Validity and reliability

Validity is concerned with measuring and assessing ‘what they intended to measure’ based on the research question and obtaining the results based on the research aim (Field, 2009; Golafshani, 2003; Heale & Twycross, 2015, p. 114). Validity questions in this research are: (1) Does this research measure and assess the impact of gaming technology in learning? (2) Does this research discover a difference between the impact of the e-book and the gaming technology? and (3) Does this research find any relationship between the e-book and gaming technology?

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All these questions validate the research. From the first step of undertaking the research to collecting data about the impact of gaming technology on learning and then providing the conceptual framework, all of the validity questions were concerned with testing and exploring all the themes and factors that support gaming technology in learning, and comparing that with the impact of the e-book on learning.

Validity consists of several types, such as content validity, construct validity, internal valid it y and external validity (Heale & Twycross, 2015). All these types of validity were used in this research.

Content validity is ‘the extent to which a research instrument accurately measure all aspects of construct’ (Heale & Twycross, 2015, p. 66); this relates to the instrument covering all variables that have an effect. This research conducted an experiment to explore the impact of gaming technology and the impact of an e-book on participants. It utilised a questionnaire, semi- structured interviews and observation to cover all the variables that had an effect on these technologies covering the impact on (1) attitude (autonomous learning, curiosity and motivation), (2) cognition (critical thinking and problem solving), and (3) memory process and cognitive load. All in all, this research covered and studied all the content needed for this research.

Construct validity depends on the use of several and multiple sources of evidence to establish a chain of evidence, and on the study of previous cases and events to review and assess the information provided (May, 2011). This research used a mixed method approach by using several types of data collection, such as interviews, questionnaire, and observation based on the experiment strategy, to collect primary data. This ensured the best explanation for the research result. Moreover, it supported the research in finding the objective and subjective reality to explain the impact of gaming technology on learning compared with the impact of the e-book on learning to confirm the conceptual framework. In addition, the secondary data used to build the conceptual framework was based on data collected from previous research and evidence, alongside the constructivism and cognitive load learning theories discussed in the literature review chapter. The next chapters provide and explain the results and findings.

Internal validity concerns establishing relationships between factors and measuring the impact of theories (Yin, 2013) as well as measuring the relationship of participant satisfaction with

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regard to the factors in the same circumstances (Heale & Twycross, 2015). Participants who had a relationship with the concepts of the research were chosen. The concepts behind the experiment pertained to gaming technology and e-books with a focus on research methodology. Research methodology is a very important concept for Ph.D. students in earning their degrees. In addition, the influence of constructivism and the cognitive load theory provided themes and factors in the conceptual framework that tested participant satisfaction and explored the sub- factors and elements that affected these themes and factors. Finally, both technologies were compared which validated the research method used and information obtained.

External validity is about generalising the results of research, such as information, knowledge, frameworks, and theories (Heale & Twycross, 2015; Yin, 2013). This research was about technology enhancing learning, in particular the impact of gaming technology in supporting learning in universities, and about using games as an e-resource in academic libraries to support academic performance. Ph.D. students in the University of Salford were invited to participate in the research and the results of this research can be used in any university around the world to justify using new technologies in learning to support students’ performance. As a result, any information that was found to be unrelated to the research context area was either rejected or preserved as information for awareness purposes only. All the inspection and examina t io n helped to ensure that participants’ biases and individual views did not dominate the focus of this research.

Reliability focuses on measurement and assessment performed in the same circumsta nces (Field, 2009). Moreover, reliability requires that the information provided by the participants and the research results in trustworthiness. (Bryman, 2015). The reliability of this research was based on the selection of an appropriate sample for this research. This research selected Ph.D. students in the University of Salford to study the impact of technologies on learning. Furthermore, the sample number of participants was chosen based on the t-test method for the experiments and the quantitative part, and the same number of participants was chosen for the semi-structured interviews for the qualitative part; this is explained in the ‘Sampling’ section of this chapter.

Moreover, all the participants undertook their experiment and interview in the same environment and under the same circumstances. All the participants used the same room for the

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experiment and used the same equipment. Moreover, the gaming technology group and the e- book group studied the same concepts concerning research methodology within the differe nt technologies in order to ascertain gaming technology’s and e-book’s impact on the participants and compare the impact of both technologies. In addition, both groups were asked the same questions and used the same process and instrument to measure the impact of both technologies. The reliability of this research was increased as a result, and all this was achieved while conforming to the ethical obligations for this research.