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Captivating Students inthe 21st Century
Using Online SPSS Simulations to Support Statistical Techniques
Dr Andrew CleggPrincipal Lecturer for Learning and Teaching
Programme Co-ordinator for Tourism Management
Background: Statistics – ‘The Problem Child’
Background: GSCE Entry Profile – Business & Management
• Sports Science undergraduates - 80% had GCSE grades C or B; 7% were either mature students or marks were not available, so only 13% of students had higher than GCSE B
Background: GSCE Entry Profile – Business & Management
‘How do I calculate a percentage?’
Background: GSCE Entry Profile – Business & Management
‘How do I calculate a percentage?’
‘I hate Maths!’
Background: GSCE Entry Profile – Business & Management
‘How do I calculate a percentage?’
‘I hate Maths!’
‘How does this relate to my degree?’
Student Attitudes to Statistics
Zeidner (1990)* – Statistics Anxiety
‘a performance characterised by extensive worry, intrusive thoughts, mental disorganization, tension, and physiological arousal … when exposed to statistics content, problems, instructional situations, or evaluative contexts, and is commonly claimed to debilitate performance in a wide variety of academic situations by interfering with the manipulation of statistics data and solution of statistics problems’
[*cited in Onwuegbuzie and Wilson, 2003, p. 196]
Student Attitudes to Statistics
A scan of the available literature reveals a common and persistent theme:
High levels of anxiety... ‘for many students statistics is perhaps the most anxiety-provoking, difficult, or critical subject within their courses of study’ (Baharun & Porter, 2009)
‘Statistics courses are viewed by most students as an obstacle standing in the way of attaining their desired degree’ (Perney and Ravid, 1991)
‘While the material covered, the level of difficultly, and the approach vary enormously, most have one aspect in common: the course is typically the most unpopular in the academic programme’ (Keller et al, 1988)
Student Attitudes to Statistics
Maths anxiety is transferred to statistics anxiety (Perney & David, 1990)
Problems of contextualisation – where, why and how does it fit in?
Emergence of wider Research Methods Anxiety (Papanastasiou & Zembylas, 2008)
Coping strategy – failure is a foregone conclusion therefore accept low grade in a statistics module and recoup elsewhere – priority is a pass mark (40%)
Student Attitudes to Statistics
Cruise et al (1985): Components of Anxiety
Background: Grade Profile
Background: Grade Profile
Rationale: Simulations in Context
Rationale The development of a blended learning approach to statistics to:
To reduce student anxiety and improve student understanding and confidence in the applied use of basic statistical techniques
To help students’ application of statistics through scenario-based exercises
To provide self-directed support for statistical analysis using SPSS and Access
To provide a quantitative foundation for additional research skills, and the formulation of Level 3 Management Projects/Dissertations
Blended Learning Approach
Adobe Captivate
Captivate FeaturesAuthoring tool designed to create software demonstrations,
software simulations, branched scenarios, and randomized quiz files
Capability to build and edit interactive software demonstrations, recording in real time or using screen capture that snaps a sequence of still images and then builds mouse movement simulations to create the appearance of a running program
Capability to add captions, clickable hotspots, text entry boxes, rollovers, videos, etc
Example Simulation:Student T-Test
Student Feedback
Student Feedback 2009-2010
74% of students made use of online simulations at some point during the module
[n=62]
Student Feedback 2009-2010
[n=62]
Student Feedback 2009-2010
[n=62]
Feedback from Pilot GroupThe percentage of students scoring 60% or higher, increased from 22% in 2007-2008 to 50% in 2008-2009 [2009-2010 = 27%]Students scoring between 40 and 49% dropped from 44% to 16% over the same time period [2009-2010 = 25%] General feedback was that it improved the understanding
of basics techniques and that the content should be expanded
Quizzes for in-class activities and formative assessment
Operational Considerations Software is very intuitive but time consuming Storyboarding and rehearsal is needed to avoid errors The design element for online testing is rather
cumbersome (improvements due in Captivate V5) Need direct access to a website to publish Contribute files
as you need to able to save a folder to the server Files can be saved and distributed as Flash Objects Can be used on any windows-based software (with
automatic annotation)
The Wider Story:Blended Learning
Blended Learning Approach Simulations used as
part of a wider approach to blended learning within new VLE
Blended Learning Approach
Blended Learning Approach
Blended Learning Approach Statistics manual and
logbooks Purpose-built data
file – 300 business entries, 52 variables
Blended Learning Approach Scenario-based approaches
Blended Learning Approach Mobile reference
guide
Blended Learning Approach Bristol Online
Survey Tool
Blended Learning Approach
Summary
Summary
• Online simulations provide a useful vehicle for providing remote support for students – not a substitute for face-to-face sessions given student anxiety levels
• Developed as part of a broader approach to blending learning
• Focus on contextualisation of key statistical techniques through applied examples and student’s own data
• Online simulations are time consuming to produce so develop as a central resource across programmes to avoid duplication
• Approach is transferable to any theme /area (e.g. library induction / referencing etc)
• Have a go for free with Jing
Captivating Students inthe 21st Century
Using Online SPSS Simulations to Support Statistical Techniques
Dr Andrew CleggPrincipal Lecturer for Learning and Teaching
Programme Co-ordinator for Tourism Management