scholarly journals Using Zoom Videoconferencing for Qualitative Data Collection: Perceptions and Experiences of Researchers and Participants

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 160940691987459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy M. Archibald ◽  
Rachel C. Ambagtsheer ◽  
Mavourneen G. Casey ◽  
Michael Lawless

Advances in communication technologies offer new opportunities for the conduct of qualitative research. Among these, Zoom—an innovative videoconferencing platform—has a number of unique features that enhance its potential appeal to qualitative and mixed-methods researchers. Although studies have explored the use of information and communication technologies for conducting research, few have explored both researcher and participant perspectives on the use of web and videoconferencing platforms. Further, data are lacking on the benefits and challenges of using Zoom as a data collection method. In this study, we explore the feasibility and acceptability of using Zoom to collect qualitative interview data within a health research context in order to better understand its suitability for qualitative and mixed-methods researchers. We asked 16 practice nurses who participated in online qualitative interviews about their experiences of using Zoom and concurrently recorded researcher observations. Although several participants experienced technical difficulties, most described their interview experience as highly satisfactory and generally rated Zoom above alternative interviewing mediums such as face-to-face, telephone, and other videoconferencing services, platforms, and products. Findings suggest the viability of Zoom as a tool for collection of qualitative data because of its relative ease of use, cost-effectiveness, data management features, and security options. Further research exploring the utility of Zoom is recommended in order to critically assess and advance innovations in online methods.

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 49-60
Author(s):  
Joanna Kos-Łabędowicz

The ageing society and the necessity to meet the needs (including transport ones) of elderly people are a challenge for an increasing number of countries, including the EU Member States and Poland. Different types of modern ICT solutions are being proposed as a way of improving the meeting of the needs of elderly people in order to prevent their social exclusion. The growing popularity of solutions and services that use information and communication technologies (mainly the Internet and mobile applications) can also be observed in transport services and is perceived as a means to better meet transport needs. The aim of the article is to examine the extent to which seniors use ICT solutions to meet their transport needs when, for example, obtaining access to a car or car ride. A literature review, statistical data analysis and results of primary survey studies carried out on a sample of U3A students were used. The results of the analysis do not allow generalization on the entire population of elderly people but point to some interesting conclusions. For instance, at least one of the considered solutions (e.g. sharing travel by car as a driver or passenger) was used by almost two-thirds of those that responded using the Internet. Also, the solutions given were rated rather positively by the respondents in terms of their usefulness and ease of use. Those findings, apart from indicating further directions of research, allow for a cautious statement that these types of solutions can actually serve to better meet the transport needs of seniors.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-238
Author(s):  
Víctor Hugo Méndez-Estrada ◽  
Zaidett Barrientos Llosa

La deserción estudiantil es un problema que los programas de educación superior deben atender con prioridad, dado que provocan inconvenientes a la hora de la acreditación universitaria, son fuente de frustración para los estudiantes y constituyen una pérdida de recursos económicos. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar si el uso de tecnologías de la informática y comunicación, en su sentido más amplio, permite disminuir la deserción estudiantil en la maestría de Manejo de Recursos Naturales de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia UNED (Costa Rica) y aumenta su calidad y vinculación con las necesidades de la sociedad. Realizamos un análisis comparativo de indicadores de dicha maestría antes del establecimiento de dos medidas y después de ellas. Las medidas de la informática y la comunicación que se aplicaron son: 1) creación de un laboratorio de investigación y 2) generación de bases de datos de seguimiento del avance de los proyectos de investigación de estudiantes. Los periodos analizados van del 2002 hasta finales del 2007 y los acumulados del 2002 hasta finales del 2011. Los indicadores analizados se relacionan con la actividad académica de estudiantes y docentes, y con la proyección hacia la sociedad (medida por las tesis y publicaciones científicas producidas durante esos periodos). Se encontró que en el primer periodo el 61% de los egresados estabaninactivos; mientras que el segundo la inactividad descendió a 17%. La investigación realizada por los profesores pasó de cero a 36%. La proyección a la sociedad pasó de solo tres a 18 tesis, y de cero a 44 publicaciones divulgativas y 18 artículos científicos. Se concluye que las dos medidas de uso de tecnología de la informática y comunicación si apoyan los procesos de enseñanza, ya que disminuye la deserción de egresados y favorece la vinculación del programa con la sociedad.ABSTRACTComputer and communication technologies (ICT) help to reduce attrition in distance graduate education programs. Higher education dropout is a priority problem for university accreditation. It is also a frustration source for students and economic waste. The objective of this study was to determine whether the use of Information and Communication Technologies, in its broadest sense, can: reduce student dropout in the Master Program of Natural Resources Management at the Open University of Costa Rica, UNED, and increases its quality and linkage with society. We performed a comparative analysis of indicators before and after establishing two Information and Communication Technologies’ Innovations: 1) creation of a research laboratory and 2)generation student research project progress monitoring databases. Analyzed periods are: a) 2002 to late 2007 and b) 2002 to late 2011. Analyzed indicators are related to students and professors academic activities and society impact (theses, informative and scientific publications amount). We found that in the first period 61% of graduates were inactive, while in the second period inactivity decreased to 17%. Professors conducting research changed from zero to 36%. Society impact increased from three to 18 theses, and from zero to 44 informative publications and 18 scientific papers. We conclude that the two Information and Communication Technologies’ innovations applied, do support teaching, since attrition decreased and bonding with society increased.


Author(s):  
Consolata Angello

A study was conducted to investigate the extent of use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by urban livestock keepers. This paper discusses the perceptions of small scale livestock keepers towards the use of different types of ICTs in accessing livestock information. Mixed method approach was used whereby quantitative and qualitative data was gathered. The findings of this study revealed that most of the respondents had a positive opinion towards the use of ICTs and it was concluded that urban livestock keepers perceived ICTs as important tools for accessing livestock information. The study recommended for improvement of telecommunications services through relevant bodies in order to facilitate more access to information through use of ICTs. Information networking among urban livestock keepers and the introduction of livestock information centers were also recommended for enhanced access to livestock information.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1048-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Al Dahdah

Information and communication technologies are increasingly used for development in the Global South, and mHealth (health assisted by mobile technologies) plays key role. This paper analyzes the particular relationship to science that characterizes a global maternal mHealth program deployed in Ghana and India. Using science and technology studies (STS), this research relies on qualitative interviews conducted between 2014 and 2016 with funders, implementers, and beneficiaries of this mHealth program. This story begins with a randomized controlled trial, a biomedical experiment with a strong positioning regarding science and the production of evidence. But rapidly the scientific stance disappears to give way to the testing and marketing of a product for the digital economy. From science to market, this paper offers to revisit a classical STS topic through the lens of mHealth. It shows how the various experimental forms taken by this project fundamentally diverge from scientific methods and evidence production and at the same time how it nurtures an ongoing instrumental relationship with science. Thus, from clinical research to product marketing, this paper highlights the tenuous link between evidence-based and market-based mHealth in the Global South.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Funmilola Olubunmi Omotayo ◽  
Michael Chinweike Chigbundu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the adoption and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by school administrators in the management of schools, as well as factors that influence use of ICTs by the administrators. Design/methodology/approach Survey research design was adopted. A two-stage sampling procedure (random and purposive) was used to select the respondents, while quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection. Findings Findings reveal that the school administrators use various ICTs to carry out administrative and management duties. Task characteristics, task-technology fit, attitude and perceived ease of use have significant relationships with use of ICTs by the administrators. Research limitations/implications The findings and conclusion from this paper cannot be generalised to all schools in Nigeria because the population was limited to only private secondary schools. Practical implications The study contributes to an existing knowledge on adoption and use of ICTs in schools, and provides information to policymakers on factors that should be given consideration when there is a need to implement ICTs in schools. Social implications This paper could assist school administrators that are yet to adopt and implement ICTs in their schools of the need to do so in order to enjoy the benefits associated with ICTs use in the workplace. Originality/value This paper is one of the first pieces of empirical research that has adopted the integrated technology acceptance and task-technology fit models to investigate use of ICTs by administrators of schools in Nigeria.


Author(s):  
France Bélanger

The paper by Bélanger, Watson-Manheim, and Jordan (2002) addresses the gap between research conducted and practitioner concerns in virtual work. One of the key difficulties in conducting research in this area is the overlap between terms used (McCloskey & Igbaria, 1998; Pinsonneault & Boisvert, 2001). While there are other distributed work arrangements such as hotelling, neighborhood work centers and flextime, most of the previous literature has focused on telecommuting (telework) and virtual teams/ organizations. In this article, the term virtual work represents work environments where individuals spend some time working in a non-face-to-face (FTF) mode, using information and communication technologies to perform work activities. Virtual work environments are increasingly employed by organizations. While there is increased complexity and potential for problems, virtual work strategies allow organizations a great deal of flexibility to compete in a rapidly changing business environment. While existing research provides insights into such environments, it does not clearly deal with major concerns faced by managers (referred to as the “gap” between research and practice). One of the potential reasons for this gap is that practicing managers are concerned with current challenges in their own work setting while academics are concerned with developing more generalizable rules and understanding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-123
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Fernandes Malaquias ◽  
Fernanda Francielle de Oliveira Malaquias

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can provide a set of benefits to companies, such as efficiency gains in managerial activities, cost reduction and faster communication with consumers. The ICT literature has studies showing the positive impact that the IT adoption can generate on the company’s performance. ICT benefits are also extensive to small business, but their particular characteristics do not always support their adoption by these enterprises, especially when they are enterprises situated in developing countries. In this context, the aim of this paper was to identify how the ICT adoption and the ICT intention of use are in Brazilian small firms. We have used a case study and we have collected data from four enterprises. In order to collect the data, we used qualitative interviews, direct observation and documental analysis. The main results have shown that the owner’s characteristics, the understanding of the ICT benefits, the ICT complexity and the costs/time related to training people are factors associated with the ICT adoption and intention of use. Based on the literature review and on the empirical evidence, we have found that there is an opportunity cost related to postponing the decision of the ICT investments. We also discuss the role of geographical localization of the enterprises, which can contribute to the ICT literature.


Author(s):  
Marcelo Alves dos Reis

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ICTs USE IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGES TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESSANÁLISIS COMPARATIVO DEL USO DE LA TICs EN EL PROCESO DE ENSEÑANZA APRENDIZAJE DE LOS SABERES GEOGRÁFICOSEste trabalho trata da contribuição das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TICs) para os saberes geográficos. A pesquisa elegeu como objetivo geral: Analisar a contribuição das TICs no processo de ensino-aprendizagem dos saberes de Geografia na Unidade Escolar Valdivino Tito, cidade de Campo Maior – PI, com os seguintes objetivos específicos: identificar se o uso das TICs, principalmente da Informática, auxilia o ensino-aprendizagem em Geografia; examinar a participação e o feedback dos alunos na utilização das TICs no ensino de Geografia; efetuar uma análise comparativa a fim de identificar se há uma melhor compreensão dos conteúdos geográficos com a utilização das tecnologias da informação e comunicação. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, na qual utilizamos, como instrumentos de coleta de dados, entrevistas e observações. As teorias que basearam esse estudo foram as abordagens de autores, tais como Moraes (1997), Santos (2009) e Libâneo (2010).Palavras-chave: TICs; Ensinar-aprender Geografia; Educação Geográfica.ABSTRACTThis work treats of the contribution Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs’) to geographical knowledge’s. The research chose like general objective: Analyze the ICTs’ contribution in the Geography knowledge’s teaching-learning process in the Unidade Escolar Valdivino Tito, Campo Maior – PI city, with the following specific objectives: identify if the ICTs’ use, mainly of the Computing, aids the teaching-learning in Geography; examine the participation and the students feedback in the ICTs’ utilization in Geography teaching; perform an comparative analysis in order to identify if there’s with the use of information and communication technologies a best understanding of the geographical contents. It treats of a qualitative research, in which we used as data collection instruments, interviews and observations. The theories that based this study were the approaches of authors such as Moraes (1997), Santos (2009), Libâneo (2010), among others.Keywords: ICTs; Teach-learn Geography; Geographical Education.RESUMENEste trabajo trata de la contribución de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TICs) para los saberes geográficos. La investigación eligió como objetivo general: Analizar la contribución de las TICs en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje de los saberes de Geografía en la Unidade Escolar Valdivino Tito, ciudad de Campo Maior – PI, con los objetivos específicos: identificar si el uso de las TICS, principalmente de Informática, ayuda la enseñanza aprendizaje de Geografía; examinar la participación y el feedback de los alumnos en la utilización de las TIC en la enseñanza de Geografía; realizar un análisis comparativo para identificar si hay una mejor comprensión de los contenidos geográficos con la utilización de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa, donde utilizamos, como instrumento la colecta de datos, entrevistas y observaciones. Las teorías basadas en este estudio fueron el enfoque de los autores como Moraes (1997), Santos (2009), Libâneo (2010), entre otros.Palabras clave: TICs; Enseñar-aprender Geografía; Educación Geográfica.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dora Simões ◽  
Paula Faustino

This article reflects on the insights of higher education teachers about the role that information and communication technologies (ICT) can have in enhancing students' autonomy in the teaching and learning process. In order to accomplish this goal, it was necessary to build a theoretical framework that explored the context of higher education under the assumptions of the Bologna process and educative policies, exploring the encouragement to students’ autonomy and the use of ICT in the teaching and learning process. A quantitative exploratory approach was adopted with the purpose of collecting the insights of teachers involved in two courses of the Portuguese public higher education. The data collection was made through the curricular plans and though a survey to the teachers. With this research, we conclude that teachers reveal efforts to enhance students’ autonomy and feel motivated to use ICT in their educational practices. The most frequently mentioned motivations are that ICT facilitates the access to resources and information, innovates their practice, improves the regulation, tutoring and intervention, and in interaction and communication. Teachers also appear to hold positive perceptions on the potential of ICT to support their teaching and learning process, especially the perception of utility and ease of use of ICT. 


The revolutionary developments in information and communication technologies have drastically changed the way we communicate in our personal as well as professional life. Traditionally email was considered as formal mean of communication in organisations but now a days its common to use social networking apps for official communication. WhatsApp in this regard have so much importance as it is being used in various industries because of its security, immediacy, and easy to use features. This paper studies the role of technology acceptance model (TAM) on adoption of WhatsApp for official communication and information sharing. The sample was collected from 328 respondents from 10 Malaysian universities using survey technique. The data was analysed using SMART-PLS. The findings of the research confirm that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are the key constructs for adoption of WhatsApp as channel for official communication. Furthermore, the limitations and future directions of the study are also recommended.


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