From Words to Meaning: Qualitative Strategies for Classroom Research In-Person / Online

Planning to study your own classroom but not sure how to capture students' voices in your research?

This hands-on workshop introduces educators to qualitative methods in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), focusing on how to gather, analyze, and make meaning from narrative student data. Participants will explore common sources of qualitative data—such as open-ended survey responses, reflections, and discussion posts—and learn how to write effective questions that generate insightful feedback. You'll also be introduced to basic coding and thematic analysis techniques, review real examples of SoTL studies that use qualitative methods, and consider ethical issues like confidentiality and power dynamics. Whether you're just starting out or ready to refine a project idea, this session offers practical tools to explore the human side of learning through SoTL.

Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:

explain the value of qualitative methods in SoTL and the types of questions they best address
identify common qualitative data sources in classroom-based research (e.g., open-ended survey responses, interviews, reflections, discussion posts)
design effective open-ended survey questions for collecting meaningful student feedback
apply introductory coding and thematic analysis techniques to identify patterns and insights in qualitative data
evaluate examples of published SoTL studies that use qualitative methods effectively
recognize ethical considerations unique to qualitative research, such as confidentiality and power dynamics
select appropriate tools or strategies for analyzing qualitative data (e.g., coding by hand, using Excel, or simple qualitative software).

Date:: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time:: 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Time Zone:: Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
Location:: CTLI Rm W206G (Main Library, 2 West)
Audience:: Educator Network In-Class Educators
Categories:: Community of Practice Community-Engaged Learning Curriculum Development DEIB & Student Success Designing Courses EdTech Educator Networking Educator Onboarding Evaluation & Assessment Experiential Learning Generative AI Hybrid Session Improving Courses In-person Session Interdisciplinary Learning Lifelong Learning Online Programs Special Topics Student Feedback Synchronous Session

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From Words to Meaning: Qualitative Strategies for Classroom Research In-Person / Online