Q Methodology and Q-Perspectives® Online: Innovative Research Methodology and Instructional Technology

Q methodology is an underutilized research methodology in the fields of education, instructional design and instructional technology, yet is well suited to research on perceptions of learning, efficacy of design, technology adoption and other issues within those fields. One reason for its lack of widespread use is the somewhat cumbersome nature of the research process, including the lack of readily available mainstream tools to conduct data collection and analysis. The authors introduce Q methodology, discuss its relevance in educational and instructional technology research and introduce their design of a new tool, Q-Perspectives® Online (Walker et al. 2017). The authors provide examples of the how Q-Perspectives® Online makes Q methodology more accessible as an instructional tool, and provide examples of use in face-to-face, flipped and online classrooms. The authors also describe how the methodology and real-time analysis tool provide an opportunity to bridge the research/practitioner divide by creating an explicit merger of the learning and research environments.