Reflection #3-ResLAB

Today in resLAB we talked about how reading about research affects our research and our teaching. My partner and I came up with these thoughts:

- Constantly relating your work to the information given (in the research being read)

- Finding ways that the information will connect to your project

- Implementation of things you liked from the research into what you are doing- purposely using it because you like it

- Trying ideas to see if they "work for me"

- When teaching you are always researching, so it helps you be more methodical

- Idea of two separate things feeding into a greater topic of your research

-You do not need to agree with everything you find-but you need to have a reason for either point of view you take

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The second part of class was talking about the Qualitative research vs. Quantitative research. The descriptions below are from Arts Education and Instrumental Outcomes: An Introduction to Research, Methods and Indicators by Larry O'Farrell and Margaret Meban.

Qualitative research: "...qualitative research methods may be applied in an effort to describe the impact of the arts in education within the heuristic world of arts education practice, a world in which random factors tend to impede the effectiveness of experimental design."

- methods can be flexible

-not just finding an answer but going in depth into the topic

-follow where it leads you-don't get stuck if the research is pointing in a different direction (goes back to the flexible part)

Quantitative research: "...results in statistical relationships that communicate the amount, intensity, or frequency of particular variables."

- involves testing theories

-logic over reasoning

-includes variables that need to be measurable

At this point, I am finding it very hard to go through my research and determine which parts are qualitative vs. quantitative. I feel like right now I am doing qualitative research because my methods are very flexible. If I find something in a book that seems relevant but leads me in a different direction, I have been following it to see if it will fit with my project.

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The third part of class was identifying research methods and coming up with their pros and cons. I found this useful because some of the pros and cons reminded me why we use certain types of research.

The class period helped me think of organising my research project. I have been thinking about doing a blog because I like how you can add media to it. I like the structure of having one place to put everything that is in an easier to read format than a notebook, iPad, or a google drive folder. My main fear of starting a blog is keeping up with it.

Update: But, as proof, my blog is created and I have been adding to it regularly! Some posts are written further ahead of the time they actually happened, but I have been really trying to write reflections and get information in on the day it happens!

O’Farrell, Larry, and Margaret Meban. ‘Arts Education and Instrumental Outcomes: An Introduction to Research, Methods and Indicators’. UNESCO, 2003.