Maximizing App Potential

This class was really practical in nature. I really appreciated the opportunity to play with Transana. I have been using InqScribe, and for much of our exploration I didn't see too much difference. However two features may have convinced me to switch: time code links and the wave. More broadly, I think we should think more about how we can use the tools we already have or have access to to enhance our research processes and products.

I like the way Transana marks the time codes and links back to that place in the video. While this is important for knowing where in a file a particular statement lies, I'm thinking I could also use these markers to bookmark places I need to come back to for further analysis. For example, when I record meetings and interviews, I often write down time codes in my notes so that I know where a particular statement was made. I could use a special transcription file in Transana to mark these for easy access once the meeting or interview is done. This would be particularly useful in preparing presentations or short reports.

I'd also like to explore the possibilities of the wave form. It seems that this has the potential to reveal information or insights that may not have been gained by simply listening to the audio because you can see if there is a started utterance or breath. This may reveal some hesitation or anticipation that the researcher may not otherwise have noticed.

I don't have an iAnything, so many of the apps we discussed did not directly affect my research, but they got me thinking and helped me circle back to something I came into this program wanting to do. When I was teaching, I was the technology expert at the school (which says more about the faculty's lack of understanding for most things electronic or digital, and less about my technological skills).  The administration thought I was pretty innovative because I moved to a paperless classroom in my second semester. But I wasn't really that innovative; the English department ran out of paper and money in November, and I couldn't buy all of my own paper and ink with my starting teacher's salary, so I made lemonade. I took the tools I had around me (MS Office, Google Docs, Etherpad, Google Search, Edmodo, Adobe Reader and PDF maker, etc.) and learned how to maximize their use and potential.

Soon, I was being asked to show other teachers how I did such-and such, and I became very interested in teaching teachers to use the tools that exist (and are free) to enhance their classroom practice. I think we can do the same thing with the free and cheap apps and programs for research. The last three presenters all mentioned really interesting tools, and suggested we take advantage of our digital tools and spaces. I am going to explore that further, and see what potential lies in existing apps and features.