Teaching Undergraduates Qualitative Research through 9/11 Oral Histories
Location
1047
Format Type
Event
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
January 2019
End Date
January 2019
Abstract
This session describes an innovative and replicable approach to teaching qualitative research through archived oral histories. The Flight 93 (9/11) National Memorial staff recorded nearly 900 oral history interviews with friends and family members of those who died, first responders, community members, and others. These transcripts provide compelling content for undergraduates learning qualitative data analysis, who in turn provide valuable assistance to the Memorial.
Each student learned how to a) manage the audio files and transcripts, b) code the transcripts, c) identify themes, and d) present their findings in a poster presentation suitable for a research symposium or public audience. Each project pursued a research question relevant to the student’s career goals. For example, a developmental psychology major analyzed the transcripts for content suitable for children, while a public health major pursued questions pertaining to first responder mental health. Tailoring the projects thus produced a motivating and valuable experience.
Many such public archives exist and offer enriching opportunities for students interested in human experiences who do not have the resources or skills to conduct interview studies. Participants will learn the scaffolded pedagogy we adopted and will uncover oral history collections for their own use.
Keywords
teaching research methods, teaching qualitative research, undergraduate research, oral history research
Teaching Undergraduates Qualitative Research through 9/11 Oral Histories
1047
This session describes an innovative and replicable approach to teaching qualitative research through archived oral histories. The Flight 93 (9/11) National Memorial staff recorded nearly 900 oral history interviews with friends and family members of those who died, first responders, community members, and others. These transcripts provide compelling content for undergraduates learning qualitative data analysis, who in turn provide valuable assistance to the Memorial.
Each student learned how to a) manage the audio files and transcripts, b) code the transcripts, c) identify themes, and d) present their findings in a poster presentation suitable for a research symposium or public audience. Each project pursued a research question relevant to the student’s career goals. For example, a developmental psychology major analyzed the transcripts for content suitable for children, while a public health major pursued questions pertaining to first responder mental health. Tailoring the projects thus produced a motivating and valuable experience.
Many such public archives exist and offer enriching opportunities for students interested in human experiences who do not have the resources or skills to conduct interview studies. Participants will learn the scaffolded pedagogy we adopted and will uncover oral history collections for their own use.
Comments
Breakout Session G