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LAMEL Department

Lancaster University

Course and Experiment Instructions for investigators/tutors

What we expect from our Co-investigators

We expect Co-investigators to monitor their experiment, utilising questionnaires, focus groups and individual interviews, and share their data with us (by providing copies of those data in audio-tape and/or written forms).

Student questionnaires

Questionnaires should be distributed to all students on three separate occasions throughout the course (the beginning, middle and near the completion of the course). The first questionnaire is designed so as to highlight student assumptions as they begin the course, the second to monitor how they feel in mid-course and provide information as to what kinds of questions to ask in the interviews and focus groups, and the third to give students an opportunity to evaluate/assess their experience with the benefit of hindsight. Copies of the Lancaster questionnaires are provided on the 'materials' page. Completed questionnaires should be photocopied, so that a complete set of photocopies can be forwarded to us.

(Individual) Interviews

As with questionnaires and focus groups, individual interviews should take place on three separate occasions (at beginning, middle and just after the completion of the courses). The interviewees should where possible be students who have not been involved in the focus groups. Where possible, interviewer and interviewee should pursue topics highlighted during focus group meetings, in order to determine the representativeness of the opinions of the group. Supplementary topics not considered in depth by the focus groups can be pursued, if deemed to be relevant. The interviews should be taped and transcribed, and copies forwarded to us. Information on the conducting of interviews and suggested interview prompts can be found on the materials page.

Student focus groups

Focus groups should be conducted after questionnaires have been returned, so that the findings from the questionnaires can be used to provide part of the 'focus' of the group discussion, and should consist of groups of 6-8 participants. The number of focus groups will depend on the size of the class, of course, but we must insist upon a minimum of two groups - to run simultaneously - so that the groups can be asked to comment on the same things and, in this way, provide useful comparisons. The focus groups should be taped and transcribed, and copies forwarded to us. Information on the conducting of focus groups and suggested prompts etc. can be found on the materials page.

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