A Statistically Designed Educational Research Study

• Activity Number: 293
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Carolyn Bradshaw Morgan*+ and Anne Pierce and Spencer Baker and Arun Verma and Morris Morgan and Vitali Khaikine
• Companies: Hampton University and Hampton University and Hampton University and Hampton University and Hampton University and Hampton University
• Keywords: statistical design ; educational research ; data analysis

Abstract

A three-year educational research study is being conducted to investigate the impact of a new instructional format on student learning outcomes in calculus. The study was also designed to assess the impact of faculty mentors and role models on the performance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors, especially members of underrepresented groups. The study population is STEM students enrolled in the gate-keeper Calculus I course at a historically black college and university (HBCU). In the statistical study design, some of the calculus classes have received the standard instruction while other sections have received the FORCE (financially oriented research calculus experience) instruction. All students take a departmental final exam and a course grade of "C" or higher is considered passing. Early study results indicate that the FORCE student population is perform