Integrating interviews, surveys and secondary learning management system analytics in Australia and China: a three-strand mixed-methods study in vocational education

Including independent secondary quantitative data in mixed-methods research as a third component can enrich the findings of online learning environment research adopting convergent mixed-methods designs. This study highlights features of a doctoral project exploring the effectiveness of learning management system (LMS) deployment in Australia and China to develop a methodological framework to amalgamate qualitative and quantitative empirical findings with a synthesis of relevant secondary data. This article reports a subset of findings from the broader study, selected to demonstrate how independent LMS trace data can be integrated with interview and survey strands within a convergent mixed-methods design. This article’s contribution to mixed-methods research designs for interactive online learning systems is the development of a QUAL + quan1 + quan2 methodology configuration encapsulated within a case study framework. This framework applies to research projects with a significant qualitative component supported by primary and secondary quantitative data sources that focus on discrete units of analysis within well-defined boundaries.