See how the STEM Program Evaluation Lab saves 90 hours per project with Voiceform.
Each year the United States government commits millions of dollars to fund innovative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) research and education programs. Often, when these initiatives are funded, someone is standing alongside the scientists evaluating their work. That’s where SPEL comes in. We train graduate and undergraduate students and evaluate/research STEM education projects. Students receive training in the Values-Engaged Educative (VEE) evaluation approach, which defines high-quality STEM educational programming as that which successfully integrates pioneering scientific content, robust instructional pedagogy, and sensitivity to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Undergraduate students receive training in qualitative and quantitative research and other technical skills, evaluator competencies, co-authoring evaluation reports, and presenting to funders and at professional conferences. Graduate students in return, gain valuable supervisory experience to complement their applied research and evaluation experiences and coursework. SPEL is unique in that it is modeled after research laboratories that are common in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Our design includes co-directorship by two faculty members, integration of graduate and undergraduate students, and funding through sponsored research and evaluation contracts.
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We've been able to use Voiceform to collect a lot of qualitative data, and having asynchronous interviews has really revolutionized the way that we collect our data.
Ayesha Boyce, Co-Director, STEM Program Evaluation Lab
Challenge
Ayesha Boyce, an Educational Researcher and Program Evaluator, faced significant challenges in her qualitative data collection process while managing 12 research projects simultaneously. Firstly, scheduling interviews was highly time-consuming, making it difficult to coordinate up interviews within a short timeframe. Secondly, conducting these interviews was also time-consuming, further straining her resources. As a result, the sample size of her research was often low, limiting the breadth and depth of the data she could gather.
Solution
To address these challenges, Ayesha Boyce and her team implemented Voiceform for their qualitative data collection. Voiceform's asynchronous interview capabilities allowed them to gather data without the need for real-time scheduling, significantly reducing the time and effort required to coordinate interviews. This approach not only streamlined the data collection process but also enabled them to scale up their sample size, enhancing the breadth and depth of the information collected across their research projects.
Result
Using Voiceform completely transformed the way Ayesha Boyce and her team collected data. By switching to asynchronous interviews, they saved around 90 hours per project, which made a huge difference in managing their time and resources. This new approach allowed them to conduct three times more interviews than before, vastly increasing their sample size. As a result, they were able to gather much more comprehensive data across their research projects, making their work more impactful and efficient.
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