFTWARE.INFORMER.COM/

Text Stat56

ACT: Asking for Help

Coding document or

checklist used to analyze types of sources used by

students.

Your Turn: Data Analysis

Task: Analyze data

Were you able to learn something about the instruction program in this scenario?

What was a successful approach to the data?

What was frustrating?

How else could you investigate the problem/issue?

Task: Your Turn to Reflect

Action Research Cycle

Reflect

Reflect67

Think about how the findings will impact your own work.

What will you change?

Do you now have new questions? How can you explore those?

Share68

Findings

Where?

Task: Share

What did you learn about the instruction program in this scenario?

How could you use what you learned about the program?

Changes?

Your turn: Plan your own project

Identify potential collaborators

What problems are you having?

Identify or collect the information you need

How might you analyze that information?

Applying the Action Research

Methodology

APRIL CUNNINGHAMACUNNINGHAM@SADDLEBACK.EDU

STEPHANIE ROSENBLATTSROSENBLATT@FULLERTON.EDU

Thank You

Action research for_librarians_carl2012

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