In the higher education context, an increasing concern on the technical or instrumental approach permeates attention to academics' data literacies and faculty development. The need for data literacy to deal specifically with the rise of learning analytics in higher education has been raised by some authors, though in spite of some focus on the…

Communication scholars should be skilled in the use of focus groups in communication research and in interpreting the data this approach generates. The focus group is a discussion group that concentrates on a particular topic or topics and typically consists of eight to 12 participants. The group is facilitated by a moderator who follows a…

Some career theorists and other professionals have warned about dramatic shifts in the economy and implications for changes needed in career services and theory. This paper proposes that Hollands person-environment model (1997) is a valuable frame of reference for career counselors and instructors to use with clients and students in interpreting…

The use of messages as experimental stimuli brings with it problems regarding the interpretability and generalizability of findings. Some psychologists and communication researchers have argued that message stimuli must be treated as random effects. A review of the literature examined data regarding experimental designs used in recent…

This paper explores the issues surrounding the study of higher education, usually involving the analysis of structural-functionalism, to less tradition-bound areas representing idealism. It examines these issues through the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism which, it is noted, rests in the interpretive paradigm. The paper begins…

The high incidence of reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Vietnam veterans has prompted researchers to search for reliable assessment and treatment procedures for this disorder. Although some encouraging preliminary data on the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) have been obtained, it is uncertain if this…

In addition to assessing observed communication behaviors, this paper suggests that SYMLOG--a System for the Multiple Level Observation of Groups--can be used by participant-observers as a foil for interpreting how their own value orientations affect their data collecting and theorizing. The first section of the paper examines the research role…

This paper describes ethnosociology and provides an application of this interpretive research model in dealing with problems in rural special education. The expansion of rural special education knowledge should begin with discovering and elaborating on special education knowledge at the local theory level. Such inquiry would be based on the…

Some theoretical background is presented for the proposition that thinking processes can be measured by determining the levels of cognitive complexity apparent in written interpretations of complex situations. The rationale for scoring interpretations is presented, and some illustrative data are discussed. The approach to measurement of thinking…

A recent conference on statistics education recommended that more emphasis be placed on the interpretation of research (IOR). Ways for developing and assessing IOR and providing a systematic framework for creating and selecting instructional materials for the independent assessment of specific IOR concepts are the focus of this paper. The…

This paper explores the common elements identified as context variables that may effect student evaluation of instruction, and presents literature from sociology, anthropology, and linguistics that offers renewed challenges to researchers in this area of data interpretation. The common context variables that are seen as effecting student…

Many students view statistics as their worst college course. Four heuristics that can improve students' proficiency in statistics and in interpreting reports of research are presented in this paper. The heuristics guide students' judgments about significance, generalizability, cause-and-effect, and strength of independent-dependent variable…

This paper examines the changing demographics of American society and the impact of these changes on higher education. Discussions include a historical background of early American demography, the building and expansion of the population base, and census changes through various generations of the baby boom years and beyond. Next, the report…

This paper evaluates the logic underlying various criticisms of statistical significance testing and makes specific recommendations for scientific and editorial practice that might better increase the knowledge base. Reliance on the traditional hypothesis testing model has led to a major bias against nonsignificant results and to misinterpretation…

Common elements identified as context variables that may affect student evaluation of instruction are explored, and the literature on student ratings of teacher effectiveness is reviewed. Sociocultural context variables (gender, race, ethnicity, and social class variables) are discussed in terms of stereotyping and prejudice found with…