observations contextual inquiry
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CSCI 4163/6904, summer 2011. Observations contextual inquiry. Quiz. Multiple choice Answer individually - pass in Then class discussion. 1 1. Questionnaires... a. are a quick and easy way to gather information b. are only good for collecting qualitative data - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CSCI 4163/6904, summer 2011
Quiz
Multiple choice Answer individually - pass in Then class discussion
11. Questionnaires...
a. are a quick and easy way to gather information
b. are only good for collecting qualitative data
c. are only good for collecting quantitative data
d. require thought and careful planning
2. If you want a high completion rate, you would administer the questionnaire:
a. in person b. via (snail) mail c. via email d. using a web-based form
3. 3. Before sending out a questionnaire, you should make sure that:
a. questions are worded clearly
b. the questionnaire can be completed within the desired amount of time
c. you can analyze the results
d. all of the above
4. Which of the following is not an important aspect of a successful questionnaire?
a. include only closed questions
b. know what statistics you are going to run in advance
c. do a pilot questionnaire
d. include only understandable, clear questions
5. Interviews are:
a) Verbally asking participants questions
b) Hearing their point of view in their own words
c) Both A & B
d) Neither A nor B
6. Which type of interview allows you to probe participants’ responses?A) Structured
B) Unstructured
C) Semi-Structured
D) Unstructured and Semi-Structured
7. Which type of interview allows you to quantitatively compare responses?A) Structured
B) Unstructured
C) Semi-Structured
D) Unstructured and Semi-Structured
8. Active listening is…
A) Making a conscious effort to hear the words a person is saying
B) Making an effort to understand the complete message being sent
C) Paying attention to the other person very carefully
D) All of the above
Exercise
Research topic: Rituals of on-line information seeking behaviour
Questions: What types of information sources are regularly checked? Is it a push or pull paradigm? What is the frequency? What prompts a session to begin? How long does a session usually last? What brings a session to an end (time? Information found? All sources seen?)? Is there multi-tasking?
Observation
Watching people, programs, events, communities, etc.
Used to: Provide information about real-life
situations and circumstances Assess what is happening
Valuable because you cannot rely on participants’ willingness and ability to furnish information
When is observation useful? When you want direct information When you are trying to understand
an ongoing behaviour or process When there is physical evidence,
products, or outcomes that can be readily seen
When other data collection methods seem inappropriate
Observations
Advantages Disadvantages Most direct measure
of behavior Provides direct
information Easy to complete Saves time (?) Can be used in
natural or experimental settings
May require training Observer’s presence
may create artificial situation
Potential for bias Potential to overlook
meaningful aspects Potential for
misinterpretation Difficult to analyze
(If unobtrusive…)
Can see things in their natural context Can see things that may escape
conscious awareness, things that are not seen by others
Can discover things that may have been taken for granted
Can learn about things that people might not be willing to talk about
Low potential for generating observer effects
Major limitations
Potential for bias Observer bias Cultural bias (during observation and
interpretation) Reliability
Ease of categorization Often used in combination with other
methods to provide a more thorough account
Types of observation
Observing what does not happen may be as important as observing what does happen
Planning
Determine who/what to observe Determine what aspects will be observed
(characteristics, attributes, behaviours, etc.)
Determine when/where observations will be made
Develop the observation record sheet Pilot test the observation record sheet Train the observers, practice Collect information, analyze and interpret
Observations need to be credible Observation guide Recording sheet Checklist Field notes Pictures Video Some combination of the above
Ecological validity
Is what you are observing representative of usual behaviours?
Unobtrusive? Task? Setting? Tools?
If unobtrusive…
Can be hard to understand why….
Contextual inquiry
Interviewees are interviewed in their context, when doing their tasks, with as little interference from the interviewer as possible.
Allows probing of “why?” Can be real-time or record
interesting actions for later discussion
“Typical” 4 phased approach Traditional interview
Get an overview, establish trust, start recording Switch to a master-apprentice relationship
Tell them what you want to observe Make sure to establish when ok to interrupt Observe, ask questions
Take notes Balance need to understand with impact of
interruptions Summarization
Go over observations and your understanding with participant
Make sure that you go it right
Other ways of providing context If natural observation not possible,
can ask them to demonstrate specific tasks of interest
Can provide task scenarios and ask them to perform
“Think aloud” aloud protocols
Other ways of getting observational data Logging Screen recording (check out
Camtasia) Trace data
Homework
Advertising Diary exericise for Thurs Assigned reading w/ questions for
Thurs Read McGrath’s Methodology Matters
(submit questions) for Tues