/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 7 To help assess student learning ... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

91Ó°ÊÓ

To help assess student learning in her developmental math courses, a mathematics professor at a community college implemented pre- and posttests for her developmental math students. A knowledge-gained score was obtained by taking the difference of the two test scores. (a) What type of experimental design is this? (b) What is the response variable in this experiment? (c) What is the treatment?

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) Pretest-posttest design, (b) Knowledge-gained score, (c) Developmental math course.

Step by step solution

01

Identifying the Experimental Design

This design involves comparing the same group of students' performance before and after an intervention (the math course). This type of design is often referred to as a 'before-and-after' or 'pretest-posttest' design.
02

Determining the Response Variable

The response variable is the outcome that the experimenter measures. In this case, it is the knowledge-gained score, which is calculated by taking the difference between the posttest and pretest scores.
03

Identifying the Treatment

The treatment in this experiment is the developmental math course itself, which is the intervention applied to see its effect on students' knowledge.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Pretest-Posttest Design
In educational research, a pretest-posttest design is a popular method to measure changes brought by an intervention. This design compares results from before and after the intervention. For example, in the exercise about the developmental math course, students are tested at the beginning (pretest) and then after completing the course (posttest).

By analyzing the difference between pretest and posttest scores, researchers can determine if the intervention (the math course) was effective. The main advantage of this design is that it uses the same group of individuals, which helps control for variations among different participants.
Response Variable
The response variable in an experiment is the primary outcome that researchers measure to assess the effects of the treatment. In the given exercise, the response variable is the knowledge-gained score.

To compute this, the professor subtracts the pretest score from the posttest score for each student. This score indicates how much knowledge students have gained through the math course. Analyzing this response variable helps in understanding the effectiveness of the intervention.
Educational Intervention
An educational intervention is any program or strategy implemented with the aim of improving learning outcomes. In the example provided, the developmental math course acts as the intervention.

Such interventions can vary widely, including new teaching methods, curriculum changes, or additional resources. The goal is to observe whether these interventions lead to better results, as indicated by the response variable (knowledge-gained score in this case). Evaluating the impact of educational interventions is crucial for enhancing teaching practices and student achievement.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Determine whether the quantitative variable is discrete or continuous. Temperature on a randomly selected day in Memphis, Tennessee

A local golf pro wanted to compare two styles of golf club. One golf club had a graphite shaft and the other had the latest style of steel shaft. It is a common belief that graphite shafts allow a player to hit the ball farther, but the manufacturer of the new steel shaft said the ball travels just as far with its new technology. To test this claim, the pro recruited 10 golfers from the driving range. Each player was asked to hit one ball with the graphiteshafted club and one ball with the new steel-shafted club. The distance that the ball traveled was determined using a range finder. A coin flip was used to determine whether the player hit with the graphite club or the steel club first. Results indicated that the distance the ball was hit with the graphite club was no different than the distance when using the steel club. (a) What type of experimental design is this? (b) What is the response variable in this study? (c) What is the factor? What is the treatment? (d) Identify the experimental units. (e) Why did the golf pro use a coin flip to determine whether the golfer should hit with the graphite first or the steel first? (f) Draw a diagram similar to Figure 6 or 7 to illustrate the design.

The survey design is flawed. (a) Determine whether the flaw is due to the sampling method or the survey itself For flawed surveys, identify the cause of the error (wording of question, nonresponse, and so forth). (b) Suggest a remedy to the problem. An antigun advocate wants to estimate the percentage of people who favor stricter gun laws. He conducts a nationwide survey of 1,203 randomly selected adults 18 years old and older. The interviewer asks the respondents, "Do you favor harsher penalties for individuals who sell guns illegally?"

What is replication in an experiment?

In 2005 the University of Illinois men's basketball team set a school record for wins in a row ( 29 ). Their points per game (listed in chronological order horizontally) for regular and postseason games are given next. Obtain a systematic random sample of size 6 from the scores. Be sure to describe your sampling method.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Math Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.