Workshop on Epistemic Network Analysis

Abstract 

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the principles of Quantitative Ethnography (QE), an approach to analyzing Big Data that goes beyond the old dichotomy of qualitative and quantitative methods and past simple mixtures of methods. The workshop focuses on Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), a tool for modeling complex and collaborative thinking within a QE framework. ENA models how humans make meaning of events in the world using in large- and small-scale datasets on many kinds, including logfiles, transcripts of structured and semi-structured interviews, simulations, chat, email, and social media. A laptop with web access is helpful, but not required.

Don't miss the opportunity to hear Professor Shaffer discuss his methods in depth in his upcoming seminar, Quantitative Ethnography: Human Science in the Age of Big Data on Tuesday 23rd April, 12:00 - 13:00.

Speaker Biography 

David Williamson Shaffer is the Sears Bascom Professor of Learning Analytics in the Department of Educational Psychology, a Data Philosopher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, and Director of the Center for Research on Complex Thinking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Shaffer’s Ph.D. is from the Media Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he has been a teacher, teacher-trainer, curriculum developer, and game designer. Professor Shaffer’s current work focuses on unifying statistical, qualitative, and critical methods to construct fair models of complex and collaborative human activity. His most recent book, Quantitative Ethnography, launched a field that includes scholars from anthropology, cognitive science, computer science, education, engineering, environmental science, game design, geography, history, human–computer interaction, learning analytics, learning sciences, linguistics, medicine, psychology, robotics, sociology, and statistics.

Event Information 

This event will take place in the Digital Scholarship Centre on the 6th floor of the Main Library. Please inform us of any access requirements by emailing cdcs@ed.ac.uk. Further details about how CDCS uses your information obtained from booking onto our events can be found in our Events Privacy Statement. 

As of March 2022, the government formally removed all Covid restrictions in the UK. We ask that you continue to be considerate of others’ personal space, and please do not attend if you feel unwell or have any of Covid symptoms.