Thinking about a possible Part 4 for the questionnaire -
- (2009-03-04) I numbered the questions to refer to them in a concept map.
- (2009-03-06) Copied Jenny's table from her public blog post here and numbered the statements.
Part 4 could be entirely separate from the first parts or could be a continuation. My rational for this part is to go beyond collecting simple quantitative data and to begin to explore people’s communication and learning experiences on the CCK08 course, focussing on the differences between those who preferred blogging to discussion forums and vice versa.
So key research question is?
Why did some CCK08 participants choose to blog rather than post to the Moodle forums and vice versa?
Sub questions might be?
Did these two groups of people have identifiable group specific common characteristics?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of blogs and discussion forums for self-directed learning?
I have remembered Soini and Flynn’s article in which they identify 6 aspects of critical learning instances (see notes)
Emotional significance (62%)
Reflection (53%)
Differing perspectives (42%)
Collaboration (38%)
Autonomy (33%)
Dialogue (24%)
It occurred to me that Part 4 could include sets of statements based on these or a similar adapted list and a Likert Scale type of questionnaire, i.e. Strongly agree to strongly disagree.
The following section is about blogging and forum discussion. Please read each statement carefully and indicate to what extent you agree or disagree using the folloiwng key:
strongly disagree neutral agree strongly
disagree agree
1 2 3 4 5
or
SA - Strongly agree
A - Agree
N - Neutral
D - Disagree
SD - Strongly disagree
Example statements: SA A N D SD
1. My firm is committed to achieving zero defect logistical performance O O O O O
2. My firm has different logistics service strategies for different customers O O O O O
3. The orientation of my firm has shifted from managing function to manaing processesO O O O O
OR with the SD, D, N, A, SA (denoting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) SD D N A SA
1. My firm has increased inventoy turns during the past 5 years O O O O O
For Relationships
IMPORTANCE
(Please circle the number under the answer which is right for you) (or this could be done using survey monkey)
Important Of Very Of Some Important Very Important
Not to have Little or No Importance To have To have
this Importance To have this this
this this
1 2 3 4 5
Example statements:
1. Respect you
2. Are friendly
3. Are good at their jobs
4. Work together well
SATISFACTION
Very In Some Very
Dis-satisfied Satisfied ways Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied
Some ways
dissatisfied
1 2 3 4 5
I found different researchers have been using different scales for their researches: such as 1 very dissatisfied to 5 very satisfied, OR 1 very satisfied to 5 very dissatisfied. I think we need to be consistent throughout the questionnaire.
May I suggest to adopt a lower score such as 1 for very dissatisfied and a higher score of 5 for very satisfied? We could use that to calculate the average satisfaction rating and the variance (or Standard Deviation) using those scores. Similar concepts could be applied to the importance ratings in the questionnaire.
For all questions - check if they are written in SIMPLE PLAIN CONCISE ENGLISH John 6/3/09
An alternative way of doing this would be two have two statements at each end of a continuum, e.g.
There was a greater sense of community between CCK08 forum participants
|
0
|
2.5
|
5.0
|
7.5
|
10
|
There was a greater sense of community between CCK08 bloggers
|
Participants would then mark their position on the continuum
Or we could go for a Likert Scale, strongly agree to strongly disagree, using the following types of statements
Which of the following is your preferred tool of learning and communication in CCK08?.
1. Blogging
2. Moodle discussion
3. No preference (Blogging/Moodle discussion of equal importance)
Or should we separate learning from communication? John 6/3/09
Experiences related to technology
- 2 Posting to the CCK08 Moodle forum required less effort than posting to a blog
- 3 Posting to the CCK08 Moodle forum enabled faster communication than posting to a blog
- 4 It was easier to follow a CCK08 Moodle forum thread than a blog conversation
Emotional significance
- 6 There was a greater sense of community between CCK08 Moodle forum participants than between CCK08 bloggers
- 7 There was less mutual respect between the CCK08 forum participants than between the CCK08 bloggers
- 8 Relationships between the CCK08 Moodle forum participants were stronger than between CCK08 bloggers
- 9 The CCK08 Moodle forum posts elicited stronger emotions than the CCK08 blog posts
- 10 Posting to the CCK09 Moodle forums generated greater feelings of excitement than posting to a CCK08 blog
- 11 Posting to the CCK08 Moodle forums generated greater feelings of anxiety than posting to a CCK08 blog
Relationships
-
13 It was easier to form relationships with other course participants in the CCK08 forums than in the CCK08 blogs
-
14 There was a greater sense of closeness between CCK08 forum participants than between CCK08 bloggers
-
15 It was harder to form relationships that lasted beyond the end of the[J7] course in the CCK08 forums than it was in the CCK08 blogs
-
(Relationships/ connections between concepts in addition to those between people. Expected outcome M = moodler, B = blogger)
- 17 I find it more convenient in forums that all the relevant aspects and ideas are collected in one place. (M)
- 18 It's not very important for me that in forums, all the relevant aspects and ideas are collected in one place. (B)
- 19 I find it more convenient in forums that all the recently discussed aspects and ideas are quickly accessible. (M)
- 20 It's not very important for me that in forums, all the recently discussed aspects and ideas are quickly accessible. (B)
-
21I am excited when people bring lots of obviously related aspects to the table. (M)
-
22 I don't like musings about far-fetched associations and wonderings if they might be connected to the topic at hand. (M)
-
23 I don't want to be distracted by ever more links. (M)
-
24 I am fascinated that forums discussions rapidly connect to more aspects while the previous aspects are still lively present in mind. (M)
-
25 When new aspects and ideas come up, I like to explore their source and author, and sometimes they resonate with me when I learn more about their background. (B)
I like these statements - they get at the learning process. Whilst doing this I am constantly referring to my book (Doing your research project . A Guide for first time researchers in Education and Social Science - by Judith Bell) which I used during my Masters degree. Under the chapter on questionnaires it warns against the following:
Ambiguity, imprecision and assumptions in question wording
Asking questions which rely on memory (which is unreliable!)
Questions which ask for informatin that the respondents may not know or have readily to hand
Double questions e.g. Do you attend maths and chemistry classes?
Leading questions, e.g. Do you agree that mature students should have the right to express their views in tutorials
Presuming questions, e.g. Does the university make adequate provision for counselling
Hypothetical questions, e.g. If you had no family responsibilities and plenty of money, what would you do with your life
Offensive questions or questions that cover sensitive issues
I think we have to beware of all these! Very difficult!
I agree Jenny with your points. What a coincidence! I bought this book on Doing Your Research Project long time ago (the reprinted 1989 version). I used that for my researches, especially in education. I will re-read the book. I will review our questions too! I think this will take some more time. John 5/3/09
Reflection
- 27 The CCK08 forum discussions were less reflective than the CCK08 blog discussions
- 28 The CCK08 forum discussions were so fast that they prohibited reflection
- 29 There was less time for reflection in CCK08 forum discussions than in the CCK08 blogs
Differing perspectives
31 I have found these statements difficult to complete so have posted as far as I have got. If you think this is workth pursuing, then I will carry on another day. It's very difficult to come up with statements that will give us valuable information. You both might be more successful.
Autonomy
33 The CCK08 discussion forums were more teacher-controlled than the CCK08 blogs
34 There are fewer opportunities for self- expression
Dialogue
Still to do
Audience
36 Still to do
Cognitive style
36 Still to do
My original hypotheses are:
1. Activists are mainly bloggers (primary) Moodlers (secondary)
2. Reflectors are mainly bloggers (primary) and some Moodlers (secondary)
3. Theorists are mainly bloggers (primary) and occasional Moodlers (secondary) (can be applicable to our Instructors - George Siemens and Stephen Downes, whom I think are theorists, don't you agree?)
4. Pragmatists could be mainly Moodlers (primary) and some bloggers (secondary) (and even lurkers - including those who left due to not meeting their interests, social needs, have found the course too theoretical, too complicated - not at the right level, or not having the time to do it etc.)
Based on my analysis of some of the forum and blog posts (subjective ones at this stage)
Hypotheses statements:
1. Activists, reflectors and theorists prefer to adopt blogging over Moodle forum discussion,
2. Reflectors and theorists would like to participate in Moodle forum discussion occasionally
3. Pragmatists may adopt both Moodle forum discussion and blogging
4. Most Pragmatists would prefer forum discussion over blogging
For 4. at least at the start of the course - with possible reasons of (a) easier to participate in discussion than writing a blog post, (b) easier to connect with others having a practical experience, (c) wanting to put new knowledge to use, (d) limited knowledge in the field or domain, so easier to participate in discussion in order to learn, (e) can try out strategies and ideas quickly - through learning and practice, and (f) can learn about practical situations in forum discussion.
Activists statements (Bloggers mainly) (primary)
I like to become involved in experiencing situations
I like new opportunities in learning
I like to maintain high profiles
I learn best when there is an element of risk in learning
I learn best when I could 'bounce off' and become energised by others (I would suggest that this is common in Blogger and Moodler)
Reflectors statements (Bloggers (primary) and Rare Moodlers (secondary)
I like to think things through
I like to listen, watch and gather data before committing myself to a decision or conclusion (mostly Blogger, could also be Moodler, if it is about discussion in a forum)
I tend to be cautious and conservative in the face of new knowledge and experience (mostly Blogger, could be first time Moodler))
I learn best when given time to think or mull things over (mostly Blogger, could be Moodler in discussion forum)
I learn best when I am given access to all available information to guide my decisions
I learn best when I am not pressured by deadlines or hasty decision-making processes
Theorists statements (Bloggers (primary) and occasional Moodlers (secondary)
I like to assimilate and synthesise new information
I like to fit new information into theories and explantaion of how the world works
I learn best when I can use models and systems that make sense to me
I learn best when I can understand links and connections between facts and ideas
I learn best when I can explore links and connections between facts and ideas
I learn best when the subject matter is objective
I learn best when the subject matter is based on rational principles
Pragmatists statements (Mainly Moodlers (primary) and some Bloggers (secondary) (educators, instruction designers, education practitioners))
I am interested in ideas to see if they work
I think abstract ideas have little meaning for me
I like to solve practical problems
I want to put new knowledge to use (Bloggers and Moodlers)
I learn best when I can link ideas to real life situations (Bloggers, Moodlers and Lurkers)
I learn best when I can try out strategies (Bloggers)
I learn best when I can try out ideas
I learn best when I can deal with practical situations
By John
Notes: The above statements could be ranked as SD to SA (Strongly Disagree -1 to Strongly Agree -5). When analysing the statements a score could be used to calculate (a) the mean score, (b) standard deviation to show if there is a correlation between the style of learning versus Bloggers/Moodlers and test the validity of the hypotheses statements.
There might be other or alternative categories under which we could organise statements like this.
Whilst working on these statements, I wondered if it might be preferrable to make a long list of statements and ask respondents to select which ones apply to them. We could either separate these statements into 'Moodlers' and 'bloggers' as shown below, or we could just lump them all together and ask people to state there preference, i.e. for forums or blogs on the CCK08 course at the end of the list.
I preferred blogging to Moodle forum discussions on the CCK08 course because…. (please select the response that you agree with)
42 I was already familiar with blogging
43 The blogging community was more friendly
44 There was more mutual respect between CCK08 bloggers than in the Moodle forums
45 I was less likely to be criticised on my blog
46 I could avoid the ‘loud forum voices’
47 I felt less anxious when blogging than when posting to the Moodle forums
48 I was able to forge closer relationships in the blogging community
49 I did not feel connected to the Moodle forum participants
50 Blogging allowed me more control over my own learning
51 I had more control over the topics I wanted to explore.
52 I could work at my own pace
53 Blogging allowed me time for reflection
54 I liked the ‘slowness’ of blogging
55 I was able to able to be truer to my own thinking in my blog posts
56 I had more opportunities for self-expression in my blog
57 Blogging allowed me to have a voice on the CCK08 course
58 Writing for my blog gave me more pleasure than writing in the Moodle discussion forums
69 Blogging allowed me more personal space
60 Blogging allowed me had more ownership over my learning environment
61 Blogging allowed me more freedom in the choice of discussion topics to follow
62 Blogging allowed me more freedom in the choice of people to follow
63 I found it easier to understand the CCK08 blog posts than the Moodle forum posts
64 I didn’t feel comfortable in the Moodle forums
65 I didn’t feel I had anything to contribute to the Moodle forum discussions
66 I could not make my voice heard in the Moodle forum discussions
67 The CCk08 bloggers often provided summaries of the weekly topics and this helped my learning
If you have any additional comments you would like to make please type them in the box below.
I preferred communicating in the Moodle forums to blogging on the CCK08 course because…. (please select the response that you agree with)
69 I was already familiar with posting to discussion forums
70 The Moodle forum discussions were more accessible
71 Blogging requires more effort than I wanted to make
72 I enjoyed the fast pace of the Moodle forums
73 I enjoyed the challenging discussion that took place in the Moodle forums
74 There was more lively debate in the Moodle forums
75 I was able to connect with a greater number of people in the Moodle forums
76 I felt more of a sense of community in the Moodle forums
77 I had a greater number of readers in the Moodle forums than I would have had on a blog
78 I preferred the linear style of the Moodle forum discussions
79 The discussion in the forums was more substantive than in the blogs
80 There was more knowledge creation in the Moodle forums
81 I received more response to my posts in the Moodle forums
82 The quality of posts in the Moodle forums was higher than on the blogs
83 The discussion in the Moodle forums was more flexible
84 It was easier to follow the discussion threads in the Moodle forums
85 It was easier to track back and locate information in the Moodle forums
86 There were fewer personal posts in the Moodle forums
87 I felt more comfortable in the Moodle forums
88 I was able to establish a presence in the Moodle forums
89 I felt I had a voice in the Moodle forums
90 I was able to make a greater contributions to the Moodle forums
If you have any additional comments you would like to make please type them in the box below.
People choose to blog in preference to posting to discussion forums because
92 They are more personal
93 They are more distributed
94 (=33) They are less teacher-centric
95 (=46) ‘Loud’ voices who drown everyone out can be more easily side-stepped
96 (=45) There is less criticism
97 There are fewer disparaging comments
98 (cf 32) There is a greater sense of personal control
99 (=6) There is a greater sense of belonging to a community
100 (=53) There is more time for reflection
101 (=56) There are greater opportunities for self-expression
102 There is greater opportunity for self-assessment
103 (cf 48) Relationships are closer and deeper
104 There is more crafting of writing
105 (cf 44) There are higher levels of mutual trust and respect
106 There is less posturing and pontification
107 There is a greater sense of freedom
People choose to discuss in forums in preference to blogging because
109 (cf 69) They are familiar – the easy option
110 (cf 72) Communication is faster/rapid fire
111 (cf 76) People feel a greater sense of proximity to other forum posters
112 (=71) Forum posting is less effort than blogging
113 (=78) Forum posting is more linear than blogging
114 (=88?) There is a greater community presence in forums
115 (cf 83) Conversation is more flexible/diverse
116 There is more sparring/challenge
117 (=82) The quality of posts is higher
118 (cf 4) They are more like a conversation
119 (=85) You can find information more easily
120 (=81) You get more feedback
121 (cf 75) It is a more efficient way of making connections
122 (cf 86) There is less ‘navel gazing’
123 (cf 121) You are more likely to receive feedback on your opinions
124 It takes too long to get a blog up and running
(How do people like the "big picture" ?)
131. I like it when the author enumerates many aspects that guide me around the big picture in his mind. (M)
132. I don't want to be urged to follow the author through his linear assembly of digressions. (B)
133. I don't like to be distracted to off-topics scattered across various side branches. I need a "red thread". (M)
134. I like links leading to further aspects if they promise a rewarding digression when I actually click and explore them. (B)
141.(a)-(c), 142. (John's questions about Connection strengths) see Questionnaire Draft 5
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