3b.+Data+Collection+Strategy

**Data Collection Strategy or Instrument**
In my research study, I am planning to explore and analyze beneficial uses of digital technology for enhancing the learning and education of the middle school special education student. The examples that I will consider will be collected using a survey of all middle school special education instructors in Cobb County.

The results from this first instrument will provide the content for additional research into several specific technologies in order to verify and make suggestions for implementation to improve student success over more traditional pedagogical approaches.

I will use a Google Docs survey questionnaire to collect mostly “open-ended” data (Chapter 7) regarding what types of emerging technologies are currently being used to support the middle school special education student. The open-ended portion of the survey will be used to specifically uncover new (little known) technologies that are currently in use.

**Link to the Google Docs survey**

A more quantitative closed-ended section to measure how often more common and popular tools are currently being utilized will be in the first part of the survey. This portion will set the foundation for the survey by discussing the more popular tools currently being used and hopefully encourage the participants to think about technologies they may have used but forgotten about.

An additional follow-up survey and interview of key administrators will be able to narrow the focus of my research on the most popular or the most effective technologies and collect quantitative data such as how often, how effective, and by what methods it has been incorporated. All results will be available on a Wiki page following analysis and tabulation.