Interactive whiteboards are increasing in popularity and prevalence in education. A scoping survey was performed to ascertain the types of documents available from academic databases on the use of interactive whiteboards with school-aged children. More than half of all the identified documents were grey literature: that is, comprised of…

The old adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words", has special meaning in the world of research with international students as research participants. The incorporation of photos taken by the research participants to generate thoughts and ease communication is invaluable and can often result in rich, highly detailed interviews that…

This article outlines the first cycle of an Action Research (AR) investigation into why professional learners are not using the Social Networking Technologies (SNTs) of their bespoke website. It presents the rationale of how this study came about, the ontological and epistemological stance of the authors and how this led to the particular choice…

The use of numerical/quantitative data in qualitative research studies and reports has been controversial. Prominent qualitative researchers such as Howard Becker and Martyn Hammersley have supported the inclusion of what Becker called "quasi-statistics": simple counts of things to make statements such as "some," "usually," and "most" more…

A lack of good information about what youth are doing with new media stimulates fears and hopes about the relationship between young people and digital technologies. This article focuses on new modes of inquiry into youth new media use, highlighting the challenges, complexities, and opportunities inherent in studying young people's digital…

Two studies of the formation of pupils' subjectivities within the Danish school and educational system in the period 1945-2005 create the framework for a methodological discussion of how subjectivities in educational history can be studied. Both studies use qualitative interviews as a way of studying subject formations in educational history. This…

Outlines research basics for technical communicators collecting qualitative information in a workplace environment. Discusses: developing researchable questions from workplace experiences; searching existing literature for credible research reports; using observation, artifacts, and interviews as sources of information for answering workplace…

Describes a qualitative study conducted with graduate students at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) to describe patterns of computer-mediated communication (CMC) usage and to explore alternative ways of describing users of communication systems. Patterns of CMC usage are described, and dynamics of online communication are…

Beginning with an analysis of conceptions of time with a particular emphasis on examining quantitative time use research literature for its manifestations of personal and social values, this paper proceeds with an overview of the literature on time use and the issues involved in its measurement. The central questions in this paper dwell on the…

This study demonstrated the use of self-recorded audiotape to collect data on students' perceptions, attitudes, and use of learning activities in written teaching texts. The process of asking students to respond to questions within the teaching text was straightforward and presented few problems in subsequent analysis. On several indicators…

Huddersfield University Library (England) has undertaken a wide range of evaluative studies of its services and systems, using various data collection techniques such as: user surveys; exit interviews; online and CD-ROM analysis; benchmarking; user groups; staffing and staff development evaluation; suggestion sheets; student project work; group…

This paper describes the research strategies employed in the Dutch Technology Enriched Schools (TES) project, which was initiated in 1987 to introduce computers into secondary education, to encourage extensive and intensive use of computers in a small number of secondary schools, and to study the effects of computer use on the classroom, the…

Introduction: The paper is based on the study of library users in Slovakia as part of a larger research project on the use of information. Method: A large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted in 2002 in sixteen academic and research libraries with 793 subjects, especially students and educators. Analysis: The data were analysed with the use of…

The study of video game effects has been marked by two very different approaches. The first approach is represented by social scientists, who, with some exceptions, seek to understand the effects of games on users. The second approach is favored by humanists, who seek to understand the meaning and context of games. To date, these two groups have…