I was shown two diagrams by my lecturer in research methods (education)
about 10 years ago which opened my eyes to the ontological basis inherent
in epistemological proposals...one showed a benchmark test and student
achievement in terms of pass and failure at the end of high school with the
caption (only 70% pass) The diagram had a large arrow to a line on the page
(the bench mark test) and a smaller arrow after the line. He then asked the
question where did all the failures go? He then presented another graphic
that had a circle with many radiating lines...this represented research
concerning where a cohort of students "got to" professionally 5 years after
finishing school ...they all went places and all described educational
events which were significant in their journeys (regardless of their test
'success').
I believe that the questions gets down to our own self conception as
designers and the idea of false consciousness concerning the efficacy of
our practice. Quantitative methods are a species of cultural artefacts that
generate dualistic outcomes...i do not believe that these methods are valid
in complex or situated contexts like design.
Norm
Dr. Norman Sheehan
Lecturer
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit
University of Queensland
Brisbane QLD 4072
Phone (07) 33656699
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