THE STORIES STATISTICS DON'T TELL Using qualitative data to enhance findings about student learning

In this paper, the author illustrates several techniques for deriving findings from qualitative data. Data collected in this way can be used to enhance, but not necessarily take the place of, quantitative data which are routinely collected metrics of student performance. In this paper, the author suggests how to utilize naturalistic methods such as observation, interviews and blogs to represent "student stories" (or case studies). The paper has the following outcomes: 1) recognizing and using elements of good interviews, 2) knowing how to relate qualitative methods and findings to quantitative information and 3) understanding appropriate analysis for qualitative data. For this paper, the author draws upon her PhD research undertaken 2003-2007. Background The goal of the PhD was to identify ways in which lab-based graduate students innovate. In this research, the author found that the richness of actual student experience as represented in narrative offered greater purchase on discovering what was really going on in the lab than quantitative methods. The subject of this paper is to demonstrate several techniques the author used to apply qualitative methods to the social phenomena of student learning of engineering and math at the PhD level. Methods suggested should not supplant, but rather supplement current statistical methods.