[Sigia-l] card sorting: dealing with multiple placements

[Boniface Lau]

> From: lists at mk27.com [mailto:lists at mk27.com]
> Todd R. Warfel
> 
[...]
>
> Grouping is about putting like things into piles or groups.
> Ordering, on the other hand, is about itemizing things in a
> hierarchy (e.g. 1-5, best to worst).

Ordering things does not necessary mean arranging them in a hierarchy.
While hierarchy is a way of ordering things, not all orders are
hierarchical.


> 
> In card sorts done on content inventories, we typically don't want 
> participants to order things, we want them to group them. 

But for participants to successfully group things, they have to
observe the order among groups. 

For illustration, let's say there is a stack of cards each with a
2-digit number. The task is to group those cards by the first digit of
the 2-digit number. So, let's walk through the process step by step to
group the following cards: 12, 33, 21, 28.

1st, we have the "12" card. Since it is the first card, we just place
it somewhere on the table. We have one group of one card (12).

2nd, we have the "33" card. For whatever reason, we decide to place it
after the "12" card. So, we have two groups of one card in the
following order: (12), (33).

3rd, we have the "21" card. We decide to place it in between "12" and
"33". Thus, we have three groups of one card in the following order:
(12), (21), (33).

4th, we have the "28" card. We decide that it belongs together with
the group having the "21" card since both "28" and "21" starts with
"2". 

We know that "21" is already on the table. And it is ordered as the
second of the three groups. So, we need to place "28" onto the second
group. That is observing order. Thus, we maintain the three groups in
the following order: (12), (21, 28), (33).

Had we decided not to observe the order of the groups, we might place
"28" as a fourth group - after "33". We would then have four groups of
one card in the following order: (12), (21), (33), (28). Of course,
that is improper grouping.

Thus, successful grouping requires that order be observed.


[...]
> Participants can and do sort into groups without creating an order.

Depending on the setup, participants may or may not create an order
for the groups. But they have to observe whatever order.


> Perhaps you have a different definition of order?

No. Just that I am aware of the fact that successful grouping requires
order to be observed. The awareness helps me to be mindful of
situations in which the card sort result may be deceiving. Mastering a
tool includes knowing its limitation.


Boniface