Workshop — Quantifying qualitative data in mixed methods research in engineering education

Abstract

This interactive pre-conference workshop builds on a workshop offered at FIE 2010 that provided an introduction to mixed methods research and the concept of mixing. The workshop aims to advance the use of mixed methods research in engineering education by delving into quantitizing as one strategy for mixing qualitative and quantitative data during the process of data analysis. Quantitizing refers to the process of assigning numerical values to qualitative data collected through interviews or through participant observation. A typology of different techniques for quantitizing will be shared along with examples from the engineering education research literature. Participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups to consider different strategies for quantitizing qualitative data they have collected and to develop examples of the different ways to mix or merge qualitative and quantitative data. The purposes and rationale for using this strategy will be discussed, along with consideration of the paradigmatic objections raised about data transformation.