ABSTRACT
We describe the evolution of qualitative research practices across several years of field testing the Learning by Design curriculum. A variety of methods have been employed for the purpose of developing a deeper understanding of learning and the learner. Our approach to qualitative research has changed over time as our evaluation goals have evolved, as no one practice is appropriate at every stage in a development project. Rather, what we've needed for comprehensive understanding of the ins and outs of learning environments has been a melding of several well-known methodologies along with development of strategies and tactics for data collection and analysis that allow us to identify essential features of a learning environment without spending all of our resources on evaluation.
