Using tools implemented at Elizabethtown College, Dr. Kevin Shorner-Johnson of the music department presented “Development and Implementation of a Tool to Guide Undergraduate Qualitative Research” at the Mid-Atlantic Educause Conference in Baltimore, Md. His presentation focused on an online software program that he developed and how he used the program to create success in undergraduate research during a May term course.
Two years ago, Shorner-Johnson created online software that researchers could use to analyze data using qualitative methods, which allows interviews to serve as a primary source of data. More than one researcher analyzes the date to ensure accuracy. According to Shorner-Johnson, the software gives researchers the ability to constantly compare their work with one another.
After developing this software, Shorner-Johnson realized it could become very useful to undergraduate research. The software is able to take processes that are highly unorganized and organize them into easy steps. He believes this aspect of the tool could be very valuable in helping undergraduate students complete their first qualitative research projects.
He took his concept and used the software in the context of a May term world musics course last year. Students enrolled in the course conducted research on culture and music within an evangelical Hispanic church in Harrisburg to understand the role of worship music for this particular culture. Students transcribed interviews with members of the church to analyze. The final product of the effort, a thirty page paper is now being prepared for publication in an undergraduate research journal.
Shorner-Johnson interviewed the students in his class at the beginning and end of the course, gave them a survey and collected written reflections as they progressed through the course. The results showed that Shorner-Johnson’s software tool was helpful for students’ success in undergraduate research.
The students had extremely positive feedback about the quality of experience and the May term course. Students valued the chance to work with computers while comparing their work with others working on the same project.
“We concluded that the technology tool enhanced collaboration between students, structured a messy process, facilitated higher levels of thinking and allowed students to work independently and collaboratively at the same time,” Shorner-Johnson said.
Shorner-Johnson presented his findings recently at the EDUCAUSE conference. EDUCAUSE focuses on the combination of technology and higher education. It hosts an array of different professions involved in higher education, including IT managers, faculty and college admissions.
The collaboration at this conference allows a more fulfilled conversation about the effective use of technology in higher education. Shorner-Johnson believes EDUCAUSE is extremely valuable because of the information he is able to learn about cutting-edge technology that can be implemented in a classroom setting.
Shorner-Johnson stated that this research holds great importance as the administration begins to reevaluate the combination of online education with a classroom setting. “Right now, our fallback model is to use an in person course with Blackboard as an administrative tool. I really think that there is an opportunity for the use of other online tools that are designed for courses.”
Shorner-Johnson believes that effectively blending online learning with classroom learning will lead to stronger learning experiences at Elizabethtown College. He plans to use this same method in teaching a larger section of world musics in the spring of 2014.