ÿWPC´ ü‰Gª­ê¼™·¿KoeûÁÓ[æÕhÃM=áÂ\@,sÍ0/QmÞðŸC tÌÛMxû> ‹þ')ñ×Ííf+“ˆ»t.§Ë9 »jÈÎoŠ@ØÁã—t4:i=Õ‘ðæAÐßHX*gÑ4íÚŒ iÂÜ=Sa–Ï2©0ì™51òÛ~a:‚øâS„Ī‚ò•4Jw)¥Ôr3Í«lîÜ@Ký E¡5`ÎYú¦ìX=º½Â˜q] d?³\lÔ%¿?÷ )DMk¹žÒ~'| «U|˜­á£MzUØ^ØZÈoµKñUðW;z `A,-·ÀÄ;Íœwøûœ-…†œVØjÇE”˜°çE— ‡ PjàÊ»#w”©Òˆ›¥-.µF…LýÓÀN1ðeÌaĵ)Rè ºTtô´|ââÝ…0q”nà”÷Àö”¨s7k©h°Cükz´ÈÇ+x‘×*Ls‚ëõ¦Îß  ; cɾ~ŠÉ€c&2‚ÕdÍ“ücj Ì*r¯HOß~§³ÆbšÅAxÀ‡d# îU Nù %G 0(MuuUN}w@Ë4 UN.UN|UNÊÊUNUNf˜HP DeskJet 850C/855CHPRDJC01,(,,,,,(0nLÜÏ(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular \D]D^D_D`DaDbEcdDeU…%!3|xe(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular) ’  Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular'Ör Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý›Ó  ÓÓ  Óò òÑ7€EIXXdìdÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÔ‡XEIXXXÔ„„€D€R€A€F€T€„„Ð ° М̛ÌUsing€Video€to€Maximize€the€Impact€of€Qualitative€Institutional€ResearchÌÓ(ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓœbyÌ›ÌSondra€K.€PatrickÌandÌJames€J.€œFletcherÌÌGeorge›€Mason€UniversityÌFairfax,€Virginia€22030ÌÓ'ÓÓÓÌIntroductionó óÐ ˜è  Ðà  àInformation€is€the€heart€of€effective€decision€making.€€Without€reliable,€valid€and€currentÏinformation,€decision€makers€cannot€successfully€manage€todayððs€complex€organizationalÏstructures,€nor€can€they€begin€to€meet€the€needs€of€the€diverse€communities€they€serve.€€HowÏinformation€is€collected€and€disseminated€to€an€institutionððs€constituents€and€decision€makers€is€aÏkey€factor€in€successful€management.€€The€complexity€of€institutions€and€their€constituentsÏrequires€that€information€be€gathered€in€multiple€ways.€€Using€one€approach€or€one€technique€willÏœnot€provide›€decision€makers€with€the€depth€of€information€necessary€to€meet€the€needs€of€diverseÏcommunities.€€€€€€€€Ìà  àœFor€years,€institutional€researchers€have€regularly€gathered€information€about€higherÏeducation€environments.€€Many›€recent€studies€have€examined€both€student€life€(Astin,€1977;ÏChickering€&€Reisser,€1993)€and€faculty€life€(Blackburn€&€Lawrence,€1995;€Bowen€&€Schuster,Ï1986;€Fairweather,€1991)€œusing€large„scale›€œsurvey€instruments.€€Fewer€studies€exist,€however,€thatÏqualitatively›€examine€institutional€experiences€from€participantsðð€œperspectives.€€Marshall,›€Lincoln,Ïand€Austin€(1991)€examined€the€quality€of€faculty€life€at€Vanderbilt€University€using€bothÏqualitative€and€quantitative€assessment.€€Hageseth€and€Atkins€(1985)€also€undertook€a€qualitativeÐ @-(,Ý Ðexamination€of€faculty€life€using€unstructured€interviews€at€a€teaching„oriented€state€œuniversity.›Ìà  àÔ#†XEIXXXEI{#ÔAt€George€Mason€University,€we€have€regularly€gathered€information€from€œstudents,›Ð ˆØ Ðœfaculty€and›€œalumni€through›€the€use€of€a€variety€of€survey€instruments.€€We€found,€however,€thatÏwe€did€not€get€sufficient€detail€from€these€sources€to€articulate€and€solve€œthe€specific€and€often€›Ïœmultifaceted›€problems€alluded€to€œin€responses€to›€large„scale€survey€instruments.€€The€surveysÏtended€to€tell€us€that€there€were€problems€but€rarely€suggested€direction€for€solutions.€€WeÏneeded,€therefore,€to€explore€the€use€of€other€types€of€information€gathering€strategies€that€wouldÏprovide€a€deeper,€richer€picture€of€our€environment.€Ô‡XEIXXXEIÔÐ ˜è  Ðà  àTo€better€understand€the€needs€of€our€academic€community,€we€have€undertaken€twoÏqualitative€institutional€research€studies€intended€to:€€(1)€understand€the€impact€of€institutionalÏchange€on€faculty€lives€and€(2)€identify€the€characteristics€of€students€who€have€successfulÏexperiences€at€our€institution.€€A€qualitative€approach€was€chosen€for€both€of€these€studiesÏbecause€we€wanted€to€gain€a€deeper€and€contextually€richer€understanding€of€what€our€faculty€andÏstudents€think€about€academic€life€at€our€institution€and€why€they€think€the€way€they€do.€€WeÏasked€them€to€talk€specifically€about€their€academic€lives€and€to€describe€experiences€that€haveÏinfluenced€œthat€life›€or€their€relationship€to€the€University.€€Our€focus€in€this€paper€is€œto€share€ourÏfindings€and€to›€œshow›€how€œvideo›€œreports›€can€provide€decision€makers€with€œricher,€contextuallyÏgrounded›€œinformation€and,€at›€the€same€time,€enhance€the€role€of€institutional€research€on€ourÏcampuses.Ìà  àIn€undertaking€these€studies,€we€had€three€primary€œobjectives.€€First,›€we€needed€to€exploreÏthe€use€of€other€types€of€information€gathering€strategiesòò€óóthat€would€provide€a€œricher›€picture€ofÐ )à$( Ðour€œenvironment€and€illuminate€possible€solutions.›€€Second,€œwe€wanted€our€participants€(studentsÐ h+¸&* Ðand€faculty)€to€describe€their€experiencesòò€óóin€their€own€words.€€We€found€that€these€data€collectionÐ ° Ðstrategies€gave€our€subjects€more€of€a€stake€in€the€process.€€In€fact,€the€students€were€enthusiasticÏabout€their€participation€when€we€made€it€clear€that€we€would€be€sharing€their€conversations€withÏvarious€members€of€the€community,€including€the€University€President.€€At€least€one€student€tookÏthis€opportunity€to€make€a€personal€statement€to€the€President€in€the€video.€€Third,€we€wanted€toÏbring€these€views€directly€to€the€campus€community.€€Through€video€technology,€we€had€a€vehicleÏthrough€which€their€voices€could€be€heard€by€other€members€of€the€university€community€and,Ïspecifically,€by€€university€decision€makers.€€Ô#†XEIXXXEIv #Ô€€Ô‡XEIXXXEIÔÐ ˜è  ÐÌò òResearch€DesignsÐ H˜ Ðó óÔ#†XEIXXXEIø#Ôà  àStudent€focus€groups€were€used€for€the€first€time€in€1992€and€have€been€used€regularlyÐ  p Ðsince.€€Faculty€focus€groups€were€used€for€the€first€time€in€1994€when€we€tried€to€get€a€betterÏsense€of€faculty€attitudes€about€the€availability€and€reliability€of€computer€technology€on€campus.€ÏThe€research€interviews€with€faculty€began€in€Fall,€1995.€€Ô‡XEIXXXEIÔÐ ¨ø ÐÔ#†XEIXXXEIò#Ôà  àThe€study€illuminating€student€experiences€was€based€on€focus€group€research€designs€byÐ €Ð ÐDavid€Morgan€(1988)€and€Richard€Krueger€(1988).€€Through€focus€group€sessions,€we€were€ableÏto€interview€a€representative€cross„section€of€our€student€population.€€Each€of€the€20€focus€groupÏsessions€was€one„hour€and€no€group€contained€more€than€12€students.€€The€faculty€study€wasÏdesigned€to€help€us€understand€faculty€life€today€and€was€based€on€Elliot€Mishlerððs€(1986)Ïstrategies€for€conducting€research€interviews.€€In€contrast€to€traditional€interviewing€strategiesÏwhich€we€saw€as€somewhat€restrictive,€we€found€Mishlerððs€perspective€of€the€interview€asÏdiscourse€to€be€an€appropriate€strategy€for€allowing€a€dialogue€between€the€researcher€and€theÐ h+¸&* Ðparticipant.€€Traditional€interview€techniques€generally€disregard€context€and€suppress€discourse,Ïand€are€often€little€more€than€a€series€of€stimuli€and€responses.€€For€us,€these€interactiveÏinterviews€produced€the€kind€of€open„endedness€critical€to€the€emergence€and€recognition€of€newÏexperiences.€€Since€change€is€occurring€rapidly€on€our€campus€and€the€outcomes€of€change€areÏunknown,€we€felt€that€this€was€an€important€theoretical€and€methodological€approach€for€us€toÏtake.€€In€both€studies,€the€interviews€were€transcribed€verbatim€and€the€transcriptions€coded€byÏemerging€themes€and€categories.€€Ìò òòòà  àó óóóThe€sample€for€the€student€research€study€consisted€of€90€students€and€was€representativeÐ ˜è  Ðof€the€total€student€population€in€terms€of€gender,€ethnicity€and€the€various€student€interestÏgroups€such€as€Greeks,€commuters,€residents,€athletes,€student€leaders€and€returning€adults.€€TheÏsample€for€the€faculty€research€study€consisted€of€43€facultyñbñ,ñbññcñ.€€Twenty„twoñcññdñ€€22ñdñ€faculty€were€recipientsÏof€the€Universityððs€Teaching€Excellence€Award€for€1993,€1994€&€1995.€€Eighteen€were€randomlyÏselected€from€the€1994„1995€list€of€tenured€and€tenure„track€faculty€stratified€by€academic€rank.€ÏThree€were€selected€because€of€their€use€of€information€technology€to€redesign€their€courses€andÏdevelop€new€teaching€strategies.ÌÌò òData€Collection€Strategiesó óÐ 0"€  ÐÔ‡XEIXXXEIÔà  àòòFocus€Group€Interviewsóó.€€Basically,€focus€group€interviews€are€group€interviews€thatÐ $X" Ðfocus€on€one€particular€issue€or€topic.€€Morgan€(1988)€defends€the€legitimacy€of€focus€groupÏinterviews€as€a€research€technique.€€He€notes€that€one€of€the€advantages€is€that€they€can€stand€ÌñeñÌñeñÐ h+¸&* Ðalone€as€a€research€data€collection€strategy€or€they€can€be€used€in€conjunction€with€otherÏqualitative€or€quantitative€methods.€€Ìà  àIn€educational€settings,€focus€group€research€has€some€distinct€advantages€andÏdisadvantages.€€Some€of€the€primary€advantages€are€that€focus€group€interviews€are€quick€toÏorganize,€easy€to€conduct,€inexpensive€to€implement€and€do€not€rely€on€natural€settings€asÏparticipant€observations€do.€€In€addition,€they€are€particularly€effective€in€identifying€problems€andÏin€obtaining€quick€feedback€that€can€help€inform€and€facilitate€the€decision€making€process.€€WhenÏcultural,€academic€or€institutional€tensions€arise,€focus€groups€can€provide€a€means€ofÏcommunication€between€administrators,€faculty€and€students.€€€The€main€disadvantages€are€thatÏfocus€group€research€often€involves€a€small€sample€and€that€focus€group€interviews€are€oftenÏdifficult€to€schedule,€requiring€a€great€deal€of€follow„up€with€the€sample€participants.€€To€beÏsuccessful,€focus€group€participants€must€be€reminded€several€times€before€the€date€of€the€session.€ÏIn€addition€to€the€advantages€and€disadvantages,€focus€group€interviews€require€a€set€ofÏinstitutionally€established€guidelines€and€procedures€for€involving€students€and€maintainingÏconfidentiality.€€They€also€require€a€well„trained€moderator€who€can€listen€carefully€and€askÏappropriate€follow„up€questions€to€guide€the€discussion,€and€a€careful€transcriber€to€prepare€tapedÏinterviews€for€analysis.Ìà  àòòResearch€Interviewsóó.€€Mishler€(1986)€contrasts€research€interviewing€to€traditionalÐ $X" Ðinterviewing€strategies.€€By€traditional€interview€strategy,€he€means€interviews€that€are€verbalÏexchanges€designed€to€elicit€responses€without€concern€for€context€or€interaction.€€On€the€otherÏhand,€research€interviews€are€collaboratively€constructed€discourses€between€interviewer€andÏinterviewee.€€This€type€of€interview€discourse€respects€the€voice€of€others,€gives€meaning€to€thatÐ h+¸&* Ðvoice€and€links€that€meaning€to€its€context.€€The€interview€becomes€a€narrative€rather€than€aÏsequence€of€questions€and€answers.€€For€qualitative€research€practice,€this€data€collection€strategyÏhas€two€important€implications.€€First,€it€provides€for€a€deeper€understanding€of€issues€becauseÏcontext€is€taken€into€account.€€Second,€it€gives€respondents€a€voice€through€which€to€constructÏmeaning€and€allows€them€"more€control€of€the€processes€through€which€their€words€are€givenÏmeaning"€(Mishler,€1988,€p.€118).€€€€ÌÌò òTwo€Research€Studiesó óÐ À  Ðà  àòòStudent€Studyóó.€€Over€the€last€four€years,€we€have€had€three€sets€of€focus€groups€withÐ ˜è  Ðstudents.€€The€topic€of€the€first€involved€academic€experiences,€especially€as€it€related€to€generalÏeducation.€€The€main€concern€of€the€second€set€was€to€uncover€the€characteristics€of€studentsÏwho€had€a€successful€experience€at€our€university.€€This€focus€was€important€because€theÏdiscovery€of€those€characteristics€would€have€a€significant€impact€on€our€recruitment€andÏretention€efforts.€€The€third€study€is€ongoing€and€examines€the€experiences€of€new€students€bothÏFreshman€and€transfer.€€Each€focus€group€session€was€audio€and€video€taped.€€The€tapes€wereÏthen€transcribed€verbatim€and€analyzed€individually€by€each€member€of€the€research€team.€€BasedÏon€the€individual€analyses,€we€identified€major€themes€from€each€set€of€interviews.€€Among€theÏthemes€that€emerged€were:€€community,€reasons€for€selecting€the€university,€satisfaction€withÏacademic€experiences,€minority€student€concerns,€characteristics€of€the€successful€George€MasonÏstudent,€student€advising€concerns,€transfer€student€concerns,€recruitment€and€orientation€critique.ÌÌà  àWhen€we€showed€the€video€to€faculty€and€administrators,€we€found€that€it€gave€our€newÏfaculty€a€better€sense€of€the€type€of€student€who€would€be€entering€their€classrooms€on€the€firstÐ h+¸&* Ðday€of€class.€€It€was€also€shown€at€general€and€local€faculty€meetings€and€will€be€used€atÏstudent/parent€orientations€this€summer.€€This€reporting€format€allowed€student€responses€to€haveÏa€wider€impact€than€written€reports€from€our€traditional,€large„scale€institutional€studies.Ìà  àUsing€this€methodological€technique,€we€learned€a€variety€of€things.€€For€example,€weÏwere€able€to€get€a€better€sense€of€the€characteristics€of€the€successful€George€Mason€UniversityÏstudent,€to€get€student€reactions€to€possible€directions€for€a€new€curriculum,€and€to€look€at€whatÏis€working€and€not€working€in€specific€arenas€such€as€recruitment€or€orientations.€€This€techniqueÏis€adaptable€to€examining€large,€broad€issues€such€as€gaining€a€sense€of€the€community€life€onÏour€campus€or€specific€issues€such€as€the€quality€of€recruitment€materials€and€their€role€inÏstudents'€decisions€to€attend€the€university.Ìà  àWe€found€that€focus€group€research€provides€a€richer€set€of€data€because€participants€areÏable€to€talk€about€their€experiences€in€their€own€words,€and€because€researchers€are€able€toÏpursue€particular€topics€for€depth€or€clarification.€€By€capturing€student€interviews€on€tape,€theÏrichness€of€the€'student€voices'€could€be€made€available€to€individuals€other€than€the€researchersÏthus€increasing€the€possibility€that€student€views€would€influence€decision€makers€on€issuesÏabout€which€students€feel€strongly.€€€€€€€Ìà  àòòFaculty€Studyóó.€€Although€we€have€used€both€focus€group€interviews€and€researchÐ p&À!$ Ðinterviews€with€our€faculty,€for€the€purposes€of€this€paper,€we€will€concentrate€on€the€researchÏinterview.€€For€our€faculty€study€we€have€interviewed€so€far€a€total€of€43€faculty.€€MoreÏinterviews€are€scheduled€for€the€spring€semester.€€As€stated€earlierñKñ,ñKñ€ñIñTñIññJñtñJñhese€faculty€represent€allÐ ,`'* Ðranks€and€discipline€areas€and€were€drawn€from€the€list€of€nominees€for€our€University€TeachingÏExcellence€Awards.€€Because€we€are€interested€in€how€faculty€approach€teaching€today€and€howÏfaculty€are€coping€with€the€changing€university€environment,€we€designed€interview€questions€toÏelicit€faculty's€commitment€to€teaching€and€their€ability€to€cope€with€a€changing€environment.€ÏSpecifically,€we€asked€them€how€they€spent€their€time€on€the€variety€of€tasks€related€to€theÏvarious€roles€that€faculty€play.€€Ìà  àEach€interview€was€video€and/or€audio€taped€and€the€tapes€were€transcribed€verbatim.€ÏEach€of€us€individually€read€the€transcripts€and€highlighted€potential€themes.€€Later€we€met€toÏfinalize€the€themes€for€our€study.€€The€themes€were:€€commitment€to€teaching,€managing€theÏcomplexity€of€academic€life,€coping€with€change,€impact€of€technology€on€faculty€work,€andÏadvice€to€colleagues.Ìà  àEven€more€than€students,€faculty€tended€to€view€their€institutions€in€a€proprietary€way;Ïhowever,€like€students,€their€voices€are€seldom€heard€on€many€issues€except€through€theÏtraditional€committee€structure.€€Generally,€faculty€committees€address€a€limited€number€ofÏfaculty€concerns,€and€committee€membership€is€often€not€representative€of€the€full€range€ofÏfaculty€voices.€€In€particular,€faculty€committees€rarely€engage€in€a€discussion€of€some€of€theÏissues€which€faculty€identified€as€most€important€to€them€such€as€the€reward€structure.€€TheÏinterviews€that€we€conducted€allowed€faculty€to€pursue€the€issues€of€most€concern€to€them€withinÏthe€scope€of€the€questions€we€posed.ÌÔ#†X-›XXX-›#ÔÔ‡X-›XXX-›ÔñSñÌÌñSñÐ ,`'* Ðò òReportingó óÐ ° Ðà  àWe€explored€three€ways€of€reporting€our€findings:€€Written€report,€slide€show€with€orÏwithout€video€inserts,€and€video.€€We€recognize€that€there€are€many€other€ways€of€reportingÏresearch€findings;€however,€these€are€the€three€ways€most€widely€used€on€our€campus.€€The€useÏof€video€as€a€research€reporting€tool€is€one€of€the€most€recent€ways€of€reporting€research€findingsÏon€our€campus€and€it€began€with€our€project.Ìà  àAlthough€technology€positively€enhanced€the€reporting€process€for€us,€it€also€posed€someÏimportant€concerns.€€The€concerns€primarily€focused€on€the€ways€in€which€technology€imposedÏrestrictions€on€data€collection,€data€analysis,€data€usage,€and€data€reporting.€€The€followingÏdiscussion€will€examine€what€we€found€to€be€the€advantages€and€disadvantages€of€each€of€theseÏthree€ways€of€reporting€and€the€impact€each€had€on€the€message.€Ìòòà  àWritten€Reportóó.€€Obviously,€the€written€report€is€the€most€common€way€of€reportingÐ P  Ðinformation.€€We€first€wrote€executive€summaries€to€accompany€the€videos€then€later€wrote€aÏlonger€report.€€We€found€two€basic€advantages€to€reporting€via€written€text.€€First,€the€written€textÏmaximized€the€use€of€our€transcribed€data,€allowing€us€to€use€as€many€excerpts€as€necessary€toÏget€our€message€across.€€Second,€it€increased€the€usefulness€of€the€data€since€we€had€no€technicalÏconstraints€except€our€degree€of€word€processing€proficiency.€€Our€report€could€be€as€long€as€weÏwanted€and€there€were€no€restrictions€on€the€number€of€themes€or€topics€we€could€cover.€€In€thisÏsense,€we€found€the€written€report€to€be€the€most€information€laden€of€the€three€ways€ofÏreporting.€€Conversely,€the€main€disadvantage€of€the€written€report€centered€on€the€degree€ofÏimpact.€€After€careful€consideration€of€our€target€audience,€we€knew€that€a€long,€written€textÏwould€not€be€read€by€many€members€of€our€audience.€€Today,€more€than€ever,€we€areÐ ,`'* Ðexperiencing€information€overload€in€almost€every€aspect€of€our€lives.€€Duplicating€a€long,Ïwritten€text€(30„50€pages)€then€distributing€it€widely€via€campus€or€electronic€mail€knowing€thatÏfew€would€actually€read€it€seemed€very€inefficient€and€ineffective.€€Since€we€wanted€to€share€ourÏfindings€with€a€large€portion€of€our€target€audience,€(i.e.,€we€wanted€to€maximize€the€impact€ofÏour€findings)€we€turned€to€technology.€Ìà  àòòSlide€Show€Presentationóó.€€Reporting€research€findings€using€bulleted€text€with€or€withoutÐ `  Ðvideo€inserts€can€be€an€effective€means€of€reaching€a€larger€audience.€€We€identified€threeÏadvantages€to€this€reporting€method.€€First,€information€can€be€organized€and€disseminatedÏquickly€through€a€bullet€format.€€Second,€major€points€and€key€issues€can€easily€and€quickly€beÏhighlighted.€€Third,€since€most€presentation€software€packages€allow€the€user€to€insert€videoÏclips,€we€were€able€to€incorporate€the€advantages€of€this€reporting€procedure€with€our€contextualÏdata.€€Not€only€could€our€audience€quickly€understand€the€key€elements€of€our€study,€they€couldÏhear€the€voices€and€see€the€faces€of€our€students.€€The€interplay€between€text€and€video€in€slideÏshow€presentations€has€the€potential€to€disseminate€information€quickly€without€totally€losing€theÏcontextual€features€of€qualitative€research€methods.€€It€is,€however,€a€fairly€recent€method€ofÏreporting€that€carries€with€it€some€important€disadvantages.€€Although€a€slide€show€format€is€anÏeffective€communicator€of€information,€bullets€alone€lose€the€richness€of€both€the€written€textÏand€the€contextual€data.€€Inserting€video€clips€into€a€slide€show€presentation€can€help€address€thisÏissue.€€However,€video€clips€need€large€amounts€of€computer€memory,€limiting€the€number€thatÏcan€be€used.€€We€found€that€we€could€insert€only€four€30„second€video€clips€into€ourÏpresentation.€€These€two€minutes€of€video€used€approximately€140€megabytes€of€memory€inÏaddition€to€the€slide€presentation€software.€€For€our€presentation€we€used€a€486€PC€with€an€850Ð ,`'* ÐMB€hard€drive€running€at€75mhz.€€A€slower€computer€would€probably€not€be€able€to€synchronizeÏa€video€clip's€sound€and€image.€€Obviously€faster€computers€with€larger€memory€capacitiesÏwould€allow€for€more€video€inserts€thereby€increasing€the€use€of€the€contextual€data.€Ìòòà  àVideo€Presentationóó.€€Initially€our€findings€were€reported€in€a€23„minute€non„linear€videoÐ P   Ðformat.€€We€chose€this€format€with€our€target€audience€in€mind.€€We€knew€that€time€constraintsÏcould€prevent€many€members€of€our€audience€from€reading€a€long€written€report.€€One€of€theÏmajor€advantages,€then,€to€the€video€format€is€that€a€researcher€can€maximize€the€impact€ofÏresearch€findings€by€reaching€a€larger€audience€more€quickly.€€Another€important€advantage€isÏthat€the€video€enabled€us€to€connect€the€text€to€a€speaker.€€This€connection€gave€life€andÏimportance€to€the€data.€€It€was€no€longer€just€another€institutional€research€study,€it€was€richÏinsight€into€the€lives€of€our€students.€€Their€voices€were€heard€not€interpreted€through€the€wordsÏof€a€university€administrator€or€faculty€member.€€This€way€of€reporting€can€have€a€powerfulÏimpact€on€an€audience.€€Ìà  àVideo€reporting€is€not,€however,€without€its€disadvantages.€€Videos€are€extremely€timeÏconsuming€to€create.€€In€addition€to€transcribing€and€analyzing€large€amounts€of€contextual€data,Ïthey€require€additional€time€to€edit.€€We€had€over€45€hours€of€video€tape.€€Many€hours€were€spentÏreviewing€video€clips€before€we€were€able€to€reduce€a€set€of€taped€interviews€to€approximatelyÏ20€minutes€without€compromising€or€interfering€with€the€data„to„message€relationship.€€VideoÏreporting€also€requires€specialized€knowledge.€€We€had€to€learn€to€video€edit€and€we€had€to€relyÏheavily€on€our€technical€support€people.€€The€art€of€video€editing€takes€many€years€of€experienceÏto€master.€€For€most€of€us,€the€availability€of€technical€support€is€critical.€€The€most€salientÏdisadvantage€to€video€reporting€is€that€technology€often€increases€the€potential€for€altering€theÐ ,`'* Ðmessage.€€Many€of€our€students€made€important€points€during€the€focus€group€interviews€but€forÏtechnical€reasons€such€as€background€noise,€poor€positioning€of€the€camera,€or€poor€audioÏquality,€we€were€unable€to€use€their€video€clips€in€the€final€video€report.€€To€minimize€thisÏdisadvantage,€our€video€was€Ìframed€by€a€spoken€text€that€incorporated€many€of€these€potentially€lost€points.Ìà  àThe€following€chart€summarizes€the€relationship€we€found€between€impact€andÏinformation€using€these€three€ways€of€reporting€data.€€ÌÓÓÌà  àà ` à€€€€€òò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÐ À Ðà  àà ` àò òVideoà ¸ àà  àà h à€€€€€€€€€à À àà  à€€€€WrittenÐ ° Ðà  àà ` àReportsà  àà h à€€€€€€€€à À àà  à€€€€€ReportsÐ  ð Ðó óÌà  àà ` àLow€€€€€€„„„„„„„„€Scope€of€Coverage€„„„„„„„„€€HighÌÌà  àà ` àHighà ¸ à€„„„„„„„„„„„„„€€Impact€€€€„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„€€LowÐ `° ÐÌà  àà ` àHighà ¸ à€„„„„„„„„€€Depth€of€Coverage€€„„„„„„„€€LowÐ @ Ðà  àà ` à€€€€€òò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÐ 0€ ÐÌÔ#†X-›XXX-›Ñ<#ÔÔ‡X-›XXX-›ÔÌÓÓà  àBecause€we€had€access€to€the€non€linear€video€digitizing€equipment€called€the€VideoÏCube,€we€were€able€to€maximize€the€impact€of€the€large€amounts€of€contextual€data€we€gathered,Ïwhile€maintaining€the€integrity€of€the€original€data€by€ensuring€that€the€full€range€ofÏperspectives/voices€were€represented€in€the€final€report.€€€The€Video€Cube€places€the€VHS€tapedÏinterview€into€a€computerized€non€linear€format€that€allows€the€researcher€to€cut€and€paste€videoÏclips€together€fairly€quickly€to€produce€a€report.Ìà  àAs€researchers€we€€were€operating€under€certain€assumptions:€€(1)€€administrators€andÏfaculty€would€not€read€a€lengthy€report€on€most€topics,€and€€(2)€most€students€and€faculty€do€notÐ  +p&) Ðhave€access€to€the€decision€makers€on€a€regular€basis.€€Most€faculty,€for€example,€do€not€sit€onÏthe€Presidentððs€Council€or€meet€with€the€Director€of€Admissions€and€her€staff.€€We€chose€theÏvideo€report€because€we€thought€it€was€the€most€effective€way€to€reach€the€largest€audiences€andÏhave€the€greatest€impact.ÌÌò òCombining€Video€with€Qualitative€ResearchÐ `  Ðó óÔ#†X-›XXX-›uZ#ÔÔ‡ X-›XXX-›Ôà  àWe€found€that€both€the€qualitative€research€approach€and€the€video€reporting€formatÐ ð@  Ðcontributed€to€fulfilling€our€three€objectives:€€to€explore€alternative€research€strategies,€to€allowÏfaculty€and€students€to€describe€their€experiences€in€their€own€words,€and€to€bring€their€viewsÏdirectly€to€the€campus€community.€€€The€success€of€this€combination€makes€it€a€valuable€additionÏto€the€array€of€research€strategies€available€to€institutional€researcher€for€three€critical€reasons.Ì€à  àFirst,€the€depth€and€richness€of€contextual€data€obtained€through€the€interview€processÐ P  Ðyielded€important€insights€into€the€actual€experiences€of€students€and€faculty.€€Our€problem€wasÏto€get€these€insights€into€the€minds€of€the€decision€makers.€€Video€reports€provided€a€novel,€yetÏeffective€way€to€get€the€decision€makes€to€listen€to€their€constituents.€€The€visual€impactÏsucceeded€in€ways€that€large€written€reports,€even€with€eloquent€executive€summaries,€have€not.€ÏBy€scheduling€screenings€with€various€decision€makers,€we€knew€that€the€video€was€seen;€weÏwere€never€sure€that€the€written€reports€were€read.Ìà  àSecond,€students€and€faculty€tend€to€view€their€institutions€in€proprietary€ways.€€TheirÏvoices,€however,€are€seldom€heard€on€many€issues€of€importance€to€them.€€For€example,€whileÏfaculty€spend€hours€on€committees,€committees€rarely€engage€in€a€discussion€of€some€of€theÏissues€which€are€most€important€to€them,€such€as€workload€or€the€reward€structure.€€TheÐ ,`'* Ðinterviews€that€we€conducted€allowed€faculty€to€pursue€these€issues€within€the€scope€of€theÏquestions€we€posed.€Ìà  àThird,€the€video€format€preserved€the€voices€and€allowed€those€who€were€not€present€atÏthe€interview€to€experience€the€passion€and€force€of€the€voices.€€Universities€today€must€respondÏto€a€variety€of€internal€and€external€pressures€including€an€increased€demand€for€accountability,Ïthe€demand€to€fill€the€needs€of€a€rapidly€changing€workplace,€and€a€requirement€to€integrateÏtechnology€into€the€curriculum.€€The€videos€allowed€the€students€and€faculty€to€give€theirÏviewpoints€about€the€most€effective€ways€to€meet€new€challenges€so€that€their€needs€as€well€asÏthe€institutions€are€met.Ô#†X-›XX X-›/_#ÔÔ‡X-›XXX-›ÔÐ ° ÐÌò òImpact€of€Studiesó óÐ pÀ Ðà  àThere€are€several€ways€in€which€the€findings€from€our€two€studies€have€impacted€change€Ìon€our€campus.€€First,€the€student€study€has€contributed€to€curricular€innovations€in€the€creationÏof€our€New€Century€College€which€is€a€competency„based,€experiential€undergraduate€programÏcurrently€in€its€second€year.€€It€has€also€provided€us€with€images€of€student€life€on€our€campusÏhighlighting€the€need€for€community€building€and€the€value€of€such€programs€as€our€Plan€forÏAlternative€General€Education€(PAGE),€our€University€100€courses,€and€our€Welcome€WeekÏactivities.€€Changes€in€student€advising€procedures€and€policies€in€the€College€of€Arts€andÏSciences,€and€changes€in€student€orientation€procedures€have€also€been€addressed€based€on€ourÏresearch€results.ÌÔ#†X-›XXX-›Jh#Ôà  àò ò€ó óAlthough€many€of€our€findings€confirmed€what€we€already€knew€about€our€studentsÐ 0*€%( Ðthrough€other€sources,€it€was€the€first€time€that€the€confirmation€came€directly€from€studentsÐ ,`'* Ðthemselves€in€their€own€voices.€€We€felt€that€this€was€an€important€contribution€of€our€study€toÏour€academic€community.€€When€we€thought€about€ways€to€report€our€findings,€our€goal€was€toÏfind€a€reporting€strategy€that€both€retained€the€integrity€of€the€contextual€data€(student€voices)Ïand€maximized€audience€impact.€€The€data€generated€from€the€student€study€also€providedÏinformation€to€the€admissions€office€for€recruitment€purposes.€€For€the€last€two€years€we€haveÏbeen€interviewing€every€applicant.€€The€findings€from€the€focus€groups€have€been€valuable€inÏdeveloping€questions€to€pose€to€applicants.€€Our€findings€have€also€been€used€to€make€changes€toÏthis€yearððs€student€recruitment€and€orientation€processes.€€Our€point€here€is€that€because€of€oneÏvideo€report,€several€important€changes€were€made.Ô‡X-›XXX-›ÔÐ ° Ðà  àSecond,€the€faculty€study€has€led€to€changes€in€computer€support€for€faculty€leadingÏtowards€a€more€service„oriented€culture€by€the€university€computing€center.€€The€study€has€alsoÏinfluenced€faculty€development€initiatives.€€More€workshops€and€faculty€discussions€center€onÏintegrating€technology€into€the€curriculum,€redesigning€courses€for€active€learning€environments,Ïdeveloping€faculty€portfolios,€and€establishing€both€new€faculty€and€teaching€assistant€supportÏgroups.€€Finally,€through€the€use€of€the€faculty€video,€the€faculty€study€is€helping€to€reshape€theÏacademic€culture€on€our€campus€by€showing€faculty€as€role€models€for€change.€€In€addition,€theÏvideos€have€highlighted€an€expanded€concept€of€research€(Boyer,€1990)€by€bringing€concreteÏexamples€of€faculty€work€in€Ìthe€1990s€to€the€attention€of€the€community€and€by€revealing€the€ways€in€which€faculty€roles€areÏnegotiated€and€rewarded€today.€€€€Ì€ò òòòà  àó óóóThe€data€generated€from€interviews€with€faculty€have€become€useful€in€helping€both€newÐ 0*€%( Ðand€veteran€faculty€adapt€to€changes€in€our€academic€environment.€€Ô#†X-›XXX-›æo#ÔÔ‡ X-›XXX-›ÔThrough€their€appearance€inÐ ,`'* Ðour€video„tapes,€faculty€have€actually€become€models€for€other€faculty,€providing€concreteÏexamples€of€how€to€juggle€the€competing€demands€and€to€cope€with€dramatic€institutionalÏchanges.€€For€Ô#†X-›XX X-›¤t#ÔÔ‡ X-›XXX-›Ôsome€of€our€veteran€faculty,€these€examples€have€been€especially€useful€inÐ pÀ Ðinspiring€them€to€embrace€change€rather€than€resist€it.€€In€conclusion,€ñSñò òó óñSñthe€advances€in€computerÐ P   Ðand€video€technology€allow€for€efficient€handling€of€large€amounts€of€contextual€data.€€ThisÏallows€qualitative€research€to€takes€its€place€in€the€institutional€research€forum€as€an€importantÏand€legitimate€avenue€for€making€institutional€research€active€and€visible€on€college€andÏuniversity€campuses.ò òòò€€€€€Ô#†X-›XX X-›×u#Ôó óóóÐ Ð  ÐÌÔ€X-›XXX-›ÔÐ  à 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