Comprehensive Exam for M. Leigh Funk
Technology to Support Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Question 5
Compare and contrast how modern technologies support qualitative and quantitative research. Modern technologies that facilitate locating research including GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning Online), EBSCO HOST, and ProQuest will be reviewed along with data analysis software for qualitative and quantitative research data including JMP-IN, NUD*IST/NVivo, and Microsoft Excel. Structured interviews with education faculty who use each of these modern technologies for research will determine the pros and cons from the end users perspective. A web site detailing the application reviews, evaluations, and interview summaries will serve the Bagwell College of Education Graduate Programs and professional development initiatives.
Overview
The advancement of technology integration within teacher education programs is beginning to change how graduate education courses implement qualitative and quantitative research projects. A variety of technologies that are readily accessible within the P-12 educational systems and teacher education programs can support the research process. The technologies reviewed and evaluated here include electronic databases such as GALILEO, Ebsco Host, and ProQuest; qualitative data analysis software such as N6 and NVivo; and quantitative data analysis software such as JMP-In and Microsoft Excel. Structured interviews with teacher education faculty who use these technologies within their graduate courses will determine the pros and cons from the end users perspective. Application reviews, evaluations, and interview summaries are available online to serve the Bagwell College of Education graduate programs and professional development initiatives in their effort to utilize technology to support the research process.
Introduction: Potential of Technology to Support the Research Process
The rapid evolution of digital technologies is propelling teacher preparation programs as well as society at large, out of the computer age and into the information age. Educators are just beginning to utilize technologies for more than just productivity, and are adopting technologies that not only make typical tasks more efficient, but that facilitate cognitive and inquiry processes. For example, educators are starting to use technologies to support the stages of the qualitative and quantitative research process including planning the study, literature review, study implementation and data gathering, analysis and interpretation, discussion and reporting.
How Can Technology Support the Research Process?
Researchers can now blend traditional technologies with emerging technologies to more efficiently and effectively manage the entire research process. This section details how the five phases of the research process can be supported by various technologies.
Modern technologies such as GALILEO, EbscoHost, ProQuest and NVivo are particularly useful in the problem identification and literature review phases while Jmp-In and Microsoft Excel facilitate data analysis in quantitative research.
The integration of modern technologies in the research process is easing into graduate educational research courses as education faculty become more comfortable with their computing abilities.