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IRB Process Analysis

Decent Essays

As I reviewed our reading materials for this week, the key theme for me was understanding what constitutes richness in a SoTL project. The idea of richness includes the notion of evidence and validation of work by using sound methodologies and analyzing the data we collect with the right collection instruments. I also found McKinney’s (2007) discussion on the IRB process insightful.

According to McKinney (2007), the concept of richness is linked to multiple processes that help validate one’s SoTL projects. We begin with the research question, that is we ask ourselves, “what is the problem” and “what teaching strategies can we use to solve the problem”? We then focus on how we plan to measure whether the teaching strategies re producing learning for students. Next, we need to determine the most ethical sound way to collect the data and analyze it. The use of either quantitative or qualitative analysis, or both, will help determine if there is evidence of learning. Many times, collecting data from various sources builds stronger validation of one’s SoTL project and helps grow the project into something more generalizable and open to a wider audience. …show more content…

Instead, the methodology used is determined by what the SoTL research question is looking to measure. If one is looking to quantify the knowledge gained, quantitative analysis is the best method to be used. If, however, “data incorporate verbal, visual, or textual information, you probably will have to draw on qualitative methods” (Bishop-Clark, & Dietz-Uhler, 2012, p.46). For my project, I may see myself using mixed methods, or both quantitative and qualitative methods. I would see myself using a method to measure the differences in test scores, but I would also envision observation or interviews as beneficial to get an understanding of how and why students are engaging or not

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