Online Teaching vs. Traditional Face-To-Face

Online Teaching vs. Traditional Face-to-Face Teaching

Exercise 7.1. Quantitatively, research into this question must embrace the facts of the case, the reasons that individuals use online resources for their education. But the researcher is also a trained listener, and high quality questions should elicit original answers.

ONE) Yes, spontaneous, naturally occurring statements from the person being interviewed are often more authentic than statements prompted by the researcher's question. For example, the person interviewed may anticipate the question about the pitfalls -- and be ready to explain the value of online education the problems. When the researcher's question prompts a different answer than the one anticipated, that is a sign the interview is going well. Unless the participant is deliberately trying to distract the researcher, or change the subject, natural responses (even off-handed responses) are meaningful and authentic. It has been said that spontaneity spawns authenticity; in the case of fieldwork, the goal is spontaneity, honesty.

TWO) the answer to this question is any statements, observations, responses from the individual being interviewed, formal or informal, are treated as part of the record (unless the person interviewed asks for confidentiality). In journalism, there is "on the record" and "off the record." In fieldwork, the validity of the research is what the researcher winds up with at the end of the process. All information that has been gathered either by observation or direct verbal responses is valid fieldwork. This date is not to be published in the public domain, so any observations and responses are valid. Golafshani explains that if the result is "replicable" (can this same information be obtained by doing this again?) and "reliable" then the quantitative process is effective.

THREE) if the participant uses some of my words (a phrase perhaps) in his or her answer, it calls for an immediate follow-up on the interview's part, to dig deeper and see if there are original thoughts forthcoming, or was he/she just saying what he/she thought I wanted to hear? All entries into my fieldwork report have parenthetical explanations as to the conditions under which the questions were answered, if any portion of the interview is skewed or outside the parameters of what was expected. The meaning of what was said in response to a pointed question can be construed as shared, hence the value of a quick follow-up for clarification.

Exercise 8.1: ONE) the route of access to my research subject should be through an honest explanation of what my research goals are. Any lack of candor with reference to how I approach my interview is unethical. If I am interviewing a professor about online learning vs. what he does in classrooms, of course I don't need to go into deep, involved detail about what I might do if "a" or "b" occurs during the interview; but a forthright introduction to my intentions is the best ethical approach. TWO) No apologies need to be made in advance even though, let's say, the interview is to be with a housewife who has to babies at home and can't attend classes at the local community college. She may be suspicious of a college student's intentions. Consent is usually based on what the researcher plans to do with the information; my honest answer is, "I'm doing this for a research class and none of the information will be published or made public in any way." If she asks to see the report before I submit it, I cannot agree to that. THREE) the gatekeeper in this instance is the husband of the online student. My job is to present myself initially as a neutral, positive, well-groomed person on an assignment, and approach him with confidence, knowing he may be skeptical about my intentions. He is a friend of an employee at the university, and the employee contacted him for me, so it is a warm call but he still wants to know why I am interviewing his wife. FOUR) in a qualitative research genre, the interview is vital to my understanding of the "real world" of people and education. I must take into consideration the fact that the participant is ashamed that she barely got through high school, and I need to approach her with easy, friendly questions at the outset of the interview. Yes, her gender and her social position are pertinent to the tone of the questions I have prepared. She may be a little defensive in discussing why she is taking classes, so I will focus on what interesting things she has come across in her studies, to get the interview off to a good warm start.