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I don’t have extensive interview experience. The 16 interviews I’d completed prior to my dissertation were all learning experiences that helped build my confidence and prepare me for the upcoming dissertation interviews. I soon realized how rusty my interview skills were when I piloted my questions in November 2018. The four participants provided valuable feedback and allowed me to practice phenomenological bracketing, which was devilishly difficult as I personally knew all the participants.
In January 2019 I began the interview phases of my data collection, which concluded in August. I conducted 11 interviews using two sampling methods in two phases: criterion random sampling and purposive sampling.
During the interview phase, I created a short list of reminders that soon became a habit to read prior to each interview. Continue reading
A master’s student recently asked me for some tips when preparing for data analysis of a phenomenology study. Bearing in mind that she is using van Mannen’s (2014) approach whilst I follow Dalhberg, Dahlberg and Nyström’s (2008) reflective lifeworld research approach, there are differences with how we conduct our analyses. Phenomenological approaches have many similarities, so after pointing out this out, I explained how bracketing (bridling) during the interviews and transcription processes prepare us for data analysis.
I over the weekend I set about writing a section on the Canadian Copyright Act, emphasizing the fair dealings sections, and the lack of copyright comprehension by educators. The seven pages contained some well-written paragraphs, but lacked a good flow. I felt a bit like a pinball when I re-read the piece. The topics (and the poor reader) were bouncing from one subtopic to the next, and then back again. 
I always remember that experience when I design my courses. I’ve worked primarily in Moodle and Blackboard, and each have their pros and cons, but no matter which LMS is used, making the course as learner friendly as possible is always at the forefront of my layout. 
