25 Jul Lesson 4: Two Voices, One Piece
Posted at 19:34h
in The Material of Teaching
Reference: Arvo Pärt’s tintinnabuli technique
Learning Objectives
- Balance qualitative and quantitative inputs without collapsing one into the other.
- Hear “correspondence” instead of forcing fusion.
- Recognize silence and absence as analytical signals.
Headline
“Let the data sing in two voices—don’t force a single melody.”
Narrative & UX Interpretation
Pärt writes with two voices: the melodic and the triadic. They move together, but never merge. In research, metrics and stories can do the same—each holds a different kind of truth. The aim isn’t synthesis for its own sake, but resonance.
Developing Critical Thinking
- Don’t privilege scale over voice: big numbers shape; single quotes give soul.
- Sequence, don’t stack: decide which voice should lead for this question.
- Treat gaps (missing data, silent segments) as purposeful rests.
- Refuse false synthesis: sometimes a number stays a number, a quote stays a quote.
Anchor & Process Grounding
- Anchor: Mixed-Methods Research (NN/g).
- Grounding Move: Explicitly label each finding as “Voice A (quant)” or “Voice B (qual)” and document how each reframes the other—no forced merge column.