CMP2019M
Human-Computer Interaction
Workshop 11: Qualitative Evaluation
Part 1: Theory
1. Why does qualitative research tend to use fewer participants than quantitative approaches? [1-2 sentences]
2. In what situations would interviews be more appropriate than focus groups? [2-3 sentences]
3. In module evaluation feedback forms, what is the value in the open questions compared with the questions on likert scales? [3-4 sentences]
Part 2: Practical Exercise
The next page contains a sheet of sample data transcribed from a focus group of four people talking about personal tracking technology (“personal informatics”). (P – Participant, T – Experimenter).
Individually:
1. Read the data
2. Identify a handful of major themes emergent from the participants comments. 3. Highlight where these themes are found in the data
In pairs:
4. Compare your major themes
5. Negotiate, combine and adjust themes until you are happy
6. Identify subthemes and draw a theme hierarchy
a. Make sure each subtheme is evidenced by a quote
7. What are the implications of these themes for designing personal informatics applications?
T: So the next thing we have to ask you about is whether you use any kind of technology thats used to track behaviour. Stuff like step counting apps or charting walks or runs to maybe apps you use for monitoring your diet that kind of thing.
P: Oh yeah, I’ve got my fitness pal on my phone.
T: So what do you use that for?
P: Thats for monitoring my diet and excersise, how many calories I burn. Somebody’s recomended it to me.
P: Run keeper, that tracks where you’ve been. I’ve also just downloaded walk star that gives you the steps. I think because you’ve supposed to do 10,000 a day or something. So I thought I’d try that. But run keeper tracks exactly where you’ve been.
P: My neighbor does that one and she puts it on facebook.
P: I don’t run by the way, I just walk
P: I don’t use apps at all. Although I got the weather one last wek and found that one quite good.
T: So those of you who have used them. What benefit do you get out of them?
P: It just gives you a bit of an insight into how few calories you’re burning
P: Gives you a bit of motivation I suppose, with the step one, if you havnt quite reached the 10000, you just go for a quick walk.
P: My fitness pal is like that if you havnt reached how many calories you’re supposed to have a day, then you just have some more or you look at it any think I’ve gone right over so I’ll be good the next day.
P: It gives you a bit of insight
P: I suppose you just monitor it as well. If you just wrote down what you actually ate and done it makes you feel a little bit better. Its the feel good factor I suppose.
F: But do you think it actually changes the way you behave? Having that information you wouldn’t have otherwise?
P: I suppose if you’re going to be committed to it
P: I suppose it gives you a boost to do more excersie or to keep to a diet
P: I suppose my problem is if one week I’m busy I slip behind and don’t do it. Its just keeping on top of it
F: You mentioned sharing that stuff on facebook-
P: – Not a chance
All Laugh
P: Not me, my neighbor does. It does make you think oh well done, you’ve done three miles today. Julie, she does that every single day when shes done a dog walk and you think thats quite good. And you do think, I wouldn’t mind doing it. And I probably would use it
P: You quite often find that shes been to similar places to where you’ve been and you think, really? why did I not see you?
F: What benefit do you think they get from doing that?
P: I suppose, a good run and a fast one and to show off! But whether it is just to keep that motivation
P: Maybe she’s had praise from someone who said, “oh well done” P: To keep it going