Using qualitative research software for CS education research

Research in Computer Science education has become more and more important in recent years. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods yield interesting results, but most researchers in our field rely on software for only the quantitative methods. This paper describes one of several packages on the market that support qualitative research methods. These packages make qualitative research less unwieldy and provide the researcher with excellent tools for doing far more detailed analysis of the data than is possible by hand. The data for such analysis may come from a variety of sources including on-line or written tests, programming assignments, and exit interviews for assessment purposes. The results of qualitative research can produce a better understanding of the larger picture in the environment under study.